The need for pathogen-free water supplies has spurred investigations into the use of ionizing radiation for the treatment of wastewater effluent and municipal biosolids. The objective of this research was to develop an electron-beam irradiation scenario to effectively eliminate microbial pathogens from municipal biosolids and wastewater effluent. The Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP5) radiation transport code was used to simulate the irradiation scenario. Using MCNP5, dual electron-beam sources were modeled as planar surface sources above and below a stainless steel delivery trough containing either effluent water or one of two biosolids material compositions. A dose deposition analysis was performed to assess both the planar dose distribution and 25 depth-dose curves. In addition, a density perturbation study was performed to assess the variance in the dose deposition for different mass solids concentrations. To validate the MCNP5 code for this type of application, a benchmark study was performed. Two municipal biosolids materials and water were irradiated in plastic bags on a conveyor belt using a 10-MeV electron accelerator with the exit window below the material. The experimental configuration was modeled with the MCNP5 radiation transport code. Simplified and detailed models were created and analyzed. Lastly, an economic analysis was performed to assess whether this treatment method is a financially viable alternative to current wastewater treatment methods. Processing capacity was calculated for two accelerator specifications. These capacity rates in conjunction with the operating and capital costs per dry ton to irradiate the material were compared with existing data for electron beam processing of municipal biosolids. The cost breakdown was also compared with quoted costs for existing conventional methods. The models developed showed that the use of 10MeV electron-beam technology for the treatment of wastewater effluent and municipal biosolids is effective and economically feasible. The benchmarking study illustrated the accuracy of Monte Carlo simulation for this type of application. The method development process was shown to be adaptable for various material compositions and irradiation configurations.

A record of the design evaluation of a municipal solid waste disposal system has been made. The record was arranged chronologically on a process basis. The author had presented his analyses of the design influences. Emphasis has been put on the major influences. Observations and analyses of a more general nature, plus personal views of the case study method are also given. Recommendations for further study of this project are provided in a test proposal outline for the system. / Thesis / Master of Engineering (ME)

Bakgrund: Omvårdnadsepikrisen är den utskrivningsanteckning som sammanfattar viktiga händelser under en patients vårdtid rörande omvårdnadsfaktorer när vårdepisoden tagit slut. Termen omvårdnadsepikris ingår som ett så kallat huvudsökord i den svenska dokumentationsmodellen VIPS. Denna modell har tagits fram för att ge stöd åt de olika delarna av omvårdnadsprocessen. Neuropsykiatriska kliniken, avd 1 (NP) vid Universitetssjukhuset Malmö Allmänna Sjukhus (UMAS) genomför ett fortlöpande utvecklingsarbete gällande utformningen av omvårdnadsepikriser vari denna studie ingår som en del.Syfte: Att undersöka vilken betydelse omvårdnadsepikrisen utfärdad av NP har som underlag i det fortsatta omvårdnadsarbetet för sjuksköterskor verksamma inom hemsjukvård, särskilda boenden samt korttidsboenden. Metod: Kvalitativt och kvantitativt utformad enkätstudie baserad på ett strategiskt urval och presenterat med hjälp av en deskriptiv analysmetod. Totalt deltog 18 respondenter.Resultat: Sjuksköterskorna använder omvårdnadsepikrisen utfärdad av NP som ett underlag i den fortsatta omvårdnadsplaneringen. Detta motiverades bland annat med argumenten att det är viktigt att få bakgrundsinformation om patienten för att lättare kunna möta dess omvårdnadsbehov.Slutsats: De sjuksköterskorna som ingår i studien använder NP:s omvårdnadsepikriser som ett underlag för planering av det dagliga omvårdnadsarbetet. Att dessa sjuksköterskor tycker att NP:s omvårdnadsepikriser är till hjälp vid den fortsatta omvårdnadsplaneringen kan också utläsas. Eftersom studiens svar i princip bara behandlar åsikter om just NP:s omvårdnadsepikriser kan resultatet inte överföras såsom gällande för andra avdelningar inom slutenvården. Viss generalisering för undersökt poulation, det vill säga kommunala vårdboende som tar emot eller potentiellt kan ta emot patienter från NP, bör dock kunna göras. / Background: The note that summarizes important events regarding nursing factors during a patients care episode, after the episodes’ ending, is the nursing discharge note. The term nursing discharge note is a part of the Swedish nursing documentation model VIPS which is a model containg of different headwords, where of the nursing discharge note is one. The model has been developed to support the different parts of the so called nursing process. The Neuropsychiatric clinic, department 1 (NP) at the university hospital Universitetssjukhuset Malmö Allmänna Sjukhus (UMAS) is carrying out continuous work to develop their nursing discharge note where of this study can be seen as one part. Aim: To investigate what importance the nursing discharge note written by NP has as a base in the continuous daily care planning performed by nurses in homecare or at different kinds of livings for patients in municipal geriatric care. Methods: A qualitative and quantitative questionnaire study based on a strategic sample and presented with a descriptive method of analyzes. In total 18 informants participated.Results: The nurses participating in this study use the nursing discharge note written by NP as a base in their continuous daily care planning. The importance of knowing the background information about a person to easier meet his need as a patient was mentioned as one of the reasons.Conclusions: The nurses participating in this study use the nursing discharge note from NP as a base for their daily care planning. It can also be understood that these nurses find that the nursing discharge note from NP is helping them in their care planning. The results from this study cannot be used as a guideline for other departments within hospital care as it only focuses on NP’s nursing discharge note. Though, within the investigated population, a certain generalization could be possible to do.

The aim of this mixed-methods research study is to investigate the effectiveness of a Municipal Skills Development Programme (MSDP) in the improvement of service delivery in a District Municipality (DM) in South Africa. A concurrent embedded mixed-methods strategy was used, as it uses one data collection phase during which both qualitative and quantitative data are simultaneously collected and treats both qualitative and quantitative research data gathered on an equal basis. Collected data were not integrated or triangulated but resided side-by-side as two different pictures of the effectiveness of the MSDP. From a total population of 80 managers in the DM and its five Local Municipalities (LMs) who had attended the MSDP, qualitative data was gathered by conducting individual interviews with a convenient sample of 10 managers (Sample 1). Quantitative data was gathered by means of a self-designed questionnaire from a convenient sample of 50 managers (Sample 2). The audio-recorded and transcribed qualitative data obtained from the 10 semi structured interviews were analysed by means of content analysis, while the scores obtained from the 50 survey questionnaires were used to calculate the frequency of responses and then represented by figures and tables. Qualitative findings indicated that the majority of participants (90% of 10 managers interviewed) are of the opinion that the implementation of the MSDP within the DM was successful and has led to improved service delivery. Quantitative results indicated that the total sample of 50 managers rated the MSDP as having improved service delivery in the DM. The overall mixed-methods assessment indicated that the MSDP is a successful way of improving the service delivery in a DM in South Africa and that the attendance of the MSDP by all managers is essential for improving the service delivery of local governments in South Africa. A limitation of the study was that the study was conducted in only one DM and may not represent the views of all local government employees in South Africa. Recommendations were that the relationship between the MSDP and other organisational variables such as productivity, efficiency and effectiveness should be studied, while all managers of the DM who have not yet attended the MSDP should be encouraged to do so. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)