Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Davis, 2005. / Degree granted in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Also available via the World Wide Web. (Restricted to UC campuses)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 169-176). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 157-169).

Higher education institutions (HEIs) around the world and in the developing countries in particular e.g. Libyan HEIs are facing challenges that increase the pressure on them. Some of these challenges are related to the remarkable changes in population growth and fast changes in the development of knowledge and technology. Also, providing adequate resources, maintaining quality, raising funding and strengthening the curriculum are other challenges that need to be faced by those institutions. This research is aimed to investigate issues enabling and affecting the quality of services provided by Libyan public universities using principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) philosophy as a framework: Al-Fateh University (AFU) as a case study. The research is qualitative in nature, employing a case study approach and using indepth semi-structured interviews (from different levels including senior leaders, faculty members, support staff, students, and main employers) as the main data collection tool within the two selected embedded case studies. Those embedded cases are Electric and Electronic Department (EED)-Faculty of Engineering-AFU and Social Service Department (SSD)-Literature Faculty-AFU. Documents are used in addition to interviews in order to fully understand issues enabling and affecting the quality of services provided by the two embedded case studies. Contribution to knowledge is evident by the study, which represents the first attempt to empirically investigate issues enabling and affecting the quality of services provided by Libyan public universities: AFU as a case study through two selected embedded cases EED and SSD. This research provides specific original findings which include the use of Arabic and English language in the same lecture, the concept of students' administration and its consequences, the speciality of leaders biases the understanding of the needs of subordinate staff, suspension of the students' performance regulations affected the quality of education programmes, and a unique situation was found to be the senior and junior staff programme that attempted to improve teaching through knowledge transfer. This research has reduced the gap in knowledge in Libyan HE context in specific and in Arabic HE context in general. Other implications for HEIs are also provided by this research.

Flocculation has been widely adopted as one of the most effective methods to remove colloidal particles in water or wastewater treatment. Synthetic flocculants are conventionally used because of their high flocculating efficiency and cost-effectiveness. However, they have been reported to have hazardous properties and implicated in some serious health problems including senile dementia and neuro-toxicity, as well as being recalcitrant in the environment. Consequently, efforts are being geared away from the use of synthetic flocculants in water and wastewater treatment. Hence, the need for safe and eco-friendly flocculants has become imperative. Compared with synthetic flocculants, bioflocculants have special advantages such as safety, biodegradability and harmlessness to the environment and humans; attributes which make them potential alternatives in water treatment, downstream as well as fermentation processes. In the current study, the potentials of bacterial isolates recovered from Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa for bioflocculant production were investigated. The bacterial isolates were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as belonging to the Bacillus genus. The analysis of 16S ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA) nucleotide sequence of isolate M72 showed 99 percent similarity to Bacillus toyonensis strain BCT-7112 and was deposited in the GenBank as Bacillus toyonensis strain AEMREG6 with accession number KP406731. Likewise, the 16S rDNA nucleotide sequences of isolates M69 and M67 showed 98 percent sequence similarity to Bacillus licheniformis strain W7 and Bacillus algicola strain QD43 respectively; and M67 isolate was subsequently deposited in the GenBank as Bacillus sp. AEMREG7 with accession number KF933697.1. The results of the nutritional requirements and fermentation conditions revealed that optimum inoculum size for REG-6 production was 4 percent (v/v), while 5 percent (v/v) and 3 percent (v/v) were most favourable for MBF-W7 and MBF-UFH production respectively. Glucose was the best carbon source for the production of bioflocculants (REG-6 and MBF-UFH) by Bacillus toyonensis AEMREG6 and Bacillus sp. AEMREG7 respectively, while maltose supported optimum bioflocculant (MBF-W7) production by Bacillus specie. Inorganic nitrogen (NH4NO3) was the favoured nitrogen source for both REG-6 and MBF-W7 production, while mixed nitrogen sources [yeast extract + urea + (NH4)2SO4] supported the maximum production of MBF-UFH. The initial medium pH for REG-6 was 5, while MBF-W7 and MBF-UFH were both maximally produced at the initial pH of 6. After a 96 h cultivation period under optimal culture conditions, 3.2 g of purified REG-6 with a maximum flocculating activity of 77 percent was recovered from 1 L fermented broth of Bacillus toyonensis AEMREG6. Yields of 3.8 g and 1.6 g pure bioflocculants with the respective highest flocculating activities of 94.9 percent and 83.2 percent were also obtained from 1 L, 72 h-fermented broths of Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus sp. AEMREG7 respectively. Furthermore, all the three bioflocculants (REG-6, MBF-W7 and MBF-UFH), displayed thermal stability within the temperature range of 50 to 100 oC, with strong flocculating activities of over 80 percent against kaolin suspension over a wide range of pH range (3–11) and relatively low dosage requirements of 0.1-03 mg/ml in the presence of divalent cations in the treatment of kaolin clay suspension and Thyme River waters. Chemical composition analyses of the bioflocculants showed them to be glycoproteins with a predominantly polysaccharide backbones as shown by the following carbohydrate/protein (w/w) ratios: 77.8 percent:11.5 percent (REG-6); 73.7 percent:6.2 percent (MBF-W7) and 76 percent:14 percent (MBF-UFH).

Orientador: Otávio José de Oliveira / Banca: Mateus Cecílio Gerolamo / Banca: Fernando Bernardi de Souza / Resumo: O processo de melhoria contínua nas organizações é uma premissa para a sobrevivência e competitividade no mercado atual. Neste contexto, os Sistemas de Gestão da Qualidade surgem como importantes instrumentos para o desempenho das empresas e dos Arranjos Produtivos Locais (APLs). O objetivo principal desta dissertação é desenvolver uma proposta de diretrizes para desenvolvimento coletivo de melhoria contínua em Micro, Pequenas e Médias Empresas (MPMEs) industriais que atuem em APLs. A proposta foi desenvolvida por meio do referencial teórico e subsidiada com elementos de um estudo de caso, o que permitiu seu desenvolvimento com conceitos que podem influenciar de forma positiva sua efetiva implantação. Como resultado, a proposta de diretrizes está estruturada em seis etapas: Preparação, Diagnóstico do APL, Diagnóstico das empresas, Implantação, Auditoria e Avaliação / Abstract: The process of continuous improvement in organizations is a precondition for the survival and competitiveness in the market today. In this context, the Quality Management Systems emerge as important tools for the performance of business and Local Productive Arrangements (APLs). The main objective of this dissertation is to develop a proposal guideline for developing collective of continuous improvement in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) that act on APLS industrial. The proposal was developed "through theoretical and subsidized with elements of a case study, which allowed her to develop concepts that can positively influence their effective implementation. As a result, the proposal guidelines is structured in six steps: Preparation, APL Diagnostics, Diagnostics enterprises, Implementation, Audit and Evaluation / Mestre

Orientador: Eugenio Jose Zoqui / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Mecanica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-12T18:00:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Borsari_Ricardo_M.pdf: 999585 bytes, checksum: 4f3f2e0cab2b478c66720e0602a8e512 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Resumo: Nos últimos dez anos as organizações foram obrigadas a se adaptar para atender as normas de qualidade requeridas por seus clientes potenciais, sendo necessária constante atualização. A indústria automobilística foi o segmento que mais apresentou mudanças em termos de normalização de sistemas de gestão da qualidade no mundo, sendo a especificação ISO/TS 16949:2002 o mais recente padrão normativo. Sendo assim, este trabalho avaliou os impactos da transição de um sistema da qualidade QS9000 para ISO/TS, demonstrando as principais diferenças entre os requisitos, vantagens, desvantagens e desafios a serem enfrentados por uma organização, bem como consequência sobre o sistema de gestão da qualidade, propondo assim métodos para redução do impacto e avaliação de desempenho. O trabalho apresenta, inicialmente, as estruturas das normas e especificação técnica referida e sua aplicabilidade, fazendo uma comparação entre os requisitos QS9000 em relação a ISO/TS 16949 de forma a relacionar as alterações, requisitos adicionais e desafios do processo da transição sobre o sistema de gestão da qualidade. Na segunda parte do trabalho são apresentados métodos de transição para redução do impacto e avaliação do desempenho do sistema de gestão da qualidade, bem como considerações e avaliações em relação ao comportamento dos indicadores obtidos para cada sistema. / Abstract: For the last ten years companies have been obliged to adapt the quality standards required by their potential clients so as to meet their needs and have constantly been working on updating. The automobile industry has been the segment which has presented the highest number of changes considering quality management system standards in the world. The ISO/TS 16949:2002 is the most recent standard required. The purpose of this work is to show the transition impacts from quality system QS9000 to ISO/TS, pointing out the main differences between required standards, advantages, disadvantages and challenges that an organization has to face as well as on the effect on the quality management system. Methods have been presented to reduce the impact and assess the performance. Firstly this work shows the standard structures, technical specifications and its applicability, comparing QS9000 and ISO/TS 16949 so as to relate the changes, the additional requirements and the challenges of the quality management system in transition. Secondly transitional methods are presented to reduce de impact and to assess the quality management system performance, considerations and assessment of the indicators behavior for each system. / Mestrado / Materiais e Processos de Fabricação / Mestre em Engenharia Mecânica

Orientador: Antônio Batocchio / Dissertação (mestrado profissional) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Mecânica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-18T21:48:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Silva_AndreThomeda_M.pdf: 4042993 bytes, checksum: 070a00d3f1d7645e159eadad868c5261 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: Desde a metade do século XX e nesse início do século XXI, as empresas buscam aumentar a produtividade e melhorar a qualidade de seus produtos e serviços. Para uma organização, muito mais do que a liderança no seu mercado de atuação é a sua capacidade de se manter competitiva. A busca da vantagem competitiva perante o mercado está em satisfazer as expectativas do cliente e implementar com êxito uma série de exigências em termos de eficiência no processo produtivo. O desenvolvimento deste trabalho está voltado para este cenário de eficiência e busca uma alternativa para melhorar os processos administrativos de alterações de produto de uma empresa de motores diesel no setor de Engenharia de Produtos Atuais. O método foca principalmente, nos princípios adotados pelo modelo de Produção da Toyota (TPS - Sistema Toyota de Produção), em empresas de manufatura, Engenharia de produção e com base em pesquisas e em teorias existentes sobre gerenciamento de processos de produção e reengenharia de processos. A sequência do trabalho apresenta uma revisão bibliográfica sobre a norma ISO/TS 16949:2002, que estabelece uma nova ordem nas empresas do ramo automotivo que põe fim na tradicional estrutura de pouca troca de informações entre departamentos. O objetivo dessa dissertação é mapear os processos administrativos para alterações técnica para engenharia e aplicar os conceitos de produção enxuta nesse processo. A dissertação aborda os conceitos de Produção Enxuta nos Processos Administrativos, Manufatura Enxuta e metodologias de aplicação, histórico do modelo de produção da Toyota e as ferramentas de apoio aplicadas no estudo de caso: Casa do TPS (pilares just in-time e jidoka), metodologia do Gerenciamento pela Qualidade Total (TQM) e Escritório Enxuto. Realizou-se, também, um estudo de caso com base em aplicações reais de Produção Enxuta na área administrativa. Como resultado da análise das metodologias e do estudo de caso foi proposto um roteiro de referência. Os resultados atingidos, no estudo de caso, são bons, pois consegue padronizar o fluxo dos processos, diminuir os retrabalhos, identificar e eliminar as perdas nos processos administrativos de alterações de produtos / Abstract: Since the half of XX century and in the beginning of XXI century, companies search to increase the productivity and to improve the quality of its products and services. For an organization, much more than the leadership in its market, it is its capacity to remain competitive. The search of the competitive advantage of the market is in satisfying the customer 's expectations and implementing with success a series of requirements in terms of efficiency in the productive process. The development of this work is toward this scenery of efficiency and searches an alternative to improve the administrative processes in the product alterations of a diesel engines company in the Current Products Engineering sector. The method focus mainly, in the principles adopted for the model of Toyota Production (TPS - Toyota Production System), in manufacture companies, production Engineering and on the basis of research and in existing theories on production processes management and reengineering of processes. The work sequence presents a bibliographical revision on norm ISO/TS 16949:2002, that establishes a new order in the automotive companies market that ends the traditional structure of little exchange of information between departments. The objective of this dissertation is to map the changes to administrative processes and engineering techniques to apply the concepts of lean production in the process .The dissertation approaches the concepts of lean Production in the Administrative processes, lean Manufacture and application methodologies, description of the Toyota production model and the applied. Tools of support in the study case: TPS House (just in time pillars and Jidoka), Total Quality Management methodology (TQM) and Lean Office. It was also done a study case on the basis of real applications of lean Production in the administrative area. As result of the analysis of the methodologies and the study of case a reference script was considered. The reached results, in the study case, are good, because it can standardize the processes flow, to diminish the rework, to identify and to eliminate the losses in the administrative processes of products alterations / Mestrado / Manufatura / Mestre em Engenharia Automobilistica

D.Phil. / Water quality management in South Africa changed drastically over the last 20 years, from focussing on effluent control to managing the water resource itself. This resulted in the promulgation of the National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998) which introduced amongst others the classification of water resources and the Reserve. The implementation of the Act is currently in process, and this requires the development of a number of "tools". One such a need is to develop a protocol to set water quality objectives for water resources that takes cognisance of both the classification and the Reserve. The move to manage water resources has also taken place in other countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States of America, The Netherlands and Australia. However, most of these countries do not have the same circumstances or the same approach to water quality management as South Africa. In most cases those countries have adopted single value water quality objectives that lead to an on/off assessment of the success of management actions that does not take full cognisance of the natural variability of water quality such as is experienced in South Africa. Water quality is not static and the effect on a user is a function of dose and exposure. In most cases users can recover from short term exposures to undesirable conditions, as long as these effects are still chronic and not acute. Water quality can therefore not be assessed by making use of a single value, but must be based on a description of the central tendency as well as extreme values. This assessment (ideal, acceptable, tolerable, unacceptable) of water quality should also be linked to management actions so that managers of water resources know where to focus the limited resources at their disposal. In this thesis a protocol is developed that can be used to determine water quality objectives that take into account the class of the water resource, as well as the Reserve. Together with this an assessment system is offered that allows managers to prioritise their actions. The protocol was applied to the Jukskei River Catchment, using data that was collected over a six year period. The protocol was found to be robust and yielded water quality objectives that can be used to focus attention on the most pressing problems. / Prof. G.J. Steyn Dr. H. H. du Preez

M.Ing. / Please refer to full text to view abstract