Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Flextid'

Flextid är väl implementerat i många organisationskulturer. I studien studeras hur flextid, som en institution, påverkar legitimiteten för en organisation med utgångspunkt i en institutionell teoretisk referensram. Institutionell teori beskriver hur regler, normer och värdering utgör påtryckningar på organisationers handlingar. En kvalitativ fallstudie med intervjustudie och dokumentstudie har genomförts för att skapa en förståelse för flextidens påverkan till legitimitet för organisationen. Slutsatsen visar att det finns en stark normativ källa till legitimitet vid tillämpning av flextid. Den grad av legitimitet flextid ger beror på vem eller vilka grupper, i eller utanför, organisationen som värderar.<br>Flextime is well implemented in many organizational cultures . In the study investigates how flexible hours, as an institution , affect the legitimacy of an organization based on an institutional theoretical framework. Institutional theory describes how the rules, standards and norms pressure on organizations' actions. The study is a qualitative case study with interview and document study to create an understanding of flextimes' future impact of legitimacy for the organization. The conclusion shows that there is a strong normative source of legitimacy as a result of flextime . The level of legitimacy flextime gives depends on who or what groups, inside or outside the organization that assesses.

En del organisationer tillämpar flextid vilket innebär att arbetstagare i större utsträckning har möjlighet att influera sina arbetstider samt vart arbetet ska utföras. Flextid medför en del fördelar, däribland har det visat sig att flextid kan förbättra sömnen. Tidigare forskning inom området har påvisat att flextid bland annat kan ge bättre sömnkvalitet samt minska trötthet. Föreliggande studie ämnar att vidare undersöka sambandet mellan flextid och sömn, detta med frågeställningen; Vilka aspekter av sömnen påverkas av flextid? För att undersöka detta rekryterades 66 deltagare som delades in i två grupper, en med flextid samt en utan. Resultatet visade att flextidsgruppen somnar snabbare, har lättare att vakna, upplever sig behöva mindre sömn samt är piggare under arbetstid i jämförelse med gruppen utan flextid. Vidare tros flextidgruppen ha kunnat anpassa sina arbetstider efter sitt sömnmönster då de går och lägger sig och går upp liknande tid under arbetsveckan samt under ledighet. Dessa resultat går överlag i linje med tidigare forskningsfynd. Då studien endast bestod av 66 deltagare kan detta påverka studiens generaliserbarhet. Trots studiens svagheter belyser den brister inom fältet som tidigare inte undersökts, något som gör det intressant att vidare studera dessa aspekter med en större urvalsgrupp. Ytterligare faktorer värda framtida forskning är flextid och sömn kopplat till förslagsvis arbetsbelastning eller arbetstrivsel. Flextid är ständigt växande och tros vara ett vinnande koncept, det blir därför intressant att följa utvecklingen inom det.

<p>Denna uppsats behandlar rätten till heltid. En historisk återblick görs både nationellt och lokalt i Hudiksvalls kommun. Sedan analyseras begreppet rätten till heltid och byts ut med formuleringen rätten till önskad sysselsättningsgrad. Intressenterna identifieras och deras olika roller diskuteras. Därefter lyfts ett antal motargument fram för att systematiskt väderläggas. Detta för oss vidare in i de tillsynes enkla beslutsprocesserna där själva beslutsdefinitionen utgör en viktig grund i analysen av de komplexa problem som identifieras. Uppsatsen avslutas med en diskussion om hur dessa beslut påverkar olika intressenter och ger förslag på hur den process som ägt rum i Hudiksvalls kommun bör gå vidare bland annat med ett policyarbete.</p>

<p>Frågeställningarna som presenteras i uppsatsen är om flexibel arbetstid kan leda till att kvinnor och män delar mer jämställt på hushållsarbetet samt om flexibel arbetstid påverkar konflikterna i hushållet om fördelningen av hushållsarbetet och hur parterna arbetar. Bakgrunden till detta är att flextid i debatt framställs som något självklart positivt. Ett hjälpmedel för kvinnor att uppnå balans mellan arbete och familj. Något som i sin tur skulle öka jämställdheten i hemmet och förbättra kvinnors situation på arbetsmarknaden.Utifrån den teoretiska referensramen och den tidigare forskningen formuleras två hypoteser:1.Flexibel arbetstid har ingen betydelse för fördelningen av hushållsarbete.2.Flexibel arbetstid minskar meningsskiljaktigheter med partnern när det gäller hushållsarbete och/eller egen och partners arbetstid.Syftet med uppsatsen är att testa om flexibel arbetstid leder till ökad jämställdhet i hemmet samt mindre slitningar mellan familj och arbetsliv.Studien är kvantitativ och baseras på den femte och senaste av levnadsnivåundersökningarna; LNU 2000 som bygger på intervjuer med 5411 personer om deras levnadsvillkor.I undersökningen medverkar alla yrkesverksamma kvinnor som har en yrkesverksam partner (man) vilket är 919 stycken. Av dessa 919 kvinnor har 58 procent flexibel arbetstid.I den första analysen var syftet att granska sambandet mellan flexibel arbetstid och fördelningen av hushållsarbetet. Resultatet av den linjära regressionsanalysen visar att estimaten inte blir signifikanta när jag kontrollerar för den egna arbetstiden vilket pekar på att det är arbetstidens längd och inte flextiden i sig som påverkar den totala hushållsarbetstiden.I den andra analysen var syftet att titta på om flexibla arbetstider påverkar makarnas konflikter om hushållsarbete och/eller egen eller partnerns arbetstid. Resultatet av den logistiska regressionsanalysen visar att kvinnorna med flextid löper 1,5 gånger så stor risk att ha konflikter om arbetstid och hur hushållsarbetet ska fördelas jämfört med kvinnor utan flexibel arbetstid. Sambandet är signifikant på tioprocentsnivån.</p>

Denna studie syftar till att undersöka vilken betydelse som flexibla arbetstider kan ha för möjligheten att kombinera arbetsliv och privatliv och i förlängningen arbetstagares upplevda hälsotillstånd. Studiens frågeställningar är: På vilket sätt underlättar eller hindrar flexibla arbetstider möjligheten för intervjupersonerna att kombinera arbetsliv och privatliv? Hur upplever intervjupersonerna att denna kombination påverkar deras hälsotillstånd? För att undersöka detta genomfördes åtta intervjuer med personer som arbetar på samma företag, där de har ett flexibelt arbetstidssystem.   I ett samhälle som präglas av allt högre krav på individen är balansen mellan arbetsliv-privatliv ett både viktigt och aktuellt ämne att undersöka. Tidigare studier visar å ena sidan att flexibla arbetstider är positivt för balansen mellan arbetsliv och privatliv och i förlängningen arbetstagares hälsotillstånd. Å andra sidan visar studier att flexibla arbetstider kan upplevas som stressande och därmed påverka hälsotillståndet negativt. Studien grundas i teorin om Work Life Balance som redogör för hur man kan få ihop arbetsliv och privatliv.   Analysen i vår studie bygger på teorins tre källor till konflikt: den tidsbaserade konflikten, belastningskonflikten samt den beteendebaserade konflikten. Resultaten visar att den tidsbaserade konflikten och belastningskonflikten går in i varandra och att det är individuellt huruvida dessa konflikter uppstår. Resultatet visar även att intervjupersonernas upplevda grad av kontroll är viktig för hur dessa två konflikter tar sig i uttryck. I studien kunde vi inte identifiera en beteendebaserad konflikt. Studien visar även att intervjupersonerna upplever att de med flexibla arbetstider lättare kan kombinera arbetsliv och privatliv och därmed styra hur de ska undvika en konflikt. Utan ett flexibelt arbetstidssystem menar intervjupersonerna att det skulle vara svårare för dem att kombinera de två sfärerna vilket de tror skulle påverka deras psykiska hälsotillstånd negativt. Studien visar däremot att intervjupersonerna upplever att flexibla arbetstider inte har någon direkt inverkan på det fysiska hälsotillståndet.

Titel: “Jag hinner aldrig igenom min ‘to do’-lista” Undertitel: En dagboksstudie om hur heltidsanställda med flexibelt arbete använder sin tid Författare: Cecilia Bergqvist och Larglinda Sopaj Handledare: Jean-Charles Languilaire Nivå: Kandidatuppsats inom företagsekonomi, vårterminen 2019 (15 hp) Nyckelord: flextid, flexibelt arbete, övertid, work-life conflict, gränslöst arbete, time, time management Forskningsfråga: Hur använder heltidsanställda med flexibelt arbete sin tid? Syfte: Att beskriva hur heltidsanställda med flexibelt arbete använder sin tid. Metod: Studien bygger på ett praktiskt problem med begränsad tidigare forskning om ämnet. Därför tillämpades ett induktivt tillvägagångssätt för att svara på studiens syfte. Forskarnas vetenskapliga förhållningssätt är hermeneutiskt. Empiriska data samlades in genom kvalitativa och kvantitativa frågor och analyserades därefter på ett kvalitativt sätt som en tematisk analys. Empirisk insamling: Empiriska data samlades in genom en dagbok på 5-arbetsdagar, rapporterad av 15 deltagare. För att delta i dagbokstudien krävdes att individen uppfyllde två kriterier, att: 1) vara heltidsanställda och 2) ha flexibla arbetstider. Dagboken innehöll både kvalitativa och kvantitativa frågor. Resultat och slutsats: Eftersom resultatet visar på att 73,3% av deltagarna arbetade övertid, är det då rimligt att dra slutsatsen att flexibelt arbete kan leda till att individer arbetar övertid. På grund av att deltagarna arbetade övertid påverkades deltagarnas fritid ofta negativt. Många av deltagarna hade konflikter mellan arbetsrollen och privatrollen, vilket resulterade i att dessa roller var inkompatibla. Konflikterna visades ofta genom att deltagarna avbokade eller bortprioriterade fysiska aktiviteter på grund av övertid. Resultatet visade på att anställda hade god time management och använde sin tid effektivt, men obalans mellan inflöde och utflöde av arbetsuppgifter resulterade i att anställda ofta kände att de inte hann klart med sina arbetsuppgifter. Resultaten visade även ett svagt positivt samband mellan nöjdhet över dagens arbetsinsats och påverkat välmående. Deltagarna som hade barn som bodde hemma brukade ofta ha ett mer strukturerade arbetsrutiner, medan individer som inte var föräldrar eller barnen hade flyttat hemifrån, brukade ofta ha mindre strukturerade arbetsrutiner.<br>Title: “I never have enough time to finish my to-do list” Subtitle: A diary study showing how full-time employees with flexible working hours use their time. Authors: Cecilia Bergqvist and Larglinda Sopaj Advisor: Jean-Charles Languilaire Level: Bachelor thesis in Business Administration, Spring 2019 (15 credits) Keywords: flextime, flexible work, overtime, work-life conflict, boundaryless work, time, time management Question: How do full-time employees with flexible working hours use their time? Purpose: Describe how full-time employees with flexible working hours use their time. Method: The study is based on a practical problem with limited previous studies on the matter. Therefore, an inductive approach was implemented to answer the purpose of the study and the researchers’ scientific approach to data is hermeneutic. Empirical data was collected through qualitative and quantitative questions, and thereafter analyzed in a qualitative manner as a thematic analysis. Empirical framework: Empirical data was collected by a 5-workday diary reported by 15 participants. To participate in the diary study, an individual had to meet two criteria: (1) they must be full-time employee and (2) must have flexible working hours. The diary included both qualitative and quantitative-based questions. Results and conclusion: Since the results show that 73.3% of participants were working overtime, it is reasonable to conclude that flexible working hours can lead to individuals working overtime. Furthermore, due to the overtime, participants’ spare time was often affected negatively. Indeed, many participants had work-life conflicts, where the work-life and the private life were incompatible. This phenomenon is evident through reported cancelled or rebooked physical training due to extended working hours. Additionally, participants who had minor children usually had a more coherent and predictable working schedule. On the other hand, individuals who were not parents of minor children had less coherent and less predictable working schedule. The results from the study also showed that the participants had good time management and used their time effectively, but the consistent imbalance between ingoing work tasks and outgoing work tasks resulted in participants often felt like they never finished their task assignments. The results also showed a slight positive correlation between satisfaction over the work effort of the day and the impact on well-being

Rapporten utgår från en undersökning utförd av Sveriges Byggindustrier som visar att bristen på flexibla arbetstider är en anledning till att många kvinnor väljer att lämna byggproduktionen. Då branschen eftersträvar en större mångfald och det därtill råder arbetskraftsbrist krävs fortsatta studier angående hur byggarbetsplatserna kan moderniseras och bli mer inkluderande.      Denna undersökning utfördes med syftet att undersöka sambandet mellan flexibla arbetstider och mångfald samt för att ta reda på om flexibla arbetstider kan göra produktionsdelen av byggbranschen mer attraktiv. En nutidsanalys genomfördes i form av två enkätundersökningar där en riktades till tjänstemän på Skanska och en till studenter med byggteknisk inriktning, därutöver utfördes kompletterande intervjuer.       Resultatet visar att de som arbetar produktionsnära är mindre nöjda med sina arbetstider och det nuvarande arbetstidssystemet i jämförelse med de som arbetar på kontor. Det framkom att det både finns könsmässiga och generationsmässiga skillnader beträffande frågor kring flexibilitet i arbetslivet. De som främst ville kunna tillämpa flexibla arbetstider var kvinnor och de födda på 80- och 90-talet. De hinder som framkom vara kopplade till flexibla arbetstider handlade till stor del om kulturer i byggbranschen.     En klar majoritet vill kunna tillämpa flexibla arbetstider vilket pekar på att det skulle kunna vara lönsamt att testa arbetssättet i verksamheten. Då den nuvarande lösningen är att flytta de anställda som önskar en mer flexibel arbetsdag ifrån produktionen till mer kontorsbaserade tjänster pekar detta på att flexibla arbetstider inom byggproduktion skulle kunna bidra till ökad mångfald.<br>This report is based on a former study which illustrates that women in the construction industry are leaving their positions due to lack of flexible work arrangements. As the construction industry strives for increased diversity, and there is a shortage of labor in the engineering field, further study of modernization and new working methods is required.    The present study was conducted with the purpose of researching the relationship between flexible working hours and diversity, and to examine if flexible working hours can make the construction industry more attractive as a workplace. This was achieved by carrying out a survey in the form of two questionnaires, one of which was addressed to officials at Skanska and the other to students with a building orientation. In addition, supplementary interviews were conducted.     The results show that those who work at the construction sites are less satisfied with their working hours and the current time system compared to those who have more administrative work roles, differences both tied to gender and age where noted: Those who primarily would prefer flexible work hours were women and those born in the 80's and 90's. Difficulties related to flexible work were mainly based on current cultures in the industry.   The majority of responders were positive to flexible work, which indicates that a trial of this work arrangement could be worthwhile. The current solution in the company is to transfer employees who need more flexible work from the construction sites to more office-based services. This suggests that successfully implementing flexible work in the construction sector would lead to increased diversity, which subsequently would make this a more attractive work place for diverse groups.

The objective of this research is to design and build a groupware system which will allow members of a distributed group more flexibility in performing software inspection. Software inspection, which is part of non-execution based testing in software development, is a group activity. The groupware system aims to provide a system that will improve acceptability of groupware and improve software quality by providing a software inspection tool that is flexible and adaptable. The groupware system provide a flexible structure for software inspection meetings. The groupware system will extend the structure of the software inspection meeting itself, allowing software inspection meetings to use all four quadrant of the space-time matrix: face-to-face, distributed synchronous, distributed asynchronous, and same place-different time. This will open up new working possibilities. The flexibility and adaptability of the system allows work to switch rapidly between synchronous and asynchronous interaction. A model for a flexible groupware system was developed. The model was developed based on review of the literature and questionnaires. A prototype based on the model was built using java and WWW technology. To test the effectiveness of the system, an evaluation was conducted. Questionnaires was used to gather response from the users. The evaluations ascertained that the model developed is flexible and adaptable to the different working modes, and the system is capable of supporting several different models of the software inspection process.

New generation applications, such as cloud computing or video distribution, can run in a telecom cloud infrastructure where the datacenters (DCs) of telecom operators are integrated in their networks thus, increasing connections' dynamicity and resulting in time-varying traffic capacities, which might also entail changes in the traffic direction along the day. As a result, a flexible optical technology able to dynamically set-up variable-capacity connections, such as flexgrid, is needed. Nonetheless, network dynamicity might entail network performance degradation thus, requiring re-optimizing the network while it is in operation. This thesis is devoted to devise new algorithms to solve in-operation network planning problems aiming at enhancing the performance of optical networks and at studying their feasibility in experimental environments. In-operation network planning requires from an architecture enabling the deployment of algorithms that must be solved in stringent times. That architecture can be based on a Path Computation Element (PCE) or a Software Defined Networks controller. In this thesis, we assume the former split in a front-end PCE, in charge of provisioning paths and handling network events, and a specialized planning tool in the form of a back-end PCE responsible for solving in-operation planning problems. After the architecture to support in-operation planning is assessed, we focus on studying the following applications: 1) Spectrum fragmentation is one of the most important problems in optical networks. To alleviate it to some extent without traffic disruption, we propose a hitless spectrum defragmentation strategy. 2) Each connection affected by a failure can be recovered using multiple paths to increase traffic restorability at the cost of poor resource utilization. We propose re-optimizing the network after repairing the failure to aggregate and reroute those connections to release spectral resources. 3) We study two approaches to provide multicast services: establishing a point-to-multipoint connections at the optical layer and using multi-purpose virtual network topologies (VNT) to serve both unicast and multicast connectivity requests. 4) The telecom cloud infrastructure, enables placing contents closer to the users. Based on it, we propose a hierarchical content distribution architecture where VNTs permanently interconnect core DCs and metro DCs periodically synchronize contents to the core DCs. 5) When the capacity of the optical backbone network becomes exhausted, we propose using a planning tool with access to inventory and operation databases to periodically decide the equipment and connectivity to be installed at the minimum cost reducing capacity overprovisioning. 6) In multi-domain multi-operator scenarios, a broker on top of the optical domains can provision multi-domain connections. We propose performing intra-domain spectrum defragmentation when no contiguous spectrum can be found for a new connection request. 7) Packet nodes belonging to a VNT can collect and send incoming traffic monitoring data to a big data repository. We propose using the collected data to predict next period traffic and to adapt the VNT to future conditions. The methodology followed in this thesis consists in proposing a problem statement and/or a mathematical formulation for the problems identified and then, devising algorithms for solving them. Those algorithms are simulated and then, they are experimentally assessed in real test-beds. This thesis demonstrates the feasibility of performing in-operation planning in optical networks, shows that it enhances the performance of the network and validates the feasibility of its deployment in real networks. It shall be mentioned that part of the work reported in this thesis has been done within the framework of several research projects, namely IDEALIST (FP7-ICT-2011-8) and GEANT (238875) funded by the EC and SYNERGY (TEC2014-59995-R) funded by the MINECO.<br>Les aplicacions de nova generació, com ara el cloud computing o la distribució de vídeo, es poden executar a infraestructures de telecom cloud (TCI) on operadors integren els seus datacenters (DC) a les seves xarxes. Aquestes aplicacions fan que incrementi tant la dinamicitat de les connexions, com la variabilitat de les seves capacitats en el temps, arribant a canviar de direcció al llarg del dia. Llavors, cal disposar de tecnologies òptiques flexibles, tals com flexgrid, que suportin aquesta dinamicitat a les connexions. Aquesta dinamicitat pot degradar el rendiment de la xarxa, obligant a re-optimitzar-la mentre és en operació. Aquesta tesis està dedicada a idear nous algorismes per a resoldre problemes de planificació sobre xarxes en operació (in-operation network planning) per millorar el rendiment de les xarxes òptiques i a estudiar la seva factibilitat en entorns experimentals. Aquests problemes requereixen d’una arquitectura que permeti desplegar algorismes que donin solucions en temps restrictius. L’arquitectura pot estar basada en un Element de Computació de Rutes (PCE) o en un controlador de Xarxes Definides per Software. En aquesta tesis, assumim un PCE principal encarregat d’aprovisionar rutes i gestionar esdeveniments de la xarxa, i una eina de planificació especialitzada en forma de PCE de suport per resoldre problemes d’in-operation planning. Un cop validada l’arquitectura que dona suport a in-operation planning, estudiarem les següents aplicacions: 1) La fragmentació d’espectre és un dels principals problemes a les xarxes òptiques. Proposem reduir-la en certa mesura, fent servir una estratègia que no afecta al tràfic durant la desfragmentació. 2) Cada connexió afectada per una fallada pot ser recuperada fent servir múltiples rutes incrementant la restaurabilitat de la xarxa, tot i empitjorar-ne la utilització de recursos. Proposem re-optimitzar la xarxa després de reparar una fallada per agregar i re-enrutar aquestes connexions tractant d’alliberar recursos espectrals. 3) Estudiem dues solucions per aprovisionar serveis multicast: establir connexions punt-a-multipunt sobre la xarxa òptica i utilitzar Virtual Network Topologies (VNT) multi-propòsit per a servir peticions de connectivitat tant unicast com multicast. 4) La TCI permet mantenir els continguts a prop dels usuaris. Proposem una arquitectura jeràrquica de distribució de continguts basada en la TCI, on els DC principals s’interconnecten per mitjà de VNTs permanents i els DCs metropolitans periòdicament sincronitzen continguts amb els principals. 5) Quan la capacitat de la xarxa òptica s’exhaureix, proposem utilitzar una eina de planificació amb accés a bases de dades d’inventari i operacionals per decidir periòdicament l’equipament i connectivitats a instal·lar al mínim cost i reduir el sobre-aprovisionament de capacitat. 6) En entorns multi-domini multi-operador, un broker per sobre dels dominis òptics pot aprovisionar connexions multi-domini. Proposem aplicar desfragmentació d’espectre intra-domini quan no es pot trobar espectre contigu per a noves peticions de connexió. 7) Els nodes d’una VNT poden recollir i enviar informació de monitorització de tràfic entrant a un repositori de big data. Proposem utilitzar aquesta informació per adaptar la VNT per a futures condicions. La metodologia que hem seguit en aquesta tesis consisteix en formalitzar matemàticament els problemes un cop aquests son identificats i, després, idear algorismes per a resoldre’ls. Aquests algorismes son simulats i finalment validats experimentalment en entorns reals. Aquesta tesis demostra la factibilitat d’implementar mecanismes d’in-operation planning en xarxes òptiques, mostra els beneficis que aquests aporten i valida la seva aplicabilitat en xarxes reals. Part del treball presentat en aquesta tesis ha estat dut a terme en el marc dels projectes de recerca IDEALIST (FP7-ICT-2011-8) i GEANT (238875), finançats per la CE, i SYNERGY (TEC2014-59995-R), finançat per el MINECO.

Increasingly flexible labour markets have caused a revolution in established career patterns. Youn'g, educated and skilled workers find themselves in protean careers in ~ which strategies of action, cultural meanings and objectives are being profoundly challenged. In this thesis I reconstruct how two groups of e~rly career professionals based in England and Italy and working in the fields of human resources, engineering and accountancy construct their careers. The analysis is substantiated mainly by sixty in-depth interviews, with the support of some textual analysis and notes from few observation experiments. .The comparative dimension between professionals based in Italy and England departs from a recognition of some basic aspects of Structuration Theory. My analysis, though, tries to embed agents in their own cultural contexts by using categories such as 'repertoires of evaluation' and 'cultural repertoires'. In this view, the ways in which professionals interact with the institutions available in their contexts, turning them to their own advantage, constitute strategies of action typical of each context. I consider this, in particular, in relation to the institutions of professions, organisations and the position in the life course. Then, I discuss the role of the graduate career propaganda in forging professionals' ambitions and I critically assess the definitions of work, certainty and the concept of a good job among interviewees' responses. I ultimately suggest the adoption of a flexi-live perspective in an attempt to understand the wider framework in which strategies of action are taken and the reasoning behind these. This allows us to go beyond the employment status and look broadly at the mechanisms in which careers are constructed. Different modulations of individualism, individualisation and self-entrepreneurship emerge in the strategies of the two groups of professionals giving shape to interesting solutions: professionals interviewed who were based in England appear strongly attached to individualism and self-entrepreneurship, but tend to follow institutional routes in a poorly individualised manner, simply by taking opportunities available. On the contrary, professionals based in Italy strive to conceive of themselves as individuals and self-entrepreuners, yet the lack of standardised work practices forces them to engage in extremely individualised strategies, mostly by avoiding identified constraints.

Thesis (M.S.)--School of Computing and Engineering. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2005.<br>"A thesis in computer science." Typescript. Advisor: Premchand Uppuluri. Vita. Title from "catalog record" of the print edition Description based on contents viewed March 12, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 60-64). Online version of the print edition.

Lean is a philosophy with the purpose of increasing value from the customer perspective, through the continuous elimination of waste. During the last decades, the implementation of this philosophy has expanded to the service sector and administrative support processes. The last decades have also shown a major increase of employment within the service sector in Sweden, giving validity to the implementation of lean within administrative support processes. The implementation of this philosophy within the service sector can be associated with the term lean administration.  The purpose of this study is to suggest efficiency improvements by applying value stream mapping within the invoice flow of an industrial company's financial unit and to provide recommendations regarding an implementation of lean administration. The purpose of this study is based upon the problems that the financial unit faces today regarding inefficiencies within the invoice flow due to redundant processes and a lack of standardized work. The purpose of this study and research questions are fulfilled by performing a literature study as well as a case study which included qualitative interviews and quantitative observations.  The current invoice flow has through the simulation program FlexSim been mapped and analyzed. The authors have been able to construct a recommended invoice flow, with the current flow as a point of reference. The recommended flow shows that a 46% decrease in active process time per invoice can be achieved. This decrease of active process time per invoice alongside an implementation of lean administration can benefit the financial unit in the long term.  After interviews, observations and discussions with the case company, the suggested efficiency improvements presented in this study, can be considered applicable within and outside of the observed financial unit. The suggestions for improvement are based on the value stream mapping through FlexSim and could be achieved through an application of the recommended invoice flow. The case company should also consider a future implementation of lean administration and its associated improvement tools 5S, 5-Why and PDCA-cycles.

The aim of this diploma thesis is the design of an effective construction-technological project for the construction of reinforced concrete prefabricated storage halls by PFM-Flexi, s.r.o. The solution of the chosen problem is the design of the building site equipment, the verification of the transport routes of the key materials, the assembly schemes, the technological regulation and the control and test plan for the precast reinforced concrete frame, the BOZP plan, the comparison of the two versions of the installation in financial terms, the budget item and the schedule of the main building, timetable, calculation timetable and environmental aspects of the construction.

The equations of motion for a satellite with a rigid central body and a pair of appendages deforming due to thermal effects of the solar radiation are derived. The dynamics of the system is studied in two stages: (i) librational dynamics of the central body with quasi-steady thermally flexed appendages; (ii) coupled librational/vibrational dynamics of the spacecraft. Response of the system is investigated numerically over a range of system parameters and effect of the thermal deformations assessed. The study indicates that for a circular orbit, the flexible system can become unstable under critical combinations of system parameters and initial conditions although the corresponding rigid system continues to be stable. However, in eccentric orbits, depending on the initial conditions, thermally flexed appendages can stabilize or destabliIize the system. Attempt is also made to obtain an approximate closed-form (analytical) solution of the problem to quickly assess trends and gain better physical appreciation of response characteristics during the preliminary design. Comparisons with numerical results show approximate analysis to be of an acceptable accuracy for the intended objective. The closed-form solution can be used with a measure of confidence thus promising a substantial saving in time, effort, and computational cost.<br>Applied Science, Faculty of<br>Mechanical Engineering, Department of<br>Graduate

Elastic optical networks (EON) are an emerging solution to improve the capacity and flexibility of optical transport networks. EONs are comprised of a flexgrid spectrum, bandwidth variable transponders (BVT), and supporting optical cross connections. The evolution of EONs has facilitated the grouping of optical signal carriers, or network media channels (NMC), into parent media channels (MC). Concatenating NMCs, which traverse the same source to destination, into a MC reduces the requirement for guard-bands between channels. This provides an opportunity to treat multiple channels as a single entity in routing algorithms, spectrum assignment, and survivability schemes. The literature review conducted in this thesis found that the research in the protection and restoration schemes utilizing NMC and MC entities is lacking. This thesis aims to provide different proposals for both protection and restoration that enhance the survivability, flexibility, and spectral efficiency of EONs. Through MC and NMC identifiers, protection or restoration schemes are employed with an associated Class of Service (CoS) to an individual NMC or a MC as a whole entity. The protection schemes proposed in this thesis are; selected, divided, and mixed protection. Selected protection aims to reduce the required reserved resources by only protecting high priority traffic within a MC. Divided protection offers flexibility by dividing protection resources in a MC to multiple protection paths. Mixed protection incorporates both selected and divided protection into one scheme. The protection schemes are analyzed against the pre-existing dedicated protection. Restoration schemes are also proposed in this thesis. The novel approach to restoration drops lower priority NMCs in the event of a link fault when there is insufficient spectrum to restore all NMCs within an MC. The proposed restoration scheme is compared to fundamental restoration techniques, that are available in the predecessor fixed grid networks. The proposed approaches in protection and restoration provide a solution to flexgrid survivability implementations and improve the efficiency of spectrum protected and restored in the event of a single link failure.

Flexmix implements a general framework for fitting discrete mixtures of regression models in the R statistical computing environment: three variants of the EM algorithm can be used for parameter estimation, regressors and responses may be multivariate with arbitrary dimension, data may be grouped, e.g., to account for multiple observations per individual, the usual formula interface of the S language is used for convenient model specification, and a modular concept of driver functions allows to interface many di_erent types of regression models. Existing drivers implement mixtures of standard linear models, generalized linear models and model-based clustering. Flexmix provides the E-step and all data handling, while the M-step can be supplied by the user to easily define new models. (author's abstract)<br>Series: Report Series SFB "Adaptive Information Systems and Modelling in Economics and Management Science"

Attitudes of Adolescent Students with Disabilities Regarding "Flextime" in a Response to Intervention Model Julie Daye Department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education, BYU Educational Specialist in School Psychology One of the stumbling blocks to implementing Response to Intervention (RTI) in a secondary school is finding time for students to receive second level instruction. Evidence of effective implementation of RTI in elementary schools is more prevalent than in secondary schools. There is limited information on how to restructure school time and other resources in order to successfully implement RTI in secondary schools. Evidence is also limited regarding the impact of second level instruction on unique populations within a school. One population in particular includes students that are disabled and already receiving special education services. A junior high in a mountain west state; has implemented an element of RTI where schedules have been realigned in order to provide all students with intervention time. They call this 30-minute segment flextime, and students use this time to either attend required interventions or enrichment activities for those students who are not in need of an intervention. Students receiving special education services at this junior high were interviewed for the study. The students were selected by a special education teacher as participants likely to provide insightful responses. Data for this study were collected by open interviews with these students and the qualitative data were then analyzed with an inductive analysis approach. Participants reported that flextime was effective in helping them to improve and maintain good grades. All participants agreed that if they were in charge of the school, they would keep flextime. They also offered suggestions for improvement in flextime, which included possible scheduling changes to increase flextime and the time allotted to get from class to flextime. They also recommended changes be made in order to improve their ability to access the help needed during academic interventions.

Cette these est scindee en deux parties traitant, respectivement, de l'etude du systeme d'information d'un atelier flexible et de la realisation d'un outil de simulation, appele flexsim. Dans la premiere partie, une approche hierarchique basee sur les modeles conceptuels entite-association et relationnel, a permis la construction d'un schema relationnel d'une classe d'ateliers flexibles. Dans la seconde partie, un nouvel outil de simulation est propose. L'originalite de cet outil reside dans le fait qu'il etablit une independance entre le modele de donnees et le modele de simulation. Une interface entre un systeme de gestion de base de donnees relationnelle et le simulateur proprement dit est creee. La couche de dialogue du sgbd est le point d'entree du simulateur, ce qui facilite la creation ou la modification d'une configuration d'un atelier flexible.

The aim of the master's thesis "Making use of best practice and lessons learned while processing the standard project Flexi Office" is to streamline project management in the selected company by analysing the errors and positives from completed project and processing the standard project for Flexi Office. Theoretical and methodological part describes the project management aspects, methods of planning and project evaluation. The practical part describes the characteristics of the examined company, reference project Flexi Office, processing evaluation of the project under which were stated lessons learned and best practice for the project, and using which are suggested some ways to improve project management in the selected company.

The interaction effects of perceived work schedule flexibility (PWSF) and the number of hours worked on work-family conflict, and the interaction effects of PWSF and the type of work schedule on work-family conflict were investigated for employees of a regional bank headquartered in the Pacific Northwest. A 50% response rate was obtained from a survey questionnaire administered to 2,000 randomly selected employees. Hierarchial multiple regression analyses conducted on 526 subjects revealed no significant interaction effects for PWSF and type of work schedule. The interaction effect for PWSF and number of hours worked was not tested due to a significant correlation between number of hours worked and type of work schedule. However, significant main effects were found for both PWSF and the type of work schedule. Employees_working a "part-time" schedule reported significantly lower work-family conflict than employees working a "standard" or "flexible" schedule. No significant differences were noted in work-family conflict between employees who worked "flexible" and "standard" work schedules. Overall, as PWSF increased, work-family conflict decreased. Employees who reported having "a lot" or "some" PWSF experienced significantly lower levels of work-family conflict than those employees who reported having "hardly any" or "no" PWSF. Supplemental analyses were conducted on the number of hours worked variable. Results revealed that the number of hours worked made a unique contribution to the total variance in work-family conflict above and beyond that accounted for by type of work schedule. In contrast, both PWSF and number of hours worked contributed uniquely to the total variance in work-family conflict above and beyond that accounted for by each variable individually. Limitations of the research study are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided.

La tesi El segment velar en la flexió verbal de l’eivissenc. Anàlisi de la variació distribucional, geogràfica i generacional descriu i analitza les ocurrències del segment velar en el sistema verbal del català que es parla actualment a l’illa d’Eivissa. El treball neix amb l’objectiu d’aportar noves dades en dos camps: d’una banda, en el coneixement del dialecte eivissenc, concretament de la seva morfologia verbal, que no havia estat descrita ni analitzada de manera detallada fins ara; i d’una altra banda, en la distribució del segment velar en el sistema verbal de la llengua catalana, que ha estat, i és, un dels temes que genera més estudis en l’àmbit de la morfologia flexiva del català. La major part dels estudis sobre l’eivissenc, o que hi fan referència, apareguts fins al moment han estat realitzats a partir de les dades del corpus que Alcover i Moll varen confegir a principis del segle XX (1929-1933). La primera aportació d’aquesta tesi és que s’ha realitzat a partir d’un corpus propi de dades actuals elaborat al llarg dels anys 2008 i 2009. Aquest corpus de dades conté concretament les respostes de 54 informants de sis localitats eivissenques, dividits en tres franges d’edat, sobre la conjugació de 47 verbs de les tres classes verbals, més 18 verbs de la classe I que es varen enquestar de manera complementària. La tesi descriu de manera detallada les ocurrències del segment velar detectades en aquest corpus i les analitza des de tres punts de vista: morfològic, distribucional i variacional. L’anàlisi morfològica ens ha permès constatar que el segment velar en eivissenc apareix a totes les classes verbals, fet que ens obliga descartar el tractament de la velar com a marca específica de la classe II. En base a l’anàlisi que fem de la totalitat de les ocurrències del segment velar, postulem que la velar és una marca d’extensió a totes les classes verbals, tret de la classe I on cal que sigui tractada com a marca de nombre/persona, ja que només ocorre a les formes de la primera persona del singular del present d’indicatiu. La interpretació com a extensió que fem del segment velar que ocorre als verbs de la classe III ens ha portat a postular una nova estructura verbal a partir de la proposada a Viaplana (1984, 1986). Aquesta nova estructura presenta l’avantatge que permet donar un tractament unitari a totes les ocurrències del segment velar i palatal en eivissenc (i, de manera extensiva, a la resta de varietats de la llengua catalana) i també possibilita, com en el cas de Viaplana, el tractament paral·lel de tots dos segments. A l’anàlisi distribucional, elaborat a partir dels conceptes de patrons morfològics de Querol (2009), que segueix els postulats de Maiden (2001, 2003), establim, en funció de les respostes majoritàries dels informants, quatre patrons generals de distribució del segment velar en eivissenc. Aquests quatre patrons reflecteixen una diferència de grau en la velarització, que justifiquem, en la majoria de casos, per les condicions fòniques de l’arrel verbal. A grans trets, hem certificat que el que ocorre és que el patró velar bàsic, que és el que mostra el grau més alt de velarització, actua sobre els paradigmes de tots els verbs, de manera que els verbs d’altres patrons velars presenten una variació que tendeix al patró més ampli que tenen per sobre. Els resultats de l’anàlisi variacional ens permeten determinar, en relació amb la variació respecte dels patrons, que es donen dos tendències majoritàries i contràries entre elles: l’augment de la velarització, que respon a moviments interns del dialecte, i la disminució de la velarització, que és el resultat de la pressió d’altres varietats lingüístiques. Per últim, l’anàlisi sobre la variació geogràfica i generacional ens permet, d’una banda, establir una divisió entre les localitats més afectades pels efectes del turisme (on l’estructura de la societat ha canviat més) i les que s’han mantingut més allunyades d’aquests efectes (i on, per tant, l’estructura de la societat ha patit menys canvis). D’altra banda, en relació amb les diferències generacionals, el gran canvi es troba en les respostes dels informants de la franja 3, els més joves, que, per una banda, presenten més formes similars a la varietat estàndard però que, a la vegada, són els promotors de l’augment de la velarització a la classe I, el fenomen més innovador de l’eivissenc que hem detectat a la tesi.<br>The doctoral thesis El segment velar en la flexió verbal de l’eivissenc. Anàlisi de la variació distribucional, geogràfica i generacional describes and analyses the velar affix occurrence in the verbal system of the Catalan dialect which is currently spoken on the island of Eivissa. The dissertation came into being with the aim of providing new data in two different fields: on the one hand, on the Ibizan dialect, specifically on its verbal morphology, which until now had neither been described or analysed in depth; and on the other, on the velar affix distribution in the Catalan verbal system, which has been, and still is, one of the most researched areas in the field of the Catalan inflectional morphology. Most of the former research on the Ibizan dialect, or studies that make reference to it, has been conducted based on the data collected by Alcover and Moll at the beginning of the 20th century (1929-1933). The first contribution of this thesis is that it has been completed using its own corpus, which contains data collected between the years 2008 and 2009. This corpus gathers the answers of 54 respondents (divided into three age ranges) from 6 different Ibizan towns, about the conjugation of 47 verbs of all three verbal types, and also, surveyed in a complementary manner, about 18 type 1 verbs. The thesis describes in detail the velar affix occurrence in this corpus and analyses it from three different points of view: morphologically, that is, determining which role the velar affix plays in the Catalan verbal system; from a distributional point of view, following Maiden’s morphomic patterns (2001, 2003); and finally, in a variational way, from both a geographical and generational point of view.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Industrial Relations and Human Resources, 2008.<br>"Committee: Peter Berg, Dale Belman, Mark Roehling, Steven Haider, and Stacy Dickert-Conlin." Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Aug. 19, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 180-192). Also issued in print.

The diploma thesis offers to the reader a detailed comparison of two life insurance products -- Česká spořitelna insurance's FLEXI and Koopetiva's PERSPEKTIVA 7BN. The comparison is made from the point of view of finances, of the covered risks and the extent of the cover, of the differences in the insurance conditions, of the insurance payments and their amount upon the formation of the insured event and of the overall approach of the insurance companies to the insured client. The diploma thesis presents to the reader the evaluation of the pros and cons of the life insurance products, as well as recommendation in the product choice.

Sammanfattning En utmaning för många kommuner i dagens digitala samhälle är att skapa effektiva och samhällsnyttiga e-tjänster för medborgare. Dessa e-tjänster skall förenkla kommunikationen mellan kommun och medborgare men också bidra till mer öppnare förvaltningar i kommunerna. För att göra detta behöver först en utveckling och förankring ske internt hos förvaltningarna i kommunen. För att åstadkomma denna utveckling av e-tjänster kan ett processorienterat arbetssätt användas. Processorientering innebär att man upprättar effektiva processer internt genom att optimera och utveckla sin egen verksamhet. Detta görs genom processmodellering där man identifierar alla de aktiviteter som finns i verksamheten och sätter in dem i ett samband för att i slutändan kunna få ut ett högre värde och bättre service för medborgaren. Att verksamhetsutveckla och att tänka i processer är inget nytt men att automatisera detta tänk kan vara en utmaning för många kommuner, en utmaning som skall resultera i kompetenta e-tjänster. Uppsatsen grundar sig i en kvalitativ studie där syftet är att kartlägga betydande konsekvenser av att en kommun använder sig av processorienterad e-tjänsteutveckling. Vi har genom en fallstudie intervjuat ett flertal medarbetare på en kommun för att få fram dessa konsekvenser. Perspektiven som har studerats är hur den interna verksamheten påverkas som helhet och hur dess medarbetare berörs. Tillsammans med den empiriska basen (i form av fallstudie, intervjuer och dokumentstudier) återfinns även en teoretisk referensram som vi knutit an till och därmed kunnat komma fram till en slutsats. Kommunen som har studerats bedriver sin processorientering genom att arbeta efter en viss metodik som innebär att processmodellörer och representanter från olika förvaltningar möts i workshopsbaserade sittningar. Deras uppgift är att tillsammans ta fram verksamhetens och medborgarnas krav och behov som sedan skall resultera i stringenta och digitaliserade processer. I och med denna metodik har många konsekvenser kunnat identifieras. Huvudsakliga vinster som kan uppstå när man sätter verksamhet och medarbetare i fokus är dels att man långsiktigare kan få en mer flexibel och slagkraftigare verksamhet som både förbättrar arbetsmetoder och ökar delaktighet hos medarbetare. I slutändan skall medarbetarna själva utveckla sin verksamhet och därmed kan man enklare påverka sin egen arbetssituation och ständigt sträva efter förbättringar. Detta i sin tur kan leda till en mer kundorienterad kommunal verksamhet där konsekvenser av att arbeta med processorientering leder till en god bas för kommande utveckling av e-tjänster. Dock är det viktigt att tänka på att engagemang är en viktig faktor för framgång. För långa och för många workshops kan leda till negativitet som i sin tur kan minska detta engagemang. Därmed kan det sluta med att man får dåliga processer som varken ger förhöjd nytta till medborgare eller mot den interna verksamheten. Får man till en god mobilisering och organisatorisk förberedelse för att utveckla e-tjänster ger vi som förslag att man behöver tänka på efterdokumentering och utvärdering, något som kan vara till stor hjälp för andra kommuner som vill utöva intern processorientering. Delad kunskap ger ökad kunskap och blir därmed en viktig pusselbit i ansatsen att få hållbara och livskraftiga processer som genererar samhällsnyttiga e-tjänster.<br>Abstract A challenge for many municipalities in today's digital society is to create effective and societal useful e-services for citizens. These e-services are to facilitate communication between the municipality and citizens but also to contribute to more open government in the municipalities. To accomplish this, the municipalities first need to develop and secure the internal administrations. To achieve this development of e-services, a process-oriented approach can be used. Process orientation means that you set up efficient processes internally to optimize and develop their own activities. This is done through process modeling, identifying all the activities available in the business and put them in a relationship that ultimately will generate a higher value and better service for citizens. To develop the business and to think in processes is not new, but to automate this thinking can be a challenge for many municipalities, a challenge that will result in qualified e-services. The essay is based on a qualitative study that aims to identify significant implications that a municipality can get when using process-oriented e-service development. Through a case study we have interviewed several employees of a municipality to produce these implications. The approaches that have been studied are how the internal operations are affected as a whole and how its employees are affected. In addition to the empirical base (in the form of case studies, interviews and document studies) we have linked a theoretical framework and thus have been able to come to a conclusion. The municipality that has been studied conducts its process orientation by working with a specific methodology, which means that process modelers and representatives from various administrations meet in workshop-based sessions. Their task is to jointly develop the business and the citizens' demands and needs which will then result in stringent and digitized processes. With this methodology many implications has been identified. The main benefits that can arise when you put the business operations and employees in focus is partly that in the longer term you can have a more flexible and stronger organization, activities that both enhance working practices and increase participation among employees. In the end, the employees themselves develop their activities and thus can more easily influence their own work situation and constantly strive for improvement. This in turn can lead to a more customer-oriented business where the implications of working with process orientation lead to a good base for future development of e-services. However, it is important to note that involvement is a critical success factor. Too long and too many workshops can lead to negativity, which in turn may reduce this commitment. This may lead to that you can get bad processes that do not provide increased benefits to citizens or to the internal operations. I you get a good mobilization and organizational preparation for the development of e-services we provide as suggestions that it is important to think about documentation and evaluation of the project. This in turn could be of great assistance to other municipalities who wish to pursue internal process orientation. Shared knowledge equals increased knowledge and thus becomes an important factor in the approach to sustainable and dynamic processes that generate societal and useful e-services.

L'objectiu bàsic de la tesi "Aspectes morfofonològics en la morfologia verbal del català nord-occcidental" és aprofundir en la descripció i l'anàlisi de dos aspectes de la morfologia verbal del català que presenten imbricacions morfològiques i fonològiques: a) la distribució i el valor gramatical dels segments velar i palatal que tenen determinades formes verbals i b) l'accentuació de les formes verbals. Treballs anteriors han afrontat l'estudi de parts d'aquests fenòmens, però cap d'ells els ha examinat de manera conjunta, malgrat el reconeixement general de la dependència del sistema accentual verbal de l'estructura morfològica de les formes verbals. Es tracta, per tant, d'estudiar cada un d'aquests dos aspectes de manera independent i de veure, a continuació, com els resultats obtinguts en una part poden ajudar a entendre millor l'altra. A més, es pretén contribuir a valorar l'adequació de diverses propostes formals pel que fa a l'anàlisi de l'estructura morfològica del verb, i de l'accent, en català. Finalment, l'anàlisi proposada es presenta com un marc vàlid per donar compte de la naturalesa i distribució dels segments velar i palatal en totes les varietats o sistemes estudiats alhora; per tant, afavoreix tant l'anàlisi intradialectal com interdialectal i s'intenta justificar tant les generalitats que caracteritzen la distribució d'aquests segments en el dialecte nord-occidental, que és el que s'estudia, com les especificitats que presenten les varietats internes d'aquest dialecte.<br/><br/>Les dades escollides formen part del Corpus Oral Dialectal del català contemporani de la Universitat de Barcelona (el COD) i es presenten comparades amb les de dues altres llengües romàniques, l'italià i l'occità, per veure l'abast de l'anàlisi en un marc interlingüístic, i amb dades del català de principis del segle XX provinents del corpus d'Alcover i Moll. Aquesta darrera comparació permet observar l'evolució en la distribució d'aquests dos elements. <br/><br/>En relació amb el marc teòric seguit i pel que fa al component morfològic, en termes generals, se segueix l'enfocament morfèmic clàssic, però també es tenen en compte alguns aspectes de la morfologia paradigmàtica per poder explicar l'organització de les formes verbals en patrons paradigmàtics que afecten la distribució de determinats morfs com els que s'estudien en aquesta tesi en termes de relacions implicatives. En aquest context, els estudis que es desenvolupen en el marc teòric de la morfologia natural tenen un paper cabdal. Pel que fa al component fonològic, en general, la distribució de l'accent es justifica com un sistema màximament predictible i no com un element prosòdic que forma part de les representacions lèxiques dels morfemes. El model teòric escollit per dur a terme aquesta tasca és el de la Teoria de l'Optimitat.<br/><br/>Una de les novetats d'aquesta tesi és el fet que no només s'analitzen com a plenament regulars els verbs que presenten els segments velar i palatal sinó que també s'analitza com a regular la distribució d'aquests segments. L'estudi presentat també afavoreix una anàlisi segons la qual aquests dos segments són elements de la mateixa naturalesa morfològica, exponents de subclasses verbals, que són pertinents en l'estructura de les formes verbals com a morfs independents de l'arrel i de la flexió. L'anàlisi proposada en relació amb la distribució de l'accent verbal també permet donar compte d'aquells casos que s'havien analitzat anteriorment com a irregulars i aporta noves dades que confirmen l'anàlisi proposada per als segments velar i palatal.<br><I>This thesis contributes to the description and analysis of two aspects of the Catalan verbal morphology that show morphological and phonological overlapping: a) the distribution and the grammatical value of the velar and palatal segments that certain verbal forms display between the root and the inflectional suffixes and b) the stress pattern of verbal forms. Previous works have studied parts of these phenomena, but none has addressed both aspects together in depth, despite the fact that many authors mention that the position of stress in Catalan verbs depends to a degree on the morphological structure of the verbal forms. <br/><br/>The study is based on data from the north-western dialect of Catalan from the Corpus Oral Dialectal del Català Contemporani (late twentieth century) of the University of Barcelona. These data are compared with those from Alcover and Moll's corpus (early twentieth century) and with data from Italian and Occitan. The analysis presented is a valid framework to account for the nature and the distribution of the velar and palatal segments in each variety and their relation with the position of stress (the intradialectal approach), as well as enables the comparison among all varieties (the interdialectal approach).<br/><br/>The morphological aspects of the analysis fit the classical morphemic Item and Arrangement view and hence the segments studied are presented as independent morphs, with the function of being exponents of verbal subclasses. Yet, the analysis takes elements of the paradigmatic view (Word and Paradigm) to explain the distribution of the velar and palatal segments though the whole inflectional paradigm, which is studied in terms of sub-paradigms or morphological patterns that are common to all varieties under study. The variation detected between verbs and between informants with respect to the distribution of these elements is derived from a hierarchy of implicational relations that the sub-paradigms display. The analysis of the phonological component and therefore the distribution of stress in verbs fall within the framework of Optimality Theory. The analysis put forth treats as wholly predictable the position of stress in verbs on the basis of the morphological structure proposed in the first part of the thesis, limiting the irregularity to few cases. </I>

Följande examensarbete är den avslutande delen av högskoleingenjörsprogrammet innovationsteknik och design på Karlstads Universitet. Arbetet har en omfattning på 22,5hp och genomfördes ifrån januari- till juni 2020. Uppdragsgivaren är Granqvist Sportartiklar AB (fortsättningsvis i rapporten benämnt som Granqvists) som har sitt säte i Karlstad, medan uppdraget utfördes på deras fabrik i Zlotow, Polen. Granqvist har tillverkat handskar för sport- och skydd sedan 1984 och har alltid ägt hela produktionen, råmaterial till färdig slutprodukt. Då företaget har växt både i omsättning och personalstyrka har den svenska ledningen funnit ett behov av förbättringsarbete inom produktionen, vilket följande examensarbete behandlar. Arbetets upplägg följer den strategi som presenteras boken ”LEAN, gör avvikelser till framgång” rörande värdeflödesanalyser och hur man bäst utnyttjar dem. Genom den utförda värdeflödesanalysen var det möjligt att dokumentera hela processen för en vald produktfamilj sett ur ett helikopterperspektiv, vilket var brandhandsken texgrip. Nuläget visar på att ett stort antal mellanlager växer fram inom produktionen som en följd av ett osynkroniserat produktionsflöde där varje process har egna körscheman. Efter analysering av nuläget samt intervjuer med medarbetare inom produktionen och tjänstemän kunde ett antal förbättringsförslag genereras. Övergripande har 19 förbättringsförslag fördelade över tre kategorier presenterats, samt 9 huvudpunkter med åtgärder som går att genomföra för att nå ett jämnare flöde i produktionen. Huvudpunkterna för flödet presenteras i form av en simulering i programvaran Flexsim 2020. Detta på grund av de rådande omständigheterna avseende Covid-19 vilket påverkade genomförandefasen av förbättringsförslagen. Simuleringen visar att de två planerade lagringsplatserna med kontrollerat lager räcker för de nyskapade flödesgrupperna, och därmed bör modellen ej förkastas. Simuleringen skall även kunna fungera som ett verktyg för uppdragsgivaren med syfte att visa vad man kan göra och hur man tar sig dit i produktionen. Samt att den skall stödja dem i deras fortsatta utvecklingsarbete med möjligheter till att bygga på modellen utifrån hela produktionsanläggningen.<br>The following bachelors thesis is the final part of the engineering program innovation technology and design at Karlstad University. The work has a scope of 22.5hp and was carried out between January and June 2020. The client is Granqvist Sportartiklar AB, which has its headquarters in Karlstad, while the assignment was carried out at their factory in Zlotow, Poland. Granqvist has been manufacturing gloves for sports and protection since 1984 and has always owned the entire production from raw material to finished product. As the company has grown both in sales and staff strength, the Swedish management has found a need for improvements in the production, which the following work deals with. The work follows the strategy presented in the book ”LEAN, gör avvikelser till framgång” regarding value flow analyzes and how to best utilize them. By performing a current-situation analysis, it was possible to document with a helicopter perspective the entire process for a selected product family. The current situation shows that a large number of intermediate stocks are growing within production as a result of an unsynchronized production flow where each process has its own schedules. After analyzing the current situation, interviews with production employees and officials, a number of improvement suggestions was generated. Overall, 19 improvement proposals across three categories have been presented, as well as 9 main points with measures that can be implemented to achieve a more even flow in the production. These points for the flow are presented in the form of a simulation in the software Flexsim 2020, when Covid-19 ravaged globally at the time the thesis was written, which led to difficulties in implementing some of the improvement proposals. The simulation shows that the two planned controlled storage locations are sufficient for the newly created flow groups, and thus the model is considered approved. The simulation should also serve as a tool for the client, a tool with the purpose of showing what you can do and how to get there in the production, aswell as being a foundation for future work in simulating the whole production and all it´s products.

This thesis concerns of benchmarking $\mu$C/OS-II systems on different microcontroller architectures. The thesis describes COS-II microcontroller core and possible series of benchmark tests which can be used. Selected tests are implemented and measured properties of microcontrollers with different architecture are compared.

The aim of this study has been to examine if an implementation of a One Stop Shop in the public sector and its IT-support can serve as a motor for business development. By examine the relation between the One Stop Shop and the public administrations we have tried to answer this question. The municipality that we have examined underwent a big change, seven years ago, when they implemented a One Stop Shop including a IT-support called Flexite. But despite these seven years and the fact that Flexite has changed approach from a Case Management System to a Support System for Business Development the municipality have not adapted to this change.

Bakgrund Sjukhusmaten har stor betydelse för patientens tillfrisknande, men trots detta slängs stor del av maten och många patienter lider av undernäring. En inlagd patient behöver energi- och näringstät kost, men för att patienter med sjukdomar och åkommor ska kunna äta maten krävs individanpassning av måltiderna. För att kunna leverera säkra patientmåltider krävs kunskap och fungerande kommunikation hos berörd personal. En organisatorisk studie kan möjliggöra identifikation av problemområden och fungerande områden kring måltidsrutinerna inom sjukhus, för att säkerställa rätt kost. Därför utgick denna studie utifrån ett organisatoriskt perspektiv vid syftesformulering.  Syfte Att kartlägga matutbudet och måltidsprocessen inom Landstinget Sörmland, med specifikt fokus på specialkost inom sjukhusmiljö.  Metod Studien bestod av statistik över beställda koster från Landstinget Sörmland åren 2015-2017, samt kompletterande samtal med berörda yrkesgrupper under våren 2018.  Resultat Beställningsstatistiken visade skillnader och likheter mellan sjukhusen, där Katrineholm utmärktes med störst andel specialkost på ≈40%. För Katrineholm var Minus fläsk, Laktosfritt och Lättuggat vanligast. Eskilstuna och Nyköping hade högst andel Flytande, Lättuggat och Dialys. Enskild specialkost varierade månadsvis, mest skiftningar hade Vegankost för Nyköping och Katrineholm, och Flytande för Eskilstuna. Representanter från fyra olika yrkesgrupper deltog i samtalen, där måltidsprocessen beskrevs beröra ordinering, beställning, tillagning, servering och uppföljning. Det största problemområdet uppgavs vara beställningsprocessen, vilket ansågs bero på kostrelaterad kunskapsbrist och/eller bortprioritering bland vårdpersonal. Uppföljningsarbetet var även ett område som ansågs ha förbättringspotential, eftersom patienters mat- och vätskeregistreringar behövde utarbetas grundligare.  Slutsats De konsistensanpassade kosterna utgjorde hög andel av totala specialkoster, där Lättuggat var bland de tre vanligaste för alla sjukhus, och förknippades till den geriatriska/kirurgiska vården. Kommunikationsproblem och kunskapsbrist inom vården kunde utgöra hinder inom måltidsprocessen. Studieresultatet betonar vikten av individanpassning och uppföljning inom patientmåltider.<br>Background Hospital meals are important for a patient’s recovery, despite this huge amount of food is wasted and many patients suffer of malnutrition. A hospitalized patient need a diet high in energy and nutrients, and individualized meal adaptions are necessary. To deliver safe meals are knowledge and functioning communication required. An organizational study might identify problematic and functioning areas regarding meal process routines within hospitals, to ensure patients their needed meals. Because of this, the study’s purpose emanated from an organizational perspective.  Objective To study diet variations and meal process in Landstinget Sörmland, with focus on special diets within hospital environment.  Method Data consisted of statistics of ordered meals provided from Landstinget Sörmland, years 2015-2017, and information collected through dialogues with involved personnel, 2018.  Results The statistics of ordered meals showed both differences and similarities between the hospitals, with highest proportion of special diets at Katrineholm (≈40%). Most common diets at Katrineholm were Pork-free, Lactose-free and Dialyses. Highest share in Eskilstuna and Nyköping were Liquid, Paté and Dialyses. The special diets that had highest monthly variations were Vegan in Nyköping and Katrineholm, and Liquid and Dialyses for Eskilstuna. The dialogues consisted of representatives from four work categories, and the meal process were reported to be prescribing, ordering, cooking, serving and follow-up. Difficulties were found regarding ordering, which was considered to be because lack of knowledge and/or neglecting among caregivers. Follow-up process was reported to have areas with room for improvement, with focus on food and fluid registration.  Conclusion Texture modified food represented a high proportion of total special diets. Most common for all hospitals were the amount of Paté, and could be associated with the geriatric/surgical care. Communicational problems and lack of knowledge could act as potential barriers within the meal process. The study results emphasize the value of individual adaption and patient meal follow-ups.

The aim of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between the use of self-regulation by the tertiary distance learner and his or her academic achievement in a specific academic course unit. To attain this aim, a literature study was undertaken to: a) define and describe distance learning, b) describe the nature of learning, c) describe the nature of self-regulated learning and its implications for distance learning, and d) define and classify learning strategies and indicate the relationships between self-regulated learning, the use of learning strategies, and successful learning. Literature indicated a positive relationship between self-regulation, the use of learning strategies, learning success, and academic achievement: learning success results whenever pre-formulated learning goals are attained through the use of self-regulation and applicable learning strategies; and attainment of learning goals results in positive academic achievement. Self-regulated learners, who plan their learning, formulate learning goals, motivate themselves intrinsically, instruct themselves, apply different learning strategies to attain learning goals, continuously monitor and self-evaluate themselves during the learning process, are able to attain the formulated learning goals successfully and perform well academically. The literature review also revealed a high level of self-regulation as one of the prerequisites for performing successfully as a distance learner. Planning personal learning goals, using a variety of learning strategies to attain the goals, determining the correct personal learning tempo, monitoring learning progress, and self evaluating learning outcomes are typical characteristics of self-regulation necessary for effective distance learning and academic progress. The population of the research includes the PU vir CHO - Open Learning Academy-learners registered for the Further Diploma in Educational Management, module PSD 511 (Teaching and Learning) in the North West region of South Africa. The total number of students attending the three contact sessions in September 2000 at five sentra in the North West Province, and who participated in the research, was 143. Three questionnaires were used to obtain personal information, as well as information regarding self-regulation in the learners, namely, a biographical questionnaire, the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) and the Self Regulated Learning Questionnaire (SRLQ). The data was statistically analized by means of: a) factor analyses, b) multiple regression analyses, and c) stepwise regression analyses. A difference was found to exists between the variables that determine the academic achievement of successful versus unsuccessful distance learners. Successful distance learners have better developed self-regulated learning skills than unsuccessful distance learners.<br>Thesis (M.Ed.)--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2001

<p>Citizens’ interaction with governments is an area with unique implications for channel management. Governments need to take the citizens perspective into further consideration in order to be successful in delivering high-quality e-services. This paper aims to determine if a categorization of citizen-initiated contacts from a citizen-centric perspective can be a valuable basis for decisions regarding e-service development. The study consisted of three steps. The first step was an examination of the existing related literature, which resulted in the uncovering of the most important aspects of citizens channel choice. The second step consisted of an elaboration of a classification based on perceived task characteristics and a subsequent matching of the categories to desirable channel characteristics. The third and final step consisted of an application of the proposed categorization on a content management system containing all citizen-initiated contacts in a Swedish municipality. The application indicated that the proposed categorization could possibly be used to guide investments in e-services towards a channel-appropriate direction.</p>

The thesis is in the field of information design and specializing on spatial design. The study explores how workplace personalization can take form in an activity-based workplace with flexi-desks. At the time of writing, Mälardalen University is planning to build a new campus in Eskilstuna. The new workplace for the teachers and researchers is planned to be an activity-based workplace with flexi-desks. Earlier studies have shown that in many cases activity-based workplaces have not been used in the way they were designed for. In those cases, there appears to be issues with employees interaction with the physical environment.   The aim of the study has been to investigate what impact and need of workplace personalization have to the teachers in the academy of innovation, design and technology at Eskilstuna University, in order to avoid above named problems with the teachers new activity-based workplace.   Early empirical data in this study is based on interviews, to get the overall picture and to understand how activity-based workplaces work in practice at other organizations. The interviews also defined the functions of the new campus in Eskilstuna, that lead to a mapping of activity zones in the blueprints of the new building. Through studies of literature, a method has been developed that identifies the underlying needs of workplace personalization for the users in this study. The empirical data, together with earlier studies and design theory that puts human behavior first, resulted in a design proposal that satisfies the users needs for storage and personalization. The design proposal is a complement to the flexible workplace.

The main objective of the thesis is to study the bond behaviour of NSM FRP reinforcement in concrete elements. With this aim an extensive program of experimental tests complemented with numerical analysis has been performed to study the effect of the variables affecting this technique. In the first part of this thesis the modified pull-out test is carried out. A Finite Element Analysis (using the program FEMIX V.4) was used to perform several trials to fit as much as possible (inverse analysis) the force versus loaded end slip responses obtained experimentally in direct pullout tests. In the second part of this thesis an experimental program of flexural tests on RC beams strengthened with NSM FRP has been carried out to study the effect on the flexural behaviour of some of the previous variables studied in the first part<br>L’objectiu principal d’aquesta tesi és l’estudi del comportament adherent entre el reforç NSM FRP i l’element de formigó. D’aquesta manera s’ha realitzat un extens programa d’assajos experimentals complementat amb anàlisis numèriques per tal d’estudiar les variables que incideixen en aquesta tècnica. En la primera part de la tesi es fa un estudi de l’adherència emprant l’assaig de pull-out modificat. S’ha realitzat una anàlisi amb el MEF (emprant el programa FEMIX V.4) per tal de fer diverses proves per ajustar amb la màxima precisió possible (anàlisi inversa) la resposta força-lliscament de l’extrem carregat de la barra obtinguda experimentalment en els assajos de pull-out. A la segona part de la tesi s’ha portat a terme un programa d’assajos a flexió d’elements de formigó armat reforçats amb NSM FRP per tal d’estudiar l’efecte d’algunes de les variables analitzades en la primera part

The problem being investigated in this thesis is to understand and explain why some Setswana speaking students in the ACE-programme for Life Orientation who have voluntarily registered for a decentralised off-campus education programme at the NWU, continue to demand personal, face-to-face communication with their lecturers during the course of their studies. „Off-campus education‟ (also known as „distance education‟ and / or „decentralised education‟) is usually implemented in an attempt to afford more students the opportunity to improve their qualifications and skills – especially in the case of those students who, for a variety of reasons, may not be in a position to enrol for fulltime contact training. Off-campus education could help to serve the divergent education-related needs of poor, less privileged, geographically isolated, difficult-to-reach and deep rural communities. It could also assist with the teaching and learning of new knowledge and skills as far as its integrated use of contemporary technological developments is concerned. Besides UNISA, the North-West University is at present the biggest supplier of off-campus education programmes to practising teachers in the country. Despite the exponential increase in educational and technological developments in the late 20th and early 21st century, information and communication technology – within a broader South African context – is still not within reach of all the NWU‟s off-campus education students. Recent attempts to integrate contact education principles in off-campus education, led to the development of the (well-known) hybrid, namely „flexi-education‟. Over the past seven years or so, this state of affairs has slowly developed to the point where the number of registered, off-campus African education students at the NWU who insist (despite paper-based, electronic and mobile learning support) on demanding personal, face-to-face contact with their lecturers, has increased rapidly. It would furthermore seem that the use of, for example, internet and communication technology is increasing the existing gap between the African education student and his / her lecturer. This growing gap has already resulted in some registered African education students feeling increasingly isolated. The problem with the use of ICT in off-campus education is understood by some as leading to a situation where the ICT being implemented may, one day soon, replace the lecturer during scheduled contact facilitation sessions. Should that happen, it could mean that interactive communication and the social presence of the lecturer during scheduled contact facilitation sessions may be compromised and even permanently forfeited. The available body of scholarship does not adequately address the perceptions of students with regard to the importance of (a) the temporal-spatial, simultaneous presence of their lecturers and (b) social interactions during scheduled contact facilitation sessions. From the available literature, it is also not clear: why some students may want to entertain and maintain such perceptions, what the attitude of students with regard to social interaction and the social presence of their lecturers might be, or what role ICT could be playing in the life-world of off-campus students in South Africa. In an attempt to solve this intellectual conundrum and with a view to effecting naturalistic generalisation (and not statistical generalisation) I have decided, in light of the above, to implement and follow a multi-analytical research design (mixed methods, multi-analysis design) (Onwuegbuzie et al., 2009: passim; 117). Instead of me seeking to generalise my own research findings, I have decided to leave it to my readers to generalise the findings from their own experiences in the past (Onwuegbuzie et al., 2009: 120). This approach represents a kind of „fuzzy generalisation‟ (Ekiz, 2006:73) in the sense that something that has happened in one place could just as well be demonstrated to have happened somewhere else as well (ibid.). I have, therefore, undertaken both a quantitative as well as qualitative study in order to understand why Setswana speaking education students in the ACE-programme in Life Orientation would continue to demand personal, face-to-face contact with their lecturers, despite all the teaching and learning support that they are offered along the way. I have completed my research on the basis of (and in view of) my research aims. The same applies to the data that I have managed to capture and interpret. On the basis of these data, certain strategic guidelines for effective education in off-campus education programmes for practising teachers have then been drafted. My most important research findings include: Off-campus education is purposively delivered to the client, e.g. to the Setswana speaking student in his / her natural surroundings. Off-campus education should strive to care for the student and his / her contextualised needs. An authentic encounter between the off-campus lecturer and student should be allowed to take place. These encountering opportunities could assist in liberating the Setswana speaking student from all moral and ethical obligation of having to meet his / her lecturer and talking to him / her personally. No more moral burdening or social indebtedness should be placed on students to attend the scheduled contact facilitation sessions. The Setswana speaking student should be accompanied to feel and experience that s/he is unconditionally accepted and respected in his / her particular situation and locale. The Setswana speaking student should be able to feel and experience on a particularly deep interpersonal level the security that s/he has the right to belong to a particular off-campus education community (that is not only viewed as a communal society, but also managed as one). The University as service provider ought to create intimate, interactive spaces during scheduled contact facilitation sessions for all off-campus lecturers in order to afford their Setswana speaking students the opportunity to realise their ontic, social yearning for belonghesion. The Setswana speaking student experiences off-campus education as a process of social unity, as well as a social, communal learning community, together with his / her lecturers and fellow students. For this reason, scheduled contact facilitation sessions should be focusing (given the transactional nature of off-campus education) on communal, „perfect-fit education for us‟. Within a communal „perfect-fit‟ education community, the Setswana speaking student should be accompanied to adopt his / her reason for existence in the following manner: “We are, therefore I am.” Given the transactional nature of scheduled contact facilitation sessions (that should be focusing on transactional proximity, openness and sincerity within this communal „perfect-fit education for us‟) the Setswana speaking student does not wish the use of computer and internet technology to replace their ontic and socially cohesive, essential yearning for communal humanity and fellowship. It would seem that Setswana speaking students may not, necessarily, be less than ready for the implementation of ICT in their off-campus education programmes because they cannot afford it, but mainly because they do not yet regard computer and internet technology as part of their cultural furniture. Any attempt at implementing ICT in off-campus education should be considered and managed by universities with great circumspect, so that these students‟ social, ontic, and cohesively essential yearning and ever intensifying, deepening, socially-mutual attaching, fixative and reciprocally trusting attraction could be properly accounted for, and so that it may be managed satisfactorily on a curricular level. Off-campus education should, therefore, be based on the realisation of ontic „We-ness‟ where the members of this community continue to depend on each other and where the supply and delivery of off-campus education is constantly reformed and fine-tuned so that it may reflect an authentic collective learning community. Off-campus education should be focusing on a collectivist, communally searching, epistemological approach where human beings are constantly relating to their fellow human beings, playing different social roles and taking full responsibility for whatever may be needed to realise these students‟ off-campus studies successfully.<br>Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

[ES] Este trabajo tiene como objetivo aumentar el conocimiento sobre las funcionalidades de los sistemas operativos de terminales (TOS) gestionando terminales de cualquier tipo (portuarias, interiores) con el fin de mejorar su desempeño y contribuir a la reducción de esa congestión. 117 funcionalidades han sido agrupadas en 6 clusters principales: Almacén, Operaciones marítimas, Puerta, Master Data, Comunicaciones y ERP Dashboard. Los resultados muestran que el traqueo del timing de los buques, la optimización de espacio, el desarrollo de listas de carga y/o descarga y la optimización de las ubicaciones de los contenedores son las funcionalidades más importantes de una TOS, y no deberían de faltar en ninguna de ellas que se precie para ser un buen cerebro de una terminal. Posteriormente, mediante una simulación en ambiente real, se perseguía el objetivo de verificar si profundizar en esas funcionalidades de una TOS efectivamente producía una mejora en los indicadores clave de desempeño de una terminal.<br>[CA] Aquest treball té com a objectiu augmentar el coneixement de les funcionalitats de les TOS gestionant terminales de qualsevol tipus (portuaries, interiors) amb la fi de millorar el seu acompliment i contribuir a la reducció d'eixa congestió. 117 funcionalitats han sigut agrupades en 6 clusters principales: Magatzem, Operacions marítimes, Porta, Master Data, Comunicacions i ERP Dashboard. El resultats mostren que el seguiment del timing del barcs, la optimització de l'espai, el desenvolupament de llistes de càrrega o descàrrega i la optimització de les ubicacions dels contenidors son les funcionalitats més importants d'una TOS, i no deurien de faltar en ninguna que vullga ser un bon cervell d'una terminal. Posteriorment, mitjançant una simulació en ambient reial, es perseguia l'objectiu de verificar si, profunditzant en eixes funcionalitats d'una TOS, efectivament es produïa una millora en el indicadors claus d'acompliment d'una terminal.<br>[EN] This work aims to improve the knowledge about the functionalities of Terminal Operating Systems (TOS) managing container terminales of sea, river, and dry ports, with the aim of improving their performance and contributing to reducing congestion and GHG emissions to achieve a higher sustainability. One hundred and seven functionalities were grouped into six main clusters: Warehouse, Maritime Operations, Gate, Master Data, Communications, and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Dashboard. The results show that time tracking of vessels, space optimization, development of loading and unloading lists, and optimization of container locations are the most important functionalities of a TOS. After this, using a simulation on a real environment, the target sought was to verify, if deepening in these functionalities of a TOS, there was an improvement of the terminal key performance indicators.<br>Hervás Peralta, M. (2021). Identificación y ponderación de las funcionalidades de una TOS (Terminal Operating System) mediante aplicación de método de análisis jerárquico (AHP). Microsimulación de resultados en ambiente real simulado [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/171470<br>TESIS

The global tendency to apply sustainability criteria in most of productive fields, as well as, the limited durability and the pathologies that suffer the reinforced concrete elements, are aspects that directly affect the increasing necessity of strengthening this type of structures. Reinforced concrete beams are frequently subjected to bending and shear efforts. The evolution of strengthening techniques, that permit to increase the load bearing capacity in front this type of efforts, has consisted in the development of new technologies that maximise the velocity and ease the execution of the solution, minimising the time structures are out of service. In this way, the introduction of composite materials in construction has revolutionised the structural strengthening field. The textile-reinforced mortar (TRM) is a composite material that combines textiles, made of high strength tensile fibres, with cementitious matrix. The main characteristic of this material is that, unlike the techniques as fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP), it does not require the use of organic resins for its fabrication and application on structures. The present thesis has consisted in the analysis of the mechanical and structural behaviour of reinforced concrete beams strengthened against flexural and shear efforts using different types of TRM. To fulfil this aim, two main experimental campaigns have been carried out. In the first one, eleven full-scale beams, ten of them previously flexural strengthened with five different types of TRM, have been tested. In the second experimental campaign, nine reinforced concrete beams, eight of them shear strengthened with four different combinations of textiles and mortars, have been subjected to experimental tests. Before these main experimental campaigns, the mechanical behaviour of all materials used in the research has been characterised (that is concrete, steel, mortars, textiles and TRM). Moreover, an experimental approach, based on the flexural strengthening and testing of twelve precast beams, has been done. This campaign has allowed familiarising with the application of the reinforcement and obtaining results, from which, most appropriate combinations of textiles and mortars to use in main experimental campaigns have been chosen. Using the experimental data, two analytical studies, focused on the design of reinforced concrete beams flexural and shear strengthened with TRM, respectively, have been carried out. In both studies, initially, it has evaluated the prediction capacity of three analytical models included in design standards of FRP and TRM. For two of them, the formulation of the codes proposed by fib-Bulletin 14 and ACI 440.2R-08 has been adapted to the particular case of cementitious matrix reinforcements. The formulation according to ACI 549.4R-13 has been directly applied in the third. In the second part of the studies analytical models based on the reduction of mechanical capacities of the fibers have been carried out. These employed the experimental results obtained in the present research and the gathered from similar investigations. The results show that, in the case of TRM applied as a flexural reinforcement, the strengthening system is able to increase of 27.4% the beams capacity before the flexural yielding and 8.2% the ultimate bending capacity. This increase reaches 33.7% in the case of the shear strengthened reinforced concrete beams. On the other hand, the results of analytical studies indicate that models adapted from FRP standards present a better prediction capacity than the obtained with the code specifically developed for TRM reinforcements, which has performed significantly conservative. Finally, the proposed analytical models, based on the adjustment of the textile fibers properties, show a new conception for the design of TRM strengthening on reinforced concrete beams.<br>La tendencia global en aplicar criterios de sostenibilidad en la mayoría de ámbitos productivos, así como la limitada durabilidad y las patologías que sufren los elementos de hormigón armado, son aspectos que influyen directamente en la creciente necesidad de reforzar este tipo de estructuras. Las vigas de hormigón armado son elementos frecuentemente sometidos a esfuerzos de flexión y cortante. La evolución de las técnicas de refuerzo que permiten incrementar la capacidad resistente frente estas solicitaciones, ha consistido en el desarrollo de nuevas tecnologías que maximizan la velocidad/facilidad de ejecución de la solución y minimizan el tiempo que la estructura está fuera de servicio. En este sentido, la introducción de materiales compuestos en la construcción ha revolucionado el sector de los refuerzos estructurales. El textile-reinforced mortar (TRM) es un material compuesto que combina tejidos, hechos de fibras de resistencia a tracción elevada, y matrices de base cementítica. La principal característica de este material es que, a diferencia de técnicas como el fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP), no requiere de la utilización de resinas orgánicas para su fabricación y aplicación en las estructuras. La presente tesis ha consistido en el análisis del comportamiento mecánico y estructural de vigas de HA reforzadas a flexión y a cortante con diferentes tipos de TRM. Para lograr este objetivo, se han realizado dos campañas experimentales principales. En la primera de ellas, se han ensayado once vigas a escala real, diez de ellas reforzadas previamente a flexión con cinco tipos diferentes de TRM. En la segunda campaña, se han sometido a ensayo nueve vigas de HA, ocho de ellas reforzadas a cortante con cuatro combinaciones diferentes de tejidos y morteros. Antes de estas campañas principales, se ha caracterizado el comportamiento mecánico de todos los materiales utilizados, es decir, el hormigón, el acero, los morteros, los tejidos y el material compuesto TRM. Además, se ha realizado una campaña experimental de aproximación, basada en el refuerzo a flexión y ensayo de doce viguetas prefabricadas, que ha permitido la familiarización con la técnica de aplicación del refuerzo y la obtención de resultados, a partir de los cuales, se ha elegido las mejores combinaciones de tejidos y morteros a utilizar en las campañas experimentales principales. Utilizando los datos experimentales, se han realizado dos estudios analíticos enfocados al diseño de vigas de HA reforzadas a flexión y a cortante con TRM, respectivamente. En ambos estudios, inicialmente se ha evaluado la capacidad de predicción de tres modelos analíticos incluidos en normativas de FRP y TRM, adaptando la formulación de los códigos propuesta por fib-Bulletin 14 y ACI 440.2R-08 al caso particular de los refuerzos de matriz cementítica, y aplicando directamente la formulación propuesta por ACI 549.4R-13. En la segunda parte de los estudios, empleando los resultados experimentales obtenidos en el presente trabajo y los recopilados de investigaciones similares, se han desarrollado modelos analíticos basados en la reducción de las capacidades mecánicas de las fibras que componen los tejidos. Los resultados muestran que, en el caso del TRM aplicado como refuerzo a flexión, los especímenes logran incrementar en un 27,4% su capacidad previa a la plastificación, y en un 8,2% su capacidad última a flexión. Este incremento de prestaciones alcanza el 33,7% en el caso de las vigas de HA reforzadas a cortante. Por otro lado, los resultados del estudio analítico muestran que los modelos adaptados de las normativas de FRP presentan una mejor capacidad de predicción que el modelo desarrollado para el TRM, que se revela significativamente conservador. Por último, los modelos analíticos propuestos, basados en el ajuste de las propiedades de las fibras de los tejidos, muestran un nuevo enfoque para el diseño de refuerzos TRM en vigas de HA.<br>La tendència global a aplicar criteris de sostenibilitat en la majoria d’àmbits productius, així com la limitada durabilitat i les patologies que pateixen els elements de formigó armat, són aspectes que influeixen directament en la creixent necessitat de reforçar aquest tipus d’estructures. Les bigues de formigó armat són elements freqüentment sotmesos a esforços de flexió i tallant. L’evolució de les tècniques de reforç que permeten incrementar la capacitat resistent en front aquestes sol·licitacions, ha consistit en el desenvolupament de noves tecnologies que maximitzessin la velocitat/facilitat d’execució de la solució i minimitzessin el temps que l’estructura està fora de servei. En aquest sentit, la introducció de materials compostos en la construcció ha revolucionat el sector dels reforços estructurals. El textile-reinforced mortar (TRM) és un material compost que combina teixits, fets de fibres de resistència a tracció elevada, i matrius de base cementítica. La principal característica d’aquest material es que, a diferència de tècniques com el fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP), no requereix de la utilització de resines orgàniques per a la seva fabricació y aplicació a les estructures. La present tesi ha consistit en l’anàlisi del comportament mecànic i estructural de bigues de formigó armat reforçades a flexió i a tallant amb diferents tipus de TRM. Per a aconseguir aquest objectiu, s’han realitzat dues campanyes experimentals principals. En la primera d’elles, s’han assajat onze bigues a escala real, deu d’elles reforçades prèviament a flexió amb cinc tipus diferents de TRM. En la segona campanya, s’han sotmès a assajos nou bigues de formigó armat, vuit d’elles reforçades a tallant amb quatre combinacions diferents de teixits i morters. Abans d’aquestes campanyes principals, s’ha caracteritzat el comportament mecànic de tots els materials utilitzats, és a dir, el formigó, l’acer, els morters, els teixits i el material compost TRM. A més, s’ha realitzat una campanya experimental d’aproximació, basada en el reforç a flexió i assaig de dotze biguetes prefabricades, que ha permès la familiarització amb la tècnica de reforç i l’obtenció de resultats, a partir dels quals, s’han escollit les millors combinacions de teixits i morters a utilitzar en les campanyes experimentals principals. Utilitzant les dades experimentals, s’han realitzat dos estudis analítics enfocats al disseny de bigues de formigó armat reforçades a flexió i a tallant, respectivament. En ambdós estudis, inicialment s’ha avaluat la capacitat de predicció de tres models analítics inclosos en normatives de FRP i TRM, adaptant la formulació dels codis proposada per fib-Bulletin 14 i ACI 440.2R-08 al cas particular dels reforços de matriu cementítica, i aplicant directament la formulació proposada per ACI 549.4R-13. En la segona part dels estudis, emprant els resultats experimentals obtinguts en el present treball i els recopilats d’investigacions similars, s’han desenvolupat models analítics basats en la reducció de les capacitats mecàniques de les fibres que composen els teixits. Els resultats mostren que, en el cas del TRM aplicat com a reforç a flexió, els espècimens aconsegueixen incrementar en un 27,4% la seva capacitat prèvia a la plastificació, y en un 8,2% la seva capacitat última a flexió. Aquest increment de prestacions arriba fins el 33,7% en el cas de les bigues de formigó armat reforçades a tallant. Per altra banda, els resultats de l’estudi analític mostren que els models adaptats de les normatives de FRP presenten una millor capacitat de predicció que el model desenvolupat per al TRM, que es revela significativament conservador. Per últim, els models analítics proposats, basats en l’ajust de les propietats de les fibres dels teixits, mostren un nou enfoc per al disseny de reforços TRM en bigues de formigó armat

Concrete block masonry is a common building material used worldwide, including Canada. Reinforced masonry buildings, designed according to the requirements of recent building codes, may result in seismically safe structures. However, unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings designed and constructed prior to the development of modern seismic design codes are extremely vulnerable to seismic induced damage. Replacement of older seismically deficient buildings with new and seismically designed structures is economically not feasible in most cases. Therefore, seismic retrofitting of deficient buildings remains to be a viable seismic risk mitigation strategy. Masonry load bearing walls are the most important elements of such buildings, potentially serving as lateral force resisting systems. A seismic retrofit research program is currently underway at the University of Ottawa, consisting of experimental and analytical components for developing new seismic retrofit systems for unreinforced masonry walls. The research project presented in this thesis forms part of the same overall research program. The experimental component includes design, construction, retrofit and testing of large-scale load bearing masonry walls. Two approaches were developed as retrofit methodologies, both involving reinforcing the walls for strength and deformability. The first approach involves the use of ordinary deformed steel reinforcement as internally added reinforcement to attain reinforced masonry behaviour. The second approach involves the use of internally placed post-tensioning tendons to attain prestressed masonry behaviour. The analytical component of research consists of constructing a Finite Element computer model for nonlinear analysis of walls and conducting a parametric study to assess the significance of retrofit design parameters. The results have led to the development of a conceptual retrofit design framework for the new techniques developed, while utilizing the seismic provisions of the National Building Code of Canada and the relevant CSA material standards.

Se realizó el estudio de las propiedades térmicas y mecánicas de mezclas de Poli(Etilén Tereftalato) (PET) con resinas poliméricas basadas enl Bisfenol-A: Poli(Carbonato de Bisfenol-A) (PC) y Poli(Hidroxi-Éter de Bisfenil-A) (PHEB), en contenidos no superiores a un 30% en peso de estos polímeros y preparadas por extrusión doble-husillo.<br/>Una evaluación físico-química (ft-IR, densidad y MVR) de ambos sistemas indicó que pueden ocurrir reacciones de transesterificación, principalmente entre el PET y el PC y verificado vía DSC y DMTA, mientras que dichas reacciones tienen una baja extensión en el caso del PHEB, principalmente evidenciado en la pérdida de la capacidad de cristalización del PET (sin mayores cambios en su transición vítrea) en presencia de PC y casi invariabilidad al adicionar PHEB. Con el apoyo de SEM se verificó la presencia de fases ricas de ambos componentes en las mezclas en todo el rango de composiciones, verificándose el carácter inmiscible de ambos sistemas.<br/>A través de un fraccionamiento térmico por Autonucleaciones y Recocidos Sucesivos (SSA) y medidas del MVR, ensayos que favorecieron la transesterificación, se estableció que ésta promueve un aumento de la masa molecular en ambos sistemas, donde en las mezclas PET/PC esto se da por reacciones de extensión de cadena y que en las mezclas PET/PHEB conducen a la formación de ramificaciones largas y entrecruzamientos.<br/>Las propiedades mecánicas a tracción y flexión indicaron un aumento de la resistencia mecánica y deformabilidad a mayor contenido de fase bisfenólica, al observarse un aumento de los parámetros característicos de estos ensayos, donde módulos elásticos y tensiones siguieron generalmente una desviación positiva de la "Ley Aditiva de Mezcla" (LAM). Tales tendencias indicaron un efecto rigidizante de la fase bisfenólica combinado con interacciones fuertes entre los componentes que favoreció la transmisión de tensiones y la deformabilidad de la mezcla, existiendo una compatibilidad mecánica aceptable al menos a bajas velocidades de deformación, principalmente en las mezclas PET/PC en donde hay evidencias de un aumento en la tenacidad. Se verificó que hay mejoras en la Resistencia al Impacto tanto caída de dardo como pendular al menos hasta un 20% de PC, superando a las mezclas PET/PHEB las cuales manifestaron una fuerte sensibilidad a la entalla.<br/>En el análisis de la fractura a través de la Mecánica de la Fractura Elástico Lineal (LEFM) a altas velocidades y el Trabajo Esencial de Fractura (EWF) a bajas velocidades de solicitación, para contenido no superiores a 10% de fase PC y PHEB donde la morfología de fases fue comparable (partículas), se tiene que los parámetros de fractura fueron siempre superiores para las mezclas PET/PC, con una tendencia general de que el PC aporta mejoras a estos parámetros respecto al PET, mientras que el PHEB no los afecta o tiende a disminuirlos. Esto sugiere que que la adhesión interfacial es un factor determinante que favorece la transmisión de tensiones, particularmente favorable en las mezclas PET/PC por su mayor reactividad.<br/>A mayores contenidos de fase bisfenólica, el comportamiento es más complejo como consecuencia del particular balance entre tamaño, geometría y orientación de la fase dispersa que tiende a dominar sobre la adhesión interfacial, detectándose procesos de cavitación en la mayoría de las condiciones de ensayos que promovieron pocas mejoras o decaimiento en los parámetros de fractura respecto al PET. Cabe destacar que los parámetros de fractura LEFM indicaron que todos los materiales presentaron una fractura en condiciones mixtas con una componente importante de tensión plana, con excepción de las mezclas PET/PHEB que corresponderían a condiciones de deformación plana, todo lo cual fue corroborado a través del análisis fractográfico.