The increasing spectrum of multidrug-resistant bacteria has caused a major global public health concern, necessitating the discovery of novel antimicrobial agents. Additionally, recent advancements in the use of microbial cells for the scalable production of industrial enzymes has encouraged the screening of new environments for efficient microbial cell factories. The unique ecological niche of the Red Sea points to the promising metabolic and biosynthetic potential of its microbial system. Here, ten sequenced Bacilli strains, that are isolated from microbial mat and mangrove mud samples from the Red Sea, were evaluated for their use as platforms for protein production and biosynthesis of bioactive compounds. Two of the species (B.paralicheniformis Bac48 and B. litoralis Bac94) were found to secrete twice as much protein as Bacillus subtilis 168, and B. litoralis Bac94 had complete Tat and Sec protein secretion systems. Additionally, four Red Sea Species (B. paralicheniformis Bac48, Virgibacillus sp. Bac330, B. vallismortis Bac111, B. amyloliquefaciens Bac57) showed capabilities for genetic transformation and possessed competence genes. More specifically, the distinctive biosynthetic potential evident in the genomes of B. paralicheniformis Bac48 and B. paralicheniformis Bac84 was assessed and compared to nine available complete genomes of B. licheniformis and three genomes of B. paralicheniformis. A uniquely-structured trans-acyltransferase (trans-AT) polyketide synthase/nonribosomal peptide synthetase (PKS/NRPS) cluster in strains of this species was identified in the genome of B. paralicheniformis 48. In total, the two B. paralicheniformis Red Sea strains were found to be more enriched in modular clusters compared to B. licheniformis strains and B. paralicheniformis strains from other environments. These findings provided more insights into the potential of B. paralicheniformis 48 as a microbial cell factory and encouraged further focus on the strain’s metabolism at the system level. Accordingly, a draft metabolic model for B. paralicheniformis Bac48 (iPARA1056) was reconstructed, refined, and validated using growth rate and growth phenotypes under different substrates, generated using high-throughput Phenotype Microarray technology. The presented studies indicate that several of the isolated strains represent promising chassis for the development of cell factories for enzyme production and also point to the richness of their genomes with specific modules of secondary metabolism that have likely evolved in Red Sea Bacilli due to environmental adaptation.

Thesis: M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 1980 / Includes bibliographical references. / by Akhil Gupta. / M.S. / M.S. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Developments in the field of data analytics provides a boost for small-sized factories. These factories are eager to take full advantage of the potential insights in the remotely collected data to minimise cost and maximise quality and profit. This project aims to process, cluster and visualise sensory data of a blow moulding machine in a plastic production factory. In collaboration with Lean Automation, we aim to develop a data visualisation solution to enable decision-makers in a plastic factory to improve their production process. We will investigate three different aspects of the solution: methods for processing multivariate time-series data, clustering approaches for the sensory-data cultivated, and visualisation techniques that maximises production process insights. We use a formative evaluation method to develop a solution that meets partners' requirements and best practices within the field. Through building the MTSI dashboard tool, we hope to answer questions on optimal techniques to represent, cluster and visualise multivariate time series data.

The exploration of Smart Factories and Industry 4.0 technologies has indeed sparked curiosity and interest in the industrial world. The potential of these advancements to revolutionize manufacturing processes, enhance efficiency, and drive innovation is immense. However, there is a gap in research when it comes to the practical implementation of these advanced technologies in real-world production settings, especially in already established factories so-called Brownfield Factories. This thesis work was conducted within one such brownfield factory to comprehend the tangible challenges associated with transferring smart technologies. Within this specific company, a laboratory had already been established for testing novel smart technologies in the context of production and logistics. The aim in companies is to test smart technologies in a controlled environment without causing any disruption to the ongoing profit-generating production processes. This laboratory setup also serves the additional purpose of educating the personnel within traditional production facilities about the upcoming smart technologies in the market. The Lab showcases the potential of new and emerging technologies in addressing long-standing issues with a fresh perspective, thereby inspiring innovation. The central approach of this thesis revolves around the establishment of a standardized laboratory work process through which smart technology can be tested in a structured way. In this context, an illustrative example of a technology, namely "Virtual Training for Assembly Operators," was chosen as a case study to explore and comprehend the challenges associated with technology transfer. This case study also played a pivotal role in assessing the credibility of the standard technology transfer model formulated within the company. Notably, it was deduced that knowledge and competence are two key obstacles impeding the smooth transfer of technology. Building upon the insights garnered from the case study on virtual training technology and drawing from interviews with engineers and managers employed at the case company, a refined technology transfer process named the "Smart Factory Lab Process" was developed. This process aims to enable the effective transfer of smart technologies, informed by the lessons learned from the practical application of technology in real-world scenarios.

In some environments, there is a serious mismatch between the perceived (psychoacoustic) urgency of a warning and its situational urgency. In addition, many auditory warnings are not detectable within their environments. This research examined several prominent pulse parameters which affect the perceived urgency and detection time of auditory warning signals. These elements included pulse format (multitone sequential, multitone simultaneous, and rising sawtooth frequency-modulated pulse formats), pulse level (65 dBC and 79 dBC), and time between pulses (0 ms, 150 ms, and 300 ms). The environments of interest were those settings with steady-state broadband machinery noise. Conditions included a loading task which presented additional attentional demands upon the subject during the signal detection task. Free-modulus magnitude estimation quantified the relationship between auditory signal parameters and changes in perceived urgency. The method of paired comparisons was used to compare the perceived urgency of the auditory stimuli. Simple reaction time measured signal detectability. Signal effects were analyzed using a multivariate approach. Results indicated that there was a small but statistically significant relationship between perceived urgency and detection time. As perceived urgency increased, detection time decreased. Both perceived urgency and detection time were influenced by pulse level and format. The higher pulse level resulted in a greater perceived urgency of the signal and shorter detection time. Sequential signals were rated as less urgent than the other pulse formats, and subjects took longer to detect their occurrence. Under most conditions, there was no significant difference in the perceived urgency or detection time of simultaneous and frequency-modulated pulses. Time between pulses (inter-pulse interval) affected only perceived urgency, not detection time. The shorter the time between pulses, the greater the perceived urgency of the signal. / Ph. D.

The research conducted in this thesis is concerned with the study of a two-stage production process existing at the Standard Register's (previously Burroughs Corporation) Paper Products Division plant in Rocky Mount, VA. The objective is to develop a mathematical programming based model and algorithm to allocate and sequence work orders in order to improve the plant's productivity and reduce the labor and material costs. The proposed algorithm is based on Lagrangian Relaxation and Benders' decomposition techniques, which exploit the inherent generalized assignment and travelling salesman problem substructures in the model. The algorithm is computationally intensive and generates (near) optimal solutions with a reasonable amount of effort. Heuristic algorithmic procedures for the generation of good solutions for large-sized problems is also proposed. / M.S.

A small factory / Master of Architecture

This study is an effort to review and compare the qualities of service ratings currently being used in the manufacturing plants of Dallas County, Texas, with the recommended qualities for service ratings as set forth in the sources available in the North Texas State Teachers College Library. Also, individual service ratings selected from the group under study will be compared to each other and discussed in detail.

Law Man Kay Matthew. / "Architecture Department, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Master of Architecture Programme 2000-2001, design report." / Includes bibliographical references. / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- Initiation --- p.P.0?-P.0? / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- Concept Development --- p.P.07-P.0? / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- Program Development --- p.P.??-P.?? / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- Site Issue & Planning --- p.P.??-P.?? / Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- Design Development --- p.P.??-P.?? / Chapter CHAPTER 6 --- Final Design --- p.P.??-P.?? / Chapter CHAPTER ? --- Appendix & Bibliography --- p.P.??-P.??

Texas textile mills comprise an untold part of the modern South. The bulk of Texas mills were built between 1890 and 1925, a compressed period of expansion in contrast to the longer developmental pattern of mills in the rest of the United States. This compression meant that Texas mill owners benefited from knowledge gained from mill expansion elsewhere, and owners ran their mills along the same lines as the dominant southeastern model. Owners veered from the established pattern when conditions warranted. This case study focuses on three mills in Texas that operated both independently and as a corporation for a total of sixty years. One mill in McKinney dominated the economy of a small town and serves as the primary focus of this paper. A second mill in Waco served a diversified economy in the center of the state; and the third mill, built in Dallas was concentrated in a major city in a highly competitive job market. All three of these mills will illuminate the single greatest difference between Texas mills and mills elsewhere, the composition of the labor force. Women did not dominate the mill labor force in Texas nor did children, except in limited cases, make-up a large portion of the workers. Today mill studies of southern mills have found only scattered textile factories with a preponderance of male employees, but in Texas this was the norm. This study demonstrates the unique features of McKinney's textile mill and its similarities to other mills in Texas and in the southeast.