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1
Curtis, Samuel A. "Disruptions love company| Investigating flow disruption clusters in robotic surgery." Thesis, California State University, Long Beach, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10253646.
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Assessment of the safety and efficiency of new technologies in the operating room (OR) is critical, as an increasing number of technologies are adopted every year. An effective metric in system performance in the OR is the measurement of flow disruptions (FDs), defined as any deviation from the natural progression of a surgery. This current study concerns the prevalence of the FD cluster; defined as the occurrence of at least five successive FDs in a given period of time (1-10 minutes), across 89 robotic surgeries. The analysis examined 1) the extent of five FDs occurring in a given period of time (1-10 minute interval), 2) whether FDs are more likely to occur in a cluster than in isolation, 3) the Cluster Rate per case (cluster events per case/ surgery duration), 4) whether contextual factors (e.g., surgeon experience) share a relationship with the cluster event, 5) the relationship between FDs in clusters, 6) if particular FDs occur in clusters more than others, 7) whether certain types of FDs are more likely to lead to a cluster event. Clusters were found in 38/89 of the cases examined establishing their existence and regularity in robotic surgery. A clusters structure is generally composed of the most frequently observed flow disruptions in that particular case. The rate at which clusters occurred across surgeries could be partially explained by Communication, Training, and Patient Factor FDs. The current study expands the understanding of systematic FD clustering and provides a framework for future research on this topic.
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Zilberman, Jack. "Digital Disruption." Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC), 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10757/624025.
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Zilberman, Jack. "Innovacion digital disruption." Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC), 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10757/622063.
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Kleinig, Andrew Royce. "Cell disruption mechanics /." Title page, summary and table of contents only, 1997. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phk64.pdf.
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Buchta, Christian, David Meyer, Andreas Mild, Alexander Pfister, and Alfred Taudes. "The Emergence of Disruption." SFB Adaptive Information Systems and Modelling in Economics and Management Science, WU Vienna University of Economics and Business, 2002. http://epub.wu.ac.at/1476/1/document.pdf.
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We study the influence of technological efficiency and organizational inertia on the emergence of competition when firms decide myopically. Using an agent-based computer simulation model, we observe the competitive reaction of a former monopolist to the advent of a new competitor. While the entrant uses a new technology, the monopolist is free either to stick to his former technology or to switch to the new one. We find that?irrespective of details regarding the demand side?a change of industry leadership occurs only if the new (?disruptive?) technology is not too efficient and organizations are inert. (author's abstract)Series: Working Papers SFB "Adaptive Information Systems and Modelling in Economics and Management Science"
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Ashworth, Geoffrey (Geoffrey John). "Architectural disruption in aerospace." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/55202.
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Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2009.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 70-71).
Distinctive technology and customer / supplier relationships are currently the primary sources of competitive advantage in the Aerospace industry. Modular Open System Architecture (MOSA) requirements represent a significant disruption to this mode of competition. The United States Department of Defense intends to accelerate the rate of aerospace innovation and inject additional competitiveness into the procurement process through the modularization of its products and effective intellectual property management. This combination of architectural disruption and new customer capabilities has the potential to reduce the industry's opportunity to capture value from innovative technologies or a position as first supplier. Historical examples such as Polaroid and IBM demonstrate the organizational paralysis that often results from disruptions in product architecture. The competitive formula becomes ingrained in the processes, resources, and culture of mature companies and is no longer explicit knowledge, which limits the company's ability to develop the capabilities required to compete in its new environment. Competing in a MOSA environment will require the development of new organizational capabilities such as rapid experimentation, fighting standards wars, and protecting system-level knowledge. Defining the disruptive threat and the foundations of current core competencies will enable firms to develop the organizational capabilities essential for this shift in competitive context.
(cont.) The author will present several historical examples of architectural disruption, a framework for evaluating the disruptive change, and an identification of organizational anchors that may hinder a particular competitor's ability to respond to MOSA. The goal of the thesis is to start a dialogue within an identified incumbent with in hopes of beginning the organizational transformation required to effectively compete in this new era.
by Geoffrey Ashworth.
S.M.
7
Allenby, Gary. "Chemical disruption of spermatogenesis." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/18841.
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Over the past decade many publications attest to the substantial increase in public and scientific concern regarding the potential of industrial and environmental chemicals to interfere with male reproductive function. Spermatogenesis, (the process of sperm formation) depends on a series of complex biological interactions which can be interrupted at various stages by chemical insult. Recently a number of these chemicals have been used experimentally to directly disrupt testicular function to provide an insight into the processes involved in normal spermatogenesis. Based on these investigations the primary objective of the work in this thesis was to study the time course of development of testicular lesions, their stage specificity, and subsequent recovery of normal spermatogenesis using morphological and functional characteristics of function in vivo and in vitro. The chemicals used in these studies included meta dinitrobenzene (mDNB), nitrobenzene (NB), the isomers of mononitrotoluene (mNT) and 2-methoxyacetic acid (MAA). Within 24h of a single oral administration of mDNB or NB to rats there was a progressive decrease in testicular weight and increase in serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels coincident with widespread germ cell degeneration, as determined by histological examination of the testis. The degree of disruption induced by mDNB and its reversibility were time - but not stage - dependent with a decline in both sperm number and motility in parallel with germ cell degeneration. NB however had a more specific effect causing the initial degeneration of leptotene spermatocytes and subsequently more extensive germ cell loss involving round spermatids at a number of stages. During the recovery of spermatogenesis a considerable change was observed in the frequency of occurrence of spermatogenic stages in comparison to controls. These changes remained significantly different up to at least 70 days post-treatment. The isomers of mNT induced small but statistically significant dose-dependent decreases in testicular weight. Spermatogenesis in these animals remained qualitatively normal, so detailed histological studies were not undertaken. Further investigation into the effects of the testicular toxicants listed above was performed in vitro using Sertoli cell monocultures and Sertoli cell-germ cell co-cultures. mDNB, NB and the isomers of mNT produced dose-dependent increases in germ cell exfoliation (from co-cultures). mDNB and NB also produced histological changes in culture including Sertoli cell vacuolation and phagocytosis of germ cells, and induced dose-dependent increases in the secretion of lactate and pyruvate, two established indices of Sertoli cell function in vitro. Sertoli cells secrete over 100 different proteins, only a handful of which have been characterised and a role in spermatogeneis proposed. One of these proteins is inhibin. The potenial of inhibin secretion as a further index of Sertoli cell function (or dysfunction) in monocultures and co-cultures has been investigated. mDNB, NB, 2-mNT and 3-mNT all induced dose-dependent alterations in the secretion of inhibin in vitro. Historically, FSH has been postulated to control inhibin secretion in a classical negative feedback manner. Recent evidence obtained in vivo and in co-culture suggests that its secretion may be controlled by specific type(s) of germ cells. Seminiferous tubule cultures represent a potentially more useful culture system to investigate this further. They present a unique opportunity to study Sertoli cell-germ cell interactions under more physiological conditions since the integrity of the seminiferous epithelium is maintained in vitro. Previous investigators have demonstrated that MAA specifically destroys pachytene spematocytes in vivoand this specificity of action was utilised to study which germ cel-Sertoli cell interactions control the secretion of inhibin. At selected times after MAA treatment when specific complements of germ cells were absent or grossly depleted, seminiferous tubules were isolated and cultured to measure inhibin secretion under basal or stimulated conditions. The results demonstrate that elongate spematids are the primary germ cell type which exerts major control over inhibin secretion under both basal and FSH-stimulated conditions. In conclusion, these studies demonstrate: Firstly that these compounds can be used as a means to investigate normal spermatogenesis. Secondly, effects of these compounds on spermatogenesis can be demonstrated both in vivo and in vitro. Finally, that the seminiferous tubule culture technique represents a more physiological approach with which to investigate in vivo - in vitro comparative toxicity with respect to chemically induced disruption of spermatogenesis.
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Adcock, Christina Annie Lee. "The emotional effects of disruption." Thesis, Texas A&M University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/1116.
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Disruption is something that we must negotiate as part of our everyday lives. The context of disruption can vary in nature from being positive to being negative in nature. However, the emotional effects of the disruption have not been investigated in the social psychological literature. This study utilizes structuralized ritualization affect theory of social exchange, attribution theory, and the theory of relational cohesion in order to investigate the effects of disruption on the overall positive emotion of the actors involved and their feelings of cohesiveness with regard to their group.
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Kean, Van Alexander. "The Petroleum Disruption Response System." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/41502.
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The petroleum disruptions experienced in 1973 and 1979
demonstrated to the Department of Defense (DoD) that, for
numerous reasons, the normal support for DoD requirements
could rapidly deteriorate. Crude oil shortages caused DoD's
historical supplier to prorate or completely cease deliveries
under existing contracts, and it became difficult for the
Defense Fuel Supply Center (DFSC) to secure replacement or
follow-on contracts for fuels. In order to sustain necessary
peacetime activities, the services were forced to dip into the
war reserves. The effect was a decrease in the wartime
sustainability of our forces until the war reserves were
reconstituted.
As a result of DoD "Supply Assurance" initiatives prompted by the 1979 disruption, numerous policy options have been developed to help the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) more effectively deal with future shortage situations. The key to avoiding the problems of 1973 and 1979 is early identification of shortage situations and selection of appropriate policy options designed to ensure a steady supply of military fuels during energy emergencies.
The Petroleum Disruption Response System (PDRS) is a decision support system designed to assist DFSC energy analysts and planners in preparing recommendations for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (OASD) energy policy staff on appropriate policy options to ensure adequate petroleum supplies for the national defense.
This paper contains a conceptual model of PDRS that is
based on a network optimization distribution model. The model would optimize the resupply distribution network in terms of
minimum cost solution.
Master of Science
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Topacio, Tracey Karen B. "Circadian Disruption, Diet, and Exercise." Kent State University / OhioLINK, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1382122230.
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Gray, James. "Classroom disruption and social skills." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1987. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.711592.
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Kollmeier, Juna Ariele. "The intergalactic medium absorption, emission, disruption /." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1153856075.
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Jun, Hyewon. "Power Management in Disruption Tolerant Networks." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/19879.
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Disruption Tolerant Networks (DTNs) are mobile wireless networks that are designed to work in highly-challenged environments where the density of nodes is insufficient to support direct end-to-end communication. Recent efforts in DTNs have shown that mobility provides a powerful means for delivering messages in such highly-challenging environments. Unfortunately, many mobility scenarios depend on untethered devices with limited energy supplies. Without careful management, depleted energy supplies will degrade network connectivity and counteract the robustness gained by mobility. A primary concern is the energy consumed by wireless communications because the wireless interface is one of the largest energy consumers in mobile devices whether they are actively communicating or just listening. However, mobile devices exhibit a tension between saving energy and providing connectivity through opportunistic encounters. In order to pass messages, the device must discover communication opportunities with other nodes. At the same time, energy can be conserved by ``sleeping,' i.e., turning off or disabling the wireless interfaces. However, if the wireless interface is asleep, the node cannot discover other nodes for communication. Thus, power management in DTNs must balance the discovery of other nodes while aggressively sleeping the radio during the remaining periods.
In this thesis, we first develop a power management framework for a single radio architecture that allows a node to save energy while discovering communication opportunities. The framework is tailored to the available knowledge about network connectivity over time. Further, the framework supports explicit trade-offs between energy savings and connectivity, so network operators can choose, for example, to conserve energy at the cost of reduced message delivery performance. We next examine the possibility of using a hierarchical radio architecture in which nodes are equipped with two complementary radios: a long-range, high-power radio and a short-range, low-power radio. In this architecture, energy can be conserved by using the low-power radio to discover communication opportunities with other nodes and waking the high-power radio to undertake the data transmission. However, the short range of the low-power radio may result in missing communication opportunities. Thus, we develop a generalized power management framework in which both radios support the discovery. In addition, we incorporate the knowledge of traffic load and network dynamics and devise approximation algorithms to control the sleep/wake-up cycling of the radios to provide maximum energy conservation while discovering enough communication opportunities to handle the expected traffic load. Finally, we investigate the Message Ferrying (MF) routing paradigm as a means to save energy while trading off data delivery delay. In MF, special nodes called ferries move around the deployment area to deliver messages for nodes. While this routing paradigm has been developed mainly to deliver messages in partitioned networks, here we explore its use in a connected MANET. The reliance on the movement of the ferries to deliver messages increases the delivery delay if a network is not partitioned. However, delegating message delivery to the ferries provides the opportunity for nodes to save energy by aggressively putting their radios to sleep when ferries are far away. To exploit this feature, we present a power management framework, in which nodes switch their power management modes based on the knowledge of ferry location.
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Hassan, Mohammed Baseem Computer Science & Engineering Faculty of Engineering UNSW. "Managing service disruption in moving networks." Publisher:University of New South Wales. Computer Science & Engineering, 2009. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/43804.
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Deploying networks onboard mass transit vehicles, e.g., trains and buses, and connecting these moving networks to the Internet using cellular or satellite services is seen as a promising technology to meet the broadband demand in the transport sector. This thesis examines the problem of service disruptions in such moving networks and proposes original solutions to manage these disruptions. Service disruption is caused by two main reasons. First, unavailability of wireless resources in the back-haul (e.g., cellular) network may prevent successful handoff of all passenger calls when the moving vehicle leaves the coverage of one radio tower and enters another. Second, the moving network may face frequent network disconnections when the vehicle travels through environments with severe radio coverage, e.g., tunnels. To address service disruption due to back-haul resource unavailability, an advance resource reservation frame work is proposed whereby the deterministic mobility of public transport is exploited to reserve bandwidth at target radio base-stations along the route of the vehicle. The viability of the proposed advance reservation framework is validated by (i) a predictability analysis of resource demand of moving networks using real passenger data, which show that it is possible to predict the demand at an upcoming location based on past data and the passenger count at the current location, and (ii) design of cellular extensions which show that advance reservation not only can be accommodated in existing cellular architectures with minimal modifications, it can also guarantee fast and scalable access to massive reservation data. To quantify the effect of temporary network disconnections on the probability of service disruption, new mathematical models have been developed and validated by computer simulation. Finally, a novel proactive admission control (PAC) approach is proposed to reduce service disruption by rejecting new call requests when the moving network is predicted to experience an imminent network disconnection. Using mathematical modelling, it has been demonstrated that PAC reduces service disruption probability exponentially as a function of the proactive decision time with only a linear increase in the new call blocking probability. Practicality of the PAC approach has been confirmed using empirical data from actual vehicular trips.
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Elcoro, Mirari. "Delayed disruption of temporally controlled behavior." Morgantown, W. Va. : [West Virginia University Libraries], 2008. https://eidr.wvu.edu/etd/documentdata.eTD?documentid=5793.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2008.Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 80 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 73-80).
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姚文禮 and Man-lai Edwin Yiu. "Tonal disruption in Chinese (Cantonese) aphasics." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1989. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31209543.
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DuBoff, Brian Michael. "Disruption of Mitochondrial Dynamics in Tauopathy." Thesis, Harvard University, 2011. http://dissertations.umi.com/gsas.harvard:10021.
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Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized pathologically by proteinaceous aggregates composed primarily of amyloid \(\beta (A \beta)\) and tau. Diseases characterized by abnormal deposition of tau are collectively termed “tauopathies.” \(A \beta\) acts upstream of tau in the AD pathogenesis pathway, but tau expression is required for the neurodegenerative effects of \(A \beta\). Mitochondrial abnormalities have been documented in Alzheimer’s disease and related tauopathies, but the causal relationship between mitochondrial changes and neurodegeneration, as well as specific mechanisms promoting mitochondrial dysfunction, are unclear. Mitochondrial morphology is regulated by fission and fusion events within and between individual mitochondria, and misregulation of this process has been observed in several neurodegenerative diseases. The contribution of mitochondrial dynamics to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease and tauopathy has not yet been determined. We have found that expression of tau promotes elongation of mitochondria in Drosophila and vertebrate neurons. Elongation is followed by mitochondrial dysfunction, aberrant cell cycle reactivation, and cell death, which can be rescued in vivo by genetically restoring the proper balance of mitochondrial fission and fusion. Tau induces mitochondrial elongation by inhibiting mitochondrial localization of DRP1, the primary effector of fission. We have previously demonstrated that direct tau-mediated stabilization of filamentous (F)-actin is critical for neurotoxicity. Here we show that actin stabilization is responsible for the mislocalization of DRP1 following tau expression. Additionally, we identify regulatory roles for F-actin and myosin II in DRP1 localization. Similarly to overexpression of human tau, loss of endogenous Drosophila tau (dtau) induces mitochondrial elongation, but through distinct mechanisms. Expression of human \(A \beta\)in Drosophila induces mitochondrial fragmentation and neuronal toxicity, which are reversed by depletion of dtau. Together, we demonstrate that human disease-associated tau induces neurotoxicity through disruption of mitochondrial dynamics, which can be mediated by enhanced actin stabilization. We also observe a novel role for dtau in the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics, a function critical to the ability of endogenous tau to mediate the effects of \(A \beta\). These findings offer new insights into the contribution of mitochondrial dysfunction to AD and tauopathy, and highlight the emerging role of mitochondrial dynamics in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disease.
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Sun, Hyojung. "Digital disruption in the recording industry." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/23631.
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With the rise of peer-to-peer software like Napster, many predicted that the digitalisation, sharing and dematerialisation of music would bring a radical transformation within the recording industry. This opened up a period of controversy and uncertainty in which competing visions were articulated of technology-induced change, markedly polarised between utopian and dystopian accounts with no clear view of ways forwards. A series of moves followed as various players sought to valorise music on the digital music networks, culminating in an emergence of successful streaming services. This thesis examines why there was a mismatch between initial predictions and what has actually happened in the market. It offers a detailed examination of the innovation processes through which digital technology was implemented and domesticated in the recording industry. This reveals a complex, contradictory and constantly evolving landscape in which the development of digital music distribution was far removed from the smooth development trajectories envisaged by those who saw these developments as following a simple trajectory shaped by technical or economic determinants. The research is based upon qualitative data analysis of fifty five interviews with a wide range of entrepreneurs and innovators, focusing on two successful innovation cases with different points of insertion within the digital recording industry; (1) Spotify: currently the world’s most popular digital music streaming service; and (2) INgrooves: an independent digital music distribution service provider whose system is also used by Universal Music Group. The thesis applies perspectives from the Social Shaping of Technology (“SST”) and its extension into Social Learning in Technological Innovation. It explores the widely dispersed processes of innovation through which the complex set of interactions amongst heterogeneous players who have conflicting interests and differing commitments involved in the digital music networks guided diverging choices in relation to particular market conditions and user requirements. The thesis makes three major contributions to understanding digital disruption in the recording industry. (1) In contrast to prevailing approaches which take P2P distribution as the single point of focus, the study investigates the multiplicity of actors and sites of innovation in the digital recording industry. It demonstrates that the dematerialisation of music did not lead to a simple, e.g. technologically-driven transformation of the industry. Instead a diverse array of realignments had to take place across the music sector to develop digital music valorisation networks. (2) By examining the detailed processes involved in the evolution of digital music services, it highlights the ways in which business models are shaped through a learning process of matching and finding constantly changing digital music users’ needs. Based on the observation that business models must be discovered in the course of making technologies work in the market, a new framework of ‘social shaping of business models’ is proposed in order to conceptualise business models as an emergent process in which firms refine their strategies in the light of emerging circumstances. (3) Drawing upon the concepts of musical networks (Leyshon 2001) and mediation (Hennion 1989), the thesis investigates the interaction of the diverse actors across the circuit of the recording business – production, distribution, valorisation, and consumption. The comprehensive analysis of the intricate interplay between innovation actors and their interactions in the economic, cultural, legal and institutional context highlights the need to develop a more sophisticated and nuanced understanding of the recording industry.
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Clark, Allan F. "Disruption of the Ren-1d gene." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/13405.
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Physiologically, JG cells are the mot important sites of renin expression since they are the only cells known to convert prorenin to the active enzyme, renin, and to secrete it into the plasma in large amounts. Present data indicate that most mammals possess a single renin gene, however in most strains of mice there exists an additional gene, Ren-2, encoding a highly homologous but physically distinct enzyme renin-2. The two genes have different but often overlapping expression patterns, with both being expression at equal levels in the JG cells of the kidney (mRNA level). A major difference between the two enzyme is their capacity for N-linked glycosylation, renin-1d being glycosylated at one or more of its three potential glycosylation sites, whereas renin-2 is not glycosylated, lacking any N-linked glycosylation consensus sequences. To facilitate studies of the physiological significance of the two renin genes in mice, we have disrupted the Ren-1d gene by gene targeting, leaving renin-2 as the only functional renin isozyme capable of participating in the renin-angiotensin system. The targeting construct used to disrupt the Ren-1d gene was assembled using homology arms of 3.7 and 3.6kb generated by PCR. Ren-1d-/- animals are viable, display no gross, visible abnormalities and express Ren-2 as the only renin mRNA. The kidneys of all adult homozygous mutant animals display altered morphology of the macula densa and complete absence of JG cell granulation. Blood pressure homeostasis in these animals displays a sexual dimorphism, with female, but not male, Ren-1d-/- animals showing a reduced blood pressure. These results prove that renin-1d and renin-2 are not functionally equivalent enzymes, Ren-1d being required for normal macula densa cell morphology, granulation of JG cells and the maintenance of normal blood pressure in female Ren-1d-/- animals.
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Humphreys, Julie Irene. "Maternal career disruption : the critical factors influencing women's return to the workplace and the effects of the length of disruption and activity of the woman during the disruption." Thesis, Anglia Ruskin University, 2018. http://arro.anglia.ac.uk/703790/.
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The disruption of a woman’s career in order to care for children can have profound consequences. This research defines these consequences as the Maternal Career Disruption Effect. A quantitative study was carried out to answer three research questions that anchored this research in this newly named effect, using the theoretical lens of human capital theory: i) What were the critical factors affecting the decision to return to the workplace? ii) In what ways did the length of career interruption affect the women’s re-entry to the workforce? iii) In what ways did the activity during the career interruption affect the women’s re-entry to the workforce? The study focussed on women in the UK financial services sector and identified that short term and long term financial reasons were critical in the women’s decision to return to the workplace. Discussion also focussed on the effect of the maternal career disruption and saw the women’s human capital decrease as the length of career disruption increased and the human capital increase as the women’s activity increased during the career disruption.
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Ottosson, Fredrik, and Rickard Sevandersson. "Identifying Sources of Disruption in the Context of Sustainability-Driven Innovation." Thesis, Högskolan i Halmstad, Centrum för innovations-, entreprenörskaps- och lärandeforskning (CIEL), 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-40137.
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Introduction: Research shows that the lifespan of large companies gets shorter and shorter, the average age of companies on the list of fortune 500 is 33 years, the average age is expected to decline to 12 years by 2027 (Anthony et al., 2018). Innovations that are driven by social, environmental or sustainability issues are defined as sustainability-driven innovations (Metz, 2016). Not much is known when it comes to what sources can trigger a disruptive sustainability-driven innovation. Problem background: There has been many troubling studies about the damage we as humans bring upon our blue planet, these studies are apocalyptic (Osborn 1948; Carson 1962; Meadows et al 1972; Cole et al 1973). To be able to meet the aspirations of millions rising from poverty, we need transformation and change throughout society, and disruptive innovations is the key to unlock this transformation (Sterman, 2015). The disruption literature is well developed when it comes to what sources can trigger a disruptive innovation. There does not exist literature on what sources that can trigger sustainability-driven innovations. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to create a conceptual model that show possible sources of disruption for sustainability-driven innovations. The knowledge created by the conceptual model will be used at a later stage to develop a monitoring tool for TOMRA. To fulfill the purpose of this master thesis we have developed the following research question: what sources can trigger a disruptive sustainability-driven innovation? Methodology: To answer the research question, this thesis used an exploratory research design, inductive research approach and the single case study with participants from four companies that acts in three different industries and five interviews with experts in the field of sustainability-driven innovations as the chosen research method. The primary data has been collected from 13 interviews from new entrants, incumbents, experts and governmental agencies. Secondary data were collected to support the analysis. Findings: The key findings of this thesis are eight new sources of disruption; established technology, public value, public opinion, political decisions, political goals, legislations, subsidizations and demo-pilots Conclusion: Our study showed that there was a gap in the disruption literature, especially when it comes to the source of disruption. Because the study found other sources that might trigger a disruption rather than only new technology and new BMs. Realizing that, the sources of disruption were expanded to have three subcategories that influence each other, technology and BM, citizen awareness and policy.
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Gallego, Maria Belen Filgueira. "Do the disruptive business models of energy companies Solarcity, RWE and d.light fit into theoretical disruption models?" reponame:Repositório Institucional do FGV, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10438/17800.
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This thesis analyses the case studies of disruptive energy companies SolarCity, RWE and d.light to identify whether each of them fit into one of the academic disruption models: ● Disruption from below. This theory maintains that disruption is when substandard or ‘inferior’ technology ● Disruption from above. This theory starts with a superior product or service which is much more capable than the existing mainstream technology provided ● Big Bang disruption, when products or services have both better performance and lower price and more customization than existing mainstream markets Analysing the SolarCity case study, it seems to fit well in a ‘Big Bang disruption’ model as it clearly changed the rules from day one by making available a completely different service from what the customers of utilities were used to. RWE suffered fits into the ‘disruption from above’ model because clean energy was providing an added value that fossil fuels could not. RWE is now looking to become the disruptor themselves. Analysing the d.light case, it appears in terms of technology the disruption fits in with the ‘disruption from below’ model. d.light works because it is very specific to the particular customer base that they serves and it would be unlike to succeed if the context was different or there was an alternative.
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Hough, Carolyn Ann. "Disruption and development kanyalengs in the Gambia /." Diss., University of Iowa, 2006. http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/53.
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Abdou, Jeanne Anne. "Circadian rhythm disruption and post-surgical recovery." FIU Digital Commons, 1998. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/1252.
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Circadian rhythms, patterns of each twenty-four hour period, are found in most bodily functions. The biological cycles of between 20 and 28 hours have a profound effect on an individual's mood, level of performance, and physical well being. Loss of synchrony of these biological rhythms occurs with hospitalization, surgery and anesthesia. The purpose of this comparative, correlational study was to determine the effects of circadian rhythm disruption in post-surgical recovery. Data were collected during the pre-operative and post-operative periods in the following indices: body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, urine cortisol level and locomotor activity. The data were analyzed by cosinor analysis for evidence of circadian rhythmicity and disruptions throughout the six day study period which encompassed two days pre-operatively, two days post-operatively, and two days after hospital discharge. The sample consisted of five men and five women who served as their own pre-surgical control. The surgical procedures were varied. Findings showed evidence of circadian disruptions in all subjects post-operatively, lending support for the hypotheses.
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Du, Jingzhe. "Geometric routing protocol in Disruption tolerant network." Thesis, University of Ottawa (Canada), 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/27680.
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We describe Geometric Localized Routing (GLR) in Disruption (delay) tolerant networks (DTNs). Although DTNs do not guarantee the connectivity of the network all the time, geometric location information still could be used to make routing decisions in a store and forward way. When a message reaches a region where greedy forwarding is impossible for some time, geometric planar spanners, especially local Delaunay triangulation still could be used to provide a good routing graph with constant stretch factor and shorter paths during communication. Existing DTN routing protocols either focus on the improvement of message delivery latency and delivery ratio in an impractical way, or without achieving desirable delivery attributes. In this work, we design local distributed solutions to extract spanning trees from Delaunay triangulation (DT) in the direction from source to destination. Our protocol resorts to flooding packets along the trees and with high probability packets are delivered with low delay. The goals of Geometric Localized Routing are: (1) fast delivery with intelligence, (2) better storage utilization. (3) guaranteed delivery using face routing. Through the implementation in the NS-2 simulator, we have shown that the proposed routing protocol achieves high delivery ratio with satisfied attributes.
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Högberg, Pi. "Disruption of vitamin A metabolism by dioxin /." Stockholm, 2003. http://diss.kib.ki.se/2003/91-7349-608-1/.
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Bitsch, Jó Ágila [Verfasser]. "Enabling disruption tolerant services / Jó Ágila Bitsch." Aachen : Shaker, 2017. http://d-nb.info/1130534073/34.
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Büttner, Sabine [Verfasser]. "Online Disruption and Delay Management / Sabine Büttner." München : Verlag Dr. Hut, 2014. http://d-nb.info/1047036088/34.
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Landles, Christian. "Targeted disruption of the mouse TRAP220 gene." Thesis, Imperial College London, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.398343.
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Cullen, Lee. "SPH and its application to stellar disruption." Thesis, University of Leicester, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/8577.
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In this thesis we study Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) which is a numerical method for simulating fluid flow used widely in astrophysics. In SPH artificial viscosity is necessary for the correct treatment of shocks, but often generates unwanted dissipation away from shocks, particularly in poorly resolved flows. In this study we address this problem by refining the method proposed by Morris & Monaghan (1997). The new scheme uses the rate of change of the velocity divergence, Dt(∇•v), to indicate a shock and focuses on eliminating viscosity away from shocks. The new method works as least as well as any previous technique in the strong-shock regime, but becomes virtually inviscid away from shocks. In particular sound waves or oscillations of self-gravitating gas spheres are hardly damped over many periods. We also look at stability issues for SPH, in particular the well known clumping instability. We perform numerical tests of the stability analysis performed by Morris (1996) and find that there are bands of unstable regions as suggested by Read et al. (2010). We also demonstrate that a cored kernel can greatly reduce the clumping instability. Finally we apply the SPH method to extend the stellar disruption work of Lodato et al. (2009) to orbits with a range of pericentre distances. We find that the light curve produced by this disruption is closer to the predicted L ∝ t−5/3 (Rees, 1988) for encounters that are closer to the black hole than the tidal disruption radius. For encounters that are further from the black hole than the tidal disruption radius, the light curve deviates from this predicted power law. We also look at how elliptical orbits can effect the stability of the star. We find that in elliptical orbits a star can be disturbed further from the black hole than in the parabolic case. We then consider the fate of the S2 star and conclude that when it becomes a red giant and expands, S2 will be tidally disrupted.
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Lightwing, Andrew. "Catastrophic disruption of layered ice-silicate bodies." Thesis, University of Kent, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.589961.
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Large icy Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) such as Pluto have observed densities on the order of 1.8 - 2.0 g cm-3. This indicates that they are made up of some combination of ice and silicate material; their size further implies that they will possess a differentiated structure with ice dominating towards the surface and silicate material dominating towards the core. A series of impact experiments using the University of Kent's light gas gun have been carried out in order to determine the impact strength of spherical layered ice-silicate targets that reflect the suspected structure of these bodies. Impacts are also carried out on unlayered ice-silicate targets and pure ice targets for the purposes of comparison. Impact velocities ranged from 1 to 7 km S-1 using a range of projectile sizes and materials including stainless steel, titanium, aluminium and copper. Data from previous work undertaken at the University of Kent is incorporated in order to provide a more complete picture of target behaviour.
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Fernandes, A. "Genetic tools for gene disruption in Rhodococcus." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.598990.
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The genetic analysis of the soil actinomycete Rhodococcus has been hampered by a lack of genetic tools. In recent years methods for gene cloning by gain of function into an E. coli or Rhodococcus host have been established. Methods for cloning Rhodococcus genes (particularly into E. coli) are fraught with difficulties, due to restriction/methylation of DNA, integration and ineffectual gene expression in the host. The establishment of a gene disruption system would overcome these difficulties and allow selection of useful phenotypes by loss of function. In this work a recently developed in vitro Tn5-based mutagenesis system was adapted for use of Rhodococcus. Electroporation protocols generating sufficient numbers of transformants were established and a random knockout library was constructed in a Rhodococcus type-strain. Part of this work involved investigations of Rhodococcus cell envelope ultrastructure and the use of growth supplements to aid transformation. Library coverage was investigated by the identification and sequencing of a number of amino acid auxotrophs. The Tn5-based system was applied to a wild-type soil Rhodococcus isolate and a random knockout library was constructed. A number of mutants unable to grow in the presence of toluene and benzene were isolated. A number of transposon delivery vectors based on either Tn5 or IS903 were constructed and problems of transposant selection overcome. For the purposes of construction the sequencing and analysis of two Rhodococcus plasmid replicons was carried out. The IS903-based vector although fully functional in E. coli failed to transpose in Rhodococcus and the possible reasons are discussed. Preliminary characterisation of a putative inducible promoter from Rhodococcus was carried out and the use of reporter genes yfp and luxAB established. The replicative Tn5 delivery vector was adapted to include the promoter/regulator to drive transposase expression however this vector was subjected to deletion in the Rhodococcus host.
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Mu, Qianxin. "Disruption management in vehicle routing and scheduling." Thesis, Lancaster University, 2010. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.543984.
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Saunders, Karen Leigh. "Queer Intercorporeality: Bodily Disruption of Straight Space." Thesis, University of Canterbury. School of Culture, Literature and Society, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/1028.
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This thesis explores the potential of queer embodiment through the experiences of transgendered people. After discussing the importance of researching the body, often left out of academic enquiry, I engage with theoretical frames that radically reconfigure concepts of subjectivity providing the means to reveal the innovative forms of embodiment that participants embrace. Within these frameworks the mind/body division is disrupted and reconfigured to demonstrate that these are not separate entities rather the mind exists in the body as does the body in the mind. Drawing on Deleuze and Guattari's version of the becoming body, I locate the body as a vibrant multiplicity of particles capable of infinite connections as opposed to a separated and contained entity. Through approaching embodiment as a never ending process of becoming I look to the way in which spatial settings such as the family have a major influence on the way in which bodies are formulated. In these spaces, I contend, bodies are directed and regulated to conform to dominant understandings of being. Such directing I argue creates 'straight' bodies/space restricting the presence of queer bodies and the disruption they embody. Extending this spatial investigation I look to the way in which open spaces are straight spaces and how the dynamics of such spaces create the queer body as hyper-visible. Exploring queer as a spatial term I suggest that the queer body exists at an angle to the normative straight line creating new and challenging ways of living. A major theme that runs throughout this thesis is the intercorporeal nature of bodies. In developing this concept I demonstrate the generosity of queer bodies and their radical disruption of the distinction between maleness and femaleness. In doing so I explore how bodies are spatially sexed according to the myth of two-sexes, disrupting such a limited view I demonstrate how queer bodies have the potential to move beyond the boundaries of recognizable identity/bodily categorizes and anatomical understandings and embrace a space of intermezzo/ in-betweeness.
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Hasan, Syed Faraz. "Disruption tolerant networking over IEEE 802.11 WLANs." Thesis, Ulster University, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.540797.
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Over the years WLAN Access Points (AP) have seen massive deployment across most of the modern cities in both domestic and commercial sectors, for example, in houses, shopping malls, airports, etc. WLAN APs were initially meant to support network services in indoor environments. Hence, their cover- age region is small and is typically restricted to a certain indoor area. Recently, the idea of using these already available APs from outdoor vehicular envir- onments has come under scrutiny. Among the various challenges associated with such WLAN-based vehicular communications, this thesis focuses on two main issues, namely disruption and handover latency. Although WLAN APs exist in large numbers across the roads in most de- veloped cities, the placement of these APs is highly unplanned. Due to this unplanned deployment, WLAN APs cannot support continuous connectivity over a large mobility domain. Consequently, WLAN APs offer irregular net- work services on the move. This irregularity or intermittency in the network services is called disruption. While various previous works have focused on tolerating disruption, this thesis explores a completely new research direction - mathematically modelling disruption. It has been argued that the first step to- wards effective disruption tolerance is to mathematically represent disruption. This work sets out to develop a mathematical model that can measure disrup- tion and comparatively analyze different areas of the city. Secondly, a vehicle spends very little time within the footprint of an AP. Most of this already small connection time is consumed in handing over to the APs. Because of the small outdoor coverage region of the AP and the high speed of the mobile node, han- dovers inevitably occur frequently. In order to achieve smoother transitions between the APs, the handover latency must be reduced. This work measures the delays involved in the handover procedure and presents a channel scan- ning scheme to reduce the scanning phase delay.
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Onuska, Joshua J. "Defending the Pittsburgh Waterways Against Catastrophic Disruption." Thesis, Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10945/7296.
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This thesis develops an Operatorâ s Model that mimics the real-world behavior of coal transport in the Port of
Pittsburgh and allows for systematic investigation of â what ifâ disruption scenarios. We model the multi-modal flow
of coal using a network of nodes and arcs representing river transport, with support from a surrounding system of rail
lines and roads. Each mode of shipment has finite capacities with varying costs. Our model routes flows in order to
satisfy contracted supplies and demands at minimum transportation cost. We use 2009 coal shipment data provided by
the United States Army Corps of Engineers to drive delivery patterns. We focus our attention on the Monongahela
River, which carries a significant amount of coal through our system. We employ Defender-Attacker-Defender
techniques to assess critical infrastructure in the context of an intelligent adversary, such as a terrorist, who seeks to
damage the system so as to maximally increase its operating cost. This allows us to assess the relative importance of
critical system components in order to help the United Stated Coast Guard identify where to focus their attention.
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Gallagher, Edward Jude. "Targeted disruption of the neurotensin receptor gene." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.241741.
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Rees, Paul. "Cell disruption by heat shock and detergent." Thesis, Teesside University, 1994. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.259891.
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Harries, Kay. "The disruption and dissolution of directed forgetting." Thesis, University of Bristol, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.299373.
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Rmaile, Amir. "Mechanical properties and disruption of dental biofilms." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2013. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/359755/.
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A literature review of dental plaque biofilms formation, progression and detachment mechanisms is presented in this thesis. Various strategies that have been employed to reduce or eliminate dental biofilms are discussed. The focus of the thesis was on the mechanical properties and disruption of dental biofilms, especially from hard-to-access areas of the oral cavity, such as the interproximal (IP) sites between the teeth. Various methods to measure mechanical properties of dental biofilms were investigated, and physical and chemical strategies to disrupt these biofilms were employed. Streptococcus mutans, the bacterium responsible for initiation of dental plaque biofilms, was used in our studies. A uniaxial compressive test was utilized to characterize the mechanical behaviour of biofilms, while manipulating the chemical microenvironment. Initially, the mechanical properties of a dextran gel were characterized. The gel was used as an artificial dental plaque biofilm (Chapter 5). The elastic modulus of the gel was 17 kPa (± 12; n = 3), and the stress relaxation time was 25 seconds (± 18; n = 3), demonstrating a viscoelastic behaviour similar to that reported for real biofilms. After optimizing the technique with the gel, the mechanical properties of S. mutans biofilms were studied, the elastic modulus was 380 Pa (± 350; n = 30), and the stress relaxation time was 12 seconds (± 11; n = 10). The elastic modulus increased by increasing the sucrose percentage in the media, and decreased when the biofilms were treated with increasing concentrations of ethylene di-amine tetra acetic acid, EDTA. Treating the biofilms with different solutions of poly (ethylene glycol), PEG, resulted in behaviour similar to that previously observed for synthetic polymers. The flow field and local hydrodynamics of high velocity water microdrops impacting the interproximal (IP) space of typodont teeth, and their influence on the structure and detachment of both surrogate dental plaque and Streptococcus mutans biofilms, were studied experimentally and computationally. Water droplets of 115 μL were produced by a prototype AirFloss (PT-AirFloss) device provided by Philips Oral Healthcare, bursting water at a velocity of 60 m/s into the IP space between the maxillary central incisors. High-speed imaging, was used to characterise the PT-AirFloss microburst of pressurized air and water micodrops, and demonstrated the removal mechanism of a dental plaque biofilm substitute and the S. mutans biofilms. Using various microscopy and image analysis techniques, quantitative measurements of the removal rate and the percentage removal of biofilms from different locations in the IP space were obtained. Microcomputed Tomography (μ-CT) imaging was used to obtain 3D images of the typodont and the IP spaces. The shear stress distribution generated by the drop impacting the tooth surface was calculated by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations based on the finite element method (FEM). There was good agreement between experimentally measured biofilm removal and the pattern of predicted wall shear stress (τw) generated in the IP space by the microburst. High velocity water microdrops, with minimal fluid volume and time, effectively removed both the surrogate and the biofilm. The shear stress generated by the PT-AirFloss and its spatial distribution on the teeth surface played a key role in dictating the efficacy of biofilm removal. In addition, CFD models were used to predict optimal water drop or burst design with respect to more effective biofilm removal performance. Furthermore, the influence of fluid shear flow on the detachment of Streptococcus mutans biofilms inside microfluidic channels was studied using a commercially available flow-cell system. A critical biofilm detachment shear stress was estimated for the large biofilm-aggregates (CDSSagg). The CDSSagg value was used in the CFD model to predict the spatial distribution of biofilm aggregates detachment from the IP surface caused by the PT-AirFloss microburst. Next the effect of three biofilm matrix-degrading enzymes on the structure and detachment of Streptococcus mutans biofilms inside microtiter plates and on typodont teeth was studied experimentally. The enzymes used were: Bromelain (a protease), DNase, and RNase. The biofilms were treated with different enzymatic preparations, stained with Live/Dead and Crystal Violet, and the corresponding optical density (OD) and fluorescence intensity (FI) were measured by a microplate reader. The results detailed the degradation effect of each enzyme, separately and in combination. The three enzymes demonstrated different efficacies in degrading the biofilm in 6, 24 and 96 well-plates, as well as on the typodont teeth. Also, there was a large variability which could be explained by the heterogeneity of the biofilm. Using epifluorescence microscopy and image analysis, quantitative measurements of the percentage surface area coverage were obtained, and the preliminary results were consistent with the datafrom the plate reader. Furthermore, pre-coating the plates with the three enzymes did not inhibit biofilm from formation and accumulation. Lastly the use of a biocompatible copolymer of methylvinyl ether and maleic anhydride, with excellent mucosal adhesive properties and biocompatibility to improve enzymatic digestion by offering a prolonged contact of the enzymes with the teeth and oral tissues, was investigated. The rationale was to eliminate a major obstacle facing the efficacy of the enzymatic therapy which was the relatively short residence time of the enzymes at the site of administration. The adhesive copolymer could possibly enhance enzyme biofilm degradation. Combining the adhesive copolymer with the enzymes could potentially allow near total degradation of the laboratory-grown S. mutans biofilms.
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Boland, Brodie James. "Generative Disruption: The Subversive Effects of Collaboration." Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies / OhioLINK, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1386265167.
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Valente, João Filipe Torres. "Servo-system for controlled postural balance disruption." Master's thesis, Universidade de Aveiro, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10773/19139.
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Mestrado em Engenharia MecânicaO estudo do equilíbrio postural é uma preocupação que se aplica igualmente a seres humanos e robôs com pernas. Em relação a Humanos este problema foca-se na deteção de patologias, avaliação da capacidade de manter o equilíbrio e recolher dados acerca da forma como o equilíbrio é mantido. Por outro lado, o estudo da postura de um robô tem como objetivo avaliar e melhorar o seu controlo. Dada a necessidade de testar o equilíbrio do Projeto Humanóide da Universidade de Aveiro - PHUA, surgiu a ideia de criar um sistema de distúrbio do equilíbrio. A ideia é o sistema perturbar o equilíbrio utilizando forças de tração que poderão ser aplicadas em todas as direções do plano horizontal. Como primeira abordagem, o conceito é testado num pêndulo assistido por elásticos, com o objetivo de perceber qual a melhor forma de controlar o sistema e encontrar possíveis problemas para o seu controlo. Numa primeira fase, é desenhado um controlador para criar um estado de balanço em que as forças são iguais fazendo com que o pêndulo fique imóvel. Numa segunda fase, depois de atingir o estado descrito anteriormente, o pêndulo é brevemente puxado num sentido e são medidas as forças e o ângulo do pêndulo para se analisarem os efeitos do estímulo. Desta maneira, várias formas de aplicar estímulos são testadas assim como diferentes estímulos. Percebeu-se que: é possível aplicar estímulos repetíveis com este conceito; o facto de o sistema ser acoplado e não-linear causa dificuldades para o controlo, sendo necessário adoptar novas estratégias. Esta dissertação vai servir como suporte para o trabalho futuro, (que será construir o sistema à escala do PHUA) oferecendo um conjunto de informações e guias.
Postural balance is a concern that applies to both humans and bipedal robots. For Humans, this issue is focused on detecting some pathologies, evaluating individual balance capability, and gather data on how equilibrium is maintained. On the other hand the robot’s postural study aims to evaluate the machine’s control and help tune it. Given the need to test the equilibrium of University of Aveiro Humanoid Project - PHUA, the idea of creating a balance disruption system came up. The idea is that the system disrupts the balance using pull forces that can be applied in every direction of the horizontal plane. As a first approach, the concept is tested on a pendulum assisted by elastics, with the objective of understanding which is the best way to control the system and find possible problems to its control. On an initial phase, a controller is designed to create a state of balance where the pull forces are equal making the pendulum stand still. On a second phase, after achieving the state of balance described previously, the pendulum is briefly pulled in a direction and tensile forces and the pendulum’s angle are measured, with the purpose of analysing the effects of the stimulus. This way, different manners of applying stimuli and different types of stimuli are tested. It was realised that: it is possible to apply repeatable stimuli with this concept; the fact that the system is coupled and non-linear brings obstacles to its control, being necessary to adopt new control strategies. This dissertation will serve as a support for future work, (which is building the system at PHUA scale) offering a set of informations and guidelines.
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Milani, Federico. "Disruption prediction at JET (Joint European Torus)." Thesis, Aston University, 1998. http://publications.aston.ac.uk/10606/.
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The sudden loss of the plasma magnetic confinement, known as disruption, is one of the major issue in a nuclear fusion machine as JET (Joint European Torus), Disruptions pose very serious problems to the safety of the machine. The energy stored in the plasma is released to the machine structure in few milliseconds resulting in forces that at JET reach several Mega Newtons. The problem is even more severe in the nuclear fusion power station where the forces are in the order of one hundred Mega Newtons. The events that occur during a disruption are still not well understood even if some mechanisms that can lead to a disruption have been identified and can be used to predict them. Unfortunately it is always a combination of these events that generates a disruption and therefore it is not possible to use simple algorithms to predict it. This thesis analyses the possibility of using neural network algorithms to predict plasma disruptions in real time. This involves the determination of plasma parameters every few milliseconds. A plasma boundary reconstruction algorithm, XLOC, has been developed in collaboration with Dr. D. Ollrien and Dr. J. Ellis capable of determining the plasma wall/distance every 2 milliseconds. The XLOC output has been used to develop a multilayer perceptron network to determine plasma parameters as ?i and q? with which a machine operational space has been experimentally defined. If the limits of this operational space are breached the disruption probability increases considerably. Another approach for prediction disruptions is to use neural network classification methods to define the JET operational space. Two methods have been studied. The first method uses a multilayer perceptron network with softmax activation function for the output layer. This method can be used for classifying the input patterns in various classes. In this case the plasma input patterns have been divided between disrupting and safe patterns, giving the possibility of assigning a disruption probability to every plasma input pattern. The second method determines the novelty of an input pattern by calculating the probability density distribution of successful plasma patterns that have been run at JET. The density distribution is represented as a mixture distribution, and its parameters arc determined using the Expectation-Maximisation method. If the dataset, used to determine the distribution parameters, covers sufficiently well the machine operational space. Then, the patterns flagged as novel can be regarded as patterns belonging to a disrupting plasma. Together with these methods, a network has been designed to predict the vertical forces, that a disruption can cause, in order to avoid that too dangerous plasma configurations are run. This network can be run before the pulse using the pre-programmed plasma configuration or on line becoming a tool that allows to stop dangerous plasma configuration. All these methods have been implemented in real time on a dual Pentium Pro based machine. The Disruption Prediction and Prevention System has shown that internal plasma parameters can be determined on-line with a good accuracy. Also the disruption detection algorithms showed promising results considering the fact that JET is an experimental machine where always new plasma configurations are tested trying to improve its performances.
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wiruchnipawan, wannawiruch. "Unexpected Distractions: Stimulation or Disruption to Creativity." Thesis, Harvard University, 2015. http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:17467526.
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This dissertation examines when and how unexpected distractions stimulate or disrupt the creative process. Specifically, I argue that these distractions could introduce useful information and initiate a cognitive break that stimulates a fresh look at the creative task while allowing unconscious thought to process acquired information. Unexpected distractions are, however, disruptive once the new information, relevant or not to the creative task, prompts cognitive overload—the moment in which required cognitive resources exceed available cognitive resources for information processing. The creative process implicates two cognitive sub-processes, divergent thinking and convergent thinking, which influence the novelty and feasibility of the creative product, respectively. Divergent thinking, which is the process of generating new ideas, likely reaps the aforementioned benefits of unexpected distractions, but only until cognitive overload occurs, after which point additional distractions disrupt the forming of new ideas. On the other hand, convergent thinking, the process of deriving the best idea, should suffer from any level of distractions. First, the convergent process profits less from the unconscious associative processing of acquired information. Second, convergent thinking demands information that is directly related to the selected idea or the context in which that idea will be implemented, rendering information transmitted by unexpected distractions mostly irrelevant. Irrelevant information is particularly cognitively taxing and prone to cause cognitive overload. In the lab and online, I found an inverted u-shaped relationship between the frequency of unexpected distractions and the output of divergent thinking (operationalized as the novelty of generated ideas) and a negative relationship between the frequency of unexpected distractions and the output of convergent thinking (operationalized as the feasibility of selected ideas). I also found support for the first relationship and partial support for the second relationship using field data from an IT company in Thailand for which I developed measures for evaluating novelty and feasibility in software work. I discuss the implications of these findings for the literature on creativity, cognitive processing, and group brainstorming.Organizational Behavior
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Haloukas, Daniel G. "Strategies to Mitigate Supply Chain Disruption Risks." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/6573.
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Businesses with global supply chains typically have a minimum of 1 interruption to their supply chain annually, which can decrease profitability and affect overall company performance. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies personal care business supply chain managers used to mitigate supply chain disruption risk. The targeted population was 9 supply chain managers working in 5 different Fortune 500 consumer packaged goods personal care companies in the northeastern United States who have successfully used strategies to mitigate supply chain disruptions. Corporate risk management was used as the conceptual framework of the study to determine how company leaders plan for supply chain disruptions and how leaders prioritize and resource implementation and assessment of these plans. Data collection included semistructured interviews, with review of each company's documents as the secondary source of data. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Two main themes emerged: identification of a qualified alternative supplier is a common strategy in supply chain disruption mitigation plans, and business top management support is essential in the execution of supply chain disruption plans and strategies. Results of this study might contribute to social change by empowering supply managers to make alternative choices relative to suppliers that will make products more affordable to consumers. An empowered supply management team leads to high return of investments for companies, which can support employment and additional tax revenue to support social programs.
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Dalla, Rosa Beatrice <1994>. "Big Data: technological revolution or social disruption?" Master's Degree Thesis, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10579/15359.
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La tesi si sviluppa in tre capitoli. L’introduzione fornisce un’analisi storica dalla prima Rivoluzione Industriale in poi, che delinea il progresso tecnologico e sociale che porterà alla nascita dei grandi dati. Il primo capitolo descrive il concetto in termini più generali, delineando i tre mutamenti principali che definiscono il passaggio da piccoli a grandi dati, sulle basi del libro “Big Data: una rivoluzione che trasformerà il nostro modo di vivere” degli autori Mayer-Schönberg e Cukier. Il secondo capitolo analizza il modo in cui il settore business cerca di sfruttare questi dati, focalizzandosi sul settore e-commerce, e fornisce un’introduzione sulla disciplina del “database marketing”, descrivendo i vari strumenti tramite i quali i dati vengono gestiti. L’ultimo capitolo analizza un settore dove i dati sono di fondamentale importanza: i social networks. In conclusione, ad ogni capitolo è presente un paragrafo elaborato sulle basi delle implicazioni etiche che il fenomeno comporta, e sulle conseguenze che questo può generare non solo a livello sociale, ma anche a livello personale e di privacy. L’obiettivo della tesi è quello di fornire alcuni possibili rimedi e soluzioni per controllare un fenomeno dal grandissimo potenziale, che potrebbe però costituire una minaccia se non gestito nel modo corretto.
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Prado, Gustavo R. "Neuronal Plasma Membrane Disruption in Traumatic Brain Injury." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/7260.
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During a traumatic insult to the brain, tissue is subjected to large stresses at high rates which often surpass cellular thresholds leading to cell dysfunction or death. Cellular events that occur at the time of and immediately after an insult are poorly understood. Immediately following traumatic brain injury (TBI), the neuronal plasma membrane may become disrupted and potentiate detrimental pathways by allowing extracellular contents to gain access to the cytosol. In the current study, neuronal plasma membrane disruption was assessed in vivo following moderate unilateral controlled cortical impact in rats using a normally cell-impermeant fluorescent compound as a plasma membrane permeability marker. This fluorescent dye was injected into the cerebrospinal fluid and was allowed to diffuse into the brain. TBI caused a widespread acute disruption of neuronal membranes which was significantly different compared to uninjured brains. Affected cells were present in cortex and hippocampal regions. These findings were complemented by an in vitro model of TBI where membrane disruption was quantified and its mechanisms elucidated. Permeability marker(s) were added to neuronal cultures before the insult as indicators for increases in plasma membrane permeability. The percentage of cells containing the permeability marker was dependent on the molecular mass, as smaller molecules gained access to a higher percentage of cells than larger ones. Permeability increases were also positively correlated with the rate of insult. Membrane disruption was transient, evidenced by a robust resealing within the first minute after the insult. In addition, membrane resealing was found to be dependent on extracellular Ca2+, as chelation of the ion abolished a significant amount of resealing. We have also investigated the effects of mechanically-induced plasma membrane disruptions on neuronal network electrical activity. We have developed a multielectrode array system that allows the study of electrical activity before, during, and after a traumatic insult to neurons. Endogenous electrical activity of neuronal cultures presented a heterogeneous response following mechanical insult. Moreover, spontaneous firing dysfunction induced by injury outlasted the presence of membrane disruptions. This study provides a multi-faceted approach to elucidate the role of neuronal plasma membrane disruptions in TBI and its functional consequences.
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Tumar, Iyad [Verfasser]. "Resource Management of Disruption Tolerant Networks / Iyad Tumar." Aachen : Shaker, 2011. http://d-nb.info/1081884959/34.
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Shi, Junyan. "Disruption of selective autophagy in coxsackievirus B3 infection." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/54170.
Full textAbstract:
Coxsackievirus infection induces an abnormal accumulation of ubiquitin aggregates that are generally believed to be harmful to the cells and play a key role in the pathogenesis of coxsackievirus-induced myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy. Selective autophagy mediated by autophagy adaptor proteins, including sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1/p62) and neighbor of BRCA1 gene 1 protein (NBR1), is an important pathway for disposing of misfolded proteins and damaged organelles. We demonstrated that SQSTM1 was cleaved following CVB3 infection through the proteolytic activity of viral proteinase 2Apro. The resulting cleavage fragments of SQSTM1 were no longer the substrates of autophagy, and their ability to form protein aggregates was greatly decreased due to incapability of interaction with ubiquitinated proteins. We further tested whether NBR1, a functional homolog of SQSTM1, can compensate for SQSTM1 loss-of-function after viral infection. Of interest, we found that NBR1 was also cleaved after coxsackievirus infection, excluding the possible compensation of NBR1 for the loss of SQSTM1. This cleavage took place at two sites mediated by virus-encoded proteinase 2Apro and 3Cpro, respectively. In addition to the loss-of-function, we showed that the C-terminal fragments of SQSTM1 and NBR1 exhibited a dominant-negative effect against native SQSTM1/NBR1, probably by competing for LC3 and ubiquitin chain binding. Apart from the disruption of selective autophagy, CVB3 infection also impaired autophagic flux as confirmed by flux assays with a combination of a tandem fluorescence-tagged LC3 stable cell line and a non-cleavable construct of SQSTM1. Finally, we studied the roles of SQSTM1 and NBR1 in autophagic degradation of depolarized mitochondria (referred to as mitophagy). Following mitochondrial depolarization induced by carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), a mitochondrial uncoupler to trigger mitophagy, we demonstrated that NBR1 did not appear to be required for mitochondrial clustering. Deficiency of NBR1 alone or in concert with SQSTM1 did not block the clearance of damaged mitochondria, suggesting that NBR1 is dispensable for mitophagy regardless of the status of SQSTM1. Taken together, the findings in this study suggest novel mechanisms in coxsackieviral pathogenesis: coxsackievirus infection induces abnormal accumulation of ubiquitin conjugates through the disruption of selective degradation of protein aggregates and blockage of autophagic flux.Medicine, Faculty of
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Department of
Graduate
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Ginsberg, Simon Dominic. "Targeted disruption of the Sty dual specificity kinase." Thesis, University of Ottawa (Canada), 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/9726.
Full textAbstract:
Dual specificity kinases are known to have important roles in cellular regulation. The Sty dual specificity kinase has been shown to segregate with, and phosphorylate, SR family splicing factors, but the consequences of this are not known. Additionally, it is not known if the kinase has any other regulatory functions. In an attempt to determine the function of this protein in a mammalian system, Sty deficient mice were generated. This was accomplished through gene targeting, in ES cells, with a promoterless IRES-$\beta Geo$ based vector. Using this efficient system, we obtained an 82% recombinant frequency. This is in contrast to a PGK-neo based vector, targeting the same locus, for which none of 377 clones were homologous recombinants. The knockout mice generated exhibit no overt phenotype, though more detailed analysis is still in progress. A possible explanation for the lack of a phenotype is a potential redundancy between Sty and closely related family members, one of which has recently been identified.