The port of Kaohsiung which was the third largest harbor in the world previously is still the biggest one in Taiwan at present. Because of shipping coming from all over the world persistently and there are several shipyards and fishing ports in harbor, the harbor area is seriously polluted by organotin compound. Nevertheless, it is not understood whether the pollution of organotin affect the marine ecosystem around coastal areas out of harbor. The first goal of this study concerns about organotin contamination and distribution of the sediments and major benthic organisms around coastal areas out of harbor. The second one is to find the adequate indicator organism which fits for organotin contamination. Five major benthic organisms including Distorsio reticularis, Niotha conoidalis, Metapenaeopsis palmensis, Portunus argentatus and Portunus hastatoides were collected and investigated in this study. The organotin concentration of sediments in all stations was not detected totally. The organotin accumulations in Metapenaeopsis palmensis, Portunus argentatus and Portunus hastatoide are not obvious. In Portunus argentatus and Portunus hastatoide, both the contents of tributyltin (TBT) were not detected. In Metapenaeopsis palmensis, the concentration of TBT is between ND¡ã3.4 ng/g as tin. In Distorsio reticularis and Niotha conoidalis, organotin is measured in all station; monobutyltin (MBT) is the main composition of butyltins; TBT is less than 10 ng/g as tin. The concentration of butyltins in Niotha conoidalis decreased with the increased wet weight. There was no significant variation for organotin concentrations in Niotha conoidalis collected from each stations and seasons. According to this study, the content of organotins in sediment around coastal areas out of harbor is obviously less than other coastal areas of large-scale harbors (Lisbon, Sines, Sagres, Huelva, Cadiz and Trafalgar). The organotin contamination around coastal areas out of harbor is not serious. Base on amounts, distributions and contents of organotin in organisms, Distorsio reticularis and Niotha conoidalis are better bethic indicator organisms than Metapenaeopsis palmensis, Portunus argentatus and Portunus hastatoides. Niotha conoidalis distributes over the depth less than 30 m, and therefore is a good indicator organism for this area. The facts that Distorsio reticularis distributes over the depth more than 30 m, suggest that it is a proper indicator organism for this area although lesser in population.

Main objective of the work was to design and construct a model biodrying reactor and to try out two aeration regimes. Additional objective was to asses usability of the process for Czech waste. Model reactor was successfully designed, constructed and put into operation. Two different aeration regimes were examined: regime controlled by oxygen concentration and regime controlled by temperature in upper layer of the reactor. Better results in light of net calorific value and moisture elimination had regimes controlled by temperature in upper layer of the reactor. In light of energy budget regime controlled by oxygen concentration n. 2 performed better. Results strongly depend on composition of waste (organic fraction content) and ambient air moisture. On the basis of these results new interesting questions arise. Czech waste is energetically usable for processing by biodrying. From economic point of view insufficiency of market for produced fuel is a main problem.

The upper layer sediments were collected from eight ports (22 sampling points) of Kaohsiung and Pingtung in southwest Taiwan. The organotin contents in sediment are all related to the grain size. The concentration of tributyltin (TBT) is between 0.041~4.843 ppm (as Sn) , the concentration of dibutyltin (DBT) is between 0.001~4.626 ppm (as Sn), and the concentration of monobutyltin (MBT) is between 0.001~4.908 ppm (as Sn). The Chien-chen harbor presents the hightest butyltins concentrations, and the TBT contents is much over 10-d LC50 to bivalve (2.6 ppm) and amphipoda (2.1 ppm). The concentrations of triphenyltin (TPT), diphenyltin (DPT) and monophenyltin (MPT) are between ND~0.298 ppm (as Sn), ND~0.216 ppm (as Sn) and ND~0.143 ppm (as Sn) individually. The highest phenyltin concentrations are shown in the outfall of Love River (the inflow of Love River in Kaohsiung Port). The organic carbon and nitrogen contents show significant the positive correlation (R2=0.757), and the organotin concentrations also show a positive correlation with the contents organic carbon.All the butyltins show a positive correlation with the quantities of boats. According to this study, the port of Kaohsiung presents the most serious content of butyltins and phenyltins in sediment. All the other ports also present a TBT content higher than 0.24 ppm. Therefore, it is recommended to monitor the organotin contents in the ports of this studying area.

Early Xenopus laevis embryonic cell cycles exemplify rapid, non-pathological cell cycles without checkpoint pathways to arrest cell cycles in response to DNA assaults. There is no transcription or apoptosis during these cell cycles, and they continue unperturbed until the 12th cell cycle, marking a period called the midblastula transition (MBT). At the MBT, the embryo undergoes a period of developmental remodeling: gap phases are acquired, zygotic transcription is initiated, and the maternal mRNAs are degraded. After the MBT, checkpoint pathways can be activated in response to unreplicated DNA, and apoptosis initiates when continued embryonic survival is compromised. These studies examine how cell cycle regulation and apoptotic regulation are related. Specifically, the role of two cell cycle components, Chk1 and cyclin A1/Cdk2, during apoptosis was studied during early development of Xenopus embryos. Chk1 is a serine/threonine kinase that inhibits the activity of cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) in response to unreplicated DNA. In the pre-MBT embryo, Chk1 is present, but inactive. Injection of mRNA encoding dominant-negative Chk1 (DN-Chk1) into single-celled embryos results in the initiation of apoptosis after the MBT. The loss of Chk1 function also results in the initiation of additional rapid rounds of DNA replication after the MBT. These results suggest that Chk1 has a required function for the embryo after the MBT, possibly through the regulation of a cyclin/Cdk complex responsible for the apoptotic checkpoint. Cyclin A1 is a maternally provided mRNA that is degraded at the MBT. Prior to the MBT, cyclin A1 complexes exclusively with Cdc2 to regulate mitosis. When embryos are treated with ionizing radiation (IR), cyclin A1 activity and protein level persist after the MBT, and cyclin A1 complexes with Cdk2. When treated with aphidicolin, cyclin A1-associated activity and protein level persists. Injection of cyclin A1/Cdk2 into single-cell embryos results in apoptosis after the MBT; however, inhibition of cyclin A1 expression does not abrogate apoptosis. Therefore, cyclin A1/Cdk2 activity is sufficient, but not required, for the initiation of apoptosis in the early Xenopus embryo. These studies show that Chk1 and cyclin A1/Cdk2 have roles in regulating apoptosis in the post-MBT embryo. / Ph. D.

In somatic cells, when DNA is damaged or incompletely replicated, checkpoint pathways arrest the cell cycle prior to M or S phases by inhibiting cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks). In Xenopus laevis, embryonic cellular divisions (2-12) consist of rapid cleavage cycles in which gap phases, checkpoint engagement, and apoptosis are absent. Upon the completion of the 12th cellular division, the midblastula transition (MBT) begins and the cell cycle lengthens, acquiring gap phases. In addition, cell cycle checkpoint pathways and an apoptotic program become functional. The studies described here were performed to better understand the roles of two protein kinases, Chk2/Cds1 and Wee1, during checkpoint signaling in the developing embryo. The DNA damage checkpoint is mediated by the Chk2/Cds1 kinase. Conflicting evidence implicates Chk2 as an inhibitor or promoter of apoptosis. To better understand the developmental function of Chk2 and its role in apoptosis, we expressed wild-type (wt) and dominant-negative (DN) Chk2 in Xenopus embryos. Wt-Chk2 created a pre-MBT checkpoint by promoting degradation of Cdc25A and phosphorylation of Cdks. Embryos expressing DN-Chk2 developed normally until gastrulation and then underwent apoptosis. Conversely, low doses of wt-Chk2 blocked radiation-induced apoptosis. These data indicate that Chk2 inhibits apoptosis in the early embryo. Therefore, Chk2 operates as a switch between cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in response to genomic assaults. In Xenopus laevis, Wee1 kinase phosphorylates and inhibits Cdks. To determine the role of Wee1 in cell cycle checkpoint signaling and remodeling at the MBT, exogenous Wee1 was expressed in one-cell stage embryos. Modest overexpression of Wee1 created a pre-MBT cell cycle checkpoint, similar to Chk2, characterized by cell cycle delay and phosphorylation of Cdks. Furthermore, overexpression of Wee1 disrupted remodeling events that normally occur at the MBT, including degradation of Cdc25A, cyclin E, and Wee1. Interestingly, overexpression of Wee1 also resulted in post-MBT apoptosis. Taken together, these data suggest the importance of Wee1 as not only a Cdk inhibitory kinase, but also potentially as a promoter of apoptosis during early development of Xenopus laevis. The studies described here provide evidence that Chk2 and Wee1 have both similar and distinct roles in the developing embryo. / Ph. D.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-12T15:59:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / A especificação formal de um sistema ou seu modelo formal é uma forma abstrata de representar suas propriedades (características). Métodos formais é um ramo da Engenharia de Software com foco no desenvolvimento de sistemas tendo uma especificação formal do mesmo como ponto de partida. Inicialmente, as vantagens de usar notações abstratas antes da implementação do sistema estavam apenas relacionadas a um melhor entendimento do problema. Depois, tornou-se evidente que o uso de notações formais abstratas combinadas com técnicas de refinamentos de modelos reduzem o tempo de desenvolvimento e aumentam a qualidade do produto de sistema. A fase de testes é positivamente influenciada pelo uso de métodos formais. Pesquisas têm sido desenvolvidas para melhorar a qualidade do sistema usando modelos formais e casos de teste. Uma vez verificadas as propriedades do sistema através de uma investigação dos modelos formais, é possível gerar casos de testes confiáveis do sistema que serão colocados em ação para verificar a implementação do sistema posteriormente. O campo de pesquisa que explora métodos formais aplicados com testes de software é chamada de Testes Baseados em Modelos, ou simplesmente MBT, do inglês Model-Based Testing. Porém, há situações onde não é possível possuir o modelo abstrato definido a priori. Para superar tal restrição outras técnicas surgiram para sintetizar um modelo abstrato seguindo apenas execuções do sistema. As execuções de um sistema contêm comportamentos necessários para construir um modelo abstrato desse sistema. Na literatura atual, tais técnicas usadas para construir representações abstratas seguindo execuções do sistema são chamadas de Anti-Model- Based Testing ou simplesmented Anti-MBT. Então, depois de construir um modelo abstrato, técnicas de verificação de modelos e geração de casos de teste seguindo modelos formais podem ser aplicadas normalmente. O propósito desse trabalho é dar suporte a algumas técnicas de MBT usadas no contexto da Motorola (CIn/BTC). Em tais técnicas, as especificações usadas para gerar casos de testes são geralmente incompletas, inconsistentes, e às vezes não existem. Portanto, usando casos de testes reais do sistema é possível criar novas especificações e atualizar especificações originais do sistema, e posteriormente gerar novos casos de teste usando comportamentos válidos do sistema. Um outro problema detectado em nosso contexto é a distância existente entre as representações abstratas e reais. Um caso de teste abstrato, por exemplo, é útil em técnicas formais, mas não é possível executar um caso de teste diretamente no sistema. Dessa forma, para executar (manualmente ou automaticamente) os casos de teste gerados pelas técnicas de MBT é necessário primeiro traduzi-los em uma representação real. Como resultado desse trabalho nós desenvolvemos técnicas formais de modelagem do comportamento do sistema usando casos de teste. Os resultados das técnicas de modelagem são modelos formais especificados nos formalismos de LTS ou CSP. Além disso, nós definimos uma técnica de unificação que une modelos formais gerados a partir de diferentes artefatos do sistema (requisitos e casos de teste). O resultado da técnica de unificação é um completo e unificado modelo do sistema, que contém informações providas de diferentes artefatos. Nós também definimos uma técnica para traduzir casos de teste abstratos em representações reais. Os casos de teste reais gerados por nossa técnica de tradução são usados no contexto do time de automação de testes da Motorola, onde esse trabalho está inserido. Finalmente, nós automatizamos as técnicas desenvolvidas usando linguagens de programação e especificações formais. O resultado é a ferramenta TCRev que é capaz de modelar, unificar e traduzir modelos do sistema. A ferramenta TCRev interage com o outras ferramentas externas, tais como FDR e FDR Explorer. Todos os resultados foram validados em estudos de casos reais executados no contexto da Motorola. Nessa dissertação nós apresentamos um destes estudo de casos

Model-Based Testing is a method that supports automated test design by using amodel. Although it is adopted in industrial, it is still an open area within performancerequirements. We aim to look into MBT for performance requirements and find out aframework that can model the performance requirements. We conducted a systematicmapping study, after that we conducted a sample study on software requirementsspecifications, then we introduced the Performance Requirements Verification andValidation (PRVV) model and finally, we completed another sample study to seehow the model works in practice. We found that there are many models can beused for performance requirement while the maturity is not enough. MBT can beimplemented in the context of performance, and it has been gaining momentum inrecent years compared to earlier. The PRVV model we developed can verify theperformance requirements and help to generate the test case.

Kaohsiung Harbor is the largest international sea port in Taiwan, a lot of ships around the world pass in and out frequently, the pollution of organotin is very serious in the harbor area. Love River and Chien-Chen River may be polluted by the seawater tidal action from the Kaohsiung harbor. Domestic, industrial and agricultural wastewaters discharged into the upstream sections may also cause the pollution of organotin. The purposes of this study were to understand sources of organotin pollution by analying the content of organotin compounds and to monitor the organotin pollution of the rivers in Kaohsiung. Samples including surface sediments and riverwaters were collected from nineteen stations of Love River and Chien-Chen River. The results revealed that concentrations of MBT, DBT and TBT in the riverwaters of Love River varied between 13.4-43.6, 2.6-9.9 and ND-13.5 ng/L as tin. The concentrations of MBT, DBT and TBT in the riverwaters of Chien-Chen River were 3.1-28.1, 2.1-10.9 and ND-9.1 ng/L as tin, respectively. The concentrations of MBT, DBT and TBT in the surface sediments of Love River varied between 20.6-92.3, 7.6-26.2 and ND-15.4 ng/g as tin. The concentrations of MBT, DBT and TBT in the surface sediments of Chien-Chen River were in the range of 22.4-70.0, 6.4-14.1, ND-31.9 ng/g as tin, respectively. MBT and DBT were detected in all the samples of all the sampling stations of Love River and Chien-Chen River. Distribution of organotin compounds in riverwaters and surface sediments showed a consistency between these two rivers. No phenyltin pollution was detected at all stations, probably due to the decline in agricultural activities and the ban on utilizing triphenyltin acetate as pesticide. Except the highest organotin pollution appeared in the outfall of Love River and Chien-Chen River, other high values of pollution were found near the upper reaches of both rivers.

The feature of service intangibility is one of the most prominent, albeit controversial, problems in service marketing. Service providing firms have been trying to find ways to ‘tangibilize’ their service offerings in order to assist the potential customers to better understand the benefits and qualities of their services. A review of past literature revealed that most of the studies have been carried out on a theoretical level, but with an insufficient empirical back-up. The authors propose that Marketing based tangibilization (MBT), which has largely remained outside the focus of empirical research for the last four decades, offers a solution to the issue of intangibility on a marketing front. In order to address this issue, the authors of this report have designed a study whose purpose is to explore the effects of intangibility on the marketing activities of eight different service firms. The authors have derived several implications caused by intangibility through a thorough literature review and with that as a foundation they have interviewed one representative from each of the eight service firms – all of them offering consulting services in different domains – as well as analyzed their marketing materials. From this, the authors have deduced eight distinct marketing methods – trials, events and references to name a few – currently in use in those service companies in order to overcome intangibility and then evaluated those methods with respect to the aforementioned implications of intangibility on service marketing. The conclusion is that intangibility is a real issue to be dealt within the context of service provision, and that the resources available and the type of service provided will dictate which of the methods can be implemented at a certain service provider. Finally, several recommendations are provided that the companies could further look into in order to overcome the issue of intangibility, such as an increased use of the possibilities created by the Internet (e.g. social media). / KUTA-project

<p>For every operating condition of an internal combustion engine there exists an optimal spark timing, called maximum brake torque (MBT), which maximises the output torque and the efficiency of the engine. Traditionally MBT timing is implemented as an open-loop control where the ignition timing is found by using a combination of static lookup tables and sensor information. With a direct closed-loop control from the combustion process the performance of internal combustion engines could be improved. The thesis investigates if it is possible to estimate the MBT timing from the ionization current for every operating condition of a spark ignited engine where the operating conditions are defined by the engine parameters lambda, internal exhaust gas recirculation, engine load, engine speed and spark advance.</p><p>First an investigation of how much loss of torque an error from the MBT position corresponds to is made. Then the influence of the engine parameters on the shape of the ionization current was studied. Last different peak pressure position (PPP) estimating algorithms are presented and a new technique is developed where an engine operating point dependant part of the ionization current is used depending on the current operating condition of the engine. Two of the presented PPP estimating algorithms are then complemented with this technique and the results look promising.</p>