The Theory of Constraints (TOC) is a holistic management philosophy put forward by Eliyahu Goldratt in 1984. The thinking process and improvement tools discussed in this theory are mainly geared to manufacturing environments, however their applicability to service environments has also been shown for private professional service organizations. This study demonstrates that the steps and principles of the TOC can also be applied to non-profit services, such as the elective course registration process described in this thesis. In the case of non-profit organizations, the challenge is to define the performance measures of the TOC, which are Throughput, Inventory, and Operating Expense. This study offers a novel definition for these measurements, and using the principles of the TOC, it identifies the bottleneck and constraints of the elective course registration process. Using this analysis, the study then redesigns the system in order to improve the performance measures of the system.

Thesis (M.A.)--Georgia State University, 2009. / Printout. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 180-207). Also available on Internet in PDF format.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2002. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 236-241). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Chromosome replication and cell division of Escherichia coli are coordinated with growth such that wild-type cells divide once and only once after each replication cycle. Two components of this coordination are the SOS system and nucleoid occlusion. The SOS regulon expresses DNA repair genes after DNA damage and delays FtsZ-ring formation and cell division to enhance survival. Nucleoid occlusion prevents cell division over un-replicated nucleoids, a process partially dependent on the SlmA protein. Z-ring formation is shown here to be dependent on DNA replication by an additional mechanism, independent of the SOS regulon and of the SlmA protein and which acts by preventing FtsZ-ring formation when replication is perturbed. Replication dependent Z-ring formation (RDZ) was shown to be SOS-independent by the fact that FtsZ-rings were inhibited, after replication blockage, in a lexA1 mutant and in strains containing a null allele of sulA or the ftsZ/sulB103 mutation. SlmA protein-independence was shown by the fact that FtsZ-rings were also inhibited in lexA1 [Delta]slmA double mutants after replication blockage. This SOS- and SlmA-independent mechanism functions effectively in cells growing slowly with only one replicating chromosome and also in cells growing rapidly with multi-fork replication and after replication inhibition by different methods - chemical inhibitors and a temperature-sensitive polymerization mutation. / text

Estimating the earth pressures applied on drilled shaft retaining walls in expansive clays is challenging due to the soil's tendency to shrink and swell under cycles of moisture fluctuation. While empirical suggestions do exist, significant uncertainty exists regarding the effect of volumetric changes of the soil on the earth pressures. In order to investigate this uncertainty, a fully instrumented drilled shaft retaining wall named in the honor of Lymon C. Reese, was constructed in the highly expansive clay of the Taylor formation. Inclinometers and optical fiber strain gauges were installed in three instrumented shafts and time domain reflectrometry sensors were placed within the soil to measure changes in the moisture content. Nearly two years of monitoring data have been obtained which are used to estimate the earth pressure distribution at different moisture conditions. Processing of the raw strain data was required to eliminate the effects of tension cracks and other microscale factors that caused significant variation in the results. Good agreement was obtained between the processed strain and inclinometer data as the deflected shapes predicted from both monitoring elements were similar. Finally, the earth pressure distribution for six dates that represent different moisture conditions of the Taylor clay were plotted and the results of the strain gauge and inclinometer analysis were consistent. A p-y analysis was also conducted to estimate the range of earth pressures applied on the wall. A triangular earth pressure diagram was used as external load above the excavation level and the equivalent fluid pressure was evaluated by matching the deflected shapes generated from the inclinometer data to those predicted by the p-y model. The results were compared to the empirical values that TxDOT uses for design of similar type of walls in expansive clay. Finally, the side shear and temperature effects on the lateral response of the wall were quantified. A differential linear thermal model was used to evaluate the temperature effects and a t-z analysis was conducted to account for the side shear applied on the wall due to volumetric changes of the soil. It is recommended that their combined effect be considered in the design. / text

Skeletal muscle is a highly organized tissue that requires cooperation of many different structures and components for proper function. We explored the use of a flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) myofiber culture system to better model highly differentiated aspects of skeletal muscle in an in vitro system. Indirect immunofluorescence of FDB myofibers allowed us to better determine the subcellular localization of KLHL41, a new nemaline myopathy (NM) gene product, to ER-like subdomains of the sarcoplasmic retiuculum. By comparing FDB myofibers from wild type and myotubularin knockout mice with X-linked myotubular myopathy (XLMTM), we were also able to analyze satellite cell populations, showing that the knockout mice suffered a marked decrease in associated myogenic satellite cells. This supports concurrent data from our lab indicating a disease progression-related increase in apoptosis and a decrease in satellite cell proliferation in XLMTM.

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Zinaida Gippius's literary works are striking for the development of the theme of androgyny. / Chapter One examines the major Russian Symbolist intellectuals in their treatment of androgyny, which was animated by a desire to transfigure the world. Gippius's treatment of androgyny was at odds with the prevailing theory because it was not based on the defeminization of humanity. / Chapter Two addresses Gippius's reconstruction of Symbolist androgyny theory and explains the rejection of gender-based motivation in her metaphysical system by its orientation toward personality and an awareness of God. / Chapter Three shows how she used her poetry and prose to advance her belief that a perfect, androgynous love could reunite humanity with God. While Gippius's prose describes the search for this type of love, her poetry deals with it as a lyric experience. / The religious motivations of Gippius's redefinition of Symbolist androgyny indicate the need to re-evaluate the place of Orthodox Christianity in the evolution of Russian Symbolism.

Summary Still today informal methods are the most common for informational systems design. They don‘t allows unambiguously understand formulating tasks, moreover availably specifications not always are complete. Because of this informational system does not correspond to users needs. Using informal methods specification transformation to software code isn‘t always possible. In real time informational systems problematic domain is varying in time. Thus are changing requirements for informational systems. Using informal methods, to solve this problem, usually we need to rewrite software. Using formal methods we don‘t have to rewrite software, it is enough organization business instructions specified in Z transform to software code. In this paper we present research results about Z specification method use for formal requirements specification for informational systems design. Using Z/EVES - an interactive system for composing, checking, and analyzing Z specifications, was accomplished Z specification validation, theretofore reviewing the list of available Z specification validation tools. Z specification language was compared with object-oriented language Object–Z to find out advantages and disadvantages of these two formal specification languages. Were discussed questions about Z specification transformation to Object-Z, which facilities an object-oriented specification extension to object-oriented programming languages. In this paper transformation methodology from object-Z... [to full text]