<p>Abstract: Previous research on the Viking Age trade centre of Birka has suggested the parallel use of two harmonising standard weight units, differing in mass by five percent. As an explanation to this phenomenon, this paper puts forward a hypothesis of a trading fee, embedded in the weights. This is corroborated through a hypothetical deductive study; including a reassertion of earlier results by means of a new method for archaeometrological analysis, using a 3D scanner and Computer-Aided Design. Further, the role of silver, as a preferred unit of payment in Birka, is supported through a spatial analysis of the distribution of Islamic coins and Oriental beads in the provinces of Middle Sweden. Plausible manufacturing sites for the cylindrical lead weights, adhering to the Birka mitqal, are discussed as a possible way of falsifying the hypothesis. The results suggest that a trading fee was extracted, using the Birka mitqal for imports and the Islamic mitqal for exports. The metrological analysis was also expanded to weights from Sigtuna, which proved the Birka mitqal, as well the dual metrics system, continued to be in use there until, at least, the first half of the 11^th century. Finally, a short study on the origins of the Scandinavian/Islamic weight system suggests that the direct influence for the system primarily can be attributed the Volga-Bulgarians.</p>

Abstract: Previous research on the Viking Age trade centre of Birka has suggested the parallel use of two harmonising standard weight units, differing in mass by five percent. As an explanation to this phenomenon, this paper puts forward a hypothesis of a trading fee, embedded in the weights. This is corroborated through a hypothetical deductive study; including a reassertion of earlier results by means of a new method for archaeometrological analysis, using a 3D scanner and Computer-Aided Design. Further, the role of silver, as a preferred unit of payment in Birka, is supported through a spatial analysis of the distribution of Islamic coins and Oriental beads in the provinces of Middle Sweden. Plausible manufacturing sites for the cylindrical lead weights, adhering to the Birka mitqal, are discussed as a possible way of falsifying the hypothesis. The results suggest that a trading fee was extracted, using the Birka mitqal for imports and the Islamic mitqal for exports. The metrological analysis was also expanded to weights from Sigtuna, which proved the Birka mitqal, as well the dual metrics system, continued to be in use there until, at least, the first half of the 11th century. Finally, a short study on the origins of the Scandinavian/Islamic weight system suggests that the direct influence for the system primarily can be attributed the Volga-Bulgarians.

This research addresses and illuminates a little understood region of miscible polymer mixtures and demonstrates a new means of separating wax from such blends. The method, termed Deformation Induced Phase Segregation potentially eliminates need of toxic processing solvents for wax removal or recovery in these types of blends. Previous theories of polymer combinations address them exclusively as solutions or as blends, two independent classes having very different behaviors. This study provides bridge connecting these two classes by identifying crossover points between them and the behaviors exhibited therein. The blends of this form were found to be semi-miscible, forming a homogenous phase in the melt but a two-phase system in the solid, with the rheological behavior influenced by the polymer's molecular weight and architecture. It also demonstrates practical promise of this regime by introducing a mechanical compression process to separate the wax phase from such a type of blend. This process potentially permits production of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMwPE) films and fibers by melt processing, thereby obviating need of otherwise essential but expensive and environmentally unfriendly toxic solvents.

This thesis aims to predict the probable undiscovered geothermal systems through investigation of spatial relation between geothermal occurrences and its surrounding geological phenomenon in Western Anatolia. In this context, four different public data, which are epicenter map, lineament map, Bouger gravity anomaly and magnetic anomaly maps, are utilized. In order to extract the necessary information for each map layer the raw public data is converted to a synthetic data which are directly used in the analysis. Synthetic data employed during the investigation process include Gutenberg-Richter b-value map, distance to lineaments map and distance to major grabens present in the area. Thus, these three layers including directly used magnetic anomaly maps are combined by means of Boolean logic model and Weights of Evidence method (WofE), which are multicriteria decision methods, in a Geographical Information System (GIS) environment. Boolean logic model is based on the simple logic of Boolean operators, while the WofE model depends on the Bayesian probability. Both of the methods use binary maps for their analysis. Thus, the binary map classification is the key point of the analysis. In this study three different binary map classification techniques are applied and thus three output maps were obtained for each of the method. The all resultant maps are evaluated within and among the methods by means of success indices. The findings reveal that the WofE method is better predictor than the Boolean logic model and that the third binarization approach, which is named as optimization procedure in this study, is the best estimator of binary classes due to obtained success indices. Finally, three output maps of each method are combined and the favorable areas in terms of geothermal potential are produced. According to the final maps the potential sites appear to be Aydin, Denizli and Manisa, of which first two have been greatly explored and exploited since today and thus not surprisingly found as potential in the output maps, while Manisa when compared to first two is nearly virgin.

我們以公平頻寬配置考慮網路上多重等級與多重服務品質的效用函數， 利用權重效用函數提出兩種數學最佳化模型。 這兩個模型的目標都是要尋找權重效用函數總和值的最大值。 本篇論文特別以權重為決策變數， 研究最佳權重的行為模式， 並求得最佳權重分佈公式。 我們發現模型I的總權重效用只看重某個效用值最大的等級， 完全忽略其他效用值較小的等級； 即最大效用函數的最佳權重為1，其他效用較小的最佳權重為0。 在最佳化過程中， 模型II的數值資料呈現出最佳權重架構為：最佳權重中的每個權重均相等，且總和為1。 我們隨後證明這些結果，並利用GAMS軟體來呈現數值資料。 / We propose two mathematical models with weighted utility functions for the fair bandwidth allocation and QoS routing in communication networks which offer multiple services for several classes of users. The formulation and numerical experiments are carried out in a general utility-maximizing framework. In this work, instead of being fixed, the weight for each utility function is taken as a free variable. The objective of this thesis is to find the structure of optimal weights that maximize the weighted sum of utilities of the bandwidth allocation for each class. We solve it by proposing two models in terms of fairness. Model I and II are constructed to compare different choices for optimal weights. For Model I, the structure of optimal weights form a vector which consists of one for a class and zero otherwise. For Model II, the form of optimal weights is that each weight of utility function is equally assigned. The results are proved and illustrated by software GAMS numerically.

The research undertaken in this dissertation was designed to explore how the institutionalized social inequalities in prehistoric Woodland society are reflected in the differences in the procurement, in the life history, and the final discard locations of the flaked chert stone tools from the Crystal River site (8CI1). The Woodland period (1000 BC to AD 1000) was a time of both stability and change in Native American society. Many of the core institutions such as subsistence, hunting and ceramic technology, and residence remained relatively constant while religious and political institutions underwent dramatic changes. This study focuses on how these social inequalities were manifested in the chipped stone tool assemblage from this site. The Crystal River site is an Early to Middle Woodland-period mound complex located in coastal Citrus County, Florida. Dedicated as a National Historic Landmark site in 1991, the Crystal River site is internationally known and respected. Despite extensive work at the site conducted by Bullen and others during the 1940-60s, little was actually published about the material remains excavated from the site. Work resumed on the site in the 1980s and has continued as required by park maintenance and repair issues. Since 2007, remote sensing and other non-invasive technologies have been employed to advance research further at the site. This research returned to the flaked stone materials recovered during the periods 1903-1964 and 1984-2001 to illuminate site activities better without additional ground-disturbing activities. Multiple techniques were employed to develop the data sets that were used to investigate the research questions addressed in this study. The GIS-based weights-of-evidence procedure was used to predict the locations of chert outcrops within a 50 km study area. This model validated the existing quarry cluster method of determining the provenience of Florida cherts. A cost-path analysis was used to identify those chert sources that would have been most accessible to the site's inhabitants. These techniques defined a series of coastal chert outcrops that form the newly-proposed New Coastal quarry cluster. A chaîne opératoire or operational sequence approach was adopted for the analysis of the chipped stone assemblage. A waste flake analysis, a hafted biface classification, and a raw material provenience classification were conducted for all flaked-stone materials. Use-wear determinations were made using both low-power (10-70x) and high-power (50-400x) magnification analysis techniques. A life history approach was taken to the hafted biface assemblage and hafted biface retouch index (HRI) values were determined for all hafted bfaces and biface fragments. The provenience analysis demonstrated that the majority of the chert used by the inhabitants of Crystal River came from outcrops and quarries south of the site along the coastal marshes and the western margins of the Brooksville Ridge. These resources are all within a short canoe trip from the site. Two life history trajectories are suggested for the chipped stone tools from Crystal River. The majority of the chert was obtained from local sources. The second life history was defined for a small subset of the hafted bifaces that were transported from quarries located outside the core subsistence catchment of Crystal River site. Four research hypotheses were developed to test propositions related to the ways in which institutionalized social inequalities are reflected in the patterning of the chipped stone artifact assemblage at the Crystal River site. Although only some of these hypotheses were supported, the results of this investigation do support much of the research that has previously been conducted with the lithic assemblages from Woodland mound complexes in Florida. Chert acquisition is heavily reliant on local lithic sources. Chert procurement appears to be embedded in the collection of other resources. Stone tool use at the site follows the typical expedient flake tool/local raw material pattern that has been documented for other Middle Woodland sites in the region. There was no evidence to suggest that thermal alteration was used to enhance the quality of either the local cherts or those brought to the site from more distant sources. The analysis identified two distinct life histories for at least part of the stone tool assemblage. Many of the hafted bifaces, formed tools and flake tools recovered from the site were made from local cherts. These tool where likely made, used, and discarded at Crystal River. Some of the hafted bifaces and flake cores were made from cherts found on the outer edges of the 50 km study area defined for this investigation. These items were brought to the Crystal River site, used, resharpened, and broken in transit, and finally replaced by new tools at the site. The broken fragments of these tools were discarded in the midden debris to eventually become part of the archaeological record from this now-famous site.

No description available.

In this study, we consider the Operational Fixed Job Scheduling Problem on identical parallel machines. The problem is to select a subset of jobs for processing among a set of available jobs with fixed arrival times and deadlines, so as to maximize the total weight. We analyze the problem under three environments: Working time constraints, Spread time constraints, and Machine dependent job weights. We show that machine eligibility constraints appear as a special case of the last environment. We settle the complexity status of all problems, and show that they are NP-hard in the strong sense and have several polynomially solvable special structures. For all problems, we propose branch and bound algorithms that employ powerful reduction mechanisms and efficient lower and upper bounds. The results of our computational runs reveal that, the algorithms return optimal solutions for problem instances with up to 100 jobs in reasonable solution times.

The aim of this thesis is to compare the theoretical results of evaluation of current accounts with the practical results of the survey. In the theoretical part were described the selected methods of multi-criteria decision analysis, that makes it possible to evaluate current accounts according to several criterias. It was also carried out a survey which aimed to identify whicg current accounts are used by respondents and what are the conditions for their use. In the practical part were a compared of theoretical and practical results. In conclusion are evaluated the best products and compiled an overview of evaluation accounts used by respondents.

BRAZ, Nádia de Melo. Níveis de fibra na ração de crescimento e seus efeitos no desempenho de duas linhagens de poedeiras nas fases de crescimento e postura. 2010. 56 f. : Dissertação (mestrado) - universidade Federal do Ceará, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Departamento de Zootecnia, Fortaleza-CE, 2010 / Submitted by Nádja Goes (nmoraissoares@gmail.com) on 2016-08-09T14:33:25Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_dis_nmbraz.pdf: 397136 bytes, checksum: 132b9c875e3ec92bd018fe2e87934a6e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Nádja Goes (nmoraissoares@gmail.com) on 2016-08-09T14:33:43Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_dis_nmbraz.pdf: 397136 bytes, checksum: 132b9c875e3ec92bd018fe2e87934a6e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-09T14:33:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_dis_nmbraz.pdf: 397136 bytes, checksum: 132b9c875e3ec92bd018fe2e87934a6e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) levels in the diet of two different laying hens strains on the 7 th to the 17 th week of age on the metabolism of dietary energy, development of digestive and reproductive systems and the subsequent effects on sexual maturity, performance and egg quality in laying phase. A total of 1,296 pullets were used and distributed in a completely randomized design in 2 x 3 factorial arrangement (two strains X 3 NDF levels) with four replicates of 54 birds per treatment. Two laying hens strains, light and semi – heavy – weight were evaluated and NDF levels of 14.5; 16.5 and 18.5% were tested. At the end of the growth phase, the birds were transferred to the laying house, kept at the same experimental design, whit each experimental parcel consisted of 14 birds. There was no significant interaction between factors (NDF levels x strain) on the variables in all phases. In the growth phase, it was observed that the increasing the level of NDF in the diet did not affect the feed intake and organ weights of the reproductive system, however, decreased weight gain and average weight of birds at the end of phase growth, increased feed conversion, reduced of metabolizable energy of the dietary and increase the relative weight of the intestines. In the laying period, it was observed that increasing levels of NDF received by the birds in the growth phase did not affect significantly the variables of performance, the constituents and quality of the eggs. During the growth of the brown birds it was observed that they had higher feed intake, greater weight gain and final body weights, feed conversion, increased relative weight of gizzard, increased weight of the contents of the gizzard and intestines, reduced relative liver weight and ovarian than light birds. In the laying period, birds were precocious, had lower weight and egg mass, lower feed conversion, eggs with a higher proportion of yolk, reduced proportion of albumen, higher specific gravity and lower Haugh units. We conclude that, in spite of lineage, the increased level of NDF in the diets offered to the chickens during 7 th to the 17 th weeks of age until the level of 18.5% may influence the metabolizable energy of the dietary and the development and performance of broilers, resulting in raising pullets weighed less at the end of the growth phase, and these effects do not influence age at sexual maturity, performance and quality of eggs from the birds at the production stage. / A presente pesquisa teve como objetivos avaliar os efeitos dos níveis de fibra em detergente neutro (FDN) das rações oferecidas para as frangas na fase de 7 a 17 semanas de idade sobre o desempenho, metabolização da energia da ração, desenvolvimento dos sistemas digestório e reprodutor de duas linhagens de poedeiras comerciais, bem como os efeitos subseqüentes na maturidade sexual, no desempenho e na qualidade dos ovos na fase de postura. Inicialmente 1.296 aves foram distribuídas em um delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 3 x 2 (três níveis de FDN x duas linhagens), com quatro repetições de 54 aves. Foram testados os níveis de 14,5, 16,5, 18,5% de FDN para aves de uma linhagem de poedeiras leve e uma semipesada. Ao final da fase de crescimento, as aves foram transferidas para o galpão de postura, mantendo-se o mesmo delineamento experimental, sendo cada parcela experimental composta por 14 aves. Não houve interação significativa entre os fatores (níveis de FDN x linhagem) sobre as variáveis avaliadas em todas as fases experimentais. Na fase de crescimento, observou-se que o aumento do nível de FDN na ração não influenciou significativamente o consumo de ração e o peso relativo dos órgãos do sistema reprodutor, entretanto, promoveu redução no ganho de peso e peso médio das aves ao final da fase de crescimento, piora na conversão alimentar, redução na metabolização da energia da ração e aumento do peso relativo dos intestinos. Na fase de postura, observou-se que os níveis crescentes de FDN recebido pelas aves na fase de crescimento não influenciaram significativamente as variáveis de desempenho e os constituintes e a qualidade dos ovos. Em relação às linhagens, observou-se que na fase de crescimento as aves semipesadas apresentaram maior consumo de ração, maior ganho de peso e peso médio final, melhor conversão alimentar, maior peso relativo da moela, maior peso dos conteúdos da moela e dos intestinos, menor peso relativo do fígado e do ovário que as aves leves. Na fase de postura, as aves leves foram mais precoces, apresentaram menor peso e massa de ovos, pior conversão alimentar, ovos com maior proporção de gema, menores proporção de albúmen, maiores valores de densidade específica e menores valores de unidades Haugh. Conclui-se que, independente da linhagem, o aumento do nível de FDN nas rações oferecidas para as frangas na fase de 7 a 17 semanas de idade até 18,5% pode influenciar na metabolização da energia da ração e no desenvolvimento e desempenho das aves, resultando na obtenção de frangas menos pesadas ao final da fase de crescimento, sendo que esses efeitos não influenciam na maturidade sexual, no desempenho e na qualidade dos ovos dessas aves na fase de produção.