The aim of this qualitative study is to examine how users of talking books perceive the possibility of downloading talking books from home without visiting the library and how this affects them. Three research questions were formulated:How do talking book users reflect on their library usage?Have the subject's' library usage changed since introduction to the download service?How have users experienced the service?To answer these questions, five semi structured interviews were conducted with five different users of talking books in Sweden. All subjects were currently using download services which they had gained access to from their local public libraries. In analyzing the interviews, a theory established by Henrik Jochumsen and Casper Hvenegaard Rasmussen in Gør biblioteket en forskel (2000) was used. This allowed us to better understand different roles of the library. The study shows that users find the ability to borrow books as the main reason for using the library. It was further established that the subjects' library usage had not changed since introduction to download services. All users reported satisfaction with the services. We have identified the issues experienced by users to be mainly connected to print disabilities or lacking computer skills. / Program: Bibliotekarie

This thesis shows the results of an experiment in order to test the validity of Methods Time Measurement (MTM) data. MTM, developed in 1948, is one of the most commonly used Predetermined Motion Time Systems to calculate standard time for a task. However, there is limited research on the validity of the MTM data in the literature. Today&rsquo / s technology provides new computerized tools to perform time studies. One of such tools is Real Time Method Study (RTMS). RTMS is a computerized method study tool being developed in METU Technopolis, which uses Image Processing and Machine Learning to conduct time studies automatically. RTMS uses MTM data as a benchmark data to compare observed performance results / therefore validity of MTM data is an important issue for it. In order to test the validity of MTM data an experiment conducted in the Ergonomics Laboratory of the METU Industrial Engineering Department. In this experiment 40 undergraduate students performed four different tasks. These tasks were recorded by a video camera and analyzed frame by frame to calculate normal times for basic motions of MTM. Results are compared with the original MTM data and it is shown that MTM times do not fit the observed data. This study in the end suggests updating MTM data or constructing a new standard time database by using a tool like RTMS.

Der Vortrag zeigt dem Anwender CAD basierter Mehrkörpersimulationssoftware, wie dieser durch zwei einfache dynamische Simulationen das reduzierte Massenträgheitsmoment eines ungleichmäßig übersetzenden Getriebes ermitteln kann. Hierbei wird zunächst das Antriebsmoment unter konstanter Antriebsgeschwindigkeit und konstanter Antriebsbeschleunigung ermittelt, aufbereitet und anschließend in die Bewegungsgleichung der starren Maschine eingesetzt. Der Verlauf des reduzierten Massenträgheitsmoments wird für weiterführende Berechnungen (z.B. elektromotorische Antriebsauslegung oder Torque Feedback Simulationen) als Furier-Reihe zur Verfügung gestellt.

Orientador: Anselmo Eduardo Diniz / Dissertação (mestrado profissional) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Mecanica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-06T20:02:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Oliveira_SolonPereirade_M.pdf: 5699180 bytes, checksum: 067ac02eef0cae10532e8027dc26ebc5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: Nesse trabalho procurou-se aplicar o método MTM AI ou método básico para otimizar e balancear os postos de trabalhos dedicados ao módulo de arrefecimento do veículo de passeio, carro que a montadora está lançando em 2005 para competir com os rivais no seu próprio mercado. Os postos de trabalhos foram filmados para registrar os métodos (o método determina o tempo) empregados atualmente e para servir de base para as análises MTM AI onde foi aplicada a otimização dos métodos. Após esse levantamento os dados são introduzidos no software Ticon 2.1, para geração de relatórios e triagem dos mo~entos que agregam / não agregam valor, juntamente com avaliação da necessidade e dificuldade dos movimentos aplicados. Após a análise foi feita uma proposta para substituir ou facilitar os movimentos que geraram os maiores TMU's (Unidade de Medida de Tempo) sugerindo novos movimentos, novas distâncias um novo método em relação ao movimento original, assim como o balanceamento dos postos de trabalho otimizando o tempo de ciclo dos operadores da célula sem aumentar o ciclo de processo / Abstract: In this work it was looked to apply method MTM AI or basic method to optimize and to balance the work station dedicated to the cooling module of Vehicle. The Car Assembly Company is launching this ear in Oct 2005 to compete with the Japanese rivals in its proper market. The work station had been tilmed to register the methods (the method determines the time) employed currently and to serve as base for MTM AI analyses where the optimization ofthe methods was applied. After this survey the data were introdueed in software Tieon 2,1, for generation of reports and selection of the movements that add/do not add value, together with evaluation ofthe necessity and difficulty of the applied movements. After the analysis was made a proposal to substitute or to facilitate the movements that had generated the highest TMUs (Unit of Measure of Time) suggesting new movements, new distances a new method in relation to the original movement, as well as the balaneing of the work station optimizing the time of cycle of the operators of the cell without increasing the process eyele / Mestrado / Planejamento e Gestão Estrategica da Manufatura / Mestre Profissional em Engenharia Mecanica

Class of 2015 Abstract / Objectives: To determine whether comprehensive medication reviews (CMRs) or non-CMR interventions following targeted medication reviews (TMRs) resulted in more positive medication changes. A CMR is a structured medication management session that includes a full review of an individual’s medical and medication records. Non-CMR interventions are more targeted problem-based interventions that include shorter medication management sessions, written patient outreach, and direct to provider interventions. Methods: This cross-sectional quality improvement project compared the number of individuals with positive medication changes who received a CMR to those with positive medication changes who did not receive a CMR (non-CMR). Individuals were included in this project if they qualified for the Medication Management Center’s (MMC) pharmacist-driven medication therapy management (MTM) program and received their medication review(s) in 2012 or 2013. The addition of an appropriate medication or the removal of an inappropriate medication was considered a positive medication change within 120 days of intervention. Odds ratios were calculated using Wilcoxon Rank Sum. Results: A total of 418,649 participants in 2012 and 370,107 in 2013 had their medications reviewed as part of the MTM program. The non-CMR group accounted for the majority of the interventions (375,159 for non-CMR versus 43,490 for CMR in 2012 and 332,006 versus 38,101 for 2013). Significantly more positive medication changes were achieved in the non-CMR group (n=88,467 for 2012 and n=54,971 for 2013) following the medication review compared to the CMR group (n=9,796 for 2012 and n=7,034 for 2013). CMR recipients were more likely to receive a recommendation (odds ratio 0.70, 95% confidence interval 0.69-0.72 for 2012 and odds ratio 0.62, 95% confidence interval 0.60-0.63 for 2013). Non-CMR recipients were more likely to have a recommendation result in a medication change (odds ratio 1.24, 95% confidence interval 1.21-1.28 for 2012 and 1.26, 95% confidence interval 1.22-1.30 for 2013). Conclusions: While the percentage of participants who received a recommendation in the non-CMR group was lower, a greater percentage of these participants received a medication change. This indicates that non-CMR interventions following TMRs may be more effective in producing a positive medication change compared to CMRs.

The master’s thesis deals with the reduction of the production cycle at the assembly line of pumps in a particular company. The first part of the thesis is dedicated to introducing the company's history, products, and selected economic indicators. The following part is a theoretical analysis of types of assembly lines, their characteristics and methods for determining the consumption standards of time. The practical part analyzes time efficiency of a specific assembly line. The results of the analysis are presented in table and graphs based on three proposals that are designed to reduce the production cycle. The final part provides techno-economic overview and valuation of improvements designed according to the key indicators presented in the thesis.

The thesis deals with the possibilities of pre-assembly automation overflow valves at Bosch Diesel s.r.o. in Jihlava. At the beginning, you will find an introduction to the company's production portfolio and an explanation of where and for what purpose the overflow valve is used. This is followed by an analysis of the type spectrum of overflow valves and a description of the differences of individual components. The thesis also deals with time analysis of current working time using MTM analysis and description of existing assembly process. After this research, processes suitable for automation and automation variants are selected. Based on the multi-criteria method, the final version is selected and it is further elaborated including risk analysis and economic evaluation.

Employee share options and Black Economic Empowerment deals are financial instruments found in the South African market. Employee share options (ESOs) are issued as a form of non-cash compensation to the employees of the company in addition to their salaries or bonuses. Its value is linked to the share price and since there is no downside risk for the employee his share option is similar to owning a call option on the stock of his employer. Black economic empowerment (BEE) deals in this report refer to those types of transactions structured by listed South African companies to facilitate the transfer of a portion of their ordinary issued share capital to South African individuals or groups who qualify under the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act of 2003 (“the Act”). This Act requires a minimum percentage of the company to be black-owned in order to address the disproportionate distribution of wealth amongst racial groups in South Africa due to the legacy of Apartheid. These transactions are usually structured in such a way to allow the BEE partner to participate in the upside of the share price beyond a certain level but not in the downside which replicates a call option on the share price of the issuing company. The cost of both ESOs and BEE deals has to be accounted for on the balance sheet of the issuing company at its fair-value. Neither of these instruments can be traded and their extended option lifetimes are features that distinguish these deals significantly from regular traded options for which liquid markets exist. This makes pricing them a non-trivial exercise. A number of types of mathematical models have been developed to take the unique structure features into account to price them as accurately as possible. Research by Huddart&Lang (1995&1996) has shown that option holders often exercise their vested options long before the maturity of the transactions but are unable to quantify a measure that can be used. The wide variety of factors influencing option holders (recent stock price movements, market-to-strike ratio, proximity of vesting dates, time to maturity, share price volatility and wealth of option holder) as well as little exercise data publicly available prevents the options from being priced in a consistent manner. Various assumptions regarding the exercise behaviour of option holders are used that are not based on empirical observations even though the option prices are sensitive to this input. This dissertation provides an overview of the models, inputs and exercise behaviour assumptions that are recognized in pricing both ESOs and BEE deals under IFRS 2 in South Africa. This puts the reader in a position to evaluate all pricing aspects of these deals. Furthermore, their structuring are also analysed in order to identify the general issues related to them. A number of methods to manage the pricing issue surrounding exercise behaviour on ESOs have been considered for the South African market. The ESO Upper Bound-methodology showed that for each strike there is a threshold at which exercise will occur and the employee can invest the after-tax proceeds in a diversified portfolio with a higher expected return than that of the single equity option. This approach reduces the standard Black-Scholes option value without relying on assumptions about the employee’s exercise behaviour and is a viable alternative for the South African market. The derived option value represents the cost of the option. Seven large listed companies’ BEE transactions are dissected and compared against one another using the fair-value of the transaction as a percentage of the market capitalization of the company. The author shows how this measure is a more equitable way of assigning BEE credits to companies than the current practice which is shareholding-based. The current approach does not reward the effort (read cost) that a company has undertaken to transfer shares to black South Africans but only focuses on the amount that is finally owned by the BEE participants. This leaves the transaction vulnerable to a volatile share price and leads to transactions with extended lock-in periods that do not provide much economic benefit to the BEE participants for many years. Other inefficiencies in the type of BEE transactions that have emerged in reaction to the BEE codes that have been published by the South African government are also considered. Finally the funding model that is often used to facilitate these deals is assessed and the risks involved for the funder (bank) is reflected on. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Mathematics and Applied Mathematics / unrestricted

Yes / The paper presents a technique to enhance the isolation between adjacent radiating elements which is common in densely packed antenna arrays. Such antennas provide frequency beam-scanning capability needed in Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) systems and Synthetic Aperture Radars (SARs). The method proposed here uses a metamaterial decoupling slab (MTMDS), which is located between radiating elements, to suppress mutual-coupling between the elements that would otherwise degrade the antenna efficiency and performance in both the transmit and receive mode. The proposed MTM-DS consists of mirror imaged Eshaped slits engraved on a microstrip patch with inductive stub. Measured results confirm over 9–11 GHz with no MTM-DS the average isolation (S12) is -27 dB; however, with MTM-DS the average isolation improves to -38 dB. With this technique the separation between the radiating element can be reduced to 0.66λo, where λ0 is free space wavelength at 10 GHz. In addition, with this technique there is 15% improvement in operating bandwidth. At frequencies of high impedance match of 9.95 GHz and 10.63 GHz the gain is 4.52 dBi and 5.40 dBi, respectively. Furthermore, the technique eliminates poor front-to-back ratio encountered in other decoupling methods. MTM-DS is also relatively simple to implement. Assuming adequate space is available between adjacent radiators the MTM-DS can be fixed retrospectively on existing antenna arrays, which makes the proposed method versatile. / Partially supported by innovation programme under grant agreement H2020-MSCA-ITN-2016 SECRET- 722424 and the financial support from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) under grant EP/E022936/1.

In this work, I will describe a new statistical tool: the canonical bicoherence, which is a combination of the canonical coherence and the bicoherence. I will provide its definitions, properties, estimation by multitaper methods and statistics, and estimate the variance of the estimates by the weighted jackknife method. I will discuss its applicability and usefulness in nonlinear quadratic phase coupling detection and analysis for multivariate random processes. Furthermore, I will develop the time-varying canonical bicoherence for the nonlinear analysis of non-stationary random processes. In this thesis, the canonical bicoherence is mainly applied in two types of data: a) three-component geomagnetic field data, and b) high-dimensional brain electroencephalogram data. Both results obtained will be linked with physical or physiological interpretations. In particular, this thesis is the first work where the novel method of ``canonical bicoherence'' is introduced and applied to the nonlinear quadratic phase coupling detection and analysis for multivariate random processes. / Thesis (Ph.D, Mathematics & Statistics) -- Queen's University, 2008-10-31 15:03:57.596