Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes which include Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) have experienced tremendous growth and development since their introduction over 20 years ago. It becomes highly important at this stage to evaluate the sustainability of the process and refine it to reduce energy and material consumption. In this study, a sustainability analysis was performed on the SLS process with Nylon-12 using the Environmental and Resource Management Data (ERMD) known as Eco-Indicators. The energy perspective alone was considered and a Total Energy Indicator (TEI) value was calculated using various parameters to quantify process sustainability: process productivity, energy consumption rate, etc. Precise thermal control of selective laser sintering (SLS) is desirable for improving geometric accuracy, mechanical properties, and surface finish of parts produced. An experimental setup to monitor the temperature distribution was designed using Resistance Temperature Detectors (RTD) as a part of this study. Discrepancies in temperature profiles were investigated and recommendations were made to improve thermal characteristics of the SLS process. / text

Jag har många gånger känt mig ”fel” under min skolgång. Utåtriktad, att ta för sig etc. har intalats som positiva egenskaper, medan exempelvis tyst och introvert ofta används i negativ benämning. Vad innebär det att vara introvert eller extrovert? Det är biologiskt mätbart och ärftligt. Våra hjärnor fungerar faktiskt olika. Det styrs av hur vi reagerar på ett ämne som dopamin, och hur våra blodflöden styrs i hjärnan. Introverta visar bland annat högre aktivitet i områden som står i förbindelse med känslocentra i limbiska systemet. Detta innebär bland annat att introverta aktiverar känslor som rädsla och skräck lättare i pressade situationer. Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) är ett personlighetstest som mäter bland annat extraversion och introversion. Femfaktorteorin mäter också detta, och är idag den enda erkända personlighetsmodellen inom psykologin. Kulturella långtidsstudier visar på att det finns en ökad trend kring utåtriktat beteende sen 50-talet. Att ta plats har blivit en positiv egenskap som uppmanas och hyllas, vår tids ideal. Det finns flera konkreta exempel på vetenskaplig dokumentation om vad som skiljer introverta och extrovert åt i det centrala nervsystemet, i praktiken. Bland annat förbättras extrovertas verbala förmåga i en kombination av tidspress och koffein, vilket är det motsatta hos introverta. Det är viktigt att inte glömma bort att man fungerar olika och har olika förutsättningar. Introverta behöver avskildhet för att överhuvudtaget kunna vara kreativa och produktiva. Mitt syfte är att undersöka hur lärare upplever och tänker om de inåtvända eleverna i skolan. Jag har använt elektroniska enkäter som metod för att samla in mina svar. Man kan ana en okunskap kring introversion och extroversion som jag grundar i litteratur och hur majoriteten av lärarna beskriver vad de tänker när de hör ”introvert”. Jag ser också en tendens till okunskap när jag ser till deras svar kring hur de vill göra för att anpassa efter varje individ i klassrummet. Ambitionen verkar vara att anpassa för varje individ, men verkar trots allt ganska ofta falla in på att anpassa efter en mer extrovert personlighet.

Recent adaptationist accounts of human mental and physical health have reinvigorated the debate over the evolution of human intelligence. In the tradition of strong inference the current study was developed to determine which hypothesis; Rushton’s (2000) differential K theory, or Miller’s (2000a) fitness indicator model (F), better accounts for general intelligence ('g') in an undergraduate university population (N = 194). Due to the lengthy administration time of the test materials a newly developed 18-item short form of the Ravens Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM-18; Sefcek, Miller, & Figueredo, 2007) was used. There was a significant positive relationship between K and F (r = .31, p < .001), however no significant relationships were found between 'g' and either K or F (for each, r = -.06, p ≥ .05). While contrary to both hypotheses, these results may be explained in relation to antagonistic pleiotropy and a potential failure to derive within species comparisons directly from between species comparisons.

Disertacijoje nagrinėjamos šalies pagrindinių ekonominių indikatorių modeliavimo galimybės, analizuojamos teorinės bei praktinės vertinimo prielaidos, šalies ūkio ypatumų sąlygojami apribojimai, tiriama Lietuvos bei užsienio šalių ekonominių modelių struktūra, šiuose modeliuose naudojamų ekonominių indikatorių rinkiniai bei pasirinkti metodai. Norint gauti patikimus rezultatus, darbe atlikta ekonominio modeliavimo metodų lyginamoji analizė. Disertacijos tyrimų objektas – makroekonominių, verslo bei socialinių indikatorių laiko eilutės. Pagrindinis disertacijoje keliamas darbo tikslas – sukurti pagrindinių šalies ekonomikos pokyčius matuojančių indikatorių dinamikos modelį, kurį naudojant galima kompleksiškai vertinti susiformavusių ekonominių indikatorių adekvatumą, jų suderinamumą bei tarpusavio sąveiką, tirti esamą šalies ekonominę būklę bei jos tvarumą, analizuoti atskirų ekonominių indikatorių pokyčių pasekmes ekonominei būsenai, kurti skirtingus ekonominius scenarijus bei įvertinti šalies ūkio ekonominę perspektyvą. Darbe sprendžiami pagrindinai uždaviniai: kuriamo šalies ekonomikos indikatorių dinamikos modelio struktūros bei teorinio pagrindimo nustatymas, tinkamų kompleksinio modeliavimo metodų parinkimas, modelio bei prognozių tikslumo ir stabilumo tyrimas, programinių priemonių sukūrimas. Atlikus esamų ekonominio modeliavimo metodų analizę, disertacijos užsibrėžtiems tikslams pasiekti ir uždaviniams įgyvendinti, buvo nuspręsta kurti naują šalies ekonominės būsenos... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The doctoral thesis investigates the opportunities for the modelling of leading county‘s economic indicators, analyses the theoretical and practical assumptions, the limitations conditioned by the country’s economic features, studies the structure of economic models existing in Lithuania and foreign countries, the set of economic indicators used and selected methods of modelling. A comparative analysis of economic modelling methods was also carried out. The object of this research is the time series of macroeconomic, business and social indicators. The goal of the work – to create the model of indicators that measure the country‘s economic dynamics, which enables the comprehensive assessment of the adequacy, coherence and interoperability of available economic indicators, the investigation and analysis of the current economic situation and its sustainability, the evaluation of the consequences of changes in certain economic indicators for the economic situation, the development of different economic scenarios, and the assessment of the country’s economic prospects. The main tasks solved in the work: determination of the structure and theoretical validity of the model of county‘s economic indicators dynamics, selection of appropriate comprehensive modelling methods, investigation of the accuracy and stability of the model and forecasts, development of software. After an analysis of existing economic modelling methods, in order to achieve the objectives and goals of the thesis... [to full text]

In recent decades, demands has emerged that the companies shall take a greater social responsibility for the impact that they have on their environment and that this impact shall be reported, which is known as Sustainability Reporting. The Sustainability Report is based on a number of general principles that ensure the content and the quality of the Sustainability Report. One of these principles is the principle of completeness. In the research, this principle seems to have been interpreted in terms of number of reported aspects and indicators, which can be a limited view where only the existence of the aspects and indicators is observed. By including the degree of the reporting in terms of full, partial and no reporting as well as a comparison between the real and the alleged reporting, our intention is to extend the principle of completeness and to develop a tool that we also apply through an empirical survey in a particular area. This creates not only a deeper understanding of the principle of completeness, but also an understanding of how the completeness in reporting in the area of human rights seems to be in large Swedish companies. In this paper, a quantitative content analysis has been used. This was done either on the corporate sustainability report or on the annual report in the case the sustainability report was included there. The conclusion that can be drawn is that there are deficiencies in the completeness both in terms of the existence of aspects and indicators, but also in the degree of the reporting. Additionally, the completeness also deficiencies in the comparison between the real and the alleged reporting.

Darbe nagrinėjamas begalinio indekso homogeninis kraštinis Rymano uždavinys, kurio laipsninė eilė yra 0<ρ<1. Kiekvienoje iš klasių B ir B(ρ) ieškomas sprendinys - dalimis analizinė funkcija, kai jos ribinės reikšmės realiosios ašies taškuose tenkina kraštinę sąlygą. Darbe tiriamas šio uždavinio išsprendžiamumas ypatinguoju atveju pusplokštumei, ieškomos funkcijos, kurios analizinės viršutinėje ir apatinėje pusplokštumėse. Nagrinėjama koeficiento G(t) nulių ir polių, bei koeficiento modulio augimo įtaka uždavinio išsprendžiamumui. Taip pat tiriama priklausomybė tarp duotųjų dydžių, kuriems esant kraštinis Rymano uždavinys aprėžtų sprendinių neturi. Be to sudarytas bendrasis sprendinys, išskiriant atvejus, kai uždavinys neišsprendžiamas šiose klasėse. / This paper analyses homogeneous boundary-value problem of Riemann with the infinite index, when gradual order is 0<ρ<1. In every class - B and B(ρ) - the solution is partial analitic function, when its limit values meet the marginal condition in the points of real axis. The paper also discusses solvability of the problem in the special case for the half – plane. Moreover, functions are examinated, of which analytic upside and underside half-plane. The coefficient‘s zero and piles are analyzed as possible influential factors for the problem’s solvalibility. The paper examines dependence between given variables for which boundary-value problem of Riemann does not have limited solutions. Furthermore, general solution is presented, excluding cases when the problem is unsolvable in these classes.

Italijos integruoto ugdymo modelis unikalus tuo, kad visiems negalią turintiems moksleiviams suteikia teisę ir galimybes ugdytis visiškos integracijos sąlygomis. Specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių turinčių moksleivių integracija į bendrojo lavinimo mokyklas šioje šalyje vyksta jau beveik keturiasdešimt metų, todėl remiantis sukaupta patirtimi pastaruoju metu ypatingai susidomėta integruoto ugdymo kokybės problema. Šiame tyrime siekiama įvertinti integruoto ugdymo kokybę empirinio tyrimo pagalba, išskiriant pagrindinius integruoto ugdymo kokybės indikatorius, t.y. tam tikrus reikšmingus integracijos proceso aspektus, kurie padėtų rasti atsakymą į klausimą, ar integruotas ugdymas konkrečiu pasirinktu atveju (t.y. Romos mokyklose) vyksta kokybiškai. Tyrimo objektas. Integruoto ugdymo kokybė Italijos integruoto ugdymo sistemoje. Tyrimo tikslas. Ištirti integruoto ugdymo kokybės indikatorius Romos mokyklose. Tyrimo uždaviniai: 1. Apibūdinti pagrindinius Italijos integruoto ugdymo modelio teisinius, istorinius ir praktinius aspektus. 2. Aktualizuoti integruoto ugdymo kokybės sampratą Italijos integruoto ugdymo modelio kontekste. 3. Remiantis moksline literatūra, teisiniais šaltiniais ir jau atliktais tyrimais išskirti pagrindinius integruoto ugdymo kokybės indikatorius. 4. Įvertinti išskirtus integruoto ugdymo kokybės indikatorius Romos mokyklose. Tyrimo metodai. Mokslinių ir teisinių šaltinių analizė. Empirinis tyrimas: pedagogų anketinė apklausa. Statistinė tyrimo duomenų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The model of integrated education in Italy is unique because it gives to all students with special needs the right to be educated in regular classes of regular schools. In this country the integration of students with special educational needs into regular schools is in process for almost forty years now; therefore having such cumulate experience the problem of the quality of integration is becoming particularly important. Thus this research is aimed at evaluation of the quality of integrated education using empirical analysis: identifying main quality indicators of integrated education intended as significant aspects of integration process which could help answering the question if integrated education model is operating qualitatively in the concrete case of Rome schools. The object of the research. The quality of integrated education in Italy’s integrated education system. The aim of the research. To examine quality indicators of integrated education in Rome schools. The tasks of the research: 1. Define main legal, historical and practical aspects of Italy’s integrated education model. 2. Actualize the conception of integrated education quality in the context of Italy’s integrated education model. 3. Identify main quality indicators of integrated education on the grounds of scientific literature, legal sources and already carried out researches. 4. Evaluate identified quality indicators of integrated education in Rome schools. The methods of the research. The analysis... [to full text]

Pastaruoju metu ekonomikos perkaitimas tapo daugumos ekonomikos analitikų svarstoma tema. Šio mokslinio darbo pagrindinis tikslas – patikslinti ekonomikos perkaitimo apibrėžimą ir pasiūlyti prie apibrėžimo adaptuotą ekonomikos perkaitimo vertinimo metodiką. Pirmoje šio mokslinio darbo dalyje, remiantis ekonomikos mokslinės literatūros analize, atskleistas nepakankamas ekonomikos perkaitimo problematikos ištyrimo lygis – trūksta ekonomikos perkaitimo konkretaus apibrėžimo ir jo vertinimo tikslumo. Šios problematikos sprendimo sritys bus tobulinamos tolesniuose šio darbo skyriuose. Antroje šio mokslinio darbo dalyje pagal pirmoje darbo dalyje išanalizuotas ekonomikos perkaitimo metodikas pasirenkami perkaitimo rodikliai, susiję su paklausa, atliekama naujausia jų analizė ir įvertinama Lietuvos ekonomikos perkaitimo grėsmė. Perkaitimo rodiklių analizės eigoje atskleistas nepakankamas ekonomikos perkaitimo įvertinimas, nes akcentuojami tik paklausos veiksniai, netiriamas pasiūlos vaidmuo. Atsižvelgiant į ekonomikos perkaitimo problematikos ištyrimo lygį ir neįvertintą pasiūlos vaidmenį, paskutinėje šio mokslinio darbo dalyje pateikiamas ekonomikos perkaitimo mechanizmas pasiūlos aspektu ir pasiūlomas pakoreguotas ekonomikos perkaitimo metodas, kurio pagalba įvertinama Lietuvos ekonomikos perkaitimo grėsmė. / The economic overheating recently became a topic of discussions among majority of economic analysts. The purpose of this scientific work is to present the definition of economic overheating in the aspect of supply and to propose the evaluation methodic of economic overheating. In the first part of this work, referring to the analysis of scientific literature, the insufficient level of investigation of economic overheating topic is revealed – there is a lack of concrete economic overheating definition and it‘s precise evaluation. The fields of solutions for these topics will be developed in further chapters. In the second part of this scientific work according to the analyzed economic overheating methodology in the first part the overheating indexes, bounded to demand, are chosen, the newest analysis of these indexes is implemented and the evaluation of economic overheating risk in Lithuania is done. In the progress of analysis of economic overheating indexes the insufficient evaluation of economic overheating is revealed, because only the demand‘s factors are being highlighted, the impact of supply was not investigated. Taking into consideration the level of economic overheating problem‘s evaluation and the fact that the supply‘s impact was not estimated, in the last part of this scientific work the economic overheating mechanism in the aspect of supply is presented and the improved economic overheating method is offered, with which help the evaluation of economic... [to full text]

Waterborne pathogen presence caused by fecal pollution is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In developed countries, this problem can result in waterborne outbreaks. Research suggests that there is a need for better fecal indicators because current methods (total coliforms and E. coli) are insufficient. This study investigated Bacteroidales 16S rRNA markers as a microbial source tracking tool in an agricultural watershed. Correlations between pathogens and markers were also investigated. Water quality monitoring was conducted following assay validation of ruminant-, bovine-, human-specific, and universal Bacteroidales markers. Results revealed a positive relationship between E. coli and the universal marker. Ruminant- and bovine-specific marker detection was associated with increased runoff due to precipitation; however, the human associated marker was not detected. Furthermore, no correlations between Campylobacter, Salmonella, or E. coli O157:H7 could be made. Consequently, these techniques have potential to become a powerful tool; however, further research is needed

Floc-pathogen interactions are important determinants of the fate of pathogens in aquatic systems. The dissociation of bacteria from particles due to shear stress can significantly increase the presence of free-floating pathogenic bacteria in the aqueous phase. This has implications for pathogen transport and water quality. This study evaluated the interactions of water-borne pathogens with particles in selected aquatic ecosystems. Three experimental chapters and one concluding chapter is presented. Chapter 3 assesses the strength of the floc-microorganism association under different energy levels in relation to the physico-chemical properties and the bioorganic content of flocs from six different aquatic environments (SB, CSO, RF, AG, ML, MN); Chapter 4 evaluates how energy dissociates bacteria and affects microbial diversity in free-floating and particle-associated fractions in cohesive bed sediments (BedS) and suspended flocs (SusF) of three sites (SB, CSO, RF). Chapter 5 studies the diversity and succession among free-floating and particle-associated bacteria at different energy levels and the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes and Class 1 integrons (intI1) as a result of ecosystem perturbation in the six initial sites. Different strategies, such as standard laboratory analytical methods, as well as techniques based on analytical chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology were used to accomplish these objectives. The bioorganic and physico-chemical properties of flocs and sediments, and the energy effects these structures are exposed to, play a role in the assessment of pathogen risk in water systems. Molecular approaches showed a significant difference in the composition of free-floating and particle-associated assemblages after simulated flow conditions and detected earlier differences in the dissociation of bacteria, compared to plating techniques. The analysis of integrons provided evidence for horizontal gene transfer events. Free-floating and particle-associated bacterial assemblages are potential genetic reservoirs for antibiotic resistance genes. This research shows that particles act as reservoirs for microorganisms, providing an early warning for potential indicators of human health risk in water systems and could determine the presence of future clinically relevant antibiotic resistance mechanisms and/or pathogenic microbial gene transfer in sediments, demonstrating the need to improve the existing protocols and methodologies that assess water quality. / Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)