Major vehicle manufacturers are committed to expand their electrified vehicle fleet in upcoming years to meet fuel efficiency goals. Understanding the effect of the charge/discharge cycle profiles on battery durability is important to the implementation of batteries in electrified vehicles and to the design of appropriate battery testing protocols. In this work, commercial high-power prismatic lithium ion cells were cycled using a pulse-heavy profile and a simple square-wave profile to investigate the effect of cycle profile on the capacity fade of the battery. The pulse-heavy profile was designed to simulate on-road conditions for a typical hybrid electric vehicle, while the simplified square-wave profile was designed to have the same charge throughput as the pulse-heavy profile, but with lower peak currents. The batteries were cycled until each battery achieved a combined throughput of 100 kAh. Reference Performance Tests were conducted periodically to monitor the state of the batteries through the course of the testing. The results indicate that, for the batteries tested, the capacity fade for the two profiles was very similar and was 11 % ± 0.5 % compared to beginning of life. The change in internal resistance of the batteries over the course of the testing was also monitored and found to increase 21% and 12% compared to beginning of life for the pulse-heavy and square-wave profiles respectively. Cycling tests on coin cells with similar electrode chemistries as well as development of a first principles, physics based model were done in order to understand the underlying cause of the observed degradation. The results from the coin cells and the model suggest that the loss of active material in the electrodes due to the charge transfer process is the primary cause of degradation while the loss of cyclable lithium due to side reactions plays a secondary role. These results also indicate that for high power cells, the capacity degradation associated with the charge-sustaining mode of operation can be studied with relatively simple approximations of complex drive cycles. / Ph. D. / Major vehicle manufacturers are committed to expand their electrified vehicle fleet in upcoming years to meet fuel efficiency goals. Understanding the effect of the charge/discharge cycle profiles on battery durability is important to the implementation of batteries in electrified vehicles and to the design of appropriate battery testing protocols. In this work, commercial lithium ion cells were tested using two profiles with the same energy transfer; a pulse-heavy profile to simulate on-road conditions for a typical hybrid electric vehicle, and a simplified square-wave profile with the same charge flow as the pulse-heavy profile, but with lower currents. Cycling tests on coin cells with similar electrode chemistries as well as development of a first principles, physics based model were done in order to understand the underlying cause of the degradation. The results suggest that the degradation observed is not dependent on the type of profile used. These results also indicate that for high power cells, the capacity degradation associated with the charge-sustaining mode of operation can be studied with relatively simple approximations of complex drive cycles.

The purpose of the study was to determine whether or not a variance in the quality of the public high school facilities existed among the Commonwealth of Virginia school divisions, since the 1982 Peccia study, An Analysis Of The Financing Of Public High School Capital Facilities In Virginia. Reasons for the variance in the quality of the public high school facilities, if any, were determined from an examination of a capital facilities survey instrument and various economic and financial characteristics. Methods and procedures used in the study included the capital facilities survey instrument, Crossman CAFIS. The Crossman CAFIS accurately reflected not just the number of facilities that existed in the school divisions but the quality of each facility. The researcher sent an electronic survey instrument to each high school principal within the sampled school divisions to rate their facilities using 75 indicators. The researcher visited all the high schools within the study in order to ensure the variance in how one perceives the differences in facilities would be limited. Any variance in the quality of the public high school facilities among the sampled school divisions were examined for economic factors that include; local composite index, fiscal effort and fiscal capacity. A significant finding of the study was that a large variance existed between the quality of high school facilities within the sampled school divisions, as measured by Crossman CAFIS. Reasons for that variance can be partially attributed to the fiscal effort of the sampled school divisions. School divisions that made a large fiscal effort and had a large fiscal capacity scored high on the Crossman CAFIS. School divisions that made a low fiscal effort and had low fiscal capacity, also scored low on the Crossman CAFIS. The lowest quality of high school facilities were found to be in the Western region of Virginia, despite isolated instances of high fiscal effort by some school divisions. Implications and recommendations were made in accordance with the findings of the study. A large variance existed in the Virginia school divisions between the quality of high school facilities as measured by CAFIS. The reason for the variance in high school facilities were due in part to the level of fiscal effort exerted by the school divisions. / EDD

No / The Mental Capacity Act 2005 introduced legal safeguards (which came into force in April 2009) aimed at protecting the liberty of people lacking capacity admitted to institutions in England and Wales. This paper discusses the adequacy of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards for protecting the liberty of residents in social care settings and the role of regulation in monitoring their implementation. In particular, the potential impact of planned unitary regulation on the regulator's ability to protect residents’ liberty is critiqued, centring on people with dementia living in care homes. It is suggested that the capacity of the safeguards to adequately protect the liberty of residents with dementia may be limited by under-recognition of the extent to which deprivation of liberty can actually occur in care homes, insufficient resourcing and a lack of critical independence in their proposed implementation. In addition, the planned contraction of regulation – especially a reduction in inspections – will constrain the regulator's ability to ensure that residents’ right to liberty is protected. The author concludes that the new model of regulation adopted by the UK government has prioritised economic efficiency over safeguarding the right to liberty of vulnerable residents in institutions.

Yes / The report entitled “Legal capacity and decision making: The ethical implications of lack of legal capacity on the lives of people with dementia” received funding under an operating grant from the European Union’s Health Programme (2014–2020).

The experimental study reported upon in this thesis focused on the development of physical data characterizing the behavior of single-shear, laterally-loaded connections when loaded up to and beyond capacity (i.e., maximum resistance). Specimens included a wide array of connection configurations common in wood construction. All connections were tested monotonically in tension under displacement-controlled loading, parallel to the grain. Results of these tests are presented and discussed. Test variables of nailed connections included nail diameter, side member material type, and side member thickness. Test variables of bolted connections included bolt diameter, commercial species grouping of the main and side members, and main member thickness. Conclusions drawn from this research include mechanics-based explanations of numerous connection response trends observed with respect to test variables. Additionally, observed factors of safety and over-strengths of current design values are quantified on a capacity-basis. / Master of Science

Because of perceived deficiencies in the state of the practice of designing escalators and moving walkways, a microsimulation-based model of pedestrian behavior in these moving belt systems was created. In addition to implementing walking and stair climbing capabilities from existing pedestrian flow literature, the model utilized following behavior and lane change decision logic taken form studies performed in the field of automotive traffic flow theory. By combining research from these two normally independent fields with moving belt operational characteristics, a solid framework for the simulation was created. The model was then validated by comparing its operation to real world behaviors and performance metrics found in the literature in order to verify that the simulation matched the choices made by actual pedestrians. Once this crucial function had been completed, the model could finally be used in its original purpose of determining the capacity of a belt under region-specific input parameters. This paper also discusses other applications for which the model is suitable, including performing sensitivity analysis of both existing and proposed belt systems, analyzing the impacts of operational rule sets on the performance of escalators and moving walkways, and analyzing the effect of queue growth on the storage area needed for pedestrians in an ambulatory facility. Through the use of this model and the logic contained within it, engineers and planners will be able to gain a more accurate understanding of pedestrian flow on moving belts. The result of this increased understanding will be more effective and more efficient transportation systems. / Master of Science

Yes / This study investigates how buyer-supplier interfirm networks with foreign affiliates affect the internationalization of local firms in developing countries. In a study of 1601 sub-Saharan African manufacturing firms, we find that foreign supply linkages positively influence firm internationalization, but this does not relate to marketing linkages. We further examine the role of absorptive capacity and find that both potential and realized absorptive capacity has positive and independent effects on firm internationalization. However, potential absorptive capacity has no moderating effect and realized absorptive capacity negatively moderates the relationship between foreign supplying networks and internationalization. Finally, implications for public policy and managerial practice are discussed.

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between intensity of short-range and medium-range capacity management and effectiveness of manufacturing operations. Data were collected to test the null hypothesis which stated that intensity of short-range and medium-range capacity management does not influence manufacturing effectiveness. Intensity of short-range and medium-range capacity management was indicated by the following variables: (1) production standards; (2) priority determination; (3) delivery dates determination; (4) material requirements planning; (5) routing information; (6) capacity utilization; and (7) backlog measurement. Manufacturing effectiveness was indicated by the following variables: (1) delivery dates performance; (2) lead times; (3) subcontract work; (4) direct labor overtime; (5) direct labor efficiency; (6) plant and equipment utilization; and (7) work in process inventory. The population selected to provide data for this study is the manufacturing firms in the State of Texas with five hundred or more employees. Over 42 percent of the eligible firms responded to a six-page questionnaire. Several multivariate techniques were utilized for data analysis: (1) factor analysis; (2) canonical correlation analysis; (3) bivariate correlation; (4) multiple linear regression; (5) cross-tabulation; and (6) analysis of variance. The results of this research did not adequately support the rejection of the null hypothesis. However, they did definitely identify a distinct group of capacity management intensity variables that influence manufacturing effectiveness in specific cases. Intensity variables were placed in three groups that identified how influential they were over the effectiveness measures. The most influential group included the variables: production standards and material requirements planning. The indication for the manufacturing manager is to concentrate on improvements in these areas. Effectiveness variables were also placed in three groups that identified the level at which the variables were influenced by the intensity variables. The highly influenced group included plant and equipment utilization and delivery dates performance.

Innovations as a source of economic wellbeing and social prosperity has been well researched, albeit primarily done in the context of developed economies. However, of late, interest in the effect of innovation on economic performance and quality of life has been renewed as the world observes the rise of emerging economies, and at the same time, the prolonged recession in the more developed economies (i.e. North America and European countries). There has been a marked increase in the quantity and quality of research and development, spawn by innovative companies from emerging economies that are making their mark in global marketplace. These phenomena challenge the traditional concept that innovation flows from the resource rich developed countries to less developed countries, and that the latter are at a disadvantage in terms of knowledge, technology and competitiveness. Existing studies on national innovation highlight the relationships between innovative capability and its outcomes; however, few have tried to explain the determinants of a nation’s innovative capabilities. Using a sample of 95 countries and panel data analysis covering 28 years of observation, this study attempts to model the determinants of innovative capability at national level, and focuses on absorptive capacity and institutional framework as the main determinants of innovative capability. Further, this study identifies different aspects of absorptive capacity: creation and exploitation of innovation. Findings offer support on the importance of various sources of external knowledge in the creation of innovation, with FDI inflow and High Technology Export as the strongest sources. Corruption as institutional factor has negative effect on innovative capability, whereas openness shows no effect. National absorptive capacity moderates the effect of external knowledge on innovative capability, except on FDI outflow in which a negative effect on trademark application as a measure of innovative capability. The findings suggest that innovative capability and moderating role of absorptive capacity enhance economic wellbeing. Findings show that economic wellbeing increases happiness and income inequality (as the measures of quality of life); same thing as innovative capability, which also increases both happiness and income inequality. This study demonstrates that for happiness, higher education and better infrastructure (as the measure of foundational absorptive capacity) decrease the level of happiness. Higher education and ease access to information may increase expectation, which lead to unhappiness when the expectation is not met. For income inequality, negative effect of the moderating role of absorptive capacity means that higher education and better infrastructure contribute to lowering income inequality. Based on these findings, a nation should continue to attract FDI and trade in high technology because these sources of knowledge contribute to innovative capability. Policy makers can develop country positioning and country’s marketing activities by using the combination of the improvement of national factors and policy reforms. The upgrading of national factors helps to achieve higher economic wellbeing and quality of life in general.

Background: Exercise capacity (EC) is widely recognized as a strong and independent predictor of mortality and disease progression in various diseases, including cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. Furthermore, it is generally accepted that exercise capacity in healthy individuals and in patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases is mainly limited by the maximum cardiac output. Objectives: This thesis investigated the impact of different lung function indices on EC in healthy individuals, patients with cardiovascular disease (e.g., pulmonary hypertension (PH)) and patients with pulmonary disease (e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)). Methods: The present thesis is based on cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of patients suffering from COPD, attending pulmonary rehabilitation at Uppsala University Hospital (studies I and II), and healthy men enrolled in the “Oslo ischemia study” (study IV). Study III is a cross-sectional study of patients suffering from PH attending the San Giovanni Battista University Hospital in Turin. EC was assessed using a bicycle ergometer in studies I and IV, with 12-minute walk tests (12MWT) in study II and with 6-minute walk tests (6MWT) in study III. Extensive pulmonary function tests, including diffusing capacity of the lung (DLCO), were performed in studies I-III and dynamic spirometry was used to assess lung function in study IV. Results: DLCO is more closely linked to decreased levels of EC than airway obstruction in COPD patients. Furthermore, the decline in 12MWT over a 5-year period was mainly explained by deterioration in DLCO in COPD patients. Spirometric parameters indicating airway obstruction significantly related to EC and exercise-induced desaturation in PH patients. A significant, but weak association between lung function parameters and EC was found in healthy subjects and this association is strengthened with increasing age. Conclusion: DLCO is the strongest predictor of low EC and EC decline in COPD. In PH, airway obstruction is strongly related to reduced 6MWT. Therefore, extensive analysis of lung function, including measurements of diffusing capacity, along with standard assessment of airway obstruction, gives a more comprehensive assessment of the functional exercise capacity in patients suffering from pulmonary hypertension or COPD. Lung function is also significantly linked to EC even in healthy subjects, lacking evident cardiopulmonary diseases.