This dissertation studies two important problems in the field of biomass supply chain network. In the first part of the dissertation, we study the impact of different carbon regulatory policies such as carbon cap, carbon tax, carbon cap-and-trade and carbon offsetmechanism on the design and management of a biofuel supply chain network under both deterministic and stochastic settings. These mathematical models identify locations and production capacities for biocrude production plants by exploring the trade-offs that exist between transportations costs, facility investment costs and emissions. The model is solved using a modified L-shaped algorithm. We used the state of Mississippi as a testing ground for our model. A number of observations are made about the impact of each policy on the biofuel supply chain network. In the second part of the dissertation, we study the impact of intermodal hub disruption on a biofuel supply chain network. We present mathematical model that designs multimodal transportation network for a biofuel supply chain system, where intermodal hubs are subject to site-dependent probabilistic disruptions. The disruption probabilities of intermodal hubs are estimated by using a probabilistic model which is developed using real world data. We further extend this model to develop a mixed integer nonlinear program that allocates intermodal hub dynamically to cope with biomass supply fluctuations and to hedge against natural disasters. We developed a rolling horizon based Benders decomposition algorithm to solve this challenging NP-hard problem. Numerical experiments show that this proposed algorithm can solve large scale problem instances to a near optimal solution in a reasonable time. We applied the models to a case study using data from the southeast region of U.S. Finally, a number of managerial insights are drawn into the impact of intermodal-related risk on the supply chain performance.

The projected and current adoption rates of electric vehicles are increasing. Since electric vehicles require that they be recharged continually over time, the energy needs to support them is immense and growing. Given existing infrastructure is insufficient to supply the projected energy needs, models are necessary to help decision makers plan for how to best expand the power grid to meet this need. A successful power grid expansion is one that enables charging stations to service the electric vehicle community. Thus, plans for power expansion need to be coordinated between the power grid and charging station investors. The infrastructure for the charging stations has to also be resilient and reliable to absorb this increase in load. Charging stations therefore should be included in the plans for post power disruption planning. In this work, two two-stage stochastic programming models are developed that can be used to determine a power grid expansion plan that sup- ports the energy needs, or load, from an uncertain set of electric vehicles geographically dispersed over a region. Another three-stage stochastic programming model is presented, where the decisions are made first to select which charging stations to install and expand uninterruptible power supply units and renewable energy sources. Then, when the disrup- tion occurs in the second-stage, repairs in power system and charging stations take place ahead of the arrival of panicked population to prepare for the expected surge in power de- mand. Finally, as demand is unveiled, managerial and operational decisions at the charging stations are made in the third-stage. To solve the mathematical models, we utilize hybrid approaches which mainly make use of Sample Average Approximation and Progressive Hedging algorithm. To validate the proposed model and gain key insights, we perform computational experiments using realistic data representing the Washington, DC area. Our computational results indicate the robustness of the proposed algorithm while providing a number of managerial insights to the decision makers.

Random disruptions resulting in loss of functionality in service legs or intermodal terminals of transportation networks are an inevitable part of operations, and considering the crucial role of aforementioned networks, it is prudent to strive towards avoiding high-consequence disruption events. The magnitude of the negative impact of a disruption is dependent on component criticality; therefore, limited resources of disruption mitigation should be assigned to the infrastructure with the highest priority. However, categorizing the service legs and terminals based on their actual post-disruption impact is computationally heavy and inefficient. We propose a methodology based on the combination of a bi-objective hazmat shipment planning optimization model and machine learning to identify critical infrastructure more efficiently. The proposed methodology is applied to part of CSX Corporation’s intermodal rail-truck network in the United States as a realistic size problem instance, in order to gain managerial insight and to evaluate the performance of the methodology. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

The aim of this paper is to investigate EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students’ acceptance of teacher interventions to disruptive behavior in the classroom. As a method, qualitative research was conducted, including a collection of qualitative and quantitative data through a questionnaire, as well as a qualitative analysis. The respondents to the questionnaire were grade 7-9 students, located in the southern part of Sweden. The results indicate that the two interventions which both research and the study’s participants accepted, were Shorter recess and Quiet reprimand. Further, the interventions which research and the respondents somewhat agreed on, were Ignore, Stare, Approach and Parents/principal. Lastly, the two interventions which research and the participants disagreed on, were Stop it and Other room. There is a need for more research on students’ acceptance of interventions; therefore, we recommend future researchers to investigate it further.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The Fourth Industrial Revolution has provided new opportunities to tackle problems in health, education, transport and many other sectors. In the financial sector, new financial technology (FinTech) is providing new ways of tackling the problem of financial exclusion. The uptake of cell phones has enabled financial service providers (FSPs) to expand into areas where the most vulnerable have hitherto been outside the reach of the banking agency model. This has ultimately allowed previously financially excluded individuals to have access to bank accounts. Through SMACT (Social Media, Mobile, Analytics, Cloud and the Internet of Things) technologies, FSPs are able to collect new types of data such as call detail record data and mobile app data which have been leveraged globally to enable the emergence of M-Pesa in Kenya, the WeChat payments module in China and KakaoBank, South Korea’s first online-only bank. The common thread in these innovations is that these are telecommunications company-led business models that have encroached into the area of finance. Such digital disruption has happened in South Africa but little is understood about how inclusive digital financial services are in the South African context. Moreover, what are the barriers to further financial inclusion, given that South Africa has significantly high bank account uptake rates? What role can the Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies have in breaking those barriers and reaching the lower-income population that has largely been mis-sold financial products that were created for the middle to upper-income population? This study sought to investigate how the diffusion of SMACT technology has contributed to financial inclusion in the South African financial services sector. The study made use of a mixed methods approach to answer this research question. Finscope data from 2012 to 2015 was used as the data source for the quantitative section and key informant interviews as the source of data for the qualitative section. The study found that roughly 80% of adults in South Africa are financially included through formal banks. Despite the near 100% uptake rates of cell phones across all income groups, proximity to an ATM or bank branch still significantly determined whether an individual accessed formal financial services. The study also found that ATM withdrawal, store withdrawal and internet banking were infrequently utilised by lower-income adults. In terms of internet banking and digital financial services in general, financial products, especially digital credit, do not appear to be well aligned with the needs of the lower-income consumer. The mismatch of financial products and the needs of lower-income consumers is further worsened by poor financial literacy levels in South Africa, especially among lower-income consumers. The study concludes that more needs to be done to increase economic inclusion, digital inclusion and financial inclusion for the lower-income population in South Africa. While consumer protection and transparency are well covered in the regulatory and legislative framework to which FSPs by and large adhere, a more inclusive and sustainable financial sector will only exist if product fit, affordability, financial literacy and convenience issues are addressed. This should happen in an enabling environment where ICT infrastructure benefits all, interoperability of digital financial services is reached and a regulatory framework more focused on financial inclusion is in place.

Ceramides are sphingolipids that serve as important second messengers in an increasing number of stress-induced pathways. Ceramide has long been known to affect the mitochondria, altering both morphology and physiology. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a prevalent circulating inflammatory agent in obesity, potentially mediating some of the pathologies associated with weight gain. Given previous findings of TLR4-mediated ceramide accrual and ceramide-mediated mitochondrial disruption, we questioned whether ceramide is necessary for LPS-induced mitochondrial disruption. We found that LPS treatment increased gene transcript levels of ceramide synthesis enzymes and mitochondrial fission proteins and increased ceramide content in cultured myotubes and in mouse tissue. Mitochondrial respiration from permeabilized red gastrocnemius was reduced from animals receiving LPS injections when compared with those receiving vehicle (PBS). However, respiration from mice receiving both LPS and myriocin, a ceramide inhibitor, (0.3 mg/kg) was similar to PBS-injected animals. We treated murine myotubes with similar LPS conditions. These cells demonstrated increased ceramide synthesis and increased levels of mitochondrial fission with LPS treatment; these effects were mitigated with the addition of myriocin. However, in contrast to the whole gastrocnemius response in animals receiving LPS, respiration from myotubes was increased with LPS alone, and even higher with both myriocin alone and myriocin with LPS. We also sought to assess the impact of ceramide on skeletal muscle mitochondrial structure and function. A primary observation was the rapid and dramatic division of mitochondria in ceramide-treated cells. This effect is likely a result of increased Drp1 action, as ceramide increased Drp1 expression and Drp1 inhibition prevented ceramide-induced mitochondrial fission. Further, we found that ceramide treatment reduced mitochondrial O2 consumption (i.e., respiration) in cultured myotubes and permeabilized red gastrocnemius muscle fiber bundles. Ceramide treatment also increased H2O2 levels and reduced Akt/PKB phosphorylation in myotubes. However, inhibition of mitochondrial fission via Drp1 knockdown completely protected the myotubes and fiber bundles from ceramide-induced metabolic disruption, including maintained mitochondrial respiration, reduced H2O2 levels, and unaffected insulin signaling. These data suggest that the forced and sustained mitochondrial fission that results from ceramide accrual may alter metabolic function in skeletal muscle, which is a prominent site not only of energy demand (via the mitochondria), but also of ceramide accrual with weight gain.

This research examines the relationship between growth, growth disruption, and skeletal indicators stress amongst juveniles (n=60) interred at the Late Antique infant and child cemetery at Poggio Gramignano (PG) (ca. 5th century CE), associated with a rural agricultural community. Growth disruption – evidenced by decreased long bone length compared to dental age – and stress experience – evidenced by skeletal stress indicators – were compared to those within juveniles from two urban Roman-era cemeteries (n=66), Villa Rustica (VR) (0-400 CE) and Tragurium City Necropolis (TCN) (400-700 CE). Results indicate that the PG juveniles had significantly smaller femoral lengths-for-age than VR and TCN; however, the frequency of skeletal stress indicators were higher among juveniles at VR and TCN. These differences in growth and stress experience likely resulted from differing biosocial and ecological environments present in the different regions at the time, including differing nutrition, disease, and socioeconomic structures between urban and rural Roman populations.

<p>  </p> <p>In modern society, continuous light exposure and obesity are increasingly prevalent, especially in women of childbearing age. Circadian, metabolic, and reproductive systems have a complex, inter-regulated relationship. Thus, the disruption of one system likely impedes another. Excessive adiposity and circadian disruption alter normal behavior and physiology and disrupt the endocrine milieu. The overall goal of the studies described in this thesis was to develop and test a model system that could tease apart the influence of prepregnancy obesity and circadian disruption, as well as study the combined effects on female reproductive competence. </p> <p>The first study focuses on the prepregnancy period and aims to determine the effect of high fat diet feeding on diurnal eating pattern, body weight over the four-week period, the body composition at the end of the four-week period, hair corticosterone levels, and circadian fecal corticosterone patterns on female ICR mice. Five-week-old female ICR mice were randomly assigned to control (CON; 10% fat) or high fat (HF; 60%) diets and fed for four weeks to achieve adequate adiposity. During this four-week time period, mice had routine light exposure of 12h light and 12h dark. Feed was weighed at 0600 and 1745 Monday-Friday to determine diurnal feed intake. The mice were weighed on a weekly basis. After four weeks on respective diets, mice were anesthetized with isoflurane to measure crown-rump length to calculate BMI and hair was shaved for corticosterone extraction. Once mice recovered from anesthesia, body composition was measured with EchoMRI. After 1 week on diets, HF mice consumed more (P<0.05) during the day than CON mice, which is typically when mice are inactive. After two weeks on diets, HF mice weighed more (P<0.05) than CON, as well as had higher BMI and percent body fat (P<0.05) than CON after four weeks on diets. After four weeks on diets, HF mice had high hair corticosterone (P<0.05). Sampling feces over a 48h period at the end of the four weeks demonstrated that HF mice had elevated basal corticosterone, attenuated circadian rhythms, and a shift in corticosterone amplitude. The prepregnancy period demonstrated that high fat diets alone alter circadian eating pattern and corticosterone rhythms.</p> <p>The remainder of the study continued the dietary treatments assigned during the prepregnancy period, as well as implemented light conditions to create a 2Χ3 factorial study design. There were three light conditions: 12h light and 12h dark (LD), 24h dim light (L5), or 24h bright light (L100). Mice were moved into experimental light conditions after the observation of a vaginal plug or after 5 days with males. This portion of the study aimed to determine the effect of diet (CON or HF) and light exposure (LD, L5, or L100) on gestation length, number of pups born, milk composition, litter weight on postnatal day 12, as well as dam feed intake, hair corticosterone levels, and plasma prolactin. Continuous light exposure increased gestation length, with L5 (19.1 d ± 0.23) and L100 (18.9 d ± 0.21) having longer gestation lengths (P<0.05) than LD (18.1 d ± 0.25). Diet affected the number of pups born (P<0.05), with HF dams having fewer pups (9.99 ± 0.4) than CON (11.4 ± 0.4). Despite no difference in birth weight of standardized litters (n=8 pus/litter), litters of HF dams weighed more than CON by day 4 postnatal. The greater litter weight of HF dams continued until the end of the study on day 12 of lactation (P<0.05). Light had a tendency to increase litter weight (P=0.07). Diet, light, and stage of reproduction influenced dam feed intake (P<0.05). L100 dams had higher plasma prolactin, as well as final dam and mammary wet weights (P<0.05). Constant light exposure decreased ATP content in the mammary gland (P<0.05) and decreased milk lactose concentration (P<0.05). Pearson’s correlation analysis showed a positive relationship between mammary weight, fat pad weight, BMI, kcal of feed intake, and gestation length (P<0.05). In CON mice, hair corticosterone was negatively correlated with litter weight on lactation day 12. Liver weight was positively correlated with d 12 litter weight in HF mice. Together, these studies demonstrate that feeding high fat diets and continuous light alter maternal behavior and physiology, which may impact offspring health and development, however continuous light may not be the best approach to studying circadian disruption. Elevated maternal plasma prolactin and increased dam weight suggests a long day photoperiod was likely induced, thus potentially mitigating the circadian disruptive effects from constant light. Other model systems should be considered, such as using a chronic jet lag model that changes the light exposure every 3 d. </p>

Estrogenic chemicals are common pollutants in wastewater and current methods used in wastewater treatment processes are not typically effective in removing these compounds. Thus, many estrogenic chemicals, as well as other pharmaceuticals, are detected in drinking water supplies, contributing to human exposures. This concerning public health situation has led some green chemists to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of tetra-amido macrocyclic ligands (TAML), which have been proposed to be environmentally friendly catalysts that can be used to treat wastewater. TAML works by catalyzing the oxidation of micropollutants, breaking pollutants down into substances that can be assimilated by bacteria. These breakdown products are anticipated to no longer pose an environmental or health concern. Prior to their use in environmental matrices, TAML must first be evaluated to ensure that these compounds pose a low environmental and human-health hazard. Here, we exposed adult female mice to one of three doses of New-TAML 7 (NT7), or an estrogen receptor agonist (ethinyl estradiol, EE2) or an androgen receptor antagonist (flutamide), for two weeks prior to mating, throughout pregnancy, and throughout the lactational period. Male mice used for breeding purposes, the F0 males, were also exposed to the drinking water during the 2-week mating period. Following this acute exposure, the F0 males were necropsied and evaluated for signs of overt toxicity and repro-endocrine disruption. There was a statistically significant decrease in the F0 males spleen weight. Male offspring, the F1 generation, were evaluated at weaning (postnatal day 21), in puberty (postnatal day 32), and in adulthood. We first evaluated organs known to be sensitive to toxic effects. In male mice developmentally exposed, we have discovered that all treatments decreased spleen size at postnatal day (PND) 21 but not in early adulthood. At PND 16, no significant effects were observed. At PND21, no effects were observed on the weight of the kidney, liver, testes, or seminal vesicles; however, spleen weight was significantly decreased in the positive controls and the mid-NT7 group. In early adulthood, no effects have been observed on organ weights of the flutamide group; however, the size of both testes is significantly affected by the mid-NT7 dose and the EE2 treatment. By six months of age, there were no statistically significant effects, although this is likely in part due to inadequate statistical power. We also evaluated the effect of NT7, EE2, and flutamide on the male mouse mammary gland. Because of the conserved role hormones play in mouse development, a mammary gland is a valuable tool for identifying endocrine disruptors. We found that EE2 increased the size and number of branching points starting at PND21 and continuing until nine weeks of age. TAML had little effect on the morphology of the male mammary gland, with the exception of increased ductal branching at PND21. This, along with the change in testes weight, may suggest TAML can affect estrogen-mediated outcomes; many of our observed effects warrant additional study.

Background: While the positive sides of digitalisation in work environments have been highlighted in academic research in the field of business administration, there seems to be a lack of representation regarding the negative sides. By systematically identifying, evaluating, and summarising peer-reviewed articles in the field of digitalisation in work environments, this systematic literature review and thematic synthesis, aims to provide a nuanced and applicable overview of the scope in which the potential effects of digitalisation within work-related office contexts are researched in the field of business administration. Methods: Ontology - Relativism; Epistemology - constructionism, inductive approach; Methodology - Qualitative research design, systematic literature review; Data collection - systematic 12-step guideline; Data analysis - thematic synthesis Findings: The findings uncover several patterns in the relevant literature through a summary of the content of the analysed batch in descriptive themes and synthesising patterns through the creation of analytical themes, in which perspectives of organisational as well as employed actors were analysed. The results illustrate the motivations for digital transformations for organisational actors and employees as well as their respective drawbacks. Discussion: The study suggests that digitalisation in work environments is typically portrayed positively in research within the field of business administration. There is an implicit unanimous perception among academics in business administration that depict digitalisation in work environments as desirable and portray a view where digitalisation is not questioned. As a consequence, the papers show an absence in terms of alternatives beyond the digitalisation scope through the retrieved literature batch. Conclusion: As there are clear patterns of the favourable depiction of digital technologies visible in this study, implications of a one-sided representation of digital technology are valid in the context of the analysed data. Other: The papers were subject to no external funding, meaning that the two authors covered all costs derived throughout the writing process.