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Fritz, James B. "Telecommunication System for Bachelor Officers Quarters: Cost-Effectiveness and Lease / Purchase Analysis." Thesis, Monterey, California : Naval Postgraduate School, 1990. http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA232104.
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Thesis (M.S. in Telecommunication Systems Management)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 1990.<br>Thesis Advisor(s): Gates, William R. Second Reader: Suh, Myung W. "June 1990." Description based on title screen as viewed on March 24, 2010. DTIC Identifier(s): Cost Benefit Analysis, Cost Effectiveness Analysis, Vendor Proposals, Telecommunications, Net Present Value, PBX, Theses. Author(s) subject terms: Telecommunications, PBX, Cost-effectiveness, Net Present Value. Includes bibliographical references (p. 40). Also available in print.
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Syversen, Christoffer Lie, and Robert Skulstad. "Low-cost instrumentation system for recovery of fixed-wing UAV in a net." Thesis, Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet, Institutt for teknisk kybernetikk, 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:no:ntnu:diva-25992.
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This thesis considers the feasibility of using an inexpensive Real-Time Kinematic Global Positioning System (RTK-GPS) unit to provide position data to support a high precision landing of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) into a net. Both dynamic- and stationary-net platforms were considered and custom guidance controllers were designed for both applications. Fully functioning, the system is intended to remove the need of a pilot when operating UAVs from confined platforms. The ArduPilot Mega (APM) was the selected micro-controller for providing the approach guidance. It already supported autonomous waypoint flight, based on absolute GPS-based position reference. Accommodation of the new RTK-GPS distance vector, a measure of the relative distance between base station and UAV, in custom guidance algorithms constituted the main bulk of work. Real-Time Kinematic Library (RTKLIB), an open source RTK software, was used for calculation of the relative distance vector, also known as baseline vector.The custom guidance controllers utilized model-less controller logic, and the longitudinal and lateral axes were completely uncoupled. The longitudinal controller, governing throttle- and pitch setpoints, was comprised of two Proportional, Integral and Derivtive (PID) controllers. The lateral controller, a non-linear lookahead-based controller, produced a setpoint for the desired aircraft roll. Other main topics of the thesis were; HIL-simulation based on the software XPlane and MissionPlanner and real-life testing with the model aircraft X8 Skywalker.HIL-simulations confirmed the feasibility of the guidance controllers, while real-life testing showed sufficient precision of the entire system, baseline vector and custom guidance controllers combined, for retrieval of a UAV in a 3 m high by 5 m wide net.
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El-Mehalawi, Mohamed. "A geometric similarity case-based reasoning system for cost estimation in net-shape manufacturing /." The Ohio State University, 1999. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1488186329504367.
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SONG, CONGCONG. "Electricity generation from hybrid PV-wind-bio-mass system for rural application in Brazil." Thesis, KTH, Energiteknik, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-211794.
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Electrification of households in rural area and isolated regions plays a significant impact on the balanced economic development. Brazil grows with a high population growth rate, but still parts of rural area and isolated regions do not have the accessibility of electric power. This study focuses on the feasibility study of a hybrid PV-wind-biomass power system for rural electrification at Nazaré Paulista in southeast Brazil. This study was performed by using the hybrid renewable energy system software HOMER. The wind and solar data was collected from Surface meteorology and Solar Energy-NASA, and the biomass data was collected and estimated from other previous studies. The result shows, the hybrid PV-wind-biomass renewable system can meet 1,601 kWh daily demands and 360 kW peak load of the selected rural area. The power system composed of 200 kW PV panels, 200 kW biomass generator, 400 battery banks, and 200 kW converter. All the calculations were performed by Homer and the selection were based on the Net Present Cost (NPC) and Levelized cost of energy (COE). Because of the fossil fuels’ negative impacts on human health and environment, all the energy sources for this system are renewable energies which have less pollution.
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McCabe, Michael Charles. "An Empirical Investigation of Information Systems Success in Terms of Net Benefits: A Study on the Success of Implementing a Building Automation System." NSUWorks, 2010. http://nsuworks.nova.edu/gscis_etd/238.
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When measuring Information Systems (IS) success, it is important to know the type of IS being measured, the systems objectives, and the unit of analysis. As organizations invest in technology to help achieve strategic goals, they need to be able to measure IS success. Measuring the effectiveness of IS from an organizational perspective is the effect it has on achieving organizational goals. The effectiveness of information systems is a measure of net benefits. This empirical study investigated IS success in terms of the DeLone and McLean IS success model variable, net benefits. In order to measure IS success, the context of the investigation and the unit of analysis are as important as what is being measured. This investigation, in the context of a building automation system (BAS), evaluated the net benefits success measurement with the organization as the unit of analysis.
Two hypothesis testing studies were conducted. The first study was a predictive investigation, which researched the relationship among the independent variables, kilowatt hours, kilowatt demand, and the dependent variable, the cost of energy. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to understand to what extent the independent variables could predict the dependent variable. The second study was a correlational investigation. This study was conducted to ascertain whether a building automation system affects the cost of energy. A Point Biserial Correlation Coefficient test was conducted to understand the relationship between the cost of energy and stores with a building automation system and those without. A t-test was conducted to understand the level of significance. The results of the analysis showed that the relationship between the cost of energy and a BAS is statistically significant and that the variables kilowatt hours and kilowatt demand are statistically significant as predictors of the cost of energy.
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Ravi, Kumar Swetha. "A techno-economic analysis of a residential solar Photovoltaic system installed in 2010 : A comparative case study between California and Germany." Thesis, KTH, Energi och klimatstudier, ECS, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-105187.
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With environmental concerns and energy needs increasing, many regions in the world are promoting renewable energy technologies making use of various policy instruments. Although today the PV systems price is decreasing, which gives it a competitive edge; we see the technology still being dependent on policy instruments for its dissemination. The aim of this study is to research on whether or not a solar PV system is economically viable under certain circumstances. The study analyzes this by performing a cost beneficial analysis for the lifetime of the solar PV system making use of a discounted savings model. The systems being considered in this study are from California and Germany as these regions are leading in solar PV dissemination in their respective regions. The policies that are aiding the deployment of solar PV technologies are varied and thus this study compares benefits from different policy instrument for a residential customer investing in a solar PV system. The research objectives in this study are pursued making use of major concepts such as Grid Parity, Levelized Cost of Electricity and financial methods such as discounting. Further, to understand how the different independent variables such as retail electricity prices, PV system pricing, WACC, self-consumption rate and storage availability are having an impact and how the results change with variation in these variables, a sensitivity analysis is conducted. The results obtained in this study show that a solar PV system installed in California and Germany both make net benefits over their lifetime. When compared, the Californian solar PV system under the Net Energy Metering policy is making more net economic benefits in the range of $ 40,351 in Eureka and $53,510 in San Francisco; when compared to the German solar PV systems under the Feed in Tariff ranging $4,465 in Berlin and $11,769 in Munich. Furthermore the Californian solar PV systems still prove to be more beneficial even when compared to the German solar PV systems under the self-consumption law of the Feed in Tariff ranging $ 6,443 in Berlin and $ 13,141 in Munich. But when the self-consumption rate is increased in the German case, it is noted that the associated benefits increase. The study at hand thus results in the California Net Energy Meter policy instrument proving to be more beneficial to a residential customer than the German Feed in tariff with and without self-consumption. Another important finding made in this study is that despite the German solar PV system making lesser benefits than the Californian ones, they attain Grid Parity before the ones in California.
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McCall, Mark J. S. "Cell therapy manufacturing value systems and cost analysis." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2013. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/14935.
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Cell Therapies are promising clinical instruments with significant therapeutic potential and commercial promise. However, the industry engaged in their commercial and clinical development faces significant financial, technical, regulatory and market challenges. These challenges are compounded by an understanding gap in the cell therapy industry. Commercial failures and financial difficulties have forced the industry to address the need to provide value and estimate and control costs early in the development timeline. The problem is that this issue is not being systematically or thoroughly addressed in the academic community while they pursue potential future treatments. Articles that highlight the need to understand costs and value are appearing with increasing frequency highlighting a growing consensus that work needs to be carried out in this area. However examples of models and tools to predict or estimate or even calculate costs in developing and producing a product do not exist in the literature. This work consists of three parts. Part one entails a new model of the characteristics observed in cell therapy new product development. This model is an evolution of an activity based dependency structure matrix (DSM). Result from the model suggests that some favoured development strategies (such as applying for an orphan indication status) provide less financial benefit than is commonly expected. The ability to scale manufacturing levels between clinical trial phases is also a pressing problem. 3 Part two presents a model to predict the cost of manufacturing and delivering a cell therapy product. This cost of good supplied (COGS) model combines both rules and predictive activity based costing across multiple manufacturing platforms, cell types and supply chain configurations. This model highlights the significant cost burden of validating both single and, more markedly, multiple sites of manufacture. The model also examines the potential for economies of scale when using different production technology in the manufacture of human Mesenchymal Stem Cells. Based in part on the results and knowledge gleaned in parts one and two, part three outlines the development of a novel, scalable expansion system developed to enable lower cost, controlled manufacture of adherent cell populations. While still at an early stage of development the technology has demonstrated the ability to maintain cells in a high rate of growth for a longer period than traditional culture techniques. This allows for the creation of a manufacturing technology with a higher expansion ratio than manufacturing systems on the market today.
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Charvátová, Lenka. "Controllingový systém banky." Master's thesis, Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze, 2012. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-125125.
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This thesis describes and analyzes the most important areas of bank controlling. Amongst them are: cost management, planning and budgeting, and performance management. The thesis focuses on the newest knowledge in bank controlling and on best practice examples. The thesis also includes practice examples of some bank controlling areas of a particular Czech bank, ČSOB.
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Strazdienė, Daiva. "Medžiagų ir produkcijos apskaita ir auditas." Master's thesis, Lithuanian Academic Libraries Network (LABT), 2005. http://vddb.library.lt/obj/LT-eLABa-0001:E.02~2005~D_20050526_145003-12868.
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Research object: stocks. Research subject: accounting and audit. Research aim: to investigate the main problems of stocks accounting and audit and to give suggestions that can help to improve stocks accounting and audit. Objectives: 1)To analyze the peculiarities of stocks and production accounting and audit; 2)To carry out an empirical research of stocks and production accounting and audit; 3)To define and analyze the main problems of stocks and production accounting and audit; 4)To formulate conclusions and suggestions in order to develop the field of stocks accounting and audit; Research methods: logical analysis, synthesis, comparison, questionnaire survey and description. In the process of investigation there were analyzed theory and practice of stocks accounting and audit, investigated the main problems of stocks accounting and audit and also given suggestions that can help to solve investigated problems.
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Bengtsson, Gustav, and Daniel Einås. "Investeringsbedömning av mätinsamlingssystem : för Mälarenergi Elnät AB." Thesis, Linköping University, Department of Management and Economics, 2004. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-2224.
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<p>Detta examensarbete har genomförts vid Mälarenergi Elnät AB i Västerås. Undersökningen föranleddes av regeringsbeslutet om att elmätare måste avläsas en gång per månad från 2009. Konsekvensen för Mälarenergi är att de måste investera i ett automatiskt mätinsamlingssystem. Syftet med projektet har varit att skapa en generell investeringsmodell för att ekonomiskt utvärdera ett antal mätinsamlingssystem. I rapporten har Milabs, Seneas, Enermets, HM Powers, Iprobes samt Techems och Viterras system analyserats. Resultaten från investeringskalkylen visar att Mälarenergi kommer att göra en förlust på 5-8 MSEK/år under hela projektets livslängd (15 år). Den största delen av investeringen utgörs av hårdvarukostnader (50 %), medan drift- och underhållskostnader samt logistikkostnader utgör 20 % respektive 25 %. Mälarenergi Elnät bör budgetera 1 500-1 950 SEK/mätpunkt för projektet, beroende på systemval. En känslighetsanalys visar att driftskostnad och livslängd är avgörande faktorer, vilket medför att det är viktigare att satsa på ett robust och säkert system än det billigaste.</p>
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Silva, Andrea Ribari Yoshizawa da. "Modelagem de custos em sistemas de manufatura utilizando redes de Petri." Universidade de São Paulo, 2002. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/18/18135/tde-26072002-142850/.
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Apresenta uma análise da estimação de custos em sistemas de manufatura utilizando rede de Petri (PN), ferramenta gráfica e matemática para modelagem e simulação. Esta análise permite a apresentação de um sistema aplicável à programação e otimização de processos de fabricação aliadas à estimação dos custos ao longo do processo. Para uma determinada peça, a partir de conceitos sobre custeio de produtos, é proposto um modelo que visa conectar as transições da PN com as informações de custos de produção. O estudo de caso mostra que informações importantes à tomada de decisão podem ser obtidas através do uso de uma metodologia que incorpore planejamento de processos, métodos de custeio e redes de Petri. Finalmente, traz sugestão de um trabalho subseqüente: a partir do modelo proposto, implementar um template no editor/simulador de redes de Petri, Petri Net Tools 2000, capaz de realizar os cálculos necessários para estimativas de custo e fornecer resultados relevantes para um planejamento real.<br>This work presents a cost estimation analysis in manufacturing systems based in Petri net (PN), which is a graphical and mathematical tool. This analysis allows the presentation of a system, applicable to the programming and optimizing of manufacturing processes joined with cost estimation. A cost model is proposed using concepts of product costing. It seeks for connecting PN transitions to the data manufacturing cost of a certain part. The case study shows that important information to decision support can be found through the use of a methodology which joins process planning, costing systems and Petri nets. There is also a suggestion of a later work: a template implementation, on Petri Net Tools 2000 editor/simulator of PN models, which is able to accomplish the necessary calculations for cost estimates and, to supply important results to a real planning.
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Ginste, Joakim, and Sascha Partanen. "Feasibility analysis of upgrading the cogeneration unit of George Washington sugar mill in Cuba." Thesis, KTH, Hållbar utveckling, miljövetenskap och teknik, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-283613.
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Cuba’s government has set a goal to generate 24 percent of the country’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030. The country’s many sugar mills have been identified as key contributors to reach this goal as their cogeneration units have the potential to significantly increase Cuba’s electricity production from biomass by upgrading them to bioelectric plants. This study evaluates the feasibility of upgrading the cogeneration unit of George Washington sugar mill in the province of Villa Clara, Cuba. An energy balance of the proposed upgraded scheme is done to deduce its feasibility from an energy perspective. To deduce the project’s feasibility from a financial standpoint its net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), discounted payback period (DPP) and levelized cost of energy (LCOE) are calculated. The spared CO2 emissions by integrating more biopower in the Cuban electricity system are calculated from the avoided burning of diesel for electricity production. The impact on Cuba’s energy independence is quantified by calculating the avoided diesel imports. The NPV of the proposed scheme is 64.9 MUSD, the IRR is 25.6 percent which is significantly higher than the set discount rate of 6.5 percent, the DPP is 5.3 years and the LCOE is 0.0533 USD/kWh which is lower than the maximum LCOE set by AZCUBA to 0.14 USD/kWh. The avoided CO2 emissions and imported diesel are estimated to be 110,173 tonnes CO2 and 36,724 tonnes diesel each year, respectively. These indicators suggest that the upgrade of George Washington’s cogeneration unit is feasible.<br>Kubas regering har satt som mål att generera 24 procent av landets elektricitet från förnyelsebara källor till år 2030. Landets många sockerbruk har identifierats som nyckelaktörer för att nå detta mål då sockerbrukens kraftvärmeenhet har potential att öka Kubas elproduktion från biomassa genom att uppgradera dem till bioelektriska kraftverk. Denna studie utvärderar möjligheten att uppgradera kraftvärmeenheten på sockerbruket George Washington i provinsen Villa Clara, Kuba. Först görs en energibalans på det föreslagna uppgraderade systemet för att utläsa dess genomförbarhet ur ett energiperspektiv. För att utvärdera projektets genomförbarhet ur ett finansiellt perspektiv beräknas investeringens nettonuvärde (NPV), interna avkastningsgrad (IRR), diskonterade återbetalningstid (DPP) och energiproduktionskostnad (LCOE). De undvikta CO2 utsläppen genom integrering av mer biokraft i det kubanska elsystemet beräknas från den uteblivna förbränningen av diesel för elproduktion i landet. Effekterna på Kubas energioberoende kvantifieras genom att man beräknar den minskade dieselimporten. NPV i det föreslagna uppgraderade systemet är 64,9 MUSD, IRR är 25,6 procent vilket är betydligt högre än den fastställda diskonteringsräntan på 6,5 procent, DPP är 5,3 år och LCOE är 0,0533 USD/kWh vilket är lägre än det maximala LCOE som fastställts av AZCUBA till 0,14 USD/kWh. De uteblivna CO2-utsläppen och minskningen av importerad diesel beräknas uppgå till 110 173 ton CO2 respektive 36 724 ton diesel varje år. Dessa indikatorer tyder på att uppgraderingen av George Washingtons kraftvärmeenhet är genomförbar.
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Radebe, Thandwefika. "Are solar home systems a more financially viable method of electrifying Ghana households?" Master's thesis, Faculty of Commerce, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/33001.
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Africa still has the lowest electrification rates in the world with over 600 million people estimated to be living without access to electricity. What makes the challenge even greater for Africa is that the continent is so sparsely populated that building grid infrastructure is not viable in many cases. However, “pay-as-you-go” solar home systems have provided the continent with the opportunity to correct its electrification deficit. These innovations are not new and many of the costs of operating these systems have reached grid parity when one considers the Levelized Cost of Energy Model. However, these projects still fail to meet institutional investors' bankability criteria. The aim of this study is to try and understand whether solar home systems provide the investor with an opportunity to make a larger risk-adjusted return versus existing grid-based power station projects being considered on the continent. This study uses Ghana's recently built Kpone power station as a case study to complete this analysis. The study also seeks to assess what viability criteria is employed by a broad base of investors if they were to consider funding off-grid power. The study makes use of the Net Present Value model to compare the returns for Kpone and Zola Electric's Infinity solar home system. The study also conducts inductive qualitative analysis to try and ascertain what criteria is assessed for project viability and then builds a conceptual framework for assessing future projects. The study found that Kpone provided a better risk-adjusted return to that of Zola Electric's solar home system, largely because of Kpone's project finance structure reducing the risk of the investment. Our findings also show that investment ticket size, company track record and management track record are among the most highly considered criteria for investments into off-grid companies.
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England, Kevin. "A GIS approach to landslide hazard management for the West Coast region, New Zealand." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Geological Sciences, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/5337.
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Landslides, in their various forms, are a common hazard in mountainous terrain, especially in seismically active areas and regions of high rainfall. The West Coast region of New Zealand is dissected by many active faults, experiences frequent earthquakes and in many locations annual rainfall exceeds ten meters. Consequently, landslides are widespread in the region and since European settlement began, have been responsible for 27 deaths, along with frequent damages to road and rail infrastructure, settlements and agricultural land.
This study identifies areas that are susceptible to rainfall triggered landslides in the West Coast region. To achieve this, a landslide susceptibility map was produced using bivariate statistics and the analytical hierarchy process. It has an accuracy that predicts 80% of all the landslides in the top 40% of the susceptibility scores on the map. As part of this process, 3221 rainfall triggered landslides and 522 earthquake (or other trigger) triggered landslides have been mapped and digitised into a Geographic Information System. In parallel with this, a descriptive historical catalogue of 1987 landslides has been compiled from the available sources.
These new tools provide decision-makers with an enhanced means of managing landslide hazards in the West Coast region. In order to avoid misinterpretation the study has been carried out in compliance with the “Guidelines for landslide susceptibility, hazard and risk zoning for land use planning”, which was published in 2008 by the Joint Technical Committee on Landslides and Engineered Slopes. The tools developed in this thesis represent a fundamental step in land-use planning and set-up of landslide hazard management in the West Coast region.
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Strassburg, Udo. "Um estudo da import??ncia da informa????o cont??bil aliada ?? tecnologia da informa????o na gest??o das ??reas de neg??cio." FECAP - Faculdade Escola de Com??rcio ??lvares Penteado, 2001. http://132.0.0.61:8080/tede/handle/tede/500.
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Previous issue date: 2001-12-04<br>The subject approached in this study was the Importance of Accounting Information allied to the technology of information in the Administration of the Business surface. The approach given to this research is centered in the interdisciplinarity on the surface that supply aid to the Accounting. Among the surface highlighted, the one that received larger emphasis was computer science, approaching related subjects to the technology of information. The technology of information will give support to the managerial compound when it comes to the process of decision making, supplying the managers with alternatives of action based on worked, classified, mined, standardized and related data, looking for the solution to the existent problems. Among the technological resources available it has been given a larger emphasis to the Data Warehouse that is considered by specialists as the memory of the company, removing data from the several databases of the company without affecting their origins. Prominent attention has also been given to Datamining, considered as the intelligence of the company. It will mine all the data collected by the Data Warehouse, with the objective of looking for new and useful relations for the optimization of the enterprise.<br>Foi tratado neste estudo, o tema A Import??ncia da Informa????o Cont??bil aliada ?? tecnologia da informa????o na Gest??o das ??reas de Neg??cio. A abordagem dada ao trabalho est?? centrada na interdisciplinaridade entre as ??reas que fornecem aux??lio ?? Contabilidade. Dentre as ??reas destacadas, a que recebeu maior ??nfase foi a de inform??tica, abordando assuntos relacionados ?? tecnologia da informa????o. A tecnologia da informa????o dar?? suporte ao complexo empresarial no que tange o processo de tomada de decis??o, fornecendo aos gestores alternativas de a????o baseadas em dados trabalhados, classificadas, mineradas, padronizadas e relacionadas, buscando a solu????o dos problemas existentes. Dentre os recursos tecnol??gicos dispon??veis, foi destacado com maior ??nfase o Data Warehouse que ?? considerado pelos estudiosos no assunto, como a mem??ria da empresa, retirando dados dos diversos bancos de dados da empresa sem afetar a origem dos mesmos. Tamb??m recebeu destaque o Datamining que ?? considerado como a intelig??ncia da empresa o qual far?? a minera????o de todos os dados colhidos pelo Data Warehouse, com o objetivo de buscar rela????es novas e ??teis para a otimiza????o do empreendimento.
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Sewe, Maquins Odhiambo. "Towards Climate Based Early Warning and Response Systems for Malaria." Doctoral thesis, Umeå universitet, Epidemiologi och global hälsa, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-130169.
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Background: Great strides have been made in combating malaria, however, the indicators in sub Saharan Africa still do not show promise for elimination in the near future as malaria infections still result in high morbidity and mortality among children. The abundance of the malaria-transmitting mosquito vectors in these regions are driven by climate suitability. In order to achieve malaria elimination by 2030, strengthening of surveillance systems have been advocated. Based on malaria surveillance and climate monitoring, forecasting models may be developed for early warnings. Therefore, in this thesis, we strived to illustrate the use malaria surveillance and climate data for policy and decision making by assessing the association between weather variability (from ground and remote sensing sources) and malaria mortality, and by building malaria admission forecasting models. We further propose an economic framework for integrating forecasts into operational surveillance system for evidence based decisionmaking and resource allocation. Methods: The studies were based in Asembo, Gem and Karemo areas of the KEMRI/CDC Health and Demographic Surveillance System in Western Kenya. Lagged association of rainfall and temperature with malaria mortality was modeled using general additive models, while distributed lag non-linear models were used to explore relationship between remote sensing variables, land surface temperature(LST), normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI) and rainfall on weekly malaria mortality. General additive models, with and without boosting, were used to develop malaria admissions forecasting models for lead times one to three months. We developed a framework for incorporating forecast output into economic evaluation of response strategies at different lead times including uncertainties. The forecast output could either be an alert based on a threshold, or absolute predicted cases. In both situations, interventions at each lead time could be evaluated by the derived net benefit function and uncertainty incorporated by simulation. Results: We found that the environmental factors correlated with malaria mortality with varying latencies. In the first paper, where we used ground weather data, the effect of mean temperature was significant from lag of 9 weeks, with risks higher for mean temperatures above 250C. The effect of cumulative precipitation was delayed and began from 5 weeks. Weekly total rainfall of more than 120 mm resulted in increased risk for mortality. In the second paper, using remotely sensed data, the effect of precipitation was consistent in the three areas, with increasing effect with weekly total rainfall of over 40 mm, and then declined at 80 mm of weekly rainfall. NDVI below 0.4 increased the risk of malaria mortality, while day LST above 350C increased the risk of malaria mortality with shorter lags for high LST weeks. The lag effect of precipitation was more delayed for precipitation values below 20 mm starting at week 5 while shorter lag effect for higher precipitation weeks. The effect of higher NDVI values above 0.4 were more delayed and protective while shorter lag effect for NDVI below 0.4. For all the lead times, in the malaria admissions forecasting modelling in the third paper, the boosted regression models provided better prediction accuracy. The economic framework in the fourth paper presented a probability function of the net benefit of response measures, where the best response at particular lead time corresponded to the one with the highest probability, and absolute value, of a net benefit surplus. Conclusion: We have shown that lagged relationship between environmental variables and malaria health outcomes follow the expected biological mechanism, where presentation of cases follow the onset of specific weather conditions and climate variability. This relationship guided the development of predictive models showcased with the malaria admissions model. Further, we developed an economic framework connecting the forecasts to response measures in situations with considerable uncertainties. Thus, the thesis work has contributed to several important components of early warning systems including risk assessment; utilizing surveillance data for prediction; and a method to identifying cost-effective response strategies. We recommend economic evaluation becomes standard in implementation of early warning system to guide long-term sustainability of such health protection programs.
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Buitrago, Villaplana Esther. "LCC and LCA for Low Temperature Heating Integrated with Energy Active Envelope Systems." Thesis, KTH, Energiteknik, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-277027.
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Windows has been always considered as heat sinks and they can account more than 25% of a building envelope. For this reason, its design and performance in dwellings play a major role in regulating the indoor environment. The construction sector has been investing in better insulation envelope systems for the last decades to reduce the heat transmissions losses and energy consumption in households. LOWTE is a Swedish firm specialized in low energy building components and due to all these facts, it has recently developed a double slot energy active envelope window (EAW) for improving energy-saving in buildings. EAW is a window prototype that integrates low-temperature heating and energy active systems, and it is planned to be installed at Testbed KTH in Stockholm (Sweden). Waste heat from the current heating systems will be used during its whole operation. Then, a life cycle assessment (LCA) will be accomplished for evaluating EAW feasibility and costeffectiveness before its implementation. Furthermore, an LCA comparison with other two passive window systems will be made. A double-glazed and a triple-glazed window will represent the reference system and a competent alternative solution, respectively. A sensitivity analysis for each model will be developed in order to consider multiples scenarios and obtain which variables affect the most EAW profitability. Thus, the feasibility of the EAW would be studied from an economic and environmental perspective. The simulations of both models show the potential that EAW can represent for the current heating system in KTH Live-In-Lab apartments. Since EAW is quite subjected to the thermal conditions of the room, the ambience, and the internal flowing air; costs savings and avoided environmental impacts will depend mainly on the thermal performance of the whole system.<br>Fönster har alltid betraktats som kylflänsar och de kan stå för mer än 25% av byggnadens kuvert. Av denna anledning spelar deras design och prestanda i bostäder en viktig roll för att reglera inomhusmiljön. Byggsektorn har investerat i bättre isoleringshölje system under de senaste decennierna för att minska värmeöverförings förlusterna och energiförbrukningen i hushållen. LOWTE är ett svenskt företag som är specialiserat på byggnadskomponenter med låg energi och på grund av alla dessa fakta har det nyligen utvecklat ett fönster med dubbelspalt och energi aktivt kuvert (EAW) för att förbättra energibesparing i byggnader. EAW är en fönster prototyp som integrerar låg temperatur värme och energi aktiva system som kommer att installeras på Testbed KTH i Stockholm (Sverige). Avfallsvärme från de nuvarande värmesystemen kommer att användas under hela driften. Sedan kommer en livscykelanalys (LCA) att genomföras för att utvärdera EAW med avseende pågenomförbarhet och kostnadseffektivitet innan denna implementering. Dessutom kommer en LCAjämförelse med andra två passiva fönstersystem att göras. Ett dubbelglasat och ett tredubbelt fönster representerar referenssystemet respektive en kompetent alternativ lösning. En känslighetsanalys för varje modell kommer att utvecklas för att ta hänsyn till flera scenarier och utvärdera vilka variabler som mest påverkar EAW-lönsamhet. Således skulle genomförbarheten för EAW studeras ur ett ekonomiskt och miljömässigt perspektiv. Simuleringarna av båda modellerna visar potentialen som EAW kan representera för det nuvarande värmesystemet i KTHs Live-In-Lab-lägenheter. Eftersom EAW är helt utsatt för de termiska förhållandena i rummet, atmosfären och den inre flödande luften; beror kostnadsbesparingar och minskad miljöpåverkan främst på värmeprestandan för hela systemet.
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Combier, Robert. "Risk-informed scenario-based technology and manufacturing evaluation of aircraft systems." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/49046.
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In the last half century, the aerospace industry has seen a dramatic paradigm shift from a focus on performance-at-any-cost to product economics and value. The steady increase in product requirements, complexity and global competition has driven aircraft manufacturers to seek broad portfolios of advanced technologies. The development costs and cycle times of these technologies vary widely, and the resulting design environment is one where decisions must be made under substantial uncertainty. Modeling and simulation have recently become the standard practice for addressing these issues; detailed simulations and explorations of candidate future states of these systems help reduce a complex design problem into a comprehensible, manageable form where decision factors are prioritized. While there are still fundamental criticisms about using modeling and simulation, the emerging challenge becomes ``How do you best configure uncertainty analyses and the information they produce to address real world problems?”
One such analysis approach was developed in this thesis by structuring the input, models, and output to answer questions about the risk and economic impact of technology decisions in future aircraft programs. Unlike other methods, this method placed emphasis on the uncertainty in the cumulative cashflow space as the integrator of economic viability. From this perspective, it then focused on exploration of the design and technology space to tailor the business case and its associated risk in the cash flow dimension. The methodology is called CASSANDRA and is intended to be executed by a program manager of a manufacturer working of the development of future concepts. The program manager has the ability to control design elements as well as the new technology allocation on that aircraft. She is also responsible for the elicitation of the uncertainty in those dimensions within control as well as the external scenarios (that are out of program control). The methodology was applied on a future single-aisle 150 passenger aircraft design.
The overall methodology is compared to existing approaches and is shown to identify more economically robust design decisions under a set of at-risk program scenarios. Additionally, a set of metrics in the uncertain cumulative cashflow space were developed to assist the methodology user in the identification, evaluation, and selection of design and technology. These metrics are compared to alternate approaches and are shown to better identify risk efficient design and technology selections.
At the modeling level, an approach is given to estimate the production quantity based on an enhanced Overall Evaluation Criterion method that captures the competitive advantage of the aircraft design. This model was needed as the assumption of production quantity is highly influential to the business case risk. Finally, the research explored the capacity to generate risk mitigation strategies in to two analysis configurations: when available data and simulation capacity are abundant, and when they are sparse or incomplete. The first configuration leverages structured filtration of Monte Carlo simulation results. The allocation of design and technology risk is then identified on the Pareto Frontier. The second configuration identifies the direction of robust risk mitigation based on the available data and limited simulation ability. It leverages a linearized approximation of the cashflow metrics and identifies the direction of allocation using the Jacobian matrix and its inversion.
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Rama, Venkat Siddhartha. "Optimization Study of a Combined Wind-Solar Farm for a Specified Demand." Wright State University / OhioLINK, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1592391472670774.
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Bánkuti, Ferenc Istvan. "Determinantes da informalidade no sistema agroindustrial do leite na região de São Carlos - SP." Universidade Federal de São Carlos, 2007. https://repositorio.ufscar.br/handle/ufscar/3296.
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Previous issue date: 2007-01-26<br>Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos<br>Informality in Brazilian milk market is high and involves social and
economical problems. This thesis aims to identify potential determinants of informal milk and
cheese trade in the region of São Carlos /SP. It presents a descriptive statistical analysis for a
set of social-economical and transactional indicators comparing two groups of rural
producers: one of predominantly formal producers and another with producers highly inserted
in the informal market. Moreover, transaction costs between rural producers and downstream
agents in the milk chain are measured and analyzed. It is also presented institutional and
organizational environments characteristics that motivate rural producer participation in the
informal market and/or hinder their access to formal market.
As theoretical support, it has been considered the theories of New Institutional
Economics (NIE) and Transaction Cost Economics (TCE), as well as theories regarding
illegal markets. Also, it has been used secondary data and literature review on milk
agribusiness system. Besides that, 125 rural milk producers in the region of São Carlos/SP
have been interviewed and key-agents, inserted in the regional milk agribusiness system, have
provided qualitative information.
It has been concluded that informality in milk market in that region is mainly
due to farmers strategy of achieving better prices. Such strategy is taken either when
producers trade exclusively in the informal market, or when producers trade simultaneously in
formal and informal markets, thus working with a price mix. Informality is also determined
by elements of informal and formal institutional environments (e.g. cultural aspects and weak
enforcement mechanisms of formal fiscalization system). The measurement of transaction
costs between rural producers and downstream agents has shown they are low and little
representative, which indicates that such costs are not determinants of milk informality in the
region. Besides that, most indicators analyzed have not been considered barriers to access
formal market. Finally, it has been verified that informality is not restricted to rural producers
on the margins of legal system, such as those infringing sanitary laws; instead, informality is
also carried out by producers inserted in the formal market too.<br>A informalidade no mercado de leite no Brasil é elevada e envolve problemas
de ordem econômica e social. Nesta tese, o objetivo principal é a identificação de
determinantes da venda de leite e de queijo no mercado informal na região de São Carlos / SP.
Como objetivos secundários, são apresentadas análises de estatística descritiva para um
conjunto de variáveis sócio-econômicas e transacionais para dois grupos de produtores rurais.
O primeiro é formado por produtores predominantemente formais e o segundo, por produtores
com elevada participação no mercado informal. Adicionalmente, apresenta-se a mensuração e
análise dos custos de transação entre os dois grupos de produtores e os agentes a jusante do
SAI do leite, bem como as principais características do ambiente institucional e
organizacional que favorecem a participação dos produtores rurais no mercado informal e/ou
dificultam seu acesso ao mercado formal.
Como aporte teórico, foram utilizadas as teorias da Nova Economia
Institucional (NEI), Economia dos Custos de Transação (ECT) e aquelas que explicam os
mercados informais. Para o desenvolvimento do trabalho, também foi realizada revisão
bibliográfica e levantamento de dados secundários relativos ao SAI do leite. Além disso,
utilizou-se uma amostra de 125 produtores da região de São Carlos /SP, bem como
informações de caráter qualitativo captadas junto a agentes-chave do SAI do leite na região.
Conclui-se que a informalidade no sistema agroindustrial do leite nessa região está apoiada
em um conjunto de incentivos, a exemplo do melhor preço para o produtor e para o
consumidor nessas transações e de condições diferenciadas de pagamento para o consumidor.
Possui também como determinantes elementos do ambiente institucional informal (ex.:
aspectos culturais) e formal, a exemplo do baixo poder de enforcement dos organismos
fiscalizadores. A mensuração dos custos de transação para os produtores rurais nas relações
com os agentes a jusante desse SAI mostrou que estes são baixos e pouco representativos, o
que indica que este fator não é determinante da informalidade na região analisada. Além
disso, a grande maioria das variáveis analisadas não foi considerada como entrave ao acesso
no mercado formal de leite nessa região. Por fim, verificou-se que a informalidade não é
restrita a produtores que trabalham à margem do sistema legal, como por exemplo, aqueles
que descumprem leis sanitárias, mas é também praticada por produtores que comercializam
no mercado formal.
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Jackson, Janet Ruth. "A coat of ashes: A collection of poems, incorporating a metafictional narrative - and - Poetry, Daoism, physics and systems theory: a poetics: A set of critical essays." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2018. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2125.
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This thesis comprises a book-length creative work accompanied by a set of essays. It explores how poetry might bring together spiritual and scientific discourses, focusing primarily on philosophical Daoism (Taoism) and contemporary physics. Systems theory (the science of complex and self-organising systems) is a secondary focus of the creative work and is used metaphorically in theorising the writing process.
The creative work, “A coat of ashes”, is chiefly concerned with the nature of being. It asks, “What is?”, “What am I?” and, most urgently, “What matters?”. To engage with these questions, it opens a space in which voices expressing scientific and spiritual worldviews may be heard on equal terms. “A coat of ashes” contributes a substantial number of poems to the small corpus of Daoist-influenced poetry in English and adds to the larger corpus of poetry engaging with the sciences. The poems are offset by a metafictional narrative, “The Dream”, which may be read as an allegory of the writing journey and the struggle to combine discourses.
The four essays articulate the poetics of “A coat of ashes” by addressing its context, themes, influences, methodology and compositional processes. They contribute to both literary criticism and writing theory. Like the creative work, they focus on dialogues between rationalist or scientific discourses and subjective or spiritual ones.
The first essay, “An introduction”, discusses the thesis itself: its rationale, background, components, limitations and implications. The second, “Singing the quantum”, reviews scholarship discussing the influence of physics on poetry, then examines figurative representations of physics concepts in selected poems by Rebecca Elson, Cilla McQueen and
Frederick Seidel. These poems illustrate how contemporary poetry can interpret scientific
concepts in terms of subjective human concerns.
The third essay, “Let the song be bare”, discusses existing Daoist poetry criticism before considering Daoist influences in the poetry of Ursula K. Le Guin, Randolph Stow and Judith Wright. These non-Indigenous poets with a strong awareness of the sciences have, by adopting Daoist-inflected senses of the sacred, been able to articulate the tension engendered by their problematic relationships with colonised landscapes. Moreover, the changing aesthetic of Wright’s later poetry reflects a struggle between Daoist quietism and European lyric commentary.
The final essay, “Animating the ash”, reflects on the process of writing poetry, using examples from “A coat of ashes” to construct a theoretical synthesis based on Daoism, systems theory and contemporary poetics. It proposes a novel way to characterise the nature and emergence of the hard-to-define quality that makes a poem a poem. This essay also discusses some of the Daoist and scientific motifs that occur in the creative work.
As a whole, this project highlights the potential of both the sciences and the more ancient ways of knowing — when seen in each other’s light — to help us apprehend the world’s material and metaphysical nature and live harmoniously within it.
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SOROUSH, GOLNOUSH. "Three Essays in Energy Economics: Regulatory Aspects, Institutions and Innovation." Doctoral thesis, Politecnico di Torino, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/11583/2742537.
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Zukal, Zdeněk. "Bytový dům - Brno." Master's thesis, Vysoké učení technické v Brně. Fakulta stavební, 2016. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-240116.
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The subject of the diploma thesis is to elaborate the design documentation of an apartment house with restaurant. The building is designed in the village of Lipůvka, South-Moravian region, on plot No.: 544/1 and 545/1 – cadastral region Lipůvka. The bulit-up area is 443,3 m2. There are four floors. There is restaurant, one housing unit (for persons with reduced mobility) and utility room in first above-ground floor. Second, third and fourth above-ground floor is for housing. Each of these three floors has three apartments – two apartments 3+k, one apartment 3+1. Entrance to every apartment is from main staircase. The building is based on the foundation walls of concrete C20/25, all vertical walls are from Porotherm System. Celings are composed of ceramic-conrete beams POT, ceramic insertion Miako and concrete. The staircase is monolithic reinforced concrete. The building is without basement, roofed by a warm flat roof.
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Messina, Frédéric. "Équilibre concurrentiel et sport professionnel : l'exemple du football européen." Thesis, Montpellier 1, 2011. http://www.theses.fr/2011MON10066.
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L'analyse concurrentielle du marché pertinent du football professionnel européen fait ressortir le saisissant contraste présent entre la force de l'exigence d'une concurrence "libre" et "non faussée" et la relativité de son existence sur le marché. Depuis l'arrêt "Bosman" et la reconnaissance par la Cour de justice de la liberté de circulation des sportifs professionnels, l'économie concurrentielle du marché en cause est inégalitaire et le sort de la compétition économique prévisible. En supprimant les clauses de nationalité, qui limitaient les flux transnationaux de joueurs et l'impact de l'hétérogénéité des systèmes fiscaux sur le processus concurrentiel, les juges de Luxembourg ont structurellement remis en cause les conditions de concurrence du marché. En effet, les clubs au "coin socio-fiscal du travail" élevé ont vu leur liberté concurrentielle être affectée et leur chance de réussir, dans la compétition économique, considérablement se réduire. Leur incapacité fiscale à proposer, à coût égal, des rémunérations attractives et compétitives aux facteurs de concurrence que sont les joueurs, s'est traduite, dans le contexte de la libéralisation du marché, par un "état d'infériorité structurelle". Cette situation immédiatement contraire aux objectifs des Traités a engendré une allocation inefficace des richesses du marché et une qualité disparate de l'offre de spectacle sportif au sein de la Communauté<br>The competitive analysis of the relevant market of the European professional football highlights the striking contrast between the strength of the requirement of a “free” and “undistorted” competition and the relativity of its existence on the market.Since the “Bosman” decision and the recognition by the European Court of Justice of the freedom of movement for professional sportsmen, the competitive economy of the relevant market is non-egalitarian and the result of economic competition is predictable. By suppressing the nationality clauses which limited the transnational flows of the players and the impact of heterogeneity of tax systems on the competitive process, the judges of Luxembourg structurally altered the competitive conditions into the market. Indeed, football clubs at “the wedge between labour costs and net wages” saw their competitive freedom being affected and their chance to succeed in the economic competition considerably reduced. Their tax incapacity to propose, at equal cost, attractive and competitive payments to the competition factors that are the players, has translated, in the context of the liberalization of the market, by a “structural inferiority state”. This situation at once went against the objectives of the Treaties causing an inefficient allowance of the wealth in the market, as well as an ill-assorted quality of the sport entertainment offer within the Common Market
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Dávidová, Lucia. "Ocenenie doménového mena." Master's thesis, Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze, 2011. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-114378.
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The main goal of this work is to evaluate the market value of the Internet domain, Fotečky.cz, at the 1st in January 2012, for the purpose of subsquent selling the domain on the market to the potential buyer. To correct evaluation, method of multi-period excess earnings and method of the license analogy are used.
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Hallqvist, Karl. "Högtempererat borrhålslager för fjärrvärme." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Naturresurser och hållbar utveckling, 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-231586.
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The district heating load is seasonally dependent, with a low load during periods of high ambient temperature. Thermal energy storage (TES) has the potential to shift heating loads from winter to summer, thus reducing cost and environmental impact of District Heat production. In this study, a concept of high temperature borehole thermal energy storage (HT-BTES) together with a pellet heating plant for temperature boost, is presented and evaluated by its technical limitations, its ability to supply heat, its function within the district heating system, as well as its environmental impact and economic viability in Gothenburg, Sweden, a city with access to high quantities of waste heat. The concept has proven potentially environmentally friendly and potentially profitable if its design is balanced to achieve a good enough supply temperature from the HT-BTES. The size of the heat storage, the distance between boreholes and low borehole thermal resistance are key parameters to achieve high temperature. Profitability increases if a location with lower temperature demand, as well as risk of future shortage of supply, can be met. Feasibility also increases if existing pellet heating plant and district heating connection can be used and if lower rate of return on investment can be accepted. Access to HT-BTES in the district heating network enables greater flexibility and availability of production of District Heating, thereby facilitating readjustments to different strategies and policies. However, concerns for the durability of feasible borehole heat exchangers (BHE) exist in high temperature application.<br>Värmebehovet är starkt säsongsberoende, med låg last under perioder av högre omgivningstemperatur och hög last under perioder av lägre omgivningstemperaturer. I Göteborg finns en stor mängd spillvärme tillgängligt för fjärrvärmeproduktion sommartid när behovet av värme är lågt. Tillgång till säsongsvärmelager möjliggör att fjärrvärmeproduktion flyttas från vinterhalvår till sommarhalvår, vilket kan ge såväl lönsamhet som miljönytta. Borrhålsvärmelager är ett förhållandevis billigt sätt att lagra värme, och innebär att berggrunden värms upp under sommaren genom att varmt vatten flödar i borrhål, för att under vinterhalvåret användas genom att låta kallt vatten flöda i borrhålen och värmas upp. I traditionella borrhålsvärmelager används ofta värmepump för att höja värmelagrets urladdade temperatur, men på grund av höga temperaturkrav för fjärrvärme kan kostnaden för värmepump bli hög. I denna rapport föreslås ett system för att klara av att nå höga temperaturer till en lägre kostnad. Systemet består av ett borrhålsvärmelager anpassat för högre temperaturer (HT-BTES) samt pelletspannor för att spetsa lagrets utgående fluid för att nå hög temperatur. Syftet med rapporten är att undersöka potentialen för detta HT-BTES-system med avseende på dess tekniska begränsningar, förmåga till fjärrvärmeleverans, konsekvenser för fjärrvärmesystemet, samt lönsamhet och miljöpåverkan. För att garantera att inlagringen av värme inte är så stor att priset för inlagrad värme ökar väsentligt, utgår inlagringen från hur mycket värme som kyls bort i fjärrvärmenätet sommartid. I verkligheten finns betydligt mer värme tillgänglig till låg kostnad. När HT-BTES-systemet producerar fjärrvärme, ersätts fjärrvärmeproduktion från andra produktionsenheter, förutsatt att HT-BTES-systemets rörliga kostnader är lägre. I Göteborg ersätts främst naturgas från kraftvärme, men också en del flis. Kostnadsbesparingen beror på differensen för total fjärrvärmeproduktionskostnad med och utan HT-BTES-systemet. Undersökningen visar att besparingen är större om HT-BTES-systemet placeras i ett område där det är möjligt att mata ut fjärrvärme med lägre temperatur. Om urladdning från HT-BTES kan ske med hög temperatur ökar också besparingen. Detta sker om lagrets volym ökar, om avståndet mellan borrhål minskar eller om värmeöverföringen mellan det flödande vattnet i borrhålen och berggrunden ökar. Dessa egenskaper för lagret leder också till minskade koldioxidutsläpp. Storleken på besparingen beror dock i hög grad på hur bränslepriser utvecklas i framtiden. Strategiska fördelar med HT-BTES-systemet inkluderar; minskad miljöpåverkan, robust system med lång teknisk livslängd (för delar av HT-BTES-systemet), samt att inlagring av värme kan ske från många olika produktionsenheter. Dessutom kan positiva bieffekter identifieras. Undersökningen visar att HT-BTES-systemet har god potential att ge lönsamhet och minskad miljöpåverkan, och att anläggning och drift av lagret kan ske utan omfattande lokal miljöpåverkan. Det har också visats att de geologiska förutsättningarna för HT-BTES är goda på många platser i Göteborg, även om lokala förhållanden kan skilja sig åt. För att nå lönsamhet för HT-BTES-systemet krävs en avvägning på utformning av lagret för att nå hög urladdad temperatur utan att investeringskostnaden blir för stor. Undersökningen visar att om anslutning av HT-BTES-systemet kan ske mot befintlig anslutningspunkt eller till befintlig värmepanna kan investeringskostnaden minska och därmed lönsamheten öka. Placering av HT-BTES-systemet i områden med risk för överföringsbegränsningar kan också minska behovet av att förstärka fjärrvärmenätet, och således bidra till att minska de kostnader som förstärkning av nätet innebär. Betydelsefulla parametrar för att nå lönsamhet för HT-BTES-system inkluderar dessutom kostnaden för inlagrad värme liksom vilket vinstkrav som kan accepteras. Tillgång till HT-BTES möjliggör ökad nyttjandegrad och flexibilitet för fjärrvärmeproduktionsenheter, och därmed ökad anpassningsmöjlighet till förändrade förutsättningar på värmemarknaden. Dock återstår att visa att komponenter som klarar de höga temperaturkraven kan tillverkas till acceptabel kostnad.
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Scarfe, Bradley Edward. "Oceanographic Considerations for the Management and Protection of Surfing Breaks." The University of Waikato, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10289/2668.
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Although the physical characteristics of surfing breaks are well described in the literature, there is little specific research on surfing and coastal management. Such research is required because coastal engineering has had significant impacts to surfing breaks, both positive and negative. Strategic planning and environmental impact assessment methods, a central tenet of integrated coastal zone management (ICZM), are recommended by this thesis to maximise surfing amenities. The research reported here identifies key oceanographic considerations required for ICZM around surfing breaks including: surfing wave parameters; surfing break components; relationship between surfer skill, surfing manoeuvre type and wave parameters; wind effects on waves; currents; geomorphic surfing break categorisation; beach-state and morphology; and offshore wave transformations. Key coastal activities that can have impacts to surfing breaks are identified. Environmental data types to consider during coastal studies around surfing breaks are presented and geographic information systems (GIS) are used to manage and interpret such information. To monitor surfing breaks, a shallow water multibeam echo sounding system was utilised and a RTK GPS water level correction and hydrographic GIS methodology developed. Including surfing in coastal management requires coastal engineering solutions that incorporate surfing. As an example, the efficacy of the artificial surfing reef (ASR) at Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, was evaluated. GIS, multibeam echo soundings, oceanographic measurements, photography, and wave modelling were all applied to monitor sea floor morphology around the reef. Results showed that the beach-state has more cellular circulation since the reef was installed, and a groin effect on the offshore bar was caused by the structure within the monitoring period, trapping sediment updrift and eroding sediment downdrift. No identifiable shoreline salient was observed. Landward of the reef, a scour hole ~3 times the surface area of the reef has formed. The current literature on ASRs has primarily focused on reef shape and its role in creating surfing waves. However, this study suggests that impacts to the offshore bar, beach-state, scour hole and surf zone hydrodynamics should all be included in future surfing reef designs. More real world reef studies, including ongoing monitoring of existing surfing reefs are required to validate theoretical concepts in the published literature.
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Lucas, D. Pulane. "Disruptive Transformations in Health Care: Technological Innovation and the Acute Care General Hospital." VCU Scholars Compass, 2013. http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/2996.
Full textAbstract:
Advances in medical technology have altered the need for certain types of surgery to be performed in traditional inpatient hospital settings. Less invasive surgical procedures allow a growing number of medical treatments to take place on an outpatient basis. Hospitals face growing competition from ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). The competitive threats posed by ASCs are important, given that inpatient surgery has been the cornerstone of hospital services for over a century. Additional research is needed to understand how surgical volume shifts between and within acute care general hospitals (ACGHs) and ASCs. This study investigates how medical technology within the hospital industry is changing medical services delivery. The main purposes of this study are to (1) test Clayton M. Christensen’s theory of disruptive innovation in health care, and (2) examine the effects of disruptive innovation on appendectomy, cholecystectomy, and bariatric surgery (ACBS) utilization. Disruptive innovation theory contends that advanced technology combined with innovative business models—located outside of traditional product markets or delivery systems—will produce simplified, quality products and services at lower costs with broader accessibility. Consequently, new markets will emerge, and conventional industry leaders will experience a loss of market share to “non-traditional” new entrants into the marketplace. The underlying assumption of this work is that ASCs (innovative business models) have adopted laparoscopy (innovative technology) and their unification has initiated disruptive innovation within the hospital industry. The disruptive effects have spawned shifts in surgical volumes from open to laparoscopic procedures, from inpatient to ambulatory settings, and from hospitals to ASCs. The research hypothesizes that: (1) there will be larger increases in the percentage of laparoscopic ACBS performed than open ACBS procedures; (2) ambulatory ACBS will experience larger percent increases than inpatient ACBS procedures; and (3) ASCs will experience larger percent increases than ACGHs. The study tracks the utilization of open, laparoscopic, inpatient and ambulatory ACBS. The research questions that guide the inquiry are: 1. How has ACBS utilization changed over this time? 2. Do ACGHs and ASCs differ in the utilization of ACBS? 3. How do states differ in the utilization of ACBS? 4. Do study findings support disruptive innovation theory in the hospital industry? The quantitative study employs a panel design using hospital discharge data from 2004 and 2009. The unit of analysis is the facility. The sampling frame is comprised of ACGHs and ASCs in Florida and Wisconsin. The study employs exploratory and confirmatory data analysis. This work finds that disruptive innovation theory is an effective model for assessing the hospital industry. The model provides a useful framework for analyzing the interplay between ACGHs and ASCs. While study findings did not support the stated hypotheses, the impact of government interventions into the competitive marketplace supports the claims of disruptive innovation theory. Regulations that intervened in the hospital industry facilitated interactions between ASCs and ACGHs, reducing the number of ASCs performing ACBS and altering the trajectory of ACBS volume by shifting surgeries from ASCs to ACGHs.
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Hong, Yi-Fa, and 洪義發. "A Petri Net-Based Cost Analysis for Manufacturing System Reconfiguration." Thesis, 2015. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/85405576788592889992.
Full textAbstract:
碩士<br>國立雲林科技大學<br>工業工程與管理系<br>103<br>Because are configurable manufacturing system is designed with redeploymentable resources and equipments, it can be quickly reconfigured in response to market changes according to planning and design requirements. A new reconfiguration solution includes rearranging, adding or eliminating of resources. The cost is one of crutial factors for evaluating reconfiguration solutions. Therefore, it is important to develop a method of cost estimats for reconfiguration solutions rapidly. In this research, an integrated IDEF3 and Petri net for cost estimats of a manufacturing system before and after reconfiguration is proposed. First, the IDEF3 is used to describe the process flow of the manufacturing system before and after reconfiguration and then, the IDEF3 is transferred into the Petri net. The incidence matrix of the Petri net is used to express the mathematic model of system configuration. The reconfiguration cost is analyzed and estimated based on the difference between the incidence matrices before and after system reconfiguration. The difference of the incidence matrices indicates the needs of adding, eliminating or rearranging resources so the reconfiguration cost can be estimated.
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Gibran and Gibran. "Petri Net Modeling and Analysis for Cost Optimization of a Path Protection System with Partial Bandwidth." Thesis, 2014. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/50292391009116150578.
Full textAbstract:
碩士<br>國立臺北大學<br>資訊工程學系<br>102<br>As the people become more and more connected to each other through Internet services, the need for ensuring reliability in Internet connection becomes unavoidable. To serve data traffic with varying degree of importance while maintaining the lowest operational expense is one of challenges faced by network engineers. Critical data traffic must be protected from termination caused by unwanted failure that could happen along the path, but at the same time, the operational expense spent on the path protection must be as minimum as possible, which ensures the Internet provider gains reasonable profit from its services. In this study, we optimize the operational expense of α+1 path protection system based on Toggling Dual Cost (TDC) algorithm. The algorithm is modeled by a Petri net, a powerful tool for modeling asynchronous and concurrent systems. The model is analyzed based on Petri net properties, namely, boundedness and liveness. Based on boundedness and liveness properties, we make sure that the proposed model has no overflow or deadlock problem in its implementation. From the proposed model, the network engineers can optimize the TDC algorithm to reach maximum efficiency, in order to obtain reasonable profit without sacrificing the network reliability.
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Tsai, Chih-Hsin, and 蔡志欣. "Study on the Net Energy Analysis and Benefit Cost Evaluation of Solar Power Generating System in Its Life Cycle." Thesis, 2016. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/38522990174533936786.
Full textAbstract:
碩士<br>國立中興大學<br>應用經濟學系所<br>104<br>Life-cycle refers to a product from raw material extraction, preparation, functional design, process planning, manufacturing, processing, packaging, transportation, distribution, consumer use and maintenance, and ultimately be discarded or waste disposal, recycling and other aspects of the composition of the whole life chain process. Life Cycle model can explain the various input and output devices in changes in product or economic activity in every stage of the process, the resulting.
The present study was designed to study solar power generation system through the whole life cycle of the input and output, whether or not cost-effective. In research methods, solar panels for the domestic manufacturers inventory analysis systems, and estimates the energy output and its life cycle of the inputs required to calculate the impact of solar power systems in the life cycle on the environment, the first net energy analysis to explore whether there is a net energy output energy investments; Furthermore, the solar power system for economic analysis.
The empirical results show that in the current environment of Taiwan, solar power systems, whether on polysilicon monocrystalline silicon solar panels or solar panels investments are economically efficient, single-crystal silicon solar panels investment can be recovered in about eight years, polysilicon solar panels can recover their investment in about 10 years. In this study, using three economic analysis methods to assess the cost-effectiveness of solar power systems analysis, which showed that wholesale purchase price of investment in solar power should be more than the wholesale purchase price of 4.3 yuan / kWh or 5.0% cost of capital, it has the investment feasibility. Comparison shows that compared with monocrystalline silicon polysilicon have better benefits, and in the benefit assessment has significant advantages. Through net energy analysis, the conclusion appears in the solar power system energy ROI, the study showed that the single crystal silicon of 3.56, the energy payback period of 512 years; the polysilicon is 4.09, the energy payback period of 459 years, represents a solar power generation system. from the perspective of the life cycle to view energy efficiency is a benefit.
The results also showed that the solar power system life cycle, can be found in its greatest impact of energy consumption and CO2 emissions on the environment is also the largest in the raw materials and production processes subsystem subsystem, part of energy consumption, accounting for a single crystal silicon 82% of its life cycle, the life cycle of its polysilicon reached 76%; CO2 emissions part of the single crystal silicon of its life cycle up to 42% of its polysilicon life cycle of 37%. Comparing the two, single-crystal silicon solar panels or whether in energy use and CO2 emissions were significantly higher than polysilicon solar panels. And through sensitivity analysis, it can be found on the net present value and benefit-cost ratio of the maximum degree of influence who were the wholesale purchase price decline, followed by the installation costs down, while rising interest rates and the net present value of the minimum for the benefit-cost ratio of the degree of influence .
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Ivaki, Ashkan Ramezani. "Cost-benefit Assessment of Nearly-Zero energy House Generation and Consumption Matching Using Energy Storage." Master's thesis, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10316/39019.
Full textAbstract:
Dissertação de Mestrado em Energia para a Sustentabilidade apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra.<br>Over the coming years, electricity utilization management is becoming vitally important
for all businesses and individuals. However, supply follows demand philosophy of the
traditional electric power grid cannot be applicable for current costumers: On one hand renewable energy, particularly photovoltaic (PV) systems are increasingly used in buildings
to cover the energy needs, and on the other hand the number of devices using electricity
is quickly growing, leading to increasing energy consumption.
New solutions like smart grids and new technologies like energy storage systems are becoming necessary to solve this problem. Although, PV systems can help to make the
costumers more independent from the grid, the balance between solar energy production
and consumption can be mainly obtained with the help of the electric grid and energy
storage systems. Despite this, determining the strategy that should be taken by the house
owners to get the most bene ts of these technologies and minimize the overall cost is the
major challenge.
In this research work a cost-bene t analysis in a grid connected-house equipped with PV
and energy storage is done. This analysis has two objectives: veri cation of the impact of
dynamic pricing on the cost, and also veri cation of the impact of energy storage on the
cost. For the rst objective, the most common supporting policies for promoting renewable
energies were assessed, including feed-in-tari and net-metering, to calculate the cost. For
the second objective the cost was calculated by considering an energy storage in the target
residential house. In addition, di erent sizes of energy storage were considered to observer
the impact of the capacity of energy storage system on the cost.<br>Nos próximos anos, a gestão de utilização de eletricidade será cada vez mais fundamental
para empresas e clientes individuais. No entanto, a loso a da oferta a seguir a procura
das redes elétricas tradicionais não se pode aplicar aos clientes atuais: Por um lado,
as energias renováveis, em particular os sistemas fotovoltaicos (PV), são cada vez mais
usadas em edifícios para cobrir as necessidades de energia; por outro lado, o número de
dispositivos que necessitam de usar eletricidade está a aumentar rapidamente, levando ao
aumento do consumo de energia. Novas soluções como as smart grids e novas tecnologias
como sistemas de armazenamento de energia são cada vez mais necessárias para resolver
este problema. Apesar de os sistemas PV poderem ajudar os clientes a tornarem-se mais
independentes da rede, o equilíbrio entre a produção e o consumo de energia solar pode
ser principalmente obtido com o auxílio da rede elétrica e de sistemas de armazenamento
de energia. Apesar disto, determinar a estratégia a seguir pelos proprietários dos edifícios,
para poderem retirar os maiores benefícios destas tecnologias e minimizar o custo global,
é o principal desa o. Neste trabalho de investigação, é feita uma análise custo-benefício
numa casa ligada à rede, equipada com PV e um sistema de armazenamento de energia.
Esta análise tem dois objetivos: veri cação do impacto de preços dinâmicos no custo e
veri cação do impacto do armazenamento de energia no custo. Para o primeiro objetivo,
foram avaliadas as políticas mais comuns para promoção das energias renováveis, incluindo
feed-in-tari s e net-metering, para calcular o custo. Para o segundo objetivo, o custo foi
calculado tendo em consideração o uso do sistema de armazenamento de energia na casa
residencial em estudo. Adicionalmente, diferentes tamanhos de armazenamento de energia
foram considerados para observar o impacto da capacidade do sistema de armazenamento
de energia no custo.
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Oliveira, Jorge Miguel Costa. "Cost management in new product development in startups." Doctoral thesis, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/1822/59052.
Full textAbstract:
Tese de Doutoramento em Industrial and Systems Engineering (DPISE)<br>Most of the costs of a product are defined in the development stage, where the main decisions
about the features and characteristics of the product are taken. Thus, decisions and strategies
undertaken at this stage are of major importance for the sustainability of the product and
ultimately of the business. This is true for traditional and mature companies as well as for new
businesses and emergent companies where such processes remain relatively unknown. This
study focuses on cost management in new product development in startups.
The research path followed this sequence: literature review, specialists panel (Delphi), semistructured
interviews (automotive components industry), case study (software industry), semistructured
interviews (startups).
An exploratory Delphi study comprising two rounds was conducted among 37 international
experts and led to the development of a theoretical framework of cost management in new
product development with three extensions by increasing level of importance: [1] internal
extension (within the company and across multiple departments); [2] a product life-cycle
extension (from Target Costing to Kaizen Costing or vice versa); [3] extension of Target Costing or
Kaizen Costing to the downstream and upstream of the company (external cost management,
which occurs mainly with suppliers but also with clients). Seven companies of the automotive
component industry were studied because this industry represents a benchmark of the cost
management process where the best practices are applied. The results indicate that cost
management in new product development is characterized by chained target costing systems
and the application of integrated target costing tools with kaizen costing tools which are used and
extended across the supply chain through the use of inter-organizational cost management
systems.
Furthermore, a case study at a large software development company was conducted. The results
suggest that reusable components and outsourcing play an important role in cost management in
these companies. In addition, a well-structured scalable architecture and design facilitate the
modification and integration of components.
Finally, ten startups were studied and results indicate that financial planning and control in
startups is very simplistic and done in an ad-hoc manner, but the use of management control systems is necessary to make decisions in a more sustainable way. Startups apply some tools
superficially namely, analysis of non-functional requirements, inter-organizational cost
management, common modules, continuous testing and kaizen costing (applied to services).
From the study of the automotive components industry and the case study at a large software
development company, important and additional aspects can be highlighted. A well-structured
scalable architecture and design should be improved or implemented in startups, mainly in mass
market product companies, since this will allow a greater reuse of software component modules.
Continuous integration is much more efficient and brings greater cost savings since later
modifications have huge costs. In startups, in most cases, the features and requirements are not
valued from the eyes of the customer, leading to the development of more expensive solutions
that may not fit the market. The integrated application of tools such as Quality Function
Deployment, Value Engineering and Functional Cost Analysis can allow better solutions to be
developed in startups.<br>O custo de um novo produto é em grande parte definido na fase de desenvolvimento, onde são
tomadas as principais decisões sobre as características do produto. Assim, as decisões e
estratégias empreendidas nesta fase são de grande importância para a sustentabilidade do
produto e, em última instância, do negócio. Isto é verdade para empresas tradicionais e
maduras, bem como para novos negócios e empresas emergentes, onde estes processos
permanecem relativamente desconhecidos. Este estudo foca-se na gestão de custos no
desenvolvimento de novos produtos em startups.
A investigação seguiu esta sequência: revisão da literatura, painel de especialistas (Delphi),
entrevistas semiestruturadas (indústria de componentes para automóveis), estudo de caso
(indústria de software) e entrevistas semiestruturadas (startups).
Um estudo exploratório suportado no método de Delphi, composto por duas rondas, foi
conduzido junto de 37 especialistas internacionais o qual permitiu o desenvolvimento de um
modelo para a gestão de custos no desenvolvimento de novos produtos, com três extensões por
nível crescente de importância: [1] extensão interna (dentro da empresa e através de vários
departamentos); [2] extensão do ciclo de vida de um produto (do Target Costing para Kaizen
Costing ou vice-versa); [3] extensão do Target Costing ou Kaizen Costing para jusante e
montante da empresa (gestão de custos externos, que ocorre principalmente com fornecedores,
mas também com clientes). Foram estudadas sete empresas da indústria de componentes para
automóveis uma vez que esta indústria apresenta um processo de gestão de custos de
referência, no qual são aplicadas as melhores práticas. Os resultados indicam que a gestão de
custos no desenvolvimento de novos produtos é caracterizada por sistemas Target Costing
encadeados e pela aplicação de ferramentas Target Costing integradas com ferramentas Kaizen
Costing utilizadas em toda a cadeia de valor através do uso de sistemas de gestão de custos
inter-organizacionais.
Em seguida, foi realizado um estudo de caso numa empresa de desenvolvimento de software. Os
resultados sugerem que os componentes reutilizáveis e o outsourcing desempenham um papel
importante na gestão de custos. Além disso, um design e arquitetura escaláveis bem
estruturados facilitam a modificação e a integração de componentes. Finalmente, foram estudadas dez startups e os resultados indicam que o planeamento e o
controlo financeiro em startups é muito simplista e ad hoc, mas também que os sistemas de
controlo de gestão permitem tomar decisões de forma mais sustentada. As startups aplicam
algumas ferramentas mas superficialmente nomeadamente, análise de requisitos não funcionais,
gestão de custos inter-organizacionais, módulos comuns, testes contínuos e kaizen costing
(aplicado aos serviços). A partir do estudo da indústria de componentes para automóveis e do
estudo de caso na empresa de desenvolvimento de software identificaram-se aspetos adicionais
e importantes que merecem ser destacados. Um design e arquitetura escaláveis bem
estruturados devem ser melhorados ou implementados em startups, especialmente nas
empresas de produtos mass market, uma vez que permitirá uma maior reutilização de módulos
de componentes de software. A integração contínua é muito mais eficiente e traz maiores
economias de custos, pois as modificações posteriores têm custos consideráveis. Nas startups,
na maioria dos casos, os requisitos não são valorizados pelos clientes, levando ao
desenvolvimento de soluções mais caras que podem não se adequar ao mercado. A aplicação
integrada das ferramentas Quality Function Deployment, Engenharia de Valor e Análise de
Custos Funcionais pode permitir desenvolver melhores soluções em startups.
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Gooley, Nathan John. "Evergreen, bank funding & liquidity management." Thesis, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1310643.
Full textAbstract:
Research Doctorate - Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA)<br>Government mandated institutions in Australia and Canada have continuously progressed banking regulation throughout time by making gradual alterations to prudential frameworks and supervisory practices. This has included the prompt domestic adaptation of the three Basel accords. A main objective is to ensure banking organisations become more resilient to stresses that impact their capital and liquidity adequacy. Banking organisations are faced with the task of transforming their balance sheets and funding profiles to not only strengthen their balance sheets but to curb heighted liquidity costs that have been brought on by regulatory reform. A review of existing literature on the components of bank funding, liquidity and procyclicality recognises their significance in ensuring individual bank stability and the prevarication of broader systemic implications in the wider economy. This dissertation has examined the historical evolution of the regulatory environments in both Australia and Canada and compared the components of bank balance sheets that offer insights into their funding preference and liquidity holdings, and provide early indicators for procyclicality within the banking sector. It has also had the goal of developing existing research and knowledge of liquidity stresses within bank balance sheets. This research has endeavoured to further balance sheet innovation, through action research that has been carried out over a five year period, to provide banking organisations with options to alter their balance sheets in order to meet the Basel III package of reforms and better deal with liquidity pressures, such as those that were evident in many countries throughout the most recent financial crisis. A new methodology for balance sheet transformation under Basel III, “<i>evergreen</i>” is articulated, with a suite of evergreen asset and liability products and balance sheet exposures being assessed for impact and acceptance within the banking industry. Verification of the evergreen method is demonstrated by the banking industry including it within their strategy for future balance sheet innovation; banks designing and constructing evergreen capability; the regulator encompassing it within prudential standards; and widespread acceptance of evergreen by investors and other financial market participants. Whilst components of evergreen are increasingly becoming a greater part of the banking industry within Australia, it is recognised that the concepts and models of evergreen, are at a primary juncture in their development and require substantial additional focus and research. The usefulness of this dissertation will be established through the particulars of future research settings and must be appraised to the degree that it appears correct, original and apt. Regarding deposits, this dissertation finds that: the existence of voluntary deposit insurance schemes would allow the competitive landscape for retail deposits to become about more than just price; operational deposits are not immune from procyclical competition; Australian banks have a much greater appetite and tolerance for at-call deposit raising; liquidity regulation has permanently shifted the ‘market rate’ for deposit funding above its ‘natural rate’; and foreign currency deposit raising may lead to banks running unhedged positions or developing a larger reliance towards United States Dollars. For wholesale funding, it is observed that: liquidity regulation has increased the reliance of banks on domestic financial markets to fulfil their financing needs; the volume of short-dated prime bank paper being issued in Australia has declined where there are consequences for the Bank Bill Swap Rates; and large differentials in the semi/quarterly spread can substantially impact the profitability of banking book products. The domestic implementation of the Basel III package of reforms on liquidity in both Australia and Canada has, in many ways, imitated the historical approach taken towards bank capital regulation. This dissertation deducts that, as there is for capital, the concept of ‘regulatory’ and ’economic’ liquidity now exists. Furthermore, regulation has introduced a predisposition to government bonds, which may have unintended consequences for both government sponsored issuers and bank investors. Finally, procyclicality must be monitored and managed by the government sponsored institution tasked with the role of implementing monetary policy, rather than institutions that implement and enforce prudential regulation.
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(8800949), Patrick N. Maier. "A Bioeconomic Model of Indoor Pacific Whiteleg Shrimp (Litopenaeus Vannamei) Farms With Low-Cost Salt Mixtures." Thesis, 2020.
Find full textAbstract:
Using a bioeconomic model and stochastic simulation to assess the economic viability of small-scale, recirculating shrimp farms in the Midwestern U.S. A series of stress tests were implemented on key input variables including survival rate, selling price, electricity usage, discount rate and the cost of added salt. The key output variable is the Net Present Value of the operation. <div><br></div><div><br></div>
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Singh, Inderjeet 1978. "Risk-averse periodic preventive maintenance optimization." Thesis, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/2152/ETD-UT-2011-08-4203.
Full textAbstract:
We consider a class of periodic preventive maintenance (PM) optimization problems, for a single piece of equipment that deteriorates with time or use, and can be repaired upon failure, through corrective maintenance (CM). We develop analytical and simulation-based optimization models that seek an optimal periodic PM policy, which minimizes the sum of the expected total cost of PMs and the risk-averse cost of CMs, over a finite planning horizon. In the simulation-based models, we assume that both types of maintenance actions are imperfect, whereas our analytical models consider imperfect PMs with minimal CMs. The effectiveness of maintenance actions is modeled using age reduction factors. For a repairable unit of equipment, its virtual age, and not its calendar age, determines the associated failure rate. Therefore, two sets of parameters, one describing the effectiveness of maintenance actions, and the other that defines the underlying failure rate of a piece of equipment, are critical to our models. Under a given maintenance policy, the two sets of parameters and a virtual-age-based age-reduction model, completely define the failure process of a piece of equipment. In practice, the true failure rate, and exact quality of the maintenance actions, cannot be determined, and are often estimated from the equipment failure history.
We use a Bayesian approach to parameter estimation, under which a random-walk-based Gibbs sampler provides posterior estimates for the parameters of interest. Our posterior estimates for a few datasets from the literature, are consistent with published results. Furthermore, our computational results successfully demonstrate that our Gibbs sampler is arguably the obvious choice over a general rejection sampling-based parameter estimation method, for this class of problems. We present a general simulation-based periodic PM optimization model, which uses the posterior estimates to simulate the number of operational equipment failures, under a given periodic PM policy. Optimal periodic PM policies, under the classical maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian estimates are obtained for a few datasets. Limitations of the ML approach are revealed for a dataset from the literature, in which the use of ML estimates of the parameters, in the maintenance optimization model, fails to capture a trivial optimal PM policy.
Finally, we introduce a single-stage and a two-stage formulation of the risk-averse periodic PM optimization model, with imperfect PMs and minimal CMs. Such models apply to a class of complex equipment with many parts, operational failures of which are addressed by replacing or repairing a few parts, thereby not affecting the failure rate of the equipment under consideration. For general values of PM age reduction factors, we provide sufficient conditions to establish the convexity of the first and second moments of the number of failures, and the risk-averse expected total maintenance cost, over a finite planning horizon. For increasing Weibull rates and a general class of increasing and convex failure rates, we show that these convexity results are independent of the PM age reduction factors. In general, the optimal periodic PM policy under the single-stage model is no better than the optimal two-stage policy. But if PMs are assumed perfect, then we establish that the single-stage and the two-stage optimization models are equivalent.<br>text
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James, Ervin. "Unity, Justice and Protection: The Colored Trainmen of America's Struggle to End Jim Crow in the American Railroad Industry [and Elsewhere]." Thesis, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2012-08-11513.
Full textAbstract:
The Colored Trainmen of America (CTA) actively challenged Jim Crow policies on the job and in the public sphere between the 1930s and 1950s. In response to lingering questions concerning the relationship between early black labor activism and civil rights protest, this study goes beyond both local lure and cursory research. This study examines the Colored Trainmen's major contributions to the advancement of African Americans. It also provides context for some of the organization's shortcomings in both realms. On the job the African American railroad workers belonging to the CTA fought valiantly to receive the same opportunities for professional growth and development as whites working in the operating trades of the railroad industry. In the public sphere, these men collectively protested second-class services and accommodations both on and off the clock.
Neither their agenda, the scope of their activities, nor their influence was limited to the railroad lines the members of the CTA operated within the Gulf Coast region. The CTA belonged to a progressive coalition comprised of four other powerful independent African American labor unions committed to unyielding labor activism and the toppling of Jim Crow. Together, they all worked to effectuate meaningful social change in partnership with national civil rights attorney Charles H. Houston. Houston's experience and direction, coupled with the CTA's dedicated membership and willingness to challenge authority, created considerable momentum in movements aimed at toppling racial inequality in the workplace and elsewhere.
Like most of their predecessors, the CTA's struggle for advancement fits within a continuum of successive challenges to economic exploitation and racial inequality. No single person or organization can take full credit for ending segregation or achieving equality. Many who remain nameless and faceless contributed and sacrificed. This study not only chronicles the contribution of a relatively unsung African American labor organization that waged war against Jim Crow on two different fronts, it also pays homage to a few more individuals who made a difference in the lives of an entire race of people during the course of a bitterly contested, never-ending struggle for racial equality in the United States of America during the twentieth century.
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MacLeod, Suzanne. "From the "rising tide" to solidarity: disrupting dominant crisis discourses in dementia social policy in neoliberal times." Thesis, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1828/5213.
Full textAbstract:
As a social worker practising in long-term residential care for people living with dementia, I am alarmed by discourses in the media and health policy that construct persons living with dementia and their health care needs as a threatening “rising tide” or crisis. I am particularly concerned about the material effects such dominant discourses, and the values they uphold, might have on the collective provision of care and support for our elderly citizens in the present neoliberal economic and political context of health care. To better understand how dominant discourses about dementia work at this time when Canada’s population is aging and the number of persons living with dementia is anticipated to increase, I have rooted my thesis in poststructural methodology. My research method is a discourse analysis, which draws on Foucault’s archaeological and genealogical concepts, to examine two contemporary health policy documents related to dementia care – one national and one provincial. I also incorporate some poetic representation – or found poetry – to write up my findings. While deconstructing and disrupting taken for granted dominant crisis discourses on dementia in health policy, my research also makes space for alternative constructions to support discursive and health policy possibilities in solidarity with persons living with dementia so that they may thrive.<br>Graduate<br>0452<br>0680<br>0351<br>macsuz@shaw.ca