Background: The implicit nature of social media information brings many advantages to realistic sentiment analysis applications. Sentiment Analysis is the process of extracting opinions and emotions from data. As a research topic, sentiment analysis of Twitter data has received much attention in recent years. In this study, we have built a model to perform sentiment analysis to classify the sentiments expressed in the Twitter dataset based on the public tweets to raise awareness of the public's concerns by training the models. Objectives: The main goal of this thesis is to develop a model to perform a sentiment analysis on the Twitter data regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and find out the sentiment’s polarity from the data to show the distribution of the sentiments as following: positive, negative, and neutral. A literature study and an experiment are set to identify a suitable approach to develop such a model. Time-series analysis performed to obtain daily sentiments over the timeline series and daily trend analysis with events associated with the particular dates. Method: A Systematic Literature Review is performed to identify the most suitable approach to accomplish the sentiment analysis on the COVID-19 vaccine. Then, through the literature study results, an experimental model is developed to distribute the sentiments on the analyzed data and identify the daily sentiments over the timeline series. Result: A VADER is identified from the Literature study, which is the best suitable approach to perform the sentiment analysis. The KDE distribution is determined for each sentiment as obtained by the VADER Sentiment Analyzer. Daily sentiments over the timeline series are generated to identify the trend analysis on Twitter data of the COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusion: This research aims to identify the best-suited approach for sentiment analysis on Twitter data concerning the selected dataset through the study of results. The VADER model prompts optimal results among the sentiments polarity score for the sentiment analysis of Twitter data regarding the selected dataset. The time-series analysis shows how daily sentiments are fluctuant and the daily counts. Seasonal decomposition outcomes speak about how the world is reacting towards the current COVID-19 situation and daily trend analysis elaborates on the everyday sentiments of people.

A double case study applying action research methodology was conducted in two pharmaceutical preparation manufacturers in the Netherlands to improve their manufacturing systems by implementing time-based manufacturing (TBM) practices. Following the diagnosis phase, the situation of each Company was analysed and suitable improvement interventions were selected for implementation in the Case Companies. At the end of the action research project, semi-structured interviews were taken in each Company a year later, and the achieved results of the improvement programmes were collected and analysed. This research extends the existing theory of time-based competition and demonstrates that TBM practices apply also in the pharmaceutical preparation manufacturing industry. Furthermore, this study shows how to improve TBM practices and reduce the throughput time by providing the route for improvement and implementation. Although the first Case Company did not improve the core TBM practices and manufacturing performance, its infrastructure improved through the implementation of an ERP system and further enhancement of its quality management system, illustrating that the design of the infrastructure is a key factor to become a time-based competitor. The second Case Company succeeded to improve the 2 TBM practices and throughput processes resulting in the reduction of the order cycle time and increase of the delivery dependability. Based on the data of the two Case Companies, this study demonstrated the relationship between these two manufacturing performance parameters, which indicates that manufacturers may strive for both delivery speed and delivery reliability using the same improvement plan. Adopting TBM is a long journey of many years and needs a continuous improvement infrastructure.

Background: Technological advancements in speech acoustic analysis have led to the development of spectral/cepstral analyses due to questions regarding the validity of traditional time-based measures (i.e., Jitter, Shimmer, and Harmonics-to-Noise-Ratio) in objectifying perturbations in dysphonic voices. Aim: This study investigated the validity of time-based measures in discriminating those with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) from normal voiced (NV) peers when compared to cepstral-spectral measures. Method: A total of 120 sustained vowel phonations from an existing database of 40 participants (20 FA; 20 NV) of the vowels /ɑ/, /i/, and /o/ were analyzed to determine which set of variables (i.e., time-based vs. cepstral-spectral) better predicted group membership. Four variables of time-based measures (Jitter Local %, Jitter RAP, Shimmer Local %, Shimmer APQ11, and HNR) were analyzed via the freeware program PRAAT and compared to four cepstral-spectral measures (Cepstral Peak Prominence, Cepstral Peak Prominence Standard Deviation, Low/High Ratio Standard Deviation, and the Cepstral/ Spectral Index of Dysphonia) extracted from the Analysis of Dysphonia in Speech and Voice (ADSV) software program. Results: Findings from a discriminant analysis showed sensitivity and specificity results to be better for ADSV measures; 100% of those in the FA group were classified correctly (sensitivity), and 95% of members in the NV group were correctly identified (specificity) as compared to PRAAT (70% sensitivity and 85% specificity). Conclusions: Cepstral-spectral measures are much more accurate in discriminating between those with FA and NV peers as compared to time-based estimates.

No description available.

No description available.

Time-based reform proposals are founded on the assumption that more time in school will produce great learning outcomes. Research shows that when schools adopt time-based reform initiatives, there are certain considerations that they should make and methods they should follow to ensure the change produces the outcomes intended. This was not the case in a local Archdiocese where a calendar extension was adopted by several elementary schools. This qualitative case study focused on the adoption of a calendar extension at one Catholic elementary school. The researcher gathered data from the pastor, principal, teachers, parents, and students to determine how these stakeholders envisioned the outcomes of this change, how they perceived the time was being used for curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular purposes, and the challenges and opportunities that they felt existed after three years of implementation. Data collected over a four-month period included classroom observations, stakeholder interviews, focus group meetings, and document analysis. An inductive analysis of the data collected was used to determine emergent themes and domains within the school. The seven themes that emerged include: decision making, planning and implementation, advantages, financial motivations, the culture of teaching, leadership, challenges and complications of the extended calendar. Recommendations include the need for school leaders to familiarize themselves with change management techniques including setting a shared vision, establishing a collaborative implementation plan, and developing a system of assessment prior to embarking on school reform.

Syfte - Syftet med denna studie är att bidra med kunskap gällande kostnadskalkylering vid volymvariation. För att uppnå syftet bröts det ner i följande två frågeställningar. [1] Vilka kostnader kan identifieras i operationsenheter? [2] Hur bör en kostnadskalkyl utformas för operationsenheter vid volymvariation? Metod och genomförande - Under studiens gång har en fallstudie bedrivits för att anskaffa empiri och en litteraturstudie för att anskaffa teori. I fallstudien användes observationer, intervjuer och dokumentstudier för insamling av empiri. Den insamlade empirin analyserades tillsammans med teori för att besvara studiens frågeställningar och på så sätt uppfylla syftet. Resultat - Studiens resultat identifierar de kostnader som uppstod i det studerade området samt en kalkylmodell som kan hantera volymvariation. Kostnaderna förklaras med hjälp av de aktiviteter i tillverkningen där de uppstod, vilket är resultatet på den första frågeställningen. För att besvara den andra frågeställningen har olika kostnadskalkylmodeller analyserats för att undersöka deras styrkor och svagheter vid volymvariation. Genom analysen framkom olika egenskaper en kostnadskalkyl borde ha för att hantera volymvariation. Dessa egenskaper har format studiens kalkylmodell och gett den de egenskaper som en kostnadskalkyl vid volymvariation borde ha. Studiens kalkylmodell jämfördes sedan med självkostnadskalkyl för att tydliggöra resultatet. Implikationer - Resultatets implikationer är både teoretiska och praktiska då resultatet påverkar praktiken men även utökar teorin inom kalkylering vid volymvariation. De praktiska implikationerna är den påverkan resultatet har på utförandet av kostnadskalkylering vid volymvariation. Till skillnad från rapportens praktiska implikationer så går de teoretiska implikationer åt båda håll då teorin påverkat studiens riktning men även då resultatet påverkar teorin. Resultatet påvisar att kalkylmodeller inom volymvariation är bristfälliga vilket leder till at de kan ifrågasättas och vidare forskning behövs för att komplettera eller utveckla dessa. Vidare forskning - Studiens resultat är grundat på en fallstudie av enfalls karaktär vilket sänker resultatets generaliserbarhet. Vidare studier för att stärka generaliserbarheten kan genomföras med en flerfallstudie. Studiens kalkylmodell har inte testats i praktiken så vidare studier kan bedrivas genom att praktiskt implementera rapportens resultat. Begränsningar - Den bedrivna fallstudien var en enfallsstudie vilket betyder att endast ett företag studerades. För att öka generaliserbarheten kunde fallstudien bedrivits på fler företag med olika förutsättningar. / Purpose - The purpose is to contribute with knowledge regarding cost calculations during variating lot quantity. To achieve the purpose, it was broken down to two questions that are presented below. [1] Which costs can be identified in manufacturing units? [2] How should product costing be constructed to handle variety in lot quantity? Method and implementations - During the study a case study have been conducted to gather empirical data and a literature study to gather theories. In the case study we used observations, interviews and document study to gather empirical data. Collected empirical data was analyzed against theory to answer the studies questionnaire and through that achieve the purpose. Result - The result consists of the identified costs in the studied field and a model for costing that can handle variation in lot quantity. The costs are explained with help of the activity in the production where it arose, which is the result of the first question. To answer the second question, different models for cost accounting have been analyzed to identify their strengths and weaknesses in regard of variating lot quantity. During the analysis different characteristics was identified that cost calculations should include to handle variating lot quantity. These characteristics have formed the developed model and given it the characteristics a model for cost calculations should have when calculating with variating lot quantity. The model was compared with self-costing to make the result clearer. Implications - The results implications are both theoretical and practical since the result affects the practice and extend the theories regarding costing with variating lot quantity. The practical implications are the impact on the way cost calculations are performed with variating lot quantity. Unlike the practical implications the theoretical are going both ways as theory have affected the result and the result are affecting the theory. The result is showing that today’s way of cost calculation is deficient when handling variation in lot quantity, which leads to questioning of the established theories and further research is needed for complementing or developing. Further research - The reports result is founded on a case study with a single case which lower the results generalizability. Further research to strengthen generalizability can be conducted with a case study that have multiple cases. The result hasn’t been tested in the practice so further research can be performed with practical implementation of the reports result. Limitations - The case study was of single case characteristic which mean that one company was studied. To increase the level of generalizability the case study could have been conducted at multiple businesses with different conditions.

Desde que foi introduzida por Tswett no começo do século XX, a cromatografia vem sofrendo contínuos avanços. Entretanto, a miniaturização da cromatografia líquida, apesar de seu inicio promissor, ainda continua bastante lenta e até o presente não alcançou ampla difusão, sendo que o número de grupos trabalhando nesta área é ainda bastante restrito. O motivo deste lento avanço se encontrava na dificuldade em se desenvolver equipamentos adequados, colunas apropriadas e sistemas de tratamento de dados suficientemente rápidos para os sistemas miniaturizados. Apesar de muitos desses problemas atualmente serem de fácil resolução, ainda não se dispõe de equipamentos comercialmente disponíveis que supram satisfatoriamente às condições impostas pelas micro-colunas. Tal carência deve ser suprida antes de nos beneficiarmos de todas as vantagens intrínsecas à miniaturização da cromatografia líquida. Deste modo, o presente projeto visa o desenvolvimento de instrumentação totalmente dedicada aos sistemas miniaturizados de cromatografia líquida incluindo o desenvolvimento de uma bomba de alta pressão, um sistema de injeção a base de tempo, um forno capaz de realizar programação de temperatura e o software de controle dos mesmos. Os equipamentos desenvolvidos foram então aplicados em separações de estatinas demonstrando um excelente desempenho. / Since the chromatography was introduced by Tswett, in the beginning of the 20th century, the technique has suffered a constant progress. However, the miniaturization of liquid chromatography, instead of its promising start, it is still too slow and this technique has not reached a wide divulgation so far. It is important to mention that the number of groups working in this area is very limited yet. The reason of this slow progress was due to the difficulty in developing suitable equipments, appropriated columns and data treatment systems that are quick enough for the miniaturized systems. Currently, many of these problems are easy to be solved, however, there are no equipments available commercially that supply the conditions imposed by microcolumns satisfactorily. Such lack should be filled before benefiting from all the advantages concerned to the miniaturization of liquid chromatography. In this way, this study aims at the development of instrumentation totally dedicated to the miniaturized systems of liquid chromatography, including the development of a high pressure pump, an time-based injector, an oven that sets the temperature programming and the software that can control all these devices. The developed equipments were then applied in the separation of statins, demonstrating an excellent performance.

L’objectif majeur de cette thèse de doctorat est d’étudier la pression temporelle afin de mieux appréhender cette notion si familière et pourtant si peu étudiée. A partir de l’observation de l’omniprésence de cette pression temporelle dans notre société et de l’importance de la perception du temps dans nos activités quotidiennes, nous avons choisi de l’examiner à travers son influence sur l’estimation de durées. Pour ce faire, nous avons mis en place une série d’expérimentations : d’abord dans le cadre de la littérature sur l’estimation du temps, utilisant des tâches temporelle d’estimation verbale et de production de durées ; puis dans le cadre de la littérature sur la mémoire prospective, et plus précisément avec des tâches de mémoire prospective basée sur le temps. Notre hypothèse est que la pression temporelle provoque une modification du temps perçu. Les résultats de nos premières expérimentations réalisées avec des tâches temporelles d’estimation verbale et de production de durées révèlent que soumettre des participants à une condition de pression temporelle provoque une distorsion temporelle comparée à une condition sans pression temporelle. Cette distorsion temporelle va dans le sens d’une surestimation des durées. En revanche, aucun effet de la pression temporelle n’a été relevé dans les expérimentations réalisées avec les tâches de mémoire prospective basée sur le temps, si ce n’est sur les performances à la tâche non temporelle, aussi appelée tâche en cours. / This doctoral thesis aims at investigating time pressure to have a better understanding of this so familiar concept and yet so little studied. On the one hand, time pressure is ubiquitous in our occidental society; on the other hand, time perception is essential in our daily activities. Then, we have consciously opted to study time pressure through its effects on time estimation. To this end, we elaborate series of experiments within two different frameworks; time estimation literature with two different tasks (verbal estimation and time production) and prospective memory literature, more precisely with time-based prospective memory tasks. Our assumption is that time pressure leads to a subjective time distortion. The results of our experiments reveal that time pressure causes a temporal distortion when participants have to estimate or produce a duration: in the condition with time pressure they overestimate durations, compared to a condition without time pressure. In contrast, no time pressure effect is revealed on the temporal component of our time-based prospective memory task; but performance on the ongoing task is affected by time pressure.

This project examines contemporary performances that disrupt normative understandings of time/history. I argue that the complimentary regimes of heterosexuality and capitalism produce the temporal logics that create the psychic and material conditions under which U.S. queer subjects experience everyday, national, and transnational trauma. These logics include the construction of time/history as linear, teleological, and progress-oriented, and the idealized citizen as similarly straight, productive, and amnesic. I then analyze the ways in which queer performance can resist and transform chrono-normativity by creating "time slips": worlds in which past and present are given permission to touch; history/memory to repeat; and the future to reside in the now. Case studies include Ann Carlson and Mary Ellen Strom's Geyser Land (2003); floodlines (2004-2010), which I conceived and directed; and Peggy Shaw and The Clod Ensemble's Must: The Inside Story (2011). I situate my analysis against the backdrop of a post-9/11 security state that makes these performative disruptions particularly vital at this historical moment. / text