Order picking operations play a critical role in the order fulfillment process of distribution centers (DCs). Picking a batch of orders is often favored when customers’ demands create a large number of small orders, since the traditional single-order picking process results in low utilization of order pickers and significant operational costs. Specifically, batch picking improves order picking performance by consolidating multiple orders in a "batch" to reduce the number of trips and total travel distance required to retrieve the items. As more pickers are added to meet increased demand, order picking performance is likely to decline due to significant picker blocking. However, in batch picking, the process of assigning orders to particular batches allows additional flexibility to reduce picker blocking. This dissertation aims to identify, analyze, and control, or mitigate, picker blocking while batch picking in picker-to-part systems. We first develop a large-scale proximity-batching procedure that can enhance the solution quality of traditional batching models to near-optimality as measured by travel distance. Through simulation studies, picker blocking is quantified. The results illustrate: a) a complex relationship between picker blocking and batch formation; and b) a significant productivity loss due to picker blocking. Based on our analysis, we develop additional analytical and simulation models to investigate the effects of picker blocking in batch picking and to identify the picking, batching, and sorting strategies that reduce congestion. A new batching model (called Indexed order Batching Model (IBM)) is proposed to consider both order proximity and picker blocking to optimize the total order picking time. We also apply the proposed approach to bucket brigade picking systems where hand-off delay as well as picker blocking must be considered. The research offers new insights about picker blocking in batch picking operations, develops batch picking models, and provides complete control procedures for large-scale, dynamic batch picking situations. The twin goals of added flexibility and reduced costs are highlighted throughout the analysis.

Over a fourth of the cotton produced in the US since 2002 has been produced in Texas, with most coming from the High Plains. In recent years, Texas has accounted for almost half of all US cotton production (USDA-NASS, 2008b). Most cotton on the High Plains is of more storm-proof varieties that have traditionally been harvested using stripper harvesters. However, improvements in irrigation technology and shifting markets for US cotton have increased interest in picker harvesters in the region. A holistic comparison of picker and stripper harvesters in irrigated cotton on the High Plains of Texas was conducted focusing on differences in system efficiencies, the costs of ginning, fiber and yarn quality, and potential economic returns under comparable crop yields and conditions. Harvester performance was evaluated based on harvest efficiency, time-inmotion, and fuel consumption. Stripper harvesters left less cotton in the field, but most of the cotton left by the picker was of low quality. While the time spent in each operation of harvest was highly dependent on the operator and support equipment available, in general, picker harvesters were able to harvest a unit area of high-yielding cotton more quickly than stripper harvesters. The cost of ginning picked and stripped cotton was evaluated considering current fee schedules from gins on the High Plains. On average, it cost a producer $4.76 more per bale to gin stripped-and-field-cleaned cotton than picked cotton. Fiber quality parameters were compared between harvest treatments based on results from High Volume Instrument (HVI) and Advanced Fiber Information System (AFIS) tests. Samples were ring-spun into carded and carded-and-combed yarns. Differences in fiber quality between harvest treatments were more pronounced when growing conditions were less favorable. Few differences were detected in carded yarn quality between harvest treatments, while more pronounced differences favoring picked cotton were seen in carded-and-combed yarns. A cost-benefit analysis was conducted to determine the production scenarios in which picker and stripper harvesters were most appropriate. Results indicate that, if a producer has sufficient yields coupled with sufficient area to harvest per machine, picker harvesting is a more profitable alternative to producers of on the High Plains.

In 2001, Argentina suffered an economic collapse that almost wiped out the middle-class, leaving thousands homeless. This resulted in the growth of the informal settlements and informal sectors of employment in and around the formal city of Buenos Aires, the “Capital Federal.” The urgency for survival led to the rise of many waste-pickers or, as they became known the cartoneros. Today they are the primary recycling program in the city with many cooperatives helping their movement. The city has enforced a ‘zero waste’ policy for 2020 in dealing with their serious trash problem and the cartoneros will play a large role in this transformation. This thesis aims to address two complex social issues (disparity and waste) with a long-term architectural initiative which hopes to ultimately blur the social boundaries that exist in the “Paris of the South” via the cartoneros.

Avdelningen för Cellens Fysik har laboratorier på bland annat Alba Nova Universitetscentrum vid KTH, där utförs forskning på immunförsvaret med NK-celler och T-celler i fokus. Humanceller är heterogena vilket innebär att samma typ av cell kan reagera olika på samma stimuli och exempelvis vara mer eller mindre rörlig. Genom att isolera celler och utföra så kallade singel-cellstudier kan beteende och rörelsemönster kartläggas. Avdelningen för Cellens Fysik, KTH, har utvecklat en mikrotitrerplatta där individuella celler samt cell-cell interaktioner kan studeras. Plattan är i storleksordningen 2×2 cm och innehåller 32 400 mikrobrunnar med måtten 50 µm × 50 µm × 300 µm och är tillverkad i kisel och glas. Teorin är att isolera celler i brunnarna och studera beteendet hos den enskilda cellen för att hitta bäst lämpade cell för uppodling/ klonal expansion inför exempelvis transplantation eller cellterapi. För att plocka upp cellen av intresse från brunnen ska en så kallad Cell-picker användas. Denna består av en datorstyrd sprutpump, med en 100µl spruta som ger ett volymsflöde på 3,75 µl/min, kopplat till ett slangsystem och ett munstycke. Syftet med detta examensarbete var bland annat att kartlägga andra metoder inom området för singel-cell analys/ mikromanipulation och utvärdera om någon av dessa liknade Cell-pickern. Det finns idag tre liknande automatiserade system; AVISO CellCelektor, Cellporter och QPix 400 Microbial Colony Pickers. Dessa system används framförallt för andra typer av analyser och används generellt i grundare brunnar än vad Cell-pickern skulle göra. Beräkningar av hastigheter i mikrofluidiksystemet gjordes för en ny konstruktion av brunn, så kallad U-brunn, där två brunnar är sammankopplade i botten med en genomströmningssektion. För jämförelser av strömning i den idag befintliga enkla brunnen jämfört med de parkopplade brunnarna användes simuleringsverktyget COMSOL Multiphysics 4.2. Jämförelser mellan hastigheter för olika höjd på genomströmningssektionen simuleras för höjderna 0,5, 1,0, 1,5 samt 2,0 µm. Genom simuleringarna kunde flödet i U-brunnen visualiseras för dessa olika tvärsnitt. Detta visade att hastigheter i genomströmningssektionen översteg blodflödets hastighet för höjderna 1,0 µm och 0,5 µm. Jämförelsen med blodflödet gjordes för att utvärdera om hastigheterna i systemet överstiger naturliga hastigheter som celler utsätts för vilket eventuellt skulle kunna skada cellerna. Simuleringarna för U-brunnen visar att det blir ett flöde genom konstruktionen men detta behöver verifieras experimentellt för att visa huruvida detta flöde räcker för att suga upp celler från botten av brunnen. Simuleringarna för den enskilda brunnskonstruktionen påvisade inget flöde vid botten av brunnen vilket antyder att denna konstruktion inte skulle vara lämplig tillsammans med Cell-pickern. Utvärdering av Cell-pickern funktion gjordes genom att hämta vätskeprov ur en mikrotitrerplatta med goda resultat. Senare kunde beads och därefter humana celler flyttas ur brunnarna med Cell-pickern. Då lyckad precisionsanalys gjorts kunde experiment med förflyttning av beads från mikrobrunnar utföras. Även försök med förflyttning av humana celler utfördes med Cell-pickern, detta dock ur större brunnar än 50 µm × 50 µm då Cell-pickerns slangar och munstycke ännu inte är anpassat för den storleken på brunn. Efter utvärdering och modifiering av Cell-pickern är den lättare att manövrera och mer anpassningsbar för olika typer av mikroskop. / The department of Cell Physics has laboratories in Alba Nova University Center at Royal Institute of Technology, which perform research on the immune system focusing on NK cells and T cells. Human cells are heterogeneous, which means that the same type of cell can react differently to stimuli such as being more or less flexible for example. By isolating the cells and perform so-called single cell studies, behavior and movement patterns can be identified. The department of Cell Physics, KTH, has developed a micro titer chip where individual cells and cell-cell interactions can be studied. The chip is made of silicon and glass with the dimensions 2 × 2 cm that contains 32 400 micro wells with dimensions of 50 microns × 50 microns × 300 microns. By isolating the cells in the wells it is possible to study the behavior of the individual cell and to find the most suitable cell for cultivation or clonal expansion used in transplantation or cell therapy. The Cell-picker is supposed to pick up the cell of interest from the well. This cell picker system consists of a syringe pump at a volumetric flow rate of 3.75 μl / min, attached to a tube system and a nozzle. The purpose of this bachelor’s thesis was to briefly summarize other methods in the field of micro manipulation and evaluate if any of these resembled with the cell picker system. There are three similar automated systems available; AVISO CellCelektor, Cell Porter and QPix 400 Microbial Colony Pickers. These systems are mostly used for other types of studies and will generally be used in shallower wells than the Cell-picker would. This thesis also included the calculations of the velocities in the micro fluidic systems of a novel design of wells, so-called U-wells, in which two wells are interconnected at the bottom with a flow section. For comparison of the simulated flow in the existing single well compared to the U-well the simulation software COMSOL Multiphysics 4.2 was used. Four different elevations of the cross section of the U-well were compared. The simulations visualized the flow in the cross section for the elevations 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 microns. This showed that the velocities in the flow section exceeded the rate of blood flow for the elevations 1.0 microns and 0.5 microns. The comparison with blood flow was done to evaluate if the velocities in the system exceeds natural rates cells are exposed to which could potentially damage the cells. The simulations of the U-well structure shows that there is a flow through the system but it has to be evaluated experimentally to see whether that flow is sufficient to pick up the cell on the bottom of the well. The simulations of the simple well structure showed no flow rate at the bottom of the well, suggesting that this design would not be suitable for the Cell-picker. The experimental work contained an evaluation of the Cell-pickers capability to move a fluid sample from a well on a micro titer chip. That was done successfully and the system was able to move beads and human cells from the wells. The Cell-picker was used in larger wells than 50 microns × 50 microns because the Cell-picker tubes and the nozzle are not yet adapted to this size. After evaluation, and modification of the Cell-picker it is now easier to handle and are more adaptable to different types of microscopes.

The generation of solid waste is a natural consequence of human life. Its rate has increase rapidly along the years, mostly due to the population growth, urbanization process coupled to industrialization and economic development. The uncontrolled disposal of solid waste in unsuitable sites, dump sites, has poses a threat to public health and the environment. In this regard Global efforts has been made to rethink municipal solid waste management toward sustainability. Middle- and low-income countries, such as Brazil, should seize the opportunity and centre efforts in the development and strengthen of an inclusive municipal solid waste management, supported by an innovative public policy where all government levels are integrated and focused on resource recovery and recycling through the organization and strengthening of waste pickers, in order to act directly in the income improvement of a marginalized portion of society as a result of the revenue generated by recovered and recycled materials sales, as well as reduce the CO2eq emissions consequent from the disposal of solid waste, among others, hence moving these countries towards the achievement of the SDG goals. In this regard, a well managed inclusive municipal solid waste system requires a reliable data source to support decision makers in the design of public policies with effective actions in the field, otherwise innovative and modern public policies will be filled with fruitless actions, thus, wasting the aptitude of the municipal solid waste management system in help middle- and low-income countries to successfully carry out the SDGs goals. Nevertheless, the estimation methods are a valuable tool for decision makers in middle- and low income countries to outrun the lack of solid waste information and doing so, increase the effectiveness of public polices towards a sustainable and inclusive municipal solid waste system, focused on mitigate negative impacts in the environmental sphere and potentiate the positive outcomes in the public health and human development sphere in these countries. This research proposed an estimate method based on the nominal income which is able to provide a reliable estimate of the residential solid waste generation, as well as its spatial distribution in the municipal level and within the municipal boundaries. The proposed approach has the ability to differentiate spatial distribution of the residential solid waste generation, weighting not just the number of people living in a determined space, but also the purchase power of those people, providing a more accurate view of the issue, which benefits decision makers to design and plan their polices and actions. / Graduate

The purpose of this study is to further understand the economic impact of the new on-board module-building cotton harvesters that both John Deere and Case IH have introduced to the market. This study will examine two different areas, the optimal asset replacement schedule and a machine’s performance rate’s effect on harvest costs due to rainfall loss. Using data collected from Willcut (2008), USDA crop progress reports, and a USDA weather station, models will be used to study the areas in question. The findings are that, the age of the associated assets begin replaced with the conventional harvester and the number of acres harvested a year have a clear impact on the replacement schedule. The second findings are that when weather conditions deteriorate later in the harvest season, the full benefits of a higher performance rate are seen when the new harvester is pushed to its full potential.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T13:31:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Fabia Aparecida Silva.pdf: 369310 bytes, checksum: bd523382f7b2c3304f18709b6e24e69a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-09-25 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This research is subject to performance of professional human resources front of the selection of persons with disabilities within corporations within the sociohistorical psychology. His questioning lies in how the selection process, guided by techniques that consist of policies, ie, policies and procedures set by the organization that determine the future of the worker, will suit the peculiarities of the shortcomings? Justified this research to the extent that the figures released by research institutes presenting significant advances, regarding the inclusion of the disabled in the workplace, have not yet managed to achieve decent work provided by law, indicating that the quality of social inclusion that the legislation has guaranteed to persons with disabilities, needs to be debated and researched. The objectives are: to analyze the feelings, ideas and dilemmas that mobilize the HR professional; meet the selection practices; and reflect on the obstacles to the effectiveness of the quota law in the company. Thus, the results indicate that apparently occurs a related mystification concern not to discriminate thus refuses to disability and diluted the difference. Instead of contemplating the different needs, they are denied and homogenized. Not contemplate the uniqueness / A presente pesquisa tem por tema a atuação do profissional de recursos humanos frente à seleção de pessoas com deficiência dentro das corporações, no âmbito da psicologia sócio-histórica. Sua problematização se situa em como os processos seletivos, orientados por técnicas que são compostas por políticas, ou seja, normas e procedimentos definidos pela organização que determinam o futuro do trabalhador, vão se adequar às singularidades das deficiências? Justifica-se a presente investigação na medida em que os números divulgados pelos institutos de pesquisa apresentarem avanços significativos, no que tange à inclusão do deficiente no mundo do trabalho, ainda não se conseguiu atingir o trabalho decente previsto em lei, indicando que a qualidade da inclusão social que a legislação vem garantindo às pessoas com deficiência, precisa ser debatida e pesquisada. Os objetivos são: analisar os sentimentos, ideias e dilemas que mobilizam o profissional de RH; conhecer as práticas de seleção; e refletir sobre os obstáculos à efetivação da lei de cotas na empresa. Dessa forma, os resultados obtidos indicam que aparentemente ocorre uma mistificação relacionada a preocupação de não discriminar, assim, nega-se a deficiência e se dilui a diferença. Ao invés de contemplar as necessidades diferentes, elas são negadas e homogeneizadas. Não se contempla a singularidade

The most costly and labor-intensive activity for almost every warehouse is the order picking process and a key challenge for manufacturing companies is to store parts in an efficient way. Therefore, to minimize the order retrieval time when picking from a storage, the need of a sufficient storage categorization strategy becomes vital. One of the logistics centers at Scania in Södertälje stores parts that will be transported to the chassis assembly and the assembly of gearboxes and axles when needed in the production. In one of the storage areas at the logistics center, namely the PS storage, the forklift drivers picking from the storage have experienced congestion in the storage aisles and that it might be possible to reduce the order fulfillment time when picking the orders. This master thesis aims to investigate the possibility of optimizing the picking process in the PS storage, with respect to the order fulfillment time for the forklift drivers, with categorization of the goods. This has been analyzed with a heuristic optimization approach and with the use of a discrete event simulation model, where different categorization strategies have been applied on the storage and compared to the current state. By categorizing the goods in the PS storage, a reduction of the order fulfillment time can be done of around 4% - 5% compared to the current state with all tested categorization strategies. The strategy which has been shown to give the largest improvement is by categorizing the parts in the storage according to their final delivery address at the production line, which would reduce the order fulfillment time by 5.03% compared to the current state. With this categorization method, parts that are picked on the same route are located close to each other.

Submitted by ELIZABETH HARUNA KAZAMA null (bethkazama@hotmail.com) on 2016-04-05T19:43:23Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_Elizabeth_Haruna_Kazama.pdf: 2591001 bytes, checksum: b6af06ca83c4e70605f88b2a36377803 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Paula Grisoto (grisotoana@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-04-06T19:15:35Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 kazama_eh_me_jabo.pdf: 2591001 bytes, checksum: b6af06ca83c4e70605f88b2a36377803 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-06T19:15:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 kazama_eh_me_jabo.pdf: 2591001 bytes, checksum: b6af06ca83c4e70605f88b2a36377803 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O preço do algodão é determinado pela qualidade da fibra, que pode ser danificada no momento da colheita, gerando perdas qualitativas, além das perdas quantitativas de pluma não colhida, resultando em perda de produtividade. Neste trabalho foram realizados dois estudos que tiveram como objetivos: modelar a distribuição espacial e o mapeamento das perdas na colheita mecanizada do algodão em duas velocidades de colheita (5 km h-1 e 7 km h-1), (Experimento 1), e avaliar as perdas quali-quantitativas da fibra em cinco velocidades de colheita, 5, 6, 7, 8 e 9 km h -1 (Experimento 2). Os experimentos foram realizados em dois municípios do estado do Mato Grosso, Brasil, sendo um sob delineamento de malha regular, demarcados 64 pontos amostrais com 5,25 ha cada, e outro sob delineamento de blocos inteiramente casualizados, utilizando a estatística clássica, sendo cinco velocidades de colheita e quatro repetições. No primeiro experimento, a maior extensão das perdas no terço inferior da planta ocorre no sentido das linhas de semeadura e deslocamento da colhedora e, além disso, as perdas na planta possuem relação com a população de plantas. As perdas possuem dependência espacial, demonstrando que possui relação com a planta. No segundo experimento, as perdas no solo, na planta e a qualidade da fibra não foram afetadas pelas velocidades analisadas. / The price of the cotton is determined by the quality of the fiber, which can be damaged at time of harvest, generating qualitative loss, in addition to feather quantitative losses, resulting loss of productivity. This work carried out two studies to the following objectives: to model the spatial distribution and the losses mapping in mechanized cotton harvesting in two harvest speed (5 km h-1 and 7 km h-1), (Experiment 1), and evaluating the quantitative and qualitative losses of five-speed fiber harvesting, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 km h-1 (Experiment 2). The experiments were conducted in two cities in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, one under regular mesh design, marked 64 sample points, with 5.25 ha, in each field, the other was randomized in complete block, using classical statistics, with five-speed harvesting and four replications. In the first experiment, the largest extent of the losses in the lower third of the plant occurs in the direction of the planting lines and displacement of the harvester in addition, losses in the plant are related to the population of plants. Cotton losses have spatial dependence demonstrating that It has relation with the the plant. In the second experiment, the losses in soil, plant and fiber quality were not affected by the analyzed speeds.

Spintronics is a dynamically developing branch of electronics which for transfer, processing and storing of information use not only electron charge but also its spin. Materials appropriate for a construction of spintronic devices should sustain the spin order for a sufficiently long time enabling a manipulation of spins. Simultaneously, in these materials the spin of electrons should be possible to transport fast and long enough across the device. In this work, heterostructure of GaAs/AlGaAs fulfilling these requirements is investigated by a pump-probe technique. In particular, long spin lifetimes of electrons in the heterostructure are studied using the resonant spin amplification method and with a use of the pulse picker. The nuclear spin polarization and the effect of an applied electric current on the studied heterostructure are also investigated in this work. Spectral filters are used to improve the existing experimental setup for the pump-probe technique and to measure a magnetooptical spectrum of the investigated heterostructure.