The purpose of thesis was to investigate and compare how two companies within pharmaceutical industry and nuclear power industry are currently working with quality development regarding continuous improvement and Lessons Learned in business processes. In addition, a simple comparison was made with the automotiveindustry. McNeil AB are improving their processes continuously and are according to the findings of this report performing well in their pursuit of world-class pharmaceutical production. They have a well functioning process regarding improvements proposed in weekly improvement meetings engaging all employees. However, during interviews it was made clear that the functionality of the process which administer improvement proposals generated in addition to, or beside the weekly improvement meetings, were inadequate. McNeil AB is proposed to administer this through an IT solution instead of by paper and e-mail, that simplifies the process of adding, implementing and follow up an improvement proposal. The nuclear power plant Ringhals AB recently made major improvements in their business processes as well as the plant itself. In a short period of time, several major modernization projects have been carried out and the project department have been put to the test. In order to drive changes in the plant, a plant modification process is used which is highly appreciated by the employees. However, when compared to McNeil AB and the automotive industry’s processes the plant modification process was found to lack in Lessons Learned. Ringhals AB is therefore proposed to implement Lessons Learned methodologies in check points throughout the projects lifecycle.

The aim for this research report is to categorize and describe students’ conceptions about the structure and function of the cell membrane from a phenomenographic and variation theory perspective. Students’ ability to understand different concepts depends on their ability to comprehend certain critical features of the content. The critical feature of understanding the structure of the cell membrane investigated here is the polar and non-polar properties of molecules. The critical feature of understanding the function of the cell membrane is transport through the cell membrane. Another aim is to investigate what animations, concerning cellular transport, can contribute to teaching and students understanding of the cell membrane. Furthermore, a subordinated aim is to distinguish whether there are any existing differences and similarities between South Africa and Sweden in consideration to students’ conceptions about the cell membrane. Two different methods of data collection, questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, were used in this investigation. 80 students participated in the questionnaire and 5 students participated in the interviews. Four categories of conceptions about the characteristics of polar and non-polar molecules have been identified. Furthermore, one of the most remarkable and notable findings discovered are that most teachers and students are not aware of the current scientific view on how water molecules are transported through the cell membrane. Knowledge about aquaporines, discovered by Agre in 1992, seems to be almost non-existing in science education in upper secondary school, in Sweden and South Africa as well. Furthermore, students experience animations to be complex and which in some cases seem to be regarded as messy representation. Simultaneously they strongly emphasise the need for animations to support learning and remembering. Animations can be seen as a source of variation in teaching. The conceptions described occurred both among the South African students as well among the Swedish students. Also similarities concerning students’ conceptions have been discerned between the two countries investigated. For example there could be that South African students possess a richer understanding for the concept of the cell membrane than the Swedish students, but find it more difficult to move between different contexts.

<p>The aim for this research report is to categorize and describe students’ conceptions about the structure and function of the cell membrane from a phenomenographic and variation theory perspective. Students’ ability to understand different concepts depends on their ability to comprehend certain critical features of the content. The critical feature of understanding the structure of the cell membrane investigated here is the polar and non-polar properties of molecules. The critical feature of understanding the function of the cell membrane is transport through the cell membrane. Another aim is to investigate what animations, concerning cellular transport, can contribute to teaching and students understanding of the cell membrane. Furthermore, a subordinated aim is to distinguish whether there are any existing differences and similarities between South Africa and Sweden in consideration to students’ conceptions about the cell membrane.</p><p>Two different methods of data collection, questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, were used in this investigation. 80 students participated in the questionnaire and 5 students participated in the interviews.</p><p>Four categories of conceptions about the characteristics of polar and non-polar molecules have been identified. Furthermore, one of the most remarkable and notable findings discovered are that most teachers and students are not aware of the current scientific view on how water molecules are transported through the cell membrane. Knowledge about aquaporines, discovered by Agre in 1992, seems to be almost non-existing in science education in upper secondary school, in Sweden and South Africa as well. Furthermore, students experience animations to be complex and which in some cases seem to be regarded as messy representation. Simultaneously they strongly emphasise the need for animations to support learning and remembering. Animations can be seen as a source of variation in teaching. The conceptions described occurred both among the South African students as well among the Swedish students. Also similarities concerning students’ conceptions have been discerned between the two countries investigated. For example there could be that South African students possess a richer understanding for the concept of the cell membrane than the Swedish students, but find it more difficult to move between different contexts.</p>

Les matériaux élastomères hyper élastiques offrent aux domaines des capteurs, des antennes radio fréquences et des soft robots de nouvelles opportunités en termes de déformabilité. Le but de ce travail est d'étudier un matériau élastomère hyper élastique appelé Ecoflex et de l'intégrer à des systèmes microfluidiques en exploitant ses caractéristiques mécaniques particulières.Dans un premier temps, les propriétés mécaniques de ce matériau ont été caractérisées par des expériences de soufflages membranaires. Par la suite des outils de modélisation mécanique basés sur le modèle phénoménologique de Mooney-Rivlin ont été étudiés et validés. Deux exemples d'applications ont été développés.Une première famille de système concerne des capteurs de grandes déformations. Ces capteurs électro fluidiques combinent les propriétés hyper élastiques de l'Ecoflex et les propriétés électriques du Galinstan qui est un métal liquide à température ambiante : une résistance électrique est formée par un canal moulé dans l'Ecoflex et rempli du liquide conducteur. Une déformation du capteur induit une modification de la géométrie du canal et donc une variation de résistance. Les caractérisations réalisées sur ces capteurs ont montré leur capacité à mesurer des étirements très importants avec un comportement réversible et sans rupture de contact électrique. Des taux d'élongation de 400 %, entrainant une variation de résistance de 800% ont ainsi été obtenus. Les résultats suivant la géométrie des capteurs sont discutés en utilisant des outils de modélisations.La deuxième famille de système concerne les laboratoires sur puce avec la fabrication de réservoirs déformables pouvant être intégrés à des composants fluidiques. Inspirés des tests de soufflage membranaire, ces réservoirs peuvent embarquer des volumes allant de quelques dizaines de microlitres à quelques millilitres de réactifs tout en ayant un encombrement minimum. L'élasticité des membranes permet de pressuriser naturellement le réservoir et une méthode simple de détection de la forme du réservoir permet de connaitre à tout moment le volume interne de celui-ci. Couplés à un système de vannes pneumatiques, ces réservoirs permettent d'injecter précisément un volume de fluide dans un réseau microfluidique. Différents exemples de composants ont été développés, allant du réservoir simple pour les caractérisations, à des cartes intégrants plusieurs réservoirs en vue d'effectuer des protocoles complexes, tel une dilution programmable ou un test ELISA. / Mechanical properties of hyper elastic elastomers provide new opportunities to captors, radio frequencies antennas and soft robots. This work is focused on the study of a hyper elastic material called Ecoflex and on its integration in microfluidic systems using its exceptional mechanical properties.First, material's mechanical properties were investigated during membrane blowing experiments. Simulations based on the phenomenological model of Mooney-Rivlin were developed and validated. These results were useful to the development of two applications.First application of hyper elastic system is an elongation sensor. Electro fluidic sensors combine Ecoflex's hyper elastic properties and Galinstan's electrical properties. Galinstan is a metallic alloy which is liquid at room temperature. A microchannel molded in the elastomer and filled with the liquid metal form an electrical resistance. Sensor's deformation induces a geometrical change into the channel and therefore a variation of the electrical resistance. Characterization tests performed on these sensors showed capabilities to measure large elongations and reversibly without loss of electrical contact. An elongation of the sensor's length by a factor 4 involves an increase of the electrical resistance by a factor 8 providing a good sensibility of the system. Results according to the sensor's geometry are discussed using simulation tools, analytical study and experimental data.Second application is the development of hyper elastic reservoirs integrated into microfluidic cards. Inspired from membrane blowing tests, they are able to store volumes from few microliters to milliliters of reagents without taking too much place on the microfluidic cards' surface. Membranes' elasticity naturally pressurizes the reservoir when it is filled and a simple optical edge detection method gives the internal volume in real time. Combined with pneumatic valves these reservoirs inject precise volumes into a microfluidic network. Different microfluidic systems were developed, a simple reservoir with two valves for the characterizations and cards with multiple reservoirs to realize complex protocols like on demand dilution or automated ELISA test.

Following Independence in 1991 Namibia embarked on a major reform of the entire education system. The reform was perceived as a way of redressing the apartheid legacy and bringing about a democratic learner centred education for all. At the same time the reform was also seen as a prime vehicle to bring about sustainable development through incorporating relevant environmental education into various carrier subjects. One such carrier has been the subject Life Science, which is compulsory from Grade 8 to Grade 10. The Life Science Project was a joint venture between the Ministry of Education and Ibis, a Danish Development NGO, established to develop and support the implementation of Life Science in junior secondary schools. This half-thesis is an evaluation of the Life Science Project through an analysis of the central assumptions on which the Life Science curriculum is based and by investigating different stakeholders’ perceptions and understanding of the learner centred approach adopted by the curriculum. Three questions have guided this research: 1. Are there curriculum models that are more conducive for reform and change than others? 2. Do stakeholders and curriculum developers in Namibia understand the theory of social constructivism, and the systemic implications such an approach has for the education system? 3. Which approach to environmental education complements a transformative curriculum and the changes outlined in policy? From the research carried out in this half-thesis, it would appear that the Namibian education system and the Life Science curriculum suffers from what could be termed “ideological confusion”. Confusion in the sense that there are marked inconsistencies between policy and praxis, between the stated goals and aims of the reform and the curriculum designed to achieve these. This confusion is further exacerbated by various stakeholders’ different interpretations of both policy and the systemic implications the reform policy has on education. In this half-thesis I argue that embarking on an objectives driven model of curriculum cannot bring about change and transformation of the Namibian education system. I further argue that, by not having considered and implemented the necessary systemic changes to the education system, Namibia has, in fact, developed a child centred education system which is fundamentally different from a learner centred education system. Finally, I argue that environmental education, through the subject Life Science, set within an objectives driven, Child Centred Education system is inappropriate for and unable to address the need for developing an environmentally literate citizenry who are able to take informed decisions in order to address the environmental crisis and bring forth a more sustainable future.

After Independence in 1991, Namibia embarked on implementing a new and different educational system. This system was seen as a radical departure from the old apartheid system. The Namibian government approached Ibis, a Danish NGO, to support the change process by establishing and developing a new subject, life science, in Junior Secondary schools in Namibia through the Life Science Project (LSP). In a project of this nature, where a foreign (Danish) educational intervention in a relatively young and new democracy is the issue, cross-cultural aspects are likely to emerge, and these are the focus of this study. This half-thesis is an attempt to illuminate, not to evaluate, managerial as well as cross-cultural features of the project based on perceptions of selected Danish managers and Namibian advisory teachers from the former LSP expressed in the goal of the research: - To explore selected leaders’ and participants’ perception of the management of the Life Science Project. In line with this goal, I elected to conduct the research in the interpretive paradigm, using unstructured interviews as my chief source of data. The findings illuminate what would appear to be an inconsistency in the management of the project. The project seemed to be able to accommodate regional and even personal differences and to be flexible to internal changes. At the same time it appears that in its relationship to the external or task environment it did not show the same openness and flexibility to accommodate diversity. It is suggested that this could be a result of the apparent failure on the part of the project to clarify its own underlying values. The study also reveals interesting and unexpected perceptions of leadership, which may also be interpreted in terms of cultural values and beliefs. These two features of managerial issues could lead one to reflect upon the importance of recognising values in organisations which work across cultures.

With the increasing amounts of data generated in life science, methods for data storage and sharing are being developed and implemented. Online data repositories are more and more commonly used for data sharing. The national Swedish platform Science of Life Laboratory has decided to use an institutional data repository as a mean to address the increasing amounts of data generated at the platform. In this project, the system used for the institutional repository at SciLifeLab was studied and compared to implementations of the same system at other institutions to create user documentation for the repository. This documentation was created with the FAIR principles as a guidance. Feedback on the guidelines were then sought from users and based on the received feedback, the user documentation was improved. Using a FAIR evaluation tool called FAIR evaluation services, items published on the repository were evaluated. Investigation of these results and their correlation to the items record on the repository were carried out. Out of ten evaluated datasets all except one scored exactly the same on the FAIR evaluation services tests. This could indicate that the test used is not evaluating aspects needed to encounter the differences in these published items. Based on this, conclusions as to in what extent user documentation can increase the FAIRness of data cannot be drawn.

In the last decades, research on technology and applications for improvementsof people’s wellbeing has been increasingly important. There is an extensive amount of research on internationalization of firms, while research on life science businesses, especially startups, in a Swedish context is lacking. As seen from previous literature on the life science industry, firms are dependent on networks and long R&amp;D processes funded by financial actors. Therefore, the aim of this research was to explore how Swedish life science businesses operate in their early phases in order to internationalize. The theoretical framework used in this research is based on the relevance of identified theories in creating a proper business model, choosing the right internationalization strategies and entry modes to the foreign markets, in addition to acquiring the relevant networks. This research used an exploratory research approach to utilize previous literature in combination with case studies to explore further on the internationalization phenomenon in the context of the studied cases. Furthermore, an abductive approach was utilized in the research from the correlations between existing theories and gathered findings, resulting in modifications in the methodology and in existing theories. The study conducted semi-structured interviews with five different Swedish companies in the life science industry. The interviewees were all in high leading positions in the studied companies. The authors of the research conducted a thematic analysis of the data to identify common patterns and themes to guide the analysis. Findings of the research showcase that Swedish life science firms are dependent on creating unique and efficient products and services, targeting markets with suitable industry, research and regulatory landscape, and acquiring access to business, regulatory and scientific networks in order to internationalize early on. This research looks at the industry of life science from a Swedish startup firm context, resulting in contributions towards the internationalization processes of firms.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第23221号 / 工博第4865号 / 新制||工||1759(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院工学研究科分子工学専攻 / (主査)教授 水落 憲和, 教授 浜地 格, 教授 SIVANIAH Easan / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DGAM

A thesis submitted to the Faculty Of Education in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Of Doctor Of Philosophy (D.Ed) in Science Education in the Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education at the University Of Zululand, 2018 / Classroom assessment is an essential component of teaching and learning. It should be an on-going process that improves instruction rather than a periodic evaluation of what has been achieved. This study was designed to investigate teachers’ and learners’ conceptions and experiences about assessment for learning (AfL) and its impact on learners’ performance in Life Science. Simple random sampling was used to select four schools from the uThungulu district to participate in the study. Two of the selected schools constituted the Treatment Condition while the other two served as the Comparison Group. Altogether, 160 Grade 11 learners (forty from each participating school) participated in the study – comprised of four intact classrooms, one from each participating school. Two teachers were trained to use AfL as an instructional approach, while the teachers of the Comparison Group used their usual instructional approaches. The topic being studied by all the learners were Animal Nutrition and Cellular Respiration, lasting six weeks for the two groups. In addition, 80 Life Science teachers also took part in the study as respondents on their assessment practices in the subject. Data were collected using pre- and post-tests for the learners and a questionnaire for the teachers. These were followed by semi-structured interviews with the two teachers of the Treatment Group and selected learners from the same group. The quantitative component of the study took the form of a Quasi-Experimental Pretest-Posttest Comparison Group Design, while the qualitative component employed a hermeneutical research approach. Data were collected using a test, questionnaire, survey and semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that the current formative assessment practices used by Life Science teachers in uThungulu district are out of alignment with the principles of formative assessment as directed by the Department of Basic Education (DBE). Furthermore, the respondents’ conceptions of AfL did not influence their classroom assessment and instructional practices. On the question of learner performance following the six week instructional intervention, the study found that learners in the Treatment Group performed significantly higher than learners’ in the Comparison Group. From these results, recommendations are made to influence both policy and classroom practice. Investigating the wide variety of assessment practices has allowed me to come to understand the culture of assessment within the AfL approach, where assessment placed learners at the center of learning to help support the learning process. Learners’ views/experiences about AfL approach suggests that AfL instructional approach constitutes a better strategy that makes learning a more enjoyable and pleasant experience.