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Introduction: Brief vigorous exercise can enhance glycemic control. Limited work has investigated the effect of simple, practical interventions that require no specialized equipment. We examined the effect of bodyweight exercise (BWE) on acute glycemic control using continuous glucose monitoring (Abbott Libre Sense) under controlled dietary conditions This study was registered as a clinical trial (NCT05144490). Methods: Twenty-seven healthy adults (8 males, 19 females; age: 23±3 y) completed two virtually supervised trials in random order ~1 wk apart. The trials involved an 11-min BWE protocol that consisted of five, 1-min bouts performed at a self-selected pace interspersed with 1-min active recovery periods or a non-exercise sitting control period (CON). Food intake was standardized for each participant using pre-packaged meals supplied over 24 h. Results: Mean rating of perceived exertion for BWE was 14±2 (6-20 scale). Mean HR over the 11-minute the BWE protocol was 147±14 bpm which corresponded to 75% of age-predicted maximal HR. Mean 24-h glucose after BWE and CON was not different (5.0±0.4 vs 5.0±0.5 mM respectively; p=0.39). Postprandial glucose responses were also not different between trials after ingestion of a 75 g glucose drink, lunch, dinner and breakfast meals after each intervention. Measures of glycemic variability were not different between conditions. Conclusion: A single session of BWE did not alter acute glycemic control in healthy, young adults. This study demonstrates the feasibility of conducting a remotely supervised BWE intervention using CGM under free-living conditions. Future studies should investigate the effect of repeated sessions of BWE training as well as responses in people with impaired glycemic control. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / We investigated the effect of brief bodyweight exercise (BWE) on glycemic control. This refers to the ability to maintain blood sugar within a healthy range. Glycemic control was assessed with a small device called a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) that is inserted just below the skin. Healthy adults completed a virtually supervised 11-minute BWE protocol or an equivalent period of sitting. There was no difference in glycemic control measured over 24 hours following the BWE compared to sitting under standardized dietary conditions. Future studies should investigate the effect of repeated sessions of BWE training as well as responses in people with impaired glycemic control.

<p> This thesis is concerned with a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of non-zero linear continuous functionals on Fréchet or more general topological vector spaces. The main idea is based on the famous Hahn-Banach theorem. Since the connection between Hahn-Banach theorem and separation theorems is well known, here we study some separation theorems as well.</p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Physical activity is important for the management and treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Interval exercise training has been shown to improve glycemic control in people with T2D; however, studies have generally utilized high volume protocols and/or specialized equipment that limit translation to a “real world” setting. The present proof-of-concept study examined the efficacy of brief, intermittent stair climbing exercise to improve indices of glycemic control in adults with T2D, using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) under controlled dietary conditions. Each session involved 3 x 60-s bouts of vigorously ascending and slowly descending a single flight of stairs. This was set within a 10-min period, which otherwise involved walking for a warm-up, cool-down and recovery in between bouts. Data are reported for n=5 participants (52 ± 18 y, BMI: 31 ± 5 kg/m2, HbA1c: 6.6 ± 0.7 %; mean ± SD) who performed 18 training sessions over 6 weeks. Mean 24-h glucose and time spent in hyperglycemia (> 10 mmol/L) were unchanged after an acute session of stair climbing (p=0.38 and p=0.42, respectively) or after 6 weeks of training (p=0.15 and p=0.47, respectively). Measures of glycemic variability were improved in the 24-h period following a single session of stair climbing, based on reductions in the mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE) (4.4 ± 1.5 vs. 3.5 ± 1.0 mmol/L, p =0.02) and the standard deviation (SD) around the mean (1.7 ± 0.5 vs. 1.4 ± 0.5 mmol/L, p=0.02). There was a meal-specific improvement in postprandial hyperglycemia after training, with the incremental area under the curve (iAUC) of the lunchtime meal reduced by 36 ± 42 % (p=0.01). These preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of stair climbing as a physical activity option for people with T2D, although the acute and chronic effects of this training on indices of glycemic control remain equivocal. / Thesis / Master of Science in Kinesiology / Physical activity is important for the management of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Interval training, which involves alternating periods of relatively intense exercise and recovery, can improve blood sugar control in adults with T2D. This has largely been shown in laboratory settings using specialized equipment and protocols that may not be practical or time-efficient. This small, proof-of-concept study examined whether brief, intermittent stair climbing exercise could improve blood sugar control in people with T2D. Average blood sugar measured over 24 hours was unchanged after a single bout of stair climbing and after 18 sessions of training performed over 6 weeks. However, stair-climbing exercise reduced blood sugar fluctuations in response to specific meals. These preliminary findings suggest that interval stair climbing is a feasible exercise option for adults with T2D, but the precise effects on blood sugar control remain to be clarified.

In response to more stringent global CO2 emissions, automotive manufacturers have increased the use of advanced high strength steels (AHSS). Ultra-high strength steels are often used within the body-in-white (BIW) for safety critical parts and structural reinforcements, such as roof rails and side impact beams. Currently, the most commonly used press hardened steel (PHS) grade for these applications is 22MnB5, with a typical composition of 0.22C 1.2Mn 0.25Si 0.005B (wt%). Automotive OEMs have expressed a desire to use Zn-based coatings as they are compatible with the current painting system and have the potential to provide robust cathodic protection. The steel blanks generally undergo direct hot press forming (DHPF) to achieve the necessary martensitic microstructure and target mechanical properties, but this presents challenges for Zn-coated 22MnB5. The adoption of Zn-based coatings within the automotive industry has been inhibited by the prospect of liquid metal embrittlement (LME) resulting from DHPF, as well as the desire to provide robust cathodic protection. Previous literature has reported that a zinc ferrite (α-Fe(Zn)) coating with a global Zn content of at least 30 wt% will provide cathodic protection to the underlying substrate. The main goal of this work was to determine the microstructural evolution and electrochemical properties of galvanized (GI70 – 70 g/m2/side) 22MnB5 substrates as a function of the annealing time at a typical austenization temperature of 900°C. It was found that the Zn-based coatings annealed at 700°C consisted to a mixture of small volume fraction of α-Fe(Zn) and Г-Fe3Zn10. After heating to 900°C, the coating comprised varying volume fractions of α-Fe(Zn) and Zn(Fe) liquid, which transformed to Г-Fe3Zn10 after solidification. The relative fraction of Г Fe3Zn10 was found to decrease with increasing annealing time until the coating completely transformed to α-Fe(Zn) after annealing at 900°C for 240 s. GDOES results found that, when the sample was annealed at 900°C for 240 s, the global Zn content of the coating was less than 30 wt%. Coatings comprising varying fractions of Г-Fe3Zn10 were subjected to uniaxial tensile tests to determine how the coating microstructure affected the mechanical properties in comparison to the uncoated substrate material. It was found that the uncoated substrate material met the mechanical property requirements of σ(UTS)min ≥ 1500 MPa regardless of annealing time. However, σ(UTS) was found to decrease with increasing annealing times for the GI70 coated samples until the target mechanical properties were not met when the sample was annealed at 900°C for 180 s. This was attributed to increased coating thicknesses leading to a decrease in the martensitic cross-sectional area to support the load. Furthermore, the coatings were subjected to a variety of electrochemical characterization techniques, including potentiodynamic and galvanostatic polarization scans, potentiostatic scans, and electrochemical noise tests. Potentiodynamic polarization scans indicated a higher driving force for cathodic protection when the coating contained some fraction of Г-Fe3Zn10. Furthermore, a limiting current density for these samples was observed, demonstrating that Г-Fe3Zn10 corrodes at a slower rate in comparison to α Fe(Zn). Galvanostatic polarization measurements indicated that, when the fraction of Г Fe3Zn10 within the coating was below 15 vol%, the protective properties of the phase were not exhibited. XRD and TEM analysis revealed the formation of three corrosion products on the surface: simonkolleite, hydrozincite, and akaganeite. It was found that, when samples contained greater than 15 vol% Г-Fe3Zn10 in the coating, the predominant corrosion products were a combination of simonkolleite and hydrozincite. When the Г Fe3Zn10 content was below this value, the dominant corrosion product was found to be akaganeite. Furthermore, substrate attack was observed on a sample annealed at 900°C for 420 s when the coating layer was intact, indicating that the α-Fe(Zn) only containing coating obtained at this time does not provide cathodic protection. Based upon the current results, it was determined that a minimum volume fraction of 15 vol% Г-Fe3Zn10 must be present within the coating layer to obtain robust cathodic protection. Furthermore, it was determined that the processing window to develop cathodically protective Zn based coatings while mitigating LME is extremely narrow. This is a result of the fact that it is necessary for at least 15 vol% Г-Fe3Zn10 to be present within the coating microstructure at room temperature, which is liquid at the forming temperatures of 900°C. From the current findings, it was found that it is unlikely that a cathodically protective Zn-based coating can be obtained for DHPF steel parts using 22MnB5 as a substrate material. This is due to the high forming temperature resulting in liquefication of the coating and the rapid cooling rates necessary to achieve the target mechanical properties of σ(UTS)min ≥ 1500 MPa. Thus, it is recommended that the current substrate material be altered such that the part may be formed below the peritectic temperature of 782°C. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Throughout engineering history, metal cutting technology has been pushed to keep pace with the development of stronger and more difficult to cut materials. With the advent of robust machining technology, the finish cutting of hardened materials at high speeds and extreme conditions has become possible. As we push the thresholds of our technology, the need for a deep understanding of the processes at work in metal cutting in order to predict limit states has become clear. The prediction of machining processes began with models that described the problem qualitatively. The principals and assumptions used within these laid the foundations for further theoretically based empirical models. With the advent of computationally based numerical modeling, predictive modeling of metal cutting processes using elasto-plastic based simulation has brought a new perspective to the field. The development of finite element modeling techniques capable of modeling both continuous and discontinuous chip formation has become a subject of considerable research effort. The present work focuses on the study and development of explicit transient finite element techniques used to simulate the orthogonal machining of hardened steel under various cutting conditions producing both continuous and discontinuous chips. Metal cutting involves a diversity of complex physical phenomenon such as large strain and strain rate plasticity, high temperature contact and friction conditions, material failure, adiabatic shear localization, and thermo-mechnically based deformation. The numerical modeling of these processes in orthogonal machining operations is the primary focus of this work. The effects of cutting conditions on chip morphology and the finished workpiece are investigated and resulting phenomenon are explained in terms of numerically based stress analysis. Benchmarking comparisons with literature and commercial modeling software simulations are made and quantified in terms of strains, temperatures, residual stresses, and the various components of stress. Future directions and issues are outlined and recommendations are made. Solution stability of the finite element solver applied to machining was quite low due to the lack of an adaptive remeshing scheme and deficiencies in the contact algorithm. Thermal mechanical coupling and remeshing are currently being implemented. Future avenues include methods of surface generation without volumetric losses. the application of friction based on wear data, and the application of machining simulations to oblique three-dimensional cutting operations. / Thesis / Master of Engineering (ME)

There is a great demand for fast deliveries of improved and updated software in different software development areas, like Internet of Things, web, and cloud, in today’s digitalized world. Software developers and organizations must adapt to be able to deliver according to customers’ wishes, to be able to retain them, and remain competitive with other organizations. Continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) are methods used within the software development world, allowing developers to automate parts of their work to develop and deliver software faster and with better quality. Tools used for CI/CD come with different benefits and performances making it difficult for developers to choose a tool. There are numerous tools to choose from, and there is a lack of performance comparisons of them. This thesis aims to give developers a performance comparison between the two well-known CI/CD tools, GitHub Actions and Jenkins, to facilitate their choice of a CI/CD tool. The research was qualitative, inductive, and comparative. A literature study and practical tests were conducted to study the performance differences between the two wellknown CI/CD tools, GitHub Actions and Jenkins. The literature study was conducted f irst and gave the necessary knowledge to perform the practical tests, and the practical tests gave the actual results. The practical tests were performed on two different software projects ,and two different tests per projec, per server were conducted. The results from both projects indicated apparent differences in performance between GitHub Actions and Jenkins, as Jenkins ran faster than GitHub Actions while running on a Windows server, and GitHub Actions ran faster than Jenkins while running on an Ubuntu server. These findings indicate that the two well-known CI/CD tools perform differently depending on the server the developers would use these tools. It can not be concluded that one of the tools has better performance than the other; instead, one tool has better performance depending on the operating system the tool is running on. If the developers were to use the tools on an Ubuntu server, GitHub Actions would be the preferred tool, and if they were to use the tool on a Windows server, Jenkins would be the preferred tool. / Det finns en stor efterfrågan på snabba leveranser av förbättrad och uppdaterad mjukvara i olika mjukvaruutvecklings områden så som Sakernas Internet, webb och moln i dagens digitaliserade värld. Mjukvaruutvecklare och organisationer måste anpassa sig för att kunna leverera till kundernas önskemål för att kunna behålla dom och förbli konkurrenskraftiga med andra organisationer. Kontinuerlig integration och kontinuerlig leverans (CI/CD) är metoder som används inom mjukvaruutvecklings världen, så att utvecklare kan automatisera delar av sitt arbete för att utveckla och leverera mjukvara snabbare och med bättre kvalité. Verktyg som används för CI/CD kommer med olika fördelar och prestanda som gör det svårt för utvecklare att välja ett verktyg. Det finns många verktyg att välja mellan och det finns en brist på prestandajämförelser av dem. Detta examensarbete syftar till att ge utvecklare en prestandajämförelse mellan de två välkända CI/CD-verktygen GitHub Actions och Jenkins, för att underlätta utvecklarens val av ett CI/CD-verktyg. En kvalitativ, induktiv och komparativ forskningsmetod användes för att genomföra denna studie. En litteraturstudie och praktiska tester genomfördes för att studera prestandaskillnader mellan de två välkända CI/CD-verktygen GitHub Actions och Jenkins. Litteraturstudien genomfördes först och gav författarna nödvändiga kunskap för att utföra dem praktiska testerna, dem praktiska testerna gav de faktiska resultaten. Praktiska testerna utfördes på två olika mjukvaruprojekt och två olika tester per projekt, en per server genomfördes. Resultaten från båda projekten visade på uppenbara skillnader i prestanda mellan GitHub Actions och Jenkins. Då Jenkins kördes snabbare än GitHub Actions när körningen kördes på en Windows server och GitHub Actions kördes snabbare än Jenkins när de kördes på en Ubuntu server. Dessa resultat tyder på att de två välkända CI/CD-verktygen fungerar olika beroende på vilken server utvecklarna skulle använda dessa verktyg på. Det går inte att dra slutsatsen att ett verktyg är bättre över det andra, i stället har ett verktyg bättre prestanda beroende på vilket operativ system verktyget körs på. Om utvecklarna skulle använda verktygen på en Ubuntu server skulle GitHub Actions vara det föredragna verktyget och om utvecklarna skulle använda verktyget på en Window server skulle Jenkins vara det föredragna verktyget.

The background for the study is to investigate the reporting and handling of break deviations from an ambulance department under the Clinic for Prehospital Services in Vestre Viken HF. Deviation management is an important function in organisations that contributes to improving the working environment in organisations, and this applies to the organisation studied. It is therefore important that deviation management takes place in an effective way so that the organisation has the opportunity to look for and implement improvements.  The study has focused on helping the organisation improve their current practices for reporting and handling break deviations reported from the ambulance. Starting with perceptions of this phenomenon and then analysing it to find opportunities for improvement.  Through a qualitative analysis of collected empirical data and theory on quality, deviation management, continuous improvement and more, seven areas for improvement in reporting and handling of break deviations have been identified these are: accessibility, reporting format, feedback, training, data foundation, procedure design, motivation. All improvement areas are based on identified challenges in the reporting and handling of break deviations, of which the study provides suggestions for how the organisation can meet these seven areas. By focusing on the identified areas for improvement, the organisation has the opportunity to improve its practices in the reporting and handling of break deviations and, in the long run, this may help to improve break deviation.

This work addresses issues in energy harvesting that have plagued the potential use of harvesting through the piezoelectric effect at the MEMS scale. Effective energy harvesting devices typically consist of a cantilever beam substrate coated with a thin layer of piezoceramic material and fixed with a tip mass tuned to resonant at the dominant frequency of the ambient vibration. The fundamental natural frequency of a beam increases as its length decreases, so that at the MEMS scale the resonance condition occurs orders of magnitude higher than ambient vibration frequencies rendering the harvester ineffective. Here we study two new geometries for MEMS scale cantilever harvesters. The zigzag and spiral geometries have low fundamental frequencies which can be tuned to the ambient vibrations. The second issue in energy harvesting is the frequency sensitivity of the linear vibration harvesters. A nonlinear hybrid energy harvester is presented that has a wide frequency bandwidth and large power output. Finally, linear and nonlinear energy harvesting devices are designed for powering the cardiovascular pacemakers using the vibrations in the chest area induced by the heartbeats. The mechanical and electromechanical vibrations of the zigzag structure are analytically modeled, verified with Rayleigh's method, and validated with experiments. An analytical model of coupled bending torsional vibrations of spiral structure is presented. A novel approximation method is developed for analyzing the electromechanical vibrations of energy harvesting devices. The unified approximation method is effective for linear, nonlinear mono-stable, and nonlinear bi-stable energy harvesting. It can also be utilized for piezoelectric, electromagnetic or hybrid energy harvesters. The approximation method accurately approximates the effect of energy harvesting on vibrations of energy harvester with changes in damping ratio and excitation frequency. Experimental investigations are performed to verify the analytical model of the nonlinear hybrid energy harvester. A detailed experimental parametric study of the nonlinear hybrid design is also performed. Linear and nonlinear energy harvesting devices have been designed that can generate sufficient amounts of power from the heartbeat induced vibrations. The nonlinear devices are effective over a wide range of heart rate. / Ph. D.

The slow rate of corporate improvement is not due to lack of knowledge of six sigma or lean. Rather, the fault lies in making the transition from theory to implementation. Managers need a step-by-step, unambiguous roadmap of improvement that leads to predictable results. This roadmap provides the self-confidence, punch, and power necessary for action and is the principal subject of this research. Unique to this research is the way the integration of lean and six sigma is achieved; by way of an integration matrix formed by lean implementation protocols and six sigma project phases. This integration matrix is made more prescriptive by an integrated leanness assessment tool, which will guide the user given their existing level of implementation and integration. Further guidance in each of the cells formed by the integration matrix is provided by way of phase methodologies and statistical/non-statistical tools. The output of this research is a software tool that could be used in facilities at any stage of lean implementation, including facilities with no existing lean implementation. The developed software tool has the capability to communicate among current and former project teams within any group, division, or facility in the organization. The developed software tool has also the capability to do data analysis (Example: Design of Experiments, Value Stream Mapping, Multi-Vari Analysis etc.). By way of the integration matrix, leanness assessment and the data analysis capability, the developed software tool will give managers a powerful tool that will help in their quest to achieve lean six sigma. / Master of Science