This thesis makes use of the unique reregulation of pharmaceutical monopoly in Sweden to critically examine intraindustry firm heterogeneity. It contributes to existing divestiture research as it studies the dynamism in between reconfigurations of value constellations and its effects on value creation of divested pharmacies. Because the findings showed that the predominant theory of intraindustry firm heterogeneity could not explain firm performance, the value constellation concept was applied as it captured the phenomena. A patterned finding informed how reconfigurations of value constellations in a reregulated market characterized by strict rules, regulations, and high competition did not generate additional value for firms on short term. My study unveils that value creation is hampered in situations where rules and regulations significantly affect firms’ ability to reconfigure their value constellations. The key practical implication is an alternative perspective on fundamental aspects of the reregulation and how policy-makers may impede firm performance and the intended creation of new value for not only firms but for society as a whole. / <p>Grade: A</p>

This thesis makes use of the unique reregulation of pharmaceutical monopoly in Sweden to critically examine intraindustry firm heterogeneity. It contributes to existing divestiture research as it studies the dynamism in between reconfigurations of value constellations and its effects on value creation of divested pharmacies. Because the findings showed that the predominant theory of intraindustry firm heterogeneity could not explain firm performance, the value constellation concept was applied as it captured the phenomena. A patterned finding informed how reconfigurations of value constellations in a reregulated market characterized by strict rules, regulations, and high competition did not generate additional value for firms on short term. My study unveils that value creation is hampered in situations where rules and regulations significantly affect firms’ ability to reconfigure their value constellations. The key practical implication is an alternative perspective on fundamental aspects of the reregulation and how policy-makers may impede firm performance and the intended creation of new value for not only firms but for society as a whole. / <p>Betyg: A</p>

A reconfiguração de sistemas de distribuição de energia elétrica consiste em alterar a topologia das redes através da abertura ou fechamento das chaves de interconexão existentes nos alimentadores de distribuição primários, de forma a otimizar uma determinada função objetivo. Normalmente os objetivos são a minimização de perdas ativas, o isolamento de faltas, o balanceamento de cargas entre alimentadores e/ou a melhoria dos níveis de tensão. Neste trabalho considera-se a minimização da perda ativa total. As dificuldades do problema de reconfiguração de redes de distribuição resultam do tamanho dos sistemas reais, aos quais correspondem um número elevado de variáveis binárias que representam as chaves, e também da relação quadrática existente entre a perda elétrica e a corrente que flui nos elementos da rede. Este trabalho desenvolve algumas novas formulações para o problema de reconfiguração de redes de distribuição, utilizando Programação Não Linear Inteira Mista. Além disso, demonstra-se que a parte contínua de todas as formulações é convexa, o que garante a unicidade da solução ótima para um dado estado das chaves na rede. Esta propriedade permitiu a utilização do Método de Newton na resolução do problema contínuo, com as seguintes vantagens: impossibilidade de o método identificar mínimos locais em vez do mínimo global procurado, e convergência em apenas uma iteração, proporcionada pela natureza quadrática das formulações. As formulações desenvolvidas foram implementadas na forma de programas computacionais. O desempenho das formulações é descrito e analisado através de diversos casos de estudo. / The reconfiguration of electricity distribution systems is concerned with finding the state of switching and protective devices so as to optimize a given objective function, which is usually defined as minimization of total loss, fault isolation, load balancing among feeders, or improvement of voltage profile. In this work, the objective function is defined as the minimization of total active loss. The main difficulties associated with this problem arise from the high number of binary variables that represent the switching and protective devices, as well as the quadratic relationship between electric loss and currents flowing through the network branches. This work develops some new formulations for the distribution system reconfiguration problem, which are then solved through mixed-integer nonlinear programming. In addition, it is shown that the continuous part in all formulations is convex, which guarantees the uniqueness of the optimal solution for a given switch profile. This property allows using the Standard Newton Method for solving the continuous part of the problem, with the following advantages: impossibility of the Newton Method identifying a local minimum instead of the desired global minimum, and convergence in just one iteration owing to the quadratic nature of all formulations. The proposed formulations were implemented as computational programs and their performance was evaluated through various study cases.

A reconfiguração de sistemas de distribuição de energia elétrica consiste em alterar a topologia das redes através da abertura ou fechamento das chaves de interconexão existentes nos alimentadores de distribuição primários, de forma a otimizar uma determinada função objetivo. Normalmente os objetivos são a minimização de perdas ativas, o isolamento de faltas, o balanceamento de cargas entre alimentadores e/ou a melhoria dos níveis de tensão. Neste trabalho considera-se a minimização da perda ativa total. As dificuldades do problema de reconfiguração de redes de distribuição resultam do tamanho dos sistemas reais, aos quais correspondem um número elevado de variáveis binárias que representam as chaves, e também da relação quadrática existente entre a perda elétrica e a corrente que flui nos elementos da rede. Este trabalho desenvolve algumas novas formulações para o problema de reconfiguração de redes de distribuição, utilizando Programação Não Linear Inteira Mista. Além disso, demonstra-se que a parte contínua de todas as formulações é convexa, o que garante a unicidade da solução ótima para um dado estado das chaves na rede. Esta propriedade permitiu a utilização do Método de Newton na resolução do problema contínuo, com as seguintes vantagens: impossibilidade de o método identificar mínimos locais em vez do mínimo global procurado, e convergência em apenas uma iteração, proporcionada pela natureza quadrática das formulações. As formulações desenvolvidas foram implementadas na forma de programas computacionais. O desempenho das formulações é descrito e analisado através de diversos casos de estudo. / The reconfiguration of electricity distribution systems is concerned with finding the state of switching and protective devices so as to optimize a given objective function, which is usually defined as minimization of total loss, fault isolation, load balancing among feeders, or improvement of voltage profile. In this work, the objective function is defined as the minimization of total active loss. The main difficulties associated with this problem arise from the high number of binary variables that represent the switching and protective devices, as well as the quadratic relationship between electric loss and currents flowing through the network branches. This work develops some new formulations for the distribution system reconfiguration problem, which are then solved through mixed-integer nonlinear programming. In addition, it is shown that the continuous part in all formulations is convex, which guarantees the uniqueness of the optimal solution for a given switch profile. This property allows using the Standard Newton Method for solving the continuous part of the problem, with the following advantages: impossibility of the Newton Method identifying a local minimum instead of the desired global minimum, and convergence in just one iteration owing to the quadratic nature of all formulations. The proposed formulations were implemented as computational programs and their performance was evaluated through various study cases.

Braille, as a special written method of communication for the blind, has been globally accepted for years. It gives blind people another chance to learn and communicate more efficiently with the rest of the world. It also makes possible the translation of printed languages into a written language which is recognisable for blind people. Recently, Braille is experiencing a decreasing popularity due to the use of alternative technologies, like speech synthesis. However, as a form of literacy, Braille is still playing a significant role in the education of people with visual impairments. With the development of electronic technology, Braille turned out to be well suited to computer-aided production because of its coded forms. Software based text-to-Braille translation has been proved to be a successful solution in Assistive Technology (AT). However, the feasibility and advantages of the algorithm reconfiguration based on hardware implementation have rarely been substantially discussed. A hardware-based translation system with algorithm reconfiguration is able to supply greater throughput than a software-based system. Further, it is also expected as a single component integrated in a multi-functional Braille system on a chip. / Therefore, this thesis presents the development of a system for text-to-Braille translation implemented in hardware. Differing from most commercial methods, this translator is able to carry out the translation in hardware instead of using software. To find a particular translation algorithm which is suitable for a hardware-based solution, the history of, and previous contributions to Braille translation are introduced and discussed. It is concluded that Markov systems, a formal language theory, were highly suitable for application to hardware based Braille translation. Furthermore, the text-to-Braille algorithm is reconfigured to achieve parallel processing to accelerate the translation speed. Characteristics and advantages of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), and application of Very High Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language (VHDL) are introduced to explain how the translating algorithm can be transformed to hardware. Using a Xilinx hardware development platform, the algorithm for text-to-Braille translation is implemented and the structure of the translator is described hierarchically.

<p>Reconfigurable computing is an old concept that during the past couple of decades has become increasingly popular. The concept combines the flexibility of software with the performance of hardware. One important contributing factor to the uprising in popularity is the presence of FPGAs (field-programmable gate arrays), which realize the concept by allowing the hardware to be reconfigured dynamically. The current state of reconfigurable computing is discussed further in the thesis.</p><p>Debugging is a vital part in the development of a hardware design. It can be done in several ways depending on the situation. The most common way is to perform simulations but in some cases the fault-finding has to be done when the design is implemented in hardware.</p><p>In this thesis a framework concept is designed that utilizes and evaluates some of the reconfigurable computing ideas. The framework provides debugging possibilities for FPGA designs in a novel way, with a modular system where each module provide means to aid finding a specific fault. The framework is added to an existing design, and offers the user a glimpse into the design behavior and the hardware it runs on.</p><p>One of the debug modules will be released separately under a free license. It allows the developer to see the contents of the memories in a design without requiring special debugging equipment.</p>

The electric power systems in U.S. Navy ships supply energy to sophisticated systems for weapons, communications, navigation and operation. The reliability and survivability of the Shipboard Power System (SPS) are critical to the mission of a surface combatant ship, especially under battle conditions. In the event of battle, various weapons might attack a ship. When a weapon hits the ship it can cause severe damage to the electrical system on the ship. This damage can lead to de-energization of critical loads on a ship that can eventually decrease a ship’s ability to survive the attack. It is very important, therefore, to maintain availability of energy to the connected loads that keep the power systems operational. Technology exists that enables the detection of an incoming weapon and prediction of the geographic area where the incoming weapon will hit the ship. This information can then be used to take reconfiguration actions before the actual hit so that the actual damage caused by the weapon hit is reduced. The Power System Automation Lab (PSAL) has proposed a unique concept called "Predictive Reconfiguration" which refers to performing reconfiguration of a ship’s power system before a weapon hit to reduce the potential damage to the electrical system caused by the impending weapon hit. The concept also includes reconfiguring the electrical system to restore power to as much of the healthy system as possible after the weapon hit. This dissertation presents a new methodology for Predictive Reconfiguration of a Shipboard Power System (SPS). This probabilistic approach includes a method to assess the damage that will be caused by a weapon hit. This method calculates the expected probability of damage for each electrical component on the ship. Also a heuristic method is included, which uses the expected probability of damage to determine reconfiguration steps to reconfigure the ship’s electrical network to reduce the damage caused by a weapon hit. This dissertation also presents a modified approach for performing a reconfiguration for restoration after the weapon hits the system. In this modified approach, an expert system based restoration method restores power to loads de-energized due to the weapon hit. These de-energized loads are restored in a priority order. The methods were implemented using multi-agent technology. A test SPS model based on the electrical layout of a non-nuclear surface combatant ship was presented. Complex scenarios representing electrical casualties caused due to a weapon hit, on the test SPS model, were presented. The results of the Predictive Reconfiguration methodology for complex scenarios were presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the developed methodology.

The U.S. Navy has developed in their ships, and is continually improving, electric propulsion, ship service power, and electric loads. The latest topology under design is the integrated power system (IPS). The IPS entails the all electric ship concept with electric propulsion, direct current (DC) distribution, and modular technology. In the all electric ship concept, ship propulsion and ship service loads are powered by alternating current (AC) generation. For the IPS, power electronics conversion is to be utilized to convert alternating current (AC) generation to direct current (DC) distribution. As state-of-the-art power electronics, the Navy plans to use power electronic building blocks (PEBB) technology in its IPS. A U.S. naval shipboard power system is required to be a highly reconfigurable system to enhance its survivability and reliability. Reconfiguration is a change in the shipboard power system state for various reasons such as new topology, changing missions and emergencies. It was decided to study the behavior of a PEBB-based integrated shipboard power system during reconfiguration. Since no real time operation data was available, the problem was studied through the simulation of reconfiguration scenarios on a scaled-down computer model of an IPS in MATLAB. Reconfiguration scenarios were determined and staged, and an AC/DC power system stability assessment methodology was applied by decoupling the IPS test system around an intrazonal bus. The coupled system of the test IPS, consisted of two dynamic 4160 VAC generators, two rectifiers, two DC-DC converters between the rectifiers' output looped bus and the downstream intrazonal 775V busses, inverters, buck converters, AC loads and DC loads. There was modeling of excitation perturbations which introduced errors in the assessment of the stability requiring an approximation analysis. The study found that the DC bus of interest was stable for all nine reconfiguration scenarios staged, but it found that other busses were not stable for two of the scenarios. The study further found that lower stability margins occurred at lower frequencies of about 1Hz for stable scenarios. It concluded that there were tangible benefits to advancing the shipboard power system architecture to the IPS topology because of the good stability results.

The survivability concerns the service continuity when the components of a system are damaged. This concept is especially useful in the emergency management of the system, as often emergencies involve accidents or incident disasters which more or less damage the system. The overall objective of this thesis study is to develop a quantitative management approach to the emergency management of a wireless cellular telecommunication system in light of its service continuity in emergency situations namely the survivability of the system. A particular wireless cellular telecommunication system, WCDMA, is taken as an example to ground this research.<p>The thesis proposes an ontology-based paradigm for service management such that the management system contains three models: (1) the work domain model, (2) the dynamic model, and (3) the reconfiguration model. A powerful work domain modeling tool called Function-Behavior-Structure (FBS) is employed for developing the work domain model of the WCDMA system. Petri-Net theory, as well as its formalization, is applied to develop the dynamic model of the WCDMA system. A concept in engineering design called the general and specific function concept is applied to develop a new approach to system reconfiguration for the high survivability of the system. These models are implemented along with a user-interface which can be used by emergency management personnel. A demonstration of the effectiveness of this study approach is included.<p>There are a couple of contributions with this thesis study. First, the proposed approach can be added to contemporary telecommunication management systems. Second, the Petri Net model of the WCDMA system is more comprehensive than any dynamic model of the telecommunication systems in literature. Furthermore, this model can be extended to any other telecommunication system. Third, the proposed system reconfiguration approach, based on the general and specific function concept, offers a unique way for the survivability of any service provider system.<p>In conclusion, the ontology-based paradigm for a service system management provides a total solution to service continuity as well as its emergency management. This paradigm makes the complex mathematical modeling of the system transparent to the manager or managerial personnel and provides a feasible scenario of the human-in-the-loop management.

Large service systems today are of highly network structures. In this thesis, these large service systems are called networked service systems. The network nature of these systems has no doubt brought mass customized services but has also created challenges in the management of their safety. The safety of service systems is an important issue due to their critical influences on the functioning of society. Traditional safety engineering methods focus on maintaining service systems in a safe state, in particular aiming to maintain systems to be reliable and robust. However, resilience cannot be absent from safety out of many recent disasters that occur in society. The goal of this thesis is to improve the resilience of networked service systems. Four major works have been performed to achieve this goal. First, a unified definition of service systems was proposed and its relationship to other system concepts was unfolded. Upon the new definition, a domain model of service systems was established by a FCBPSS framework, followed by developing a computational model. Second, a definition of resilience for service systems was proposed, based on which the relationship among three safety properties (i.e., reliability, robustness and resilience) was clarified, followed by developing a framework for resilience analysis. Third, a methodology of resilience measurement for service systems was proposed by four measurement axioms along with corresponding mathematical models. The methodology focused on the potential ability of a service system to create optimal rebalancing solutions. Two typical service systems, transportation system and enterprise information system, were employed to validate the methodology. Fourth, a methodology of enhancing resilience for service systems was proposed by integrating three types of reconfigurations of systems, namely design, planning and management, along with the corresponding mathematical model. This methodology was validated by an example of transportation system. Several conclusions can be drawn from the work above: (1) a service system has a unique characteristic that it meets humans' demand directly, and its safety relies on the balance between the supplies and demands; (2) different from reliability and robustness, the resilience of a service system focuses on the rebalancing ability from imbalanced situations; (3) it makes sense to measure the resilience of a service system only for a particular imbalanced situation and based on evaluation of rebalancing solutions; and (4) integration of design, planning and management is an effective approach for improvement of the resilience for a service system. The contributions of this thesis can be summarized. Scientifically, this thesis work has improved our understanding of service systems and their resilience property; furthermore, this work has advanced the state of knowledge of safety science in particular having successfully responded to two questions: is a service system safe and how to make a service system safer? Technologically or methodologically, the work has advanced the knowledge for modeling and optimization of networked service systems in particular with multiple layer models along with the algorithms for integrated decision making on design, planning, and management.