<p> The performance enhancement of stretch shortening cycle (SSe) contractions has been well documented in the literature. However, the majority of these studies have been performed either on gross human systems for multijointed movements, or in isolated animal muscle studies using in-vitro preparations. This study was designed to apply the principles used for these invitro animal studies to the human system, under conditions that would allow results to be directly associated with a specific muscle or muscle group. Previous investigations by Lynch (1992) and Benoit and Dowling (1995) have supported the use of muscle models to predict elbow flexor torque and sse performance enhancement. The purpose of this study was to use an EMG based muscle model to investigate the possible relationship between sse tasks at different frequencies of elbow flexion-extension and performance enhancement of the elbow flexor muscles. </p> <p> A Hill based muscle model was used to predict elbow flexor torque of seven healthy male subjects (23-40 years of age) under voluntary and stimulated contraction conditions. EMG of the elbow flexors and extensors was recorded from the biceps brachii and triceps respectively. Elbow flexor stimulation was done transcutaneously with a voltage equivalent to a 60% MVe torque; stimulation lasted four seconds at a frequency of 50 Hz. A simulated constant muscle activation torque was also derived from the muscle model for all trials. Externally measured torque was measured using a strain gauge located on a shaft situated along the axis of rotation of the elbow joint. A torque motor was used to drive the forearm (fastened to a manipulandum) at four frequencies of elbow flexion-extension (.58, 1.5, 2.4, and 3.3 Hz) over a range of 162 to 105 degrees of elbow extension. Non-SSe trials were performed at these same velocities and over the same range of motion. Torque was then integrated as a function of joint angle displacement to yield the work produced about the elbow. Passive work was subtracted from all trials. </p> <p> The results indicate that a significant increase in muscle work followed sse tasks as opposed to non-SSe tasks and this increased work was relatively highest at 2.4 Hz. Work about the elbow decreased with increasing frequency of movement for both sse and non-sse conditions. The simulated constant activation muscle model predicted work well for all trials and conditions, indicating muscle model accuracy. The EMG driven model predicted well for all non-SSe trials but significantly underestimated the work for sse tasks, suggesting a decrease in myoelectric activity. This decrease was evidenced by a decrease in average M-wave amplitude with increasing SSe velocity. This study indicates that the contractile component is directly involved in optimizing muscle work during sse tasks and that the performance enhancement of sse tasks may take place at the myofilament and cross-bridge level. </p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

The organisation of maintenance, in the Aseptic Liquid Food (ALF) industry, represents an important management task that enables a company to pursue higher manufacturing effectiveness and improved market share. This research is concerned with the process to design and implement maintenance tasks. These two complementary processes (design and implementation) have been thought and designed to answer the particular needs of food industry regarding product safety and equipment reliability. Numerous maintenance engineering researchers have focused on maintenance engineering and reliability techniques highlighting the contribution of maintenance in achieving world class manufacturing and competitive advantage. Their outcome emphasizes that maintenance is not a “necessary evil” because of costs associated, but it can be considered an “investment” that produces an added value which generates a real company profit. The existing maintenance engineering techniques pursue equipment reliability at minimum cost; but in food industry, food safety represents the most critical issue to address and solve. The research methodology chosen is based on case studies coming from ALF industries. These show that low maintenance effectiveness could have dramatic effects on final consumers and on the company’s image and underline the need of a maintenance design and implementation process that takes into consideration all critical factors relevant to liquid food industry. The analysis of measurable indicators available, represents a tool necessary to show the status of critical performance indicators and reveals the urgency of a research necessary to address and solve the maintenance problems in food industry. The literature review underlines the increasing regulations in place in food industry and that no literature is available to define a maintenance design and implementation process for ALF and in general for food industry. The literature review enabled also the gap existing between theory and real maintenance status, in the ALF, to be identified and the aim of the research was to explore this gap. The analysis of case studies and Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) available highlights the problem and the literature review provides the knowledge necessary to identify the process to design and implement maintenance procedures for ALF industry. The research findings provide a useful guide to identify the process to design maintenance tasks able to put under control food safety and equipment reliability issues. Company’s restraining forces and cultural inertia, that work against new maintenance procedures, have been analysed and a maintenance implementation process have been designed to avoid losing the benefits produced by the design phase. The analysis of condition monitoring systems shows devices and techniques useful to improve product safety, equipment reliability, and then maintenance effectiveness. This research aimed to fill the gap in the existing literature showing the solution to manage both food safety and production effectiveness issues in food industry. It identifies a maintenance design process able to capture all conceivable critical factors in food industry and to provide the solution to design reliable task lists. Furthermore, the maintenance implementation process shows the way to maximize the maintenance design outcome through the empowerment of equipment operators and close cooperation with maintenance and quality specialists. The new maintenance design and implementation process represents the answer to the research problem and a reliable solution that allows the food industry to improve food safety and production effectiveness.

This creative project has explored the possibility of establishing a field of technical literature which bridges the gap between processes books and engineering texts. The project, by setting an example, has presented a format which may easily be followed by other writers in the field.The project specifically deals with eleven contemporary sheetmetal forming techniques. In addition, the handbook presents an overall view of production planning, quality control, and standardization.

Submitted by Edileide Reis (leyde-landy@hotmail.com) on 2013-04-29T16:53:37Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Katia de Sa.pdf: 3322298 bytes, checksum: 8b68541a3b9ee8274727549299da07a4 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Maria Auxiliadora Lopes(silopes@ufba.br) on 2013-06-10T20:20:25Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Katia de Sa.pdf: 3322298 bytes, checksum: 8b68541a3b9ee8274727549299da07a4 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-06-10T20:20:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Katia de Sa.pdf: 3322298 bytes, checksum: 8b68541a3b9ee8274727549299da07a4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Esta tese trata da investigação de determinações advindas das relações trabalho-capital, trabalho-lazer, trabalho-produção do conhecimento, trabalho-formação de professores e das categorias práxis social, alienação e luta de classes. Encontra-se integrada ao Grupo de Estudo e Pesquisa em Educação Física, Esportes e Lazer – LEPEL, da Faculdade de Educação da Universidade Federal da Bahia - UFBA, que estuda e pesquisa problemáticas significativas que envolvem a formação de professores, a produção de conhecimento, o trabalho pedagógica e as políticas educacionais, que têm impacto na incorrigível lógica do capital sobre a educação no Brasil. Situa-se entre os estudos que investigam o objeto a partir de categorias e leis da dialética, enquanto lógico e teoria do conhecimento histórico. Levanta enquanto pergunta científico-investigativa: Quais os pressupostos ontológicos da produção do conhecimento lazer da pós-graduação em Educação Física no Brasil, considerando o período de 1972 a 2008 e que relações, nexos e contradições estabelecem no currículo de formação do professor de Educação Física da Região Nordeste, em vista a necessidade e as possibilidades de apontar pressupostos ontológicos de uma práxis do trabalho-lazer, cujo projeto histórico de sociedade seja o comunismo. É uma pesquisa documental que desenvolve em sua metodologia: 1. Levantamento de fundamentos teóricos bibliográficos; 2. Levantamento e análise de dissertações e teses sobre o conhecimento lazer no Brasil – 1972 a 2008; 3. Levantamento e análise do programa da disciplina Recreação I do Curso de Licenciatura em Educação Física da FACED/UFBA. Levanta uma hipótese em três fundamentos: 1. A concepção dos pressupostos ontológicos existentes na produção e organização do conhecimento do lazer produzido na pós-graduação não considera as formações econômicas como determinantes do ser social e suas relações de produção. 2. A lógica de modelo neoliberal que vem sendo instituída nas universidades, que se produz e reproduz a partir do trato com o conhecimento da pós-graduação, por não estabelecer uma produção rigorosa de análise crítica sobre trabalho/capital, trabalho-lazer na formação econômica capitalista, torna-se elemento mediador acrítico nos fundamentos teóricos das disciplinas dos currículos de graduação de professores de Educação Física; 3. A formação de professores de Educação Física não se compromete com uma consistente base teórica voltada para o trabalhador concebido como sujeito social. Aponta nas considerações finais que em 90% da produção, os pesquisadores desconhecem os objetos da realidade concreta do mundo, considerando a identificação e domínio de suas leis em desenvolvimento; desconsideram nos estudos um modo que não seja o ditado pelo capital; ao generalizar a práxis social do lazer exercem sobre a realidade do mundo uma influência recíproca, não contribuindo para o seu desenvolvimento em vista a outras possibilidades superadoras. Portanto, as proposições superadoras devem ser colocadas em três graus de complexidade: 1. o que cabe as esferas governamentais – o poder público; 2. o que cabe nas esferas das organizações de classe – a luta que transcende a própria universidade; 3. o que cabe na esfera da autonomia universitária e portanto no projeto da instituição, do curso e do programa dos professores. É dentro do enfrentamento concreto na luta de classes, considerando o que aponta a ontologia do ser social, que encontramos os indicadores de que somos sujeitos da história e podemos orientar ações – teleologia – para a construção de outro projeto histórico, outra formação econômica, outro modo de vida. E podemos fazer isto na produção do conhecimento científico e nas disciplinas que orientamos na graduação de cursos de formação de professores de Educação Física que terão como campo de atuação profissional e de desenvolvimento do trabalho pedagógico e como objeto de estudo o par dialético “Trabalho-Lazer”. / Salvador

M.Ing. / This research dissertation highlights the important role of scheduling in a production environment. The functioning of an integrated iron and steel works is discussed. The importance of production scheduling in this environment is shown, followed by a literature survey of strip mill production scheduling models. Thereafter a model is introduced that aids in the production scheduling of plate via coil in a hot strip mill. Finally the benefits of the scheduling model are shown.

This thesis is dealing with types of discourse of the Treadmill of prduction, that are used by Czech confederation of trade unions. In the first part of the text is the description of the theory of the Treadmill of Production and of the roles ot the three acters of the so called growth colaition, which are Labour, Capital and State. In the following part of my work I defined three types of discourse of the Treadmill of Production. The first two are dominant and I named them Competition discourse and Solidarity discourse. They both support the Treadmill of production. The third discourse uses less, it is called Revolution discouse and is used to opose the Treadmill of production. Those three types of discourse are applied in topics of teh flexibilization of work, the technological change, and the environment.