The venture addresses the common phenomenon of people having no time or not being able to concentrate to read lengthy business and personal development books. This represents a dilemma for many professionals, students and many other people alike because the demands in the realms of professional and working skills surge continuously, driven by global competition and increasing social and economic dynamics. The company aims to solve this problem through offering highly condensed summaries of business, personal development and eventually spiritual books on an intuitive e-commerce web-platform. The summaries rely heavily on visualization techniques following the venture’s unique and proprietary summarization guidelines. A key feature of the summaries is their quality – think of the level of professional consulting presentations. Summaries are monetized through individual and subscription sales via B2C and B2B channels and mainly marketed to white collar working professionals and students in first and second world economies. The business model is a push model, where content is created to satisfy a presumed demand. A pull model, where users generate content on a provided platform, entails interesting advantages and elements of this idea might be incorporated at a later stage. The financial projections are characterized by two years of negative cash flows, which stem from initial investments in the summary database, building the platform and brand, followed by strong positive inflows as user numbers grow. The projected 5-year NPV in the baseline scenario and a 35,000 USD investment in year 1 is 320,000 USD at a 20% discount rate while the IRR is close to 100%. Key risks pertain to quality of summaries, relationships with key content creators and the challenge to create momentum.

To be able to effectively study blood platelets in different environments adevelopment of an in vitro model of a microfluidic system for plateletproduction was started. The purpose of this thesis was to fabricate systemsand then characterize them and visualize the flow. The system consists of twochannels, one in the middle and the other one enclosing it. They are connectedthrough pores where Megakaryocytes can protrude through and produce platelets.The designs were produced in PDMS. This was done by first transfer the designsas structures onto a silicon wafer through UV lithography. The wafer served asa mould for casting PDMS that later was bonded to glass. The systems were thenstudied with three different methods. Computer simulations, flow tests andultimately tests with cells. From the results new designs were made andfabricated. The new designs were then tested the same ways as the first ones.The systems can most probably produce platelets with some optimisation of thetest parameters. No definite results were gathered to prove plateletproduction. Different flow speeds were tested and the flow profile atdifferent flow rates was visualised. The full capability of the new designscould not be fully studied due to unforeseen debris of PDMS clogging thechannels. A few things need to be done to achieve better results and establishfor sure if this method of producing platelets is possible. This thesis is agood ground for future work to stand on.

The rate at which technology evolves by far outpaces the rate at which methods are developed to prevent and prosecute digital crime. This unfortunate situation may potentially allow computer criminals to commit crimes using technologies for which no proper forensic investigative technique currently exists. Such a scenario would ultimately allow criminals to go free due to the lack of evidence to prove their guilt. A solution to this problem would be for law enforcement agencies and governments to invest in the research and development of forensic technologies in an attempt to keep pace with the development of digital technologies. Such an investment could potentially allow new forensic techniques to be developed and released more frequently, thus matching the appearance of new computing devices on the market. A key element in improving the situation is to produce more research results, utilizing less resources, and by performing research more efficiently. This can be achieved by improving the process used to conduct forensic research. One of the problem areas in research and development is the development of prototypes to prove a concept or to test a hypothesis. An in-depth understanding of the extremely technical aspects of operating systems, such as file system structures and memory management, is required to allow forensic researchers to develop prototypes to prove their theories and techniques. The development of such prototypes is an extremely challenging task. It is complicated by the presence of minute details that, if ignored, may have a negative impact on the accuracy of results produced. If some of the complexities experienced in the development of prototypes could simply be removed from the equation, researchers may be able to produce more and better results with less effort, and thus ultimately speed up the forensic research process. This dissertation describes the development of a platform that facilitates the rapid development of forensic prototypes, thus allowing researchers to produce such prototypes utilizing less time and fewer resources. The purpose of the platform is to provide a set of rich features which are likely to be required by developers performing research prototyping. The proposed platform contributes to the development of prototypes using fewer resources and at a faster pace. The development of the platform, as well as various considerations that helped to shape its architecture and design, are the focus points of this dissertation. Topics such as digital forensic investigations, open-source software development, and the development of the proposed forensic platform are discussed. Another purpose of this dissertation is to serve as a proof-of-concept for the developed platform. The development of a selection of forensics prototypes, as well as the results obtained, are also discussed. Copyright / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Computer Science / unrestricted

No description available.

The St. Lawrence Platform (SLP) and Humber Zone (HZ) of the southern Quebec Appalachians has historically been explored as a potential hydrocarbon reservoir. Extensive vitrinite reflectance studies on the basin resolved the degree of thermal maturation yet the timing of the thermal maximum is not well undertood. Determining the timing of such low temperature events can allow for a better understanding of the shallow crustal processes that may have allowed for the generation and entrapment of oil and gas. We have employed apatite (AHe) and zircon (ZHe) (U-Th)/He thermochronmetry across a network of late Cambrian to late Ordovician siliciclastic and Grenvillian basement samples in order to resolve the history within the ~210-35°C window. Single crustal dates from individual samples show age dispersion by as much as 300 m.y. with a strong positive to negative correlation with increasing eU concentration. A similar positive correlation can be observed when significant intra-sample grain size variation is present. AHe and ZHe data in the southwestern portion of the basin, near Montreal, allow for thermal maxima of up to 200°C to occur either during the late Ordovician, as a result of the Taconic orogeny, or from the continued sedimentation into the Devonian as a result of the Acadian orogeny. Regional burial trends deduced from these thermal maxima along with local paleo-geothermal gradients indicate that if sedimentation continued after the late Ordovician there was no significant increase in burial in southwestern portion of the SLP as previously suggested. Maximum heating is followed by a protracted cooling through the ZHe partial retention zone (PRZ) into the late Jurassic and early Cretaceous where the cooling rate increases by an order of magnitude through the AHe PRZ until ca. 100 Ma. The timing of this accelerated cooling is coeval with the passage of the Great Meteor Hot Spot across the area; the cooling may be a result of increased erosion from thermal uplift. Within the HZ, both the external and internal sections experienced rapid cooling through the Silurian after the Taconic thermal maximum. The timing of relatively rapid cooling coincides with documented normal faulting and back-thrusting in the orogen, which is the likely cause of exhumation. The HZ witnessed protracted cooling through the late Jurassic, when there is a one order of magnitude increase in cooling rate until surface conditions are attained. Increased recognition of these low temperature events has augmented our understanding of the evolution of accretionary orogens and consequently reduces the risks associated with oil and gas exploration.

This Thesis is focused on the ways of getting information from the World Wide Web source . The Introduction pays attention to the theoretical approach towards data collection options . The main part of the Introduction is engaged in the Web Crawler program as the possibility of data collection from internet and consequently they are followed by alternative methods of data collection. E.g. Google Search API. The next part of the Thesis is dedicated to SAS products and their meanings in the context of reporting and internet monitoring. SAS Intelligence platform is presented as the crucial Company platform In the framework of the platform there could be found concrete SAS solutions. SAS Web Crawler and Semantic Server are described in SAS Content Categorization solution. Whilst the first two parts of Thesis are focused on the theory , the third and closing part pays attention to practical examples. There are illustrated examples of Internet Data collection, which are mainly realized in SAS. The practical part of Thesis follows the theoretical one and it cannot be detached.

With a rising demand for low cost solutions to healthcare services, analysis, and toxicology, the Integrated Biosensor Platform developed by Acreo Swedish ICT and Linköping University, fills the gap where conventional sensors are not suitable. This report focuses the update of hardware and software in order to increase stability, introduce new sensors, and allow for wireless communication through NFC. Positive result and increased stability is presented, when measuring with a stable reference potential. The potential of NFC is shown in a breadboard setup and problems when printing an antenna is elaborated in terms of coil turns and size. An ethanol sensor is introduced to the platform and discussion manly focuses on characterization of the sensor. A potentiometric setup is also tested with low results and the problems of the current platform as a potentiometric sensor is discussed. From the collective results and a broader look at society is the justification of the platform existence evaluated. The need for the platform, especially as a mean to solve health problems in development countries, is argued to justify the environmental footprint of a disposable platform. / Med en ökad efterfrågan på tjänster inom hälsovård, analys, och toxikologi är målet för Integrated Biosensor Platform från Acreo Swedish ICT och Linköpings Universitet, att fylla gapet där konventionella sensorer inte är brukliga. Den här rapporten fokuserar på uppdateringen av hård och mjukvara för att öka stabiliteten, introduktionen av nya sensorer samt möjligheten till trådlös kommunikation genom NFC. Positiva resultat och ökad stabilitet presenteras med introduktionen av en stabil referens spänning. NFC och dess möjligheter testas i utvecklingsmiljö och problem diskuteras i samband med tryckta antenner utifrån storlek och design. En ethanolsensor inkluderas till plattformen och resultatet utvärderas främst från användningsområden och karaktärisering av sensorn. En potentiometrisk konfiguration av plattformen testas med lågt resultat och problemen med den nuvarande plattformen som potentiometrisk sensor presenteras. En samlad utvärdering av plattformens existensberättigande görs från både resultat som rapporten presenterat och en omvärldsanalys. Behovet av plattformen är, framför allt som en lösning till hälsovård i utvecklingsländer, ansett att rättfärdiga dess negativa miljöpåverkan som en "engångssensor".

A evolução das tecnologias de sequenciamento de DNA tem permitido a elucidação da sequência genômica de um número cada vez maior de organismos. Contudo, a obtenção da sequência nucleotídica do genoma é apenas a primeira etapa no estudo dos organismos. O processo de anotação consiste na identicação as diferentes regiões de interesse no genoma e suas funcionalidades. Várias ferramentas computacionais foram desenvolvidas para auxiliar o processo de anotação, porém nenhuma delas permite ao usuário selecionar sequências, processá-las de forma a encontrar evidências a respeito das regiões genômicas, como predição gênica e de domínios protéicos, analisá-las gracamente e adicionar informações a respeito de suas regiões em um mesmo ambiente. Assim, o objetivo desse projeto foi o desenvolvimento de uma plataforma gráca para a anotação genômica que permite ao usuário realizar as tarefas necessárias para o processo de anotação em uma única ferramenta integrada a um banco de dados. A idéia é proporcionar ao usuário liberdade para trabalhar com o seu conjunto de dados, possibilitando a seleção de sequências para análise, construção dos pipelines processamento das mesmas e análise dos resultados encontrados a partir de visualizador que permite ao usuário adicionar in- formações às regiões e fazer a curadoria das sequências. A ferramenta resultante é facilmente extensível, permitindo o acoplamento modular de novas funcionalidades de anotação e sua estrutura permite ao usuário trabalhar tanto com projetos de sequências expressas como anotação de genomas. / The evolution of the technologies of DNA sequencing has permitted the elucidation of genomic sequence of an increasing number of organisms. Though, the obtainment of the genome nucleotide sequence is only the rst step in the study of organisms. The annotation process consists in the identication of different regions of interest on the genome and their features. Several computational tools were developed to support the annotation process, however none allow the user to select sequences, process them, analyze them graphically and add information about its regions in the same surrounding. Thus, the aim of this project was to develop a graphic platform to genome annotation that allows the user to realize your tasks required from the annotation process in a single tool integrated to a database. The idea is to provide from the user liberty to work with your dataset, enabling the selection of sequences for analyze, pipeline construction, processing them and analyze of results from the viewer that allows the user to add information in the regions and to do the trusteeship of sequences. The resulting tool is easily extensible; allowing the engagement modular of new functionalities of annotation and its structure allows the user works both projects of expressed sequences and with genome annotation.

abstract: This dissertation investigates how rural e-commerce survives and thrives in resource-scarce rural China in the contemporary era. Building upon literatures on developmental state, state capitalism, industrial policy, and platform economy, this dissertation proposes a new theoretical framework, termed Digital Developmental Village, to understand China’s rural e-commerce development against rural China’s broader socioeconomic and politico-institutional contexts and the evolution of China’s political economy by underscoring three levels of interactions between the central government, local governments, e-commerce platform giants, and rural entrepreneurs. This dissertation draws upon the data from in-depth interviews with different kinds of participants involved with e-commerce at different places in which e-commerce-related activities occur through multi-site fieldwork across six East China provinces, together with data from secondary data gathering, to scrutinize interactions of four parties at each level. At the national level, this dissertation investigates the coevolution of the Digital Developmental Village model and finds that the bureaucratic evolution and emergence of new economic sector initially created and subsequently developed by private actors will be eventually subjected to the influence of China’s state capitalism. At the local level, in consideration of the factors of local governance approach, the pre-existing robust local economic sectors, and migration patterns, this dissertation creates a typological framework to explore the formation of e-commerce villages in varied settings of the combinations of three factors above. At the individual level, this dissertation finds that rural e-commerce entrepreneurs may achieve economic successes through some more intense forms of embeddedness, which are deemed commercially unwise in the extant literature, within differing local socioeconomic and politico-institutional contexts in China. Lastly, this dissertation analyzes the expansion of the Communist Party of China into rural e-commerce in the business incubator role and sees such organizational expansion as the efforts to implicitly exercise control over rural e-commerce. In sum, through top-down policy directives and bottom-up party organizational expansion, the Chinese state has been gradually transforming rural e-commerce to a new form of state capitalism with potential global impacts, which can empower resource-scarce villages and infuse two kinds of industrial policies to stimulate technological advances. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Justice Studies 2020

El presente trabajo de investigación está basado en la implementación y desarrollo de un negocio a modo de emprendimiento con un gran potencial de escalabilidad, innovación y crecimiento, apoyándonos en modelos de negocio que aprovechan las nuevas tendencias y tecnologías disponibles para la realización de una idea. Nosotros elegimos el desarrollo de una plataforma web, de modo que esta funcione como un servicio de directorio de abogados en línea. Esta plataforma fue desarrollada con el fin de beneficiar a los estudios de abogados, abogados y practicantes de la carrera de derecho que cuenten con dificultades de conseguir nuevos clientes. Por otro lado, también pensamos en las personas que tienen problemas al momento de contactar a un abogado especializado o que necesiten una asesoría legal económica. Este trabajo presenta los fundamentos primarios de investigación, validaciones de todo el modelo de negocio planteado para probar que la idea es factible, los resultados de las ventas realizadas por medio de canales seleccionados, plan operativo propuesto, los planes de recursos humanos, marketing y responsabilidad social corporativa, así también como el plan financiero para poder hacer realidad esta idea de negocios y las conclusiones finales del mismo. / This research work is based on the implementation and development of a business like an entrepreneurship with great potential of scalability, innovation and growth, based on business models that take advantage of the new trends and technologies available for the realization of an idea. We choose the development of a web platform which works as an online lawyer directory service. This platform was developed in order to benefit the studies of lawyers, lawyers and practitioners of the law career who have difficulties for getting new clients. On the other hand, we also think in people who have problems for contacting a specialized lawyer or need economic legal advice. This paper presents the primary fundamentals of research, validations of the entire business model raised to prove that the idea is feasible, the results of sales made through selected channels, proposed operational plan, human resources, marketing and the corporate social responsibility plan, as well as the financial plan to realize this business idea and the final conclusions. / Trabajo de investigación