The work focuses on the life cycle of a product (software) in the company since its development, debugging, through its distribution and subsequent maintenance. The work defined by the individual processes within the life cycle occur, are described and analyzed. Compares the practice, as the software is developed, debugged, distributed and managed in the company where I worked and theory, which is drawn from theoretical studies. In the practical part of the work is focused on software maintenance, especially on the comparison of theory and practical applications. For this purpose I used the experience of JKR, Ltd. In conclusion I devote a section for evaluation of lessons learned and suggestions for improving the life cycle so that in case of their use, could this process work efficiently.

The parasitic protist Trypanosoma brucei is the causative agent of human African trypanosomiasis. The parasite undergoes a complex life cycle involving stages within the mammalian bloodstream and its tsetse fly vector. The fundamental differences between energy metabolism in the procyclic insect form (PCF) and long slender bloodstream form (BSF) T. brucei involve a switch in the directionality of the F1Fo- ATPase. In PCF, the need for oxidative phosphorylation in low glucose conditions requires the enzyme to generate ATP. In the slender BSF, the enzyme uses ATP from glycolysis to drive proton pumping to maintain the essential mitochondrial membrane potential. Fo-ATPase subunit 6 (A6) is critical for proton translocation in either direction and is encoded in the mitochondrial DNA (kDNA). The parasite’s kDNA is therefore essential in the slender BSF, and also in PCF where it encodes multiple subunits of the respiratory chain complexes that constitute the oxidative phosphorylation pathway. Specific point mutations in the nuclearly encoded γ subunit of the mitochondrial F1Fo-ATPase allow survival in the absence of kDNA in the slender BSF T. brucei (Dean et al., 2013). These mutations, even in the heterozygous genotype, cause an increase in resistance to multiple drugs in vitro (Gould and Schnaufer, 2014). This thesis investigates two questions: (1) What is the molecular mechanism of compensation for kDNA loss? (2) Are kDNA and a functional FoF1-ATPase required for life cycle progression? Slender BSF T. brucei were generated expressing ATPase L262Pγ. The effects of this γ mutation and kDNA loss, respectively, on structure/function of the F1Fo- ATPase were probed. Cells expressing L262Pγ show decreased sensitivity to Fo inhibitor oligomycin compared to WT cells, suggesting that the L262Pγ mutation functionally uncouples the enzyme. The impact of the L262Pγ mutation on the structure of the enzyme was probed by high resolution clear native electrophoresis. This shows there are dramatic consequences to F1Fo structure in the presence of the L262Pγ mutation. The apparent selection for cells that no longer express intact F1Fo suggests that L262Pγ uncouples the enzyme, resulting in a lethal proton leak. Pleomorphic T. brucei with and without kDNA were also generated by expressing mutant γ in strain AnTat1.1 90:13. Differentiation studies demonstrate kDNA0 cells can differentiate to insect-transmissible stumpy forms. These cells show a decreased lifespan, suggesting a critical role for a kDNA-encoded product in the stumpy form. Tsetse fly infections show kDNA is indispensable for progression to the PCF. Unexpectedly, parasites homozygous for L262Pγ can establish a midgut infection, while they do not infect the salivary glands. Heterozygous parasites, on the other hand, can form animal-transmissible metacyclics in the salivary glands, providing a potential mechanism for spreading decreased sensitivity to multiple drugs.

A life cycle study was undertaken to assess the economic impact arising from internalised embodied greenhouse gas emissions (GGE) costs for a commercial office building. A limited range of design and materials re-cycling strategies were investigated for their abatement potential. GGE quantities were determined by a hybrid process analysis where input-output data was supplemented with national average data to increase completeness whereby all upstream emissions arising from material inputs to the point of extraction, as well as non-material inputs (e.g. goods and services) into the design and construction process are accounted for. The hypothesis proposed abatement potential of 30%, as measured against the Benchmark Design (BM) would be economically viable in absence of the benefit of early-action credits. The hypothesis was disproved with 15% abatement shown at zero additional capital cost. A Stretch Technology (ST) scenario was investigated which showed 32% abatement potential however the associated marginal capital cost could not be determined. The GGE intensity per meter square of Net Lettable Area (m2 NLA) for the case study building was found to be 5,258 kg CO2-e. The theoretical value of abatement credits was determined at $12 to $1,031 / m2 NLA (depending on price) and is shown to present a reasonable economic and market transformation opportunity at medium range values. The results demonstrate that the cost-push inflation risk posed to commercial office construction is large where the price of embodied GGE is internalised in the economic system. Gross Construction Cost (GCC) increase per square meter is shown to be between 1.5% and 61% (with associated negative IRR impacts between -0.1 to -7%) depending on the GGE price level. An unsustainable cost impact is demonstrated at GGE prices greater than AUD$50 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (AUD$50/ tonne CO2-e). Internalised GGE studies have been largely limited to the operational cost impact arising from GGE of direct end-use rather than from the perspective of total embodied final demand. The results demonstrate the critical nature of embodied abatement strategies for commercial buildings if the internationally accepted 60% global GGE abatement is to be achieved within the relevant timeframe. An average kg CO2-e intensity per dollar of GCC is proposed for the three building models that may be applied to general scenario planning. The scale of economic benefit available for embodied credits is significant and the determination of viable credit mechanisms worthy of further research.

It is a conventional wisdom that since the start of the Chinese economic reform in 1978, the domestic saving structure in China has changed significantly. Previous studies of household saving in China (for example: Qian, 1988, Feltenstein et al, 1990, and Wakabayashi and Mackellar, 1999) have usually relied upon the Keynesian absolute-income hypothesis, Duesenberry’s relative-income hypothesis, and Friedman’s permanent-income hypothesis. This thesis uses the Modigliani-Brumberg life-cycle hypothesis to examine the determinants of household saving behavior in the Peoples’ Republic of China during the period 1978 to 2003. The research uses modern cointegration techniques to examine the impact on saving rates of economic growth, age dependency, wealth, the real interest rate, social security payments and unemployment (as a proxy for income uncertainty). Autoregressive distributed lag models are constructed and tested. The results find that economic growth, the real interest rate and social security payments have the expected effect with significant parameters; age dependency has the expected sign but in one model is not statistically significant; and that unemployment is not significant. The most surprising result is that increases in household wealth are associated with increased saving rates, which may help explain very high economic growth rates in China post 1978.

Strategies for reuse of components are important in order to create a closed loop manufacturing system. Over decades, the notion has been gaining ground due to environmental and legislative reasons. Reuse of components is desirable and in many cases might be economically beneficial. However, the implementation of reuse strategies has been hindered by the requirement of reliable methodologies to assess the remaining life and reuse potential of used components. The estimation of the remaining life is problematic as the useful life of a component is affected by several causes of obsolescence. The common causes are due to physical and technological issues. So far, little research has attempted to address these issues simultaneously, and integrating them. This thesis seeks to develop methodologies that aid in predicting the integrated remaining lifetime of used components. There are three core parts of this research. First, the methodology determines the remaining life of used components from the physical lifetime perspective. This was derived from the estimation of physical failure using failure rate data, and the statistical analysis of usage intensity age as obtained from customers survey. Second, the research presents the use of the technological forecasting technique to predict the remaining technological life. As it is influenced by the technology progress, the forecast was developed on the basis of product technology clusters and market trend extrapolation analysis. Finally, the resulting estimations from the two aspects were combined to obtain an integrated assessment for estimating the remaining life of components. The potential for components in a product to be reused is justified when the remaining life is greater than the average expected lifespan of the product. Two cases of domestic appliances – televisions and washing machines were used to highlight and demonstrate the validity of the proposed methodology. The results show that the proposed method provides the practitioners with a promising tool for end-of-life decision making. This is in particularly attractive when used as a preliminary decision support tool prior to the time consuming and costly processes such as disassembly and quality testing.

This thesis analyzes the differences in monetary return when saving in stocks using Individual Pension Saving (IPS) or saving directly on the stock exchange (OMX). An individual is assumed to have the same portfolio of stocks whether he or she uses IPS or OMX. Different length of saving years, payment years, real rates of return, saving amounts and different tax rates are compared to each other between the systems. The results indicate a clear benefit using IPS in the long run, when tax rates are higher during the saving period compared to when retrieving the payment. It also indicates an uncertain usefulness of IPS compared to OMX when individuals have only income tax when saving and retrieving payment. In some cases using IPS can generate a monetary loss compared to OMX. Individuals that are low-income earners and prefers a low risk in their investments should not use IPS, while high-income earners that prefer high risk investments should use IPS instead of directly investing on the OMX. / Den här uppsatsen analyserar skillnaderna i avkastning om man sparar i aktier när man använder sig av Individuellt pensionssparande (IPS) eller sparar direkt på börsen (OMX). En individ antas inneha samma aktieportfölj vare sig han eller hon nyttjar IPS eller OMX. Olika längd av sparande, utbetalning, olika realavkastningar, olika sparnivåer och olika skattesatser jämförs med varandra i de olika systemen. Resultaten indikerar en klar fördel för användandet av IPS på lång sikt, när skattesatsen vid sparandet överskrider skattesatsen vid erhållandet av betalningen. Det finns också indikationer på osäkerhet vad gäller nyttan av att använda IPS jämfört med OMX när individer endast har inkomstskatt både vid sparandet och vid erhållandet av betalningen. I vissa fall kan individen förlora på att nyttja IPS jämfört med OMX. Individer som är låginkomsttagare och föredrar låg risk på sina investeringar skall ej använda sig av IPS, medan höginkomsttagare som föredrar högrisk på sina investeringar skall använda IPS istället för OMX.

This study was initiated by the authors in order to evaluate the Twister™ method’s environmental pros and cons in relation to other traditional floor care methods using polish and wax. This has been ascertained through a Life Cycle Assessment which was conducted within the study. The study has been in co-operation with HTC Sweden AB, the developer of the Twister™ method. The results show that the elements of the Twister™ method with the greatest environmental impact are the scrubbing machine that is used and the low energy consumption that the Twister™ method requires. The results also show that the Twister™ method has a significantly lower environmental impact than floor care methods using polish or wax. The parts of the Twister™ pad that have the greatest environmental impact are the industrial diamonds and the material that makes up the pad.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a class of drugs prescribed to relieve pain, fever and inflammation, and are among the most commonly consumed medications in Ontario. Approximately 70% of the ingested dose is excreted unchanged or as an active metabolite, much of which reaches the surface waters of lakes and rivers. NSAIDs function through the inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX), an enzyme present in two isoforms in the body; the constitutively expressed COX-1 and the inducible COX-2. Traditional NSAIDs like ibuprofen inhibit both isoforms with little selectivity while newer variants such as naproxen preferentially inhibit COX-2. Both COX isoforms share a high similarity between humans and fish creating a potential for off target effects to exposed aquatic organisms. This research investigated the chronic effects of waterborne exposure to 0, 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 μg/L of a nonselective and selective NSAID (ibuprofen and naproxen, respectively) on Florida flagfish (Jordanella floridae) over one complete life-cycle. Chronic exposure concentrations were selected by performing a short term experiment which examined the hatchability of flagfish eggs using continuous semi-static exposure conditions. Growth, survivability and reproductive endpoints were assessed in the life-cycle study. A concentration-response relationship for both NSAIDs was detected during the first 28 days post-hatch, resulting in increased body length for F1 fish and their offspring with increasing concentrations. Exposure to 0.1 μg/L of both ibuprofen and naproxen resulted in a decrease in egg fertilization providing an experimental LOEC (lowest observable effect concentration) of 0.1 ug/L and NOEC (no observable effect concentration) of < 0.1 ug/L for both ibuprofen and naproxen based on the reproductive endpoint. This indicates that either NSAID has the potential to affect the reproductive success of flagfish at concentrations at or below those commonly found in the environment. / UOIT

Purpose This study explores the internationalization pathway of the Born Global, The Company, when entering the Mexican market. Background Companies have recently started realizing the importance of “being green” for their customers. Market demand shifts towards more natural and renewable materials that can prevent damage and enhance the well-being of individuals and societies.  Therefore, the market for biodegradable materials is growing and is full of possibilities. Today, many additives suppliers operate globally. Born Global firms stand out with their approach to the internationalization process. It is interesting to find out the uniqueness of the Born Global firm’s internationalization pathway, their motivation and behavior. Method  Qualitative data was collected through two in-depth semi-structured interviews with two top management team members of The Company behind the case study. Before the two main interviews, 4 pre-interviews took place, which helped the authors to become familiar with the environment and operations of the company.  This data was complemented with secondary data obtained though literature reviews.   Conclusion The authors were able to find several gaps in the Integrative Model of Small Firms Internationalization, by Bell et al. (2003). Firstly, they found that not all Born Global firms have a Home market to return to. Secondly, it was clear that the model was too rigid in its segmentation of types of Born Global firms. According to the research done by the authors, a firm can act as both an innovator and adopter, as a “Knowledge-intensive” and “Knowledge-based” firm, and can target both a niche and a mass market simultaneously.

Taiwan DRAM industry emerged on OEM basis, i.e. foundry manufactures based upon the technology authorized by the foreign owner. With the expansion of capacity, Taiwan DRAM industry has gradually increased its global market share. In particular, only those market players with 12¡¨foundry, which requires hefty capital investment and can significantly increases capacity, are able to compete in the market. The financial tsunami started in 2008, however, impacted severely on the global economy. DRAM industry could not immune from this, and the collapse was unprecedented. Majority of market players were suffering losses, and unable to afford the migration of manufacturing process. Taiwan players used to borrow to expand capacity. Four major Taiwan DRAM players carry an aggregate debt of TWD300 billion. Taiwan DRAM industry is almost destroyed by the high leverage during the financial tsunami. Facing the unprecedented difficulty of DRAM industry, Taiwan government raised an industry re-engineering (or consolidation, whichever is appropriate) proposal with an aim to enhance the competitiveness in the global market through changes in industry structure and business operation. Thanks to the industry recovery stemmed in the third quarter of 2009, DRAM price started rebounding. The financial difficulty of DRAM players was been resolved. The government¡¦s proposal for industry re-engineering was ended up with a failure.Taiwan DRAM players are still operating on OEM basis and lack of competitiveness in global market. Though Taiwan DRAM players have turned profitable, benefited from price rebound, it is still a question mark that these players can survive in the long run. As long as the structural problem remains unsolved, the industry players and the government will face the same issue again in future. When the next recession is coming, whether Taiwan players shall exit the market, or Taiwan government shall step in? Whether the industry shall go through a consolidation? This paper will present the migration of DRAM industry life cycle, change of business model, strategic alliance, and industry trend in future, analyze on business strategies adopted by Taiwan DRAM players under the competitive environment. Hopefully, this paper could provide a reference as to the development of business strategy for Taiwan DRAM players.