Dissertations / Theses on the topic '˜The œLast Challenge'

One of the main assumptions in conventional production process is that each component or part of the production process can be controlled separately as if they are not dependent on anything. This assumption gives rise to problems such as need of effective collaboration with different actors and constraints in budgets. Conventional planning process also causes delay as well as cost overruns which ultimately leads to reduction in productivity.The Last Planner system, LPS, is a tool used in the construction sector with the goal of streamlining production. The tool has several advantages, for example, to make collaboration between different actors more efficient, achieve a better workflow and increase production efficiency. The purpose of this masters’ thesis is to explore how two construction projects in Stockholm work with LPS. Apart from the fact that LPS provides many advantages in the production planning of the projects, this study aims to explore the challenges that they face while working with LPS. The goal of this study is to be able to suggest improvement measures for the challenges that the projects are facing.Semi-structured interviews were conducted on both projects to understand how they work with LPS and what challenges they face. The results section contains the information from the interviews. That is then discussed against the theory on which the Last Planner system is built.The conclusion of this study is that the production planning in the projects differs from how the tool should be used according to the framework of LPS. Learning, which emphasizes what has been done during the project, is a phase in LPS's framework. According to one of the founders of the LPS system, ‘learning’ is the most important phase. However, due to the lack of time, the studied projects were not able to involve the learning phase into their production planning. The projects faced several challenges, including repeated changes from the design teams, which entailed new actions during the project. Also, the involvement of the construction workers in the planning phases came out as a big challenge for the managers. Furthermore, communication problems and lack of cooperation with subcontractors is also present. Some of the improvement measures suggested to meet the challenges are that managers should increase commitment to involve especially construction workers in the planning phases, create nucleus teams, create a standard protocol for how production planning should be implemented, and improve visual planning to enhance communication.<br>I de traditionella produktionsprocesserna har det antagits att olika komponenter kan styras separat d.v.s. att de är oberoende. Detta antagandet har gett upphov till problem som till exempel försämrat samarbete mellan olika aktörer. Den traditionella produktionsprocessen har också lett till förseningar och kostnadsöverskridanden i projekt.Last Planner-systemet, LPS, är ett verktyg som används inom byggsektorn med målet att effektivisera produktionen. Förutom att effektivisera produktionen är syftet att involvera byggarbetare i planeringsfaserna. Verktyget har flera fördelar, till exempel att effektivisera samarbeten mellan olika aktörer, uppnå ett konstant arbetsflöde och ökad effektivitet i produktionen. Syftet med denna uppsats är att utforska hur två byggprojekt i Stockholm arbetar med LPS. Bortsett från att LPS tillför många fördelar i projektens produktionsplanering har denna uppsats som mål att utforska vilka utmaningar projekten står inför kring arbetet med LPS. Målet är att kunna föreslå eventuella förbättringar för att möta utmaningarna som projekten står inför.Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes på båda projekten för att förstå hur de arbetar med LPS och vilka utmaningar de står inför. Resultatavsnittet redovisar informationen från intervjuerna, som sedan diskuteras i relation till teorin som LPS bygger på.Slutsatsen av denna uppsats är att det skiljer sig mellan hur verktyget används i praktiken jämfört med vad ramverket för LPS står för. Att ta lärdom av vad som gjorts under projektet är en fas i LPS ramverk. Enligt en av grundarna av LPS-systemet är ’lärande’ den viktigaste fasen. Men på grund av tidsbrist har inte projekten som denna studie undersökte kunnat genomföra den fasen. Projekten stod inför flera utmaningar, bland annat upprepade ändringar från designteamen, som ledde till nya åtgärder under projektet, att involvera byggarbetare i planeringsfaserna, kommunikationsproblem mellan aktörer och bristande samarbete med underentreprenörer. Några förbättringsåtgärder är att chefer borde engagera sig mer för att involvera byggarbetare i planeringsfaserna, skapa ett standardprotokoll för hur produktionsplanering bör genomföras och förbättra den visuella planeringen för att uppnå bättre kommunikation.

Thesis advisor: David Deese<br>In recent years, the rise in the formation of regional organizations such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Mercado Común Del Sur (Mercosur) has drawn an increasing amount of attention from political scientists and economists. However, countries preparing for entry into regional organizations have the challenging task of promoting both economic and social integration. When preparing for accession into regional organizations, Mexico and Argentina implemented multiple changes in their economic and political practices. As a result of these changes, citizens who perceived themselves to be excluded from the benefits of regional integration formed social movements such as the Zapatista Army for National Liberation and El Movimiento de las Mujeres en Lucha to voice their opposition. This thesis explores the policy changes made as Mexico and Argentina prepared for accession into regional organizations, the social movements formed in opposition to these changes, and the responses formulated by Mexico's and Argentina's leaders in reaction to these movements. I conclude that countries preparing for entry into regional organizations must implement policies which address the political concerns of these groups, rather than simply their economic concerns. Failure to do so will lead to deep social divisions which will hinder the formation and development of regional organizations<br>Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2008<br>Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences<br>Discipline: Political Science<br>Discipline: Political Science Honors Program<br>Discipline: College Honors Program

This article is about the issue of Transitional Justice and its relationship with women’s rights. The author defines the concept of this term and makes a list of the rights that are covered by it, also she mentions that women have not been properly considered in the Transitional Justice process by not having the gender perspective, which is necessary to be done. The author concludes by stating that the reports have been more truthful when gender perspective was applied.<br>El presente artículo versa sobre la Justicia Transicional y su relación con los derechos de las mujeres. La autora define el concepto de este término y da a conocer un listado de los derechos que éste engloba, asimismo menciona que las mujeres no han sido debidamente incorporadas en los procesos de Justicia Transicional al no tener estos una perspectiva de género, lo cual es necesario que ocurra. Finalmente, la autora señala que se han tenido informes más verídicos cuando se aplicó este enfoque de género.

We have conducted a study that is intended to investigate and understand how logistics companies in city logistics handle increased e-commerce challenges and describe what actions they take. To be able to do that, two question formulations have been formulated that goes: “What challenges, caused by an increased e-commerce, exist for logistics companies within city logistics?” and “What are logistics companies doing to address the challenges that exist and that are caused by increased e-commerce?”. Further is the theoretical frame of references presented where challenges and innovations for logistics companies in city logistics is a central point. We have used a qualitative approach, where semi-structured interviews have been used to get the essential information to be able to analyze towards our theoretical frame of references. Headliners that are found in the theoretical frame of references reappear in both the empirical material and the analysis to get a common thread throughout the study. In the analysis, we have our question formulations as headliners to really analyze challenges and innovations. Our study has contributed to an increased understanding of how logistics companies handle an increased e-commerce challenge and describe what actions they take. We have noted that the increased e-commerce has led to challenges for logistics companies in city logistics. We concluded that e-commerce has become more complex with shorter lead time, more but smaller packages and higher demands from consumers have been added, which is considered a challenge for logistics companies. The study shows the main challenges that increased e-commerce brought. The study also shows various innovations and actions by logistics companies within city logistics.<br>Vi har gjort en studie som är ämnad att undersöka och förstå hur logistikföretag inom citylogistik hanterar ökade e-handelsutmaningar samt beskriva åtgärder de vidtar. För att kunna göra det har vi utgått från två frågeställningar som lyder: “Vilka utmaningar, orsakade av ökad e-handel, finns för logistikföretag inom citylogistik?” och “Vad görlogistikföretag inom citylogistik för att hantera de utmaningar som finns och som är orsakade av ökad e-handel?” Vidare presenteras det teoretiska referensram där utmaningar och innovationer för logistikföretag inom citylogistik är en central del. Vi har använt oss utav ett kvalitativt angreppssätt där vi har genomfört semistrukturerade intervjuer för att få den väsentliga informationen för att kunna analysera gentemot vår teoretiska referensram. Rubriker som finns i den teoretiska referensramen återkommer i både det empiriska materialet och analysen för att få en röd tråd genom hela studien. I analysen har vi däremot våra frågeställningar som huvudrubriker för att verkligen analysera utmaningarna och innovationerna. Vår studie har bidragit med en ökad förståelse hur logistikföretag inom citylogistik hanterar ökad e-handelsutmaningar samt vilka åtgärder de vidtar. Vi har konstaterat att den ökade e-handeln har medfört utmaningar för logistikföretag inom citylogistik. E-handelslogiken har blivit mer komplex på senaste tiden där korta ledtider, fler men mindre paket och högre krav från konsumenterna har tillkommit vilket anses som utmaningar för logistikföretagen. Studien visar på de huvudsakliga utmaningarna som ökad e-handel medfört. Studien visar även på olika innovationer och åtgärder som används av logistikföretag inom citylogistik.

The socioeconomic context of many biodiversity rich countries is argued to be heavily dwarfed in current conservation and development debate, resulting in that projects that intersect complex issues of development and conservation are often simplistically deemed as being unsuccessful. The aim of this research has therefore been to attain a more profound understanding of how socioeconomic conditions and local neoliberal contexts effect ICDP projects and to an extent also agroecological transition. In this case study ten qualitative life-story interviews were carried out during a minor field study in rural Las Pavas, Nicaragua. These were further analyzed through the use of the sustainable livelihood approach in order to identify what impacts the local socioeconomic contexts had on participant livelihoods and also what prospects and challenges C.I.P.P’s permaculture project presented in this regard. The empirical evidence shows that participant livelihoods were subjected to several constraints that were buttressed by the neoliberal development context which signified a great reliance on cattle raising as main financial activity at the expense of other important natural assets such as forest and water. Furthermore, demonstrating that permaculture projects had to provide the widest range of benefits with the least amount of risk in order to be adopted.

Islet transplantation has found its niche in diabetes treatment. It has contributed to a better quality of life and better glycemic control of patients with diabetes suffering from severe hypoglycemia that are not eligible for vascularized pancreas transplantation. Islet isolation is a technically challenging procedure. The different studies within this doctoral thesis aim to improve and standardize different steps in the isolation procedure. They are in particular looking to improve human pancreas preservation during cold storage, to optimize islet release from the exocrine tissue and to assess whether the isolated islet yield can be predicted from a biopsy. We found that pancreas preservation with pre-oxygenated perfluorodecalin (two-layer method) did not improve the ischemic tolerance of the human pancreas as compared to cold storage with the University of Wisconsin (UW) solution. Furthermore, in pancreas with long cold ischemia time (CIT) (&gt;10 hours), Histidine-Tryptophan-Ketoglutarate (HTK) had a limited preservation capacity as compared with the UW solution with respect to isolation outcome. We also found that during enzymatic pancreas digestion, Vitacyte HA was able to provide a similar islet yield and quality as Serva NB1 with less collagenase activity and shorter digestion time. We further describe the first experience with a new GMP manufactured enzyme called Liberase MTF-S for successful human islet isolation. Finally, we found that the isolated islet yield could not be predicted from a biopsy taken from the head of the pancreas concerning solely morphological parameters of the islets tissue. The improvement of pancreas preservation will allow for marginal organs with prolonged cold ischemia time to expand the donor pool. Better knowledge of how the pancreatic extracellular matrix is digested by collagenase will lead to a fast and predictable islet release from the exocrine tissue. By standardizing the isolation procedure and improving organ selection we will increase the success rate in human islet isolation, thereby making islet transplantation available for more patients.

Dans le domaine des conquêtes obtenues par les femmes, la Révolution Cubaine depuis 1960, réalise des progrès remarquables. La Fédération des Femmes Cubaines (FMC), fondée en 1960, jouera un rôle essentiel en faveur de l’émancipation féminine, de l’insertion des femmes cubaines dans le monde du travail et de leur participation active à la construction de la nouvelle société socialiste. Cependant, ces progrès obtenus dans le cadre d’un processus idéologique et d’une volonté gouvernementale d’une participation forte des Cubaines dans la construction de la nouvelle société socialiste, cohabitent et se heurtent encore à des croyances propres à une culture machiste et patriarcale, laquelle aujourd'hui, à côté de la crise économique et des changements actuels que connaît le contexte cubain, montrent que la construction de la «nouvelle femme» n’est pas tout à fait aboutie et risque même de menacer les victoires obtenues par les Cubaines au sein de la société et en matière d’égalité des droits. L'analyse de la situation des Cubaines au XXIe siècle, leur rôle dans la construction « d’une société plus ouverte sur le monde » et la création de « nouvelles façons de penser le quotidien cubain » dans la lutte en faveur de l'équité du genre, nous permettra d’étudier les nouveaux défis sociétaux auxquels elles se sont confrontées et les solutions envisagées pour les résoudre<br>From the first years of the Cuban Revolution, the respect and the defense of the women's rights constituted a priority for the Cuban authorities. The Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), founded in 1960, will play an essential role in the feminine emancipation, the insertion of the Cuban women in the working world and their active participation in the construction of the new socialist society. Nevertheless, serious challenges remain that render the progress made fragile and liable to setbacks. The analysis of the situation of the Cuban Women of the 21st century, her role in the creation of a “society more opened for the world” and in the conception of “new ways of thinking the daily cuban life”, it will allow us to understand the new societal challenges that this arduous mission imposes them<br>Desde los primeros años de la Revolución Cubana, el respeto y la defensa de los derechos de la mujer constituyeron una prioridad para las autoridades cubanas. La Federación de Mujeres Cubanas (FMC), fundada en 1960, desempeñará un rol esencial a favor de la emancipación femenina, de la inserción de las cubanas en el mundo laboral y de su participación activa en la construcción de la nueva sociedad socialista. Sin embargo, después de una larga trayectoria de lucha en la que han conocido avances y retrocesos, las cubanas de hoy se enfrentan a una realidad plagada de preceptos, normas y comportamientos dictados por una cultura patriarcal que perdura y se manifiesta cada día más en la cotidianidad cubana. La misma, junto a la crisis económica y las transformaciones actuales por las que atraviesa el contexto cubano, hacen que la construcción de “la nueva mujer” continúe siendo una tarea pendiente para la Revolución. El análisis de la situación de las cubanas del siglo XXI, de su rol en la creación de una “sociedad más abierta al mundo” y en la formación de “nuevas formas de pensar la vida cotidiana cubana”, nos permitirá comprender los nuevos desafíos societales que esta ardua tarea les impone

Pour decouvrir comment se definit le heros tragique dans le western, il nous a semble pertinent de pratiquer une rigoureuse analyse filmique (decoupages "plan par plan", croquis explicatifs) des oeuvres dans lesquelles il s'est le plus illustre. Nous les avons effectivement envisagees comme une mythologie singuliere, ou, sous diverses defroques, apparait notre figure. Loin de toute perspective chronologique, le regroupement des films a donc ete propose par la facon dont s'y presentait l'evolution interne du heros et de sa mission. Qu'y lit-on? en premier lieu (la premiere partie: "l'homme de nulle part", exemple: l'homme des vallees perdues), il s'apparente a un cavalier solitaire aidant une communaute a lutter contre des "mechants" pour creer une societe dont il sera automatiquement rejete, car l'exclusivite de sa fonction lui interdit de se fixer et d'endosser la carapace d'un citoyen. Puis, lorsque les grands espaces se muent en villes (la deuxieme partie: "le retour du banni", exemple: le train sifflera trois fois), il devient un etre soucieux d'une stabilite sociale que viennent lui contester des agresseurs exterieurs, le forcant a constater sa singularite, au moment d'un combat que lui seul peut assumer. C'est tout naturellement qu'il se retrouve ensuite, dans un ouest embourgeoise, vagabond erratique a la recherche d'une action qui ressemble a son identite perdue (la troisieme partie: "l'appel du vide", exemple: la horde sauvage).

Lean practices have been associated with high firm performance in terms of productivity, quality and safety at work, and in fact there is still a long way to spread these practices in SMEs and support activities in the value chain. This assessment does not mean, however, that Lean Thinking may be confronting increasing limitations to face new customer requirements in terms of customization and response times. In this context this Doctoral Thesis investigates, with the Evolutionary Theory of the Firm as theoretical framework, how and why the internalization of certain "mutation factors" (TI, environmental considerations and innovation needs) in organizational routines, can generate new capabilities that allow companies to adapt successfully and remain competitive<br>Entendiendo que las prácticas Lean han demostrado estar asociadas a un alto rendimiento empresarial en términos de productividad, calidad o seguridad en el trabajo, y de hecho queda todavía un largo recorrido para difundir estas prácticas en las PYMEs y en las actividades de apoyo de la cadena de valor; esta valoración no impide sostener, sin embargo, que el Lean Thinking como paradigma de gestión puede estar agotándose ante las nuevas exigencias del cliente en términos de personalización y plazos de respuesta. En este contexto nuestra Tesis Doctoral indaga, con la Teoría Evolucionista de la Empresa como marco teórico, en cómo y por qué la internalización de determinados "factores de mutación" (TI, las consideraciones medioambientales o la necesidad de innovación) en las rutinas organizativas, pueden generar nuevas capacidades que permitan a las empresas a adaptarse al entorno y seguir siendo competitivas

La present tesi doctoral s’ha centrat en el repte d’aconseguir, mitjançant Fabricació Additiva (FA), models per a assaig quirúrgic, sota la premissa que els equips per fer-los haurien de ser accessibles a l’àmbit hospitalari. L’objectiu és facilitar l’extensió de l’ús dels prototips com a eina de preparació d’operacions quirúrgiques, transformant la pràctica mèdica actual de la mateixa manera que en el seu moment ho van fer tecnologies com les que van facilitar l’ús de radiografies. El motiu d’utilitzar FA, en lloc de tecnologies més tradicionals, és la seva capacitat de materialitzar de forma directa les dades digitals obtingudes de l’anatomia del pacient mitjançant sistemes d’escanejat tridimensional, fent possible l’obtenció de models personalitzats. Els resultats es centren en la generació de nou coneixement sobre com aconseguir equipaments d’impressió 3D multimaterials accessibles que permetin l’obtenció de models mimètics respecte als teixits vius. Per facilitar aquesta buscada extensió de la tecnologia, s’ha focalitzat en les tecnologies de codi obert com la Fabricació per Filament Fos (FFF) i similars basades en líquids catalitzables. La recerca s’alinea dins l’activitat de desenvolupament de la FA al CIM UPC, i en aquest àmbit concret amb la col·laboració amb l’Hospital Sant Joan de Déu de Barcelona (HSJD). El primer bloc de la tesi inclou la descripció de l’estat de l’art, detallant les tecnologies existents i la seva aplicació a l’entorn mèdic. S’han establert per primer cop unes bases de caracterització dels teixits vius -sobretot tous- per donar suport a la selecció de materials que els puguin mimetitzar en un procés de FA, a efectes de millorar l’experiència d’assaig dels cirurgians. El caràcter rígid dels materials majoritàriament usats en impressió 3D els fa poc útils per simular tumors i altres referències anatòmiques. De forma successiva, es tracten paràmetres com la densitat, la viscoelasticitat, la caracterització dels materials tous a la indústria, l’estudi del mòdul elàstic de teixits tous i vasos, la duresa d’aquests, i requeriments com l’esterilització dels models. El segon bloc comença explorant la impressió 3D mitjançant FFF. Es classifiquen les variants del procés des del punt de vista de la multimaterialitat, essencial per fer models d’assaig quirúrgic, diferenciant entre solucions multibroquet i de barreja al capçal. S’ha inclòs l’estudi de materials (filaments i líquids) que serien més útils per mimetitzar teixits tous. Es constata com en els líquids, en comparació amb els filaments, la complexitat del treball en processos de FA és més elevada, i es determinen formes d’imprimir materials molt tous. Per acabar, s’exposen sis casos reals de col·laboració amb l’HJSD, una selecció d’aquells en els que el doctorand ha intervingut en els darrers anys. L’origen es troba en la dificultat de l’abordatge d’operacions de resecció de tumors infantils com el neuroblastoma, i a la iniciativa del Dr. Lucas Krauel. Finalment, el Bloc 3 té per objecte explorar nombrosos conceptes (fins a 8), activitat completada al llarg dels darrers cinc anys amb el suport dels mitjans del CIM UPC i de l’activitat associada a treballs finals d’estudis d’estudiants de la UPC, arribant-se a materialitzar equipaments experimentals per validar-los. La recerca ampla i sistemàtica al respecte fa que s’estigui més a prop de disposar d’una solució d’impressió 3D multimaterial de sobretaula. Es determina que la millor via de progrés és la de disposar d’una pluralitat de capçals independents a fi de capacitar la impressora 3D per integrar diversos conceptes estudiats, materialitzant-se una possible solució. Cloent la tesi, es planteja com seria un equipament d’impressió 3D per a models d’assaig quirúrgic, a fi de servir de base per a futurs desenvolupaments.<br>La presente tesis doctoral se ha centrado en el reto de conseguir, mediante Fabricación Aditiva (FA), modelos para ensayo quirúrgico, bajo la premisa que los equipos para obtenerlos tendrían que ser accesibles al ámbito hospitalario. El objetivo es facilitar la extensión del uso de modelos como herramienta de preparación de operaciones quirúrgicas, transformando la práctica médica actual de la misma manera que, en su momento, lo hicieron tecnologías como las que facilitaron el uso de radiografías. El motivo de utilizar FA, en lugar de tecnologías más tradicionales, es su capacidad de materializar de forma directa los datos digitales obtenidos de la anatomía del paciente mediante sistemas de escaneado tridimensional, haciendo posible la obtención de modelos personalizados. Los resultados se centran en la generación de nuevo conocimiento para conseguir equipamientos de impresión 3D multimateriales accesibles que permitan la obtención de modelos miméticos respecto a los tejidos vivos. Para facilitar la buscada extensión de la tecnología, se ha focalizado en las tecnologías de código abierto como la Fabricación por Hilo Fundido (FFF) y similares basadas en líquidos catalizables. Esta investigación se alinea dentro de la actividad de desarrollo de la FA en el CIM UPC, y en este ámbito concreto con la colaboración con el Hospital Sant Joan de Déu de Barcelona (HSJD). El primer bloque de la tesis incluye la descripción del estado del arte, detallando las tecnologías existentes y su aplicación al entorno médico. Se han establecido por primera vez unas bases de caracterización de los tejidos vivos – principalmente blandos – para dar apoyo a la selección de materiales que los puedan mimetizar en un proceso de FA, a efectos de mejorar la experiencia de ensayo de los cirujanos. El carácter rígido de los materiales mayoritariamente usados en impresión 3D los hace poco útiles para simular tumores y otras referencias anatómicas. De forma sucesiva, se tratan parámetros como la densidad, la viscoelasticidad, la caracterización de materiales blandos en la industria, el estudio del módulo elástico de tejidos blandos y vasos, la dureza de los mismos, y requerimientos como la esterilización de los modelos. El segundo bloque empieza explorando la impresión 3D mediante FFF. Se clasifican las variantes del proceso desde el punto de vista de la multimaterialidad, esencial para hacer modelos de ensayo quirúrgico, diferenciando entre soluciones multiboquilla y de mezcla en el cabezal. Se ha incluido el estudio de materiales (filamentos y líquidos) que serían más útiles para mimetizar tejidos blandos. Se constata como en los líquidos, en comparación con los filamentos, la complejidad del trabajo en procesos de FA es más elevada, y se determinan formas de imprimir materiales muy blandos. Para acabar, se exponen seis casos reales de colaboración con el HJSD, una selección de aquellos en los que el doctorando ha intervenido en los últimos años. El origen se encuentra en la dificultad del abordaje de operaciones de resección de tumores infantiles como el neuroblastoma, y en la iniciativa del Dr. Lucas Krauel. Finalmente, el Bloque 3 desarrolla numerosos conceptos (hasta 8), actividad completada a lo largo de los últimos cinco años con el apoyo de los medios del CIM UPC y de la actividad asociada a trabajos finales de estudios de estudiantes de la UPC, llegándose a materializar equipamientos experimentales para validarlos. La investigación amplia y sistemática al respecto hace que se esté más cerca de disponer de una solución de impresión 3D multimaterial de sobremesa. Se determina que la mejor vía de progreso es la de disponer de una pluralidad de cabezales independientes, a fin de capacitar la impresora 3D para integrar diversos conceptos estudiados, materializándose una posible solución. Para cerrar la tesis, se plantea cómo sería un equipamiento de impresión 3D para modelos de ensayo quirúrgico, a fin de servir de base para futuros desarrollos.

Telemetry system, Optimisation, Sensoric networks, Smart Grid, Internet of Things, Sensors, Information security, Cryptography, Cryptography algorithms, Cryptosystem, Confidentiality, Integrity, Authentication, Data freshness, Non-Repudiation.

Requiem for the Last Kaiser by the Cameroonian playwright Bate Besong, is a play characterised by singular translational challenges. These challenges range from the presence of many different languages in the text to the use of humour and intratextual references taken from a various range of sources such as the Bible, world history and politics, etc. In our 21st century world, where translation has been described as the language of Europe by Umberto Eco, Africa’s literary treasures should be given a wider readership by means of translation, starting with French, to introduce the writer’s work to French-speaking Cameroonians and from there to other Francophones. The aim of this research was to determine in what way multilingualism in the play could affect its translation and, secondly, how to translate the various multilingual utterances. The focus was put on the rendition of the play’s multilingual elements in a language or languages understandable to a French-speaking readership while keeping the author’s initial intention in mind. This was done firstly by gathering relevant knowledge on theatre as well as literary and theatrical translation, and on the other hand on literary multilingualism and multilingual translation. Subsequently, 28 text segments including multilingual utterances were extracted from the source text, analysed using a combination of the functionalist approach and hermeneutics, and translated. Several translation strategies and procedures were used, among which literalism was particularly successful. It was found that these could not be generalised and that translation choices should be made for each individual utterance. The play impacts on the literary, sociolinguistic, political, and sociological domains, as it dates from the 1990s, a period of Cameroonian history marked by popular uprisings and the struggle for democracy. Attempting a partial translation of Requiem for the Last Kaiser was a means of contributing to the field of multilingual theatre translation, sharing the richness of Bate Besong’s literary work and giving Cameroonian literature in English the port of access it needs since it has not yet attained the recognition it surely deserves.<br>Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2013.<br>gm2014<br>Modern European Languages<br>unrestricted

In recent years projects have increasingly used Last Planner System (LPS) in building construction. However project managers still struggle with figuring out how the LPS could be applied on their specific projects. One main reason for this struggle is that explicit instructions for systematically applying LPS are not available. This thesis offers practitioners and researchers an account of LPS implementation challenges and an indication of how LPS can be applied. The thesis qualitatively aggregates the results of 26 test case projects of LPS applications to show researchers and practitioners reasons why LPS was applied, what benefits were realized and what challenges were found during the implementation. Senior and mid-level managers in AEC industry were surveyed to assess the implementation challenges that they encountered. The main findings of this analysis are; (1) that practitioners have used LPS for the purpose of making plans more reliable, (2) get smooth work flow (3) improve productivity. The survey findings imply that improvements in LPS implementation strategies can be made which will facilitate LPS adoption by the industry. The findings of this thesis suggest that further research on the integration of LPS into work and business processes of project teams is needed to further the widespread use of LPS throughout the building industry.

M.Com. (Business Management)<br>The last mile distribution is the final link of successful supply chain operations. The high demand for products, lead time uncertainties and replenishment time complicate the distribution task. In order to achieve a competitive business edge, suppliers need to work at developing and improving their last mile distribution link. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the last mile wine distribution in Lagos Island, Nigeria, and to determine appropriate improvement strategies that can be recommended to wine suppliers. A qualitative research design was used in order to address the key research questions. Wine suppliers in Lagos Island, Nigeria were sampled for the study and mainly surveyed using open-structured interviews. The results of the research suggest that human resources factors influence the effectiveness of the last mile distribution. In addition, management-related factors also affect it. It was also noted that the effectiveness of last mile distribution for the wine suppliers is hampered by supply chain and logistics limitations. However, the findings indicate that the suppliers were able to contend with these challenges by applying some logistics strategies and personal initiatives to keep making profit. The study is expected to not only add value to current wine suppliers in Lagos Island, Nigeria, but also to potential investors interested in the Nigerian wine market. Recommendations for future research conclude the minor dissertation.

The continuous effort to understand the complicated behavior of gas hydrates in multiphase flow has led to the evolution of a new paradigm of hydrate blockage. The hydrate community continues to debate the impact of kinetics, agglomeration, and oil chemistry effects on hydrate blockage formation in pipelines and wellbores. However, today’s industry for the most part still continues to rely on thermodynamic means to develop strategies to prevent hydrates altogether in its production systems. These strategies such as thermal insulation of equipment, electric heating, dead oil displacement, and methanol injection add CAPEX, OPEX, and operational complexities to system design. In spite of high oil prices, adopting such strategies to mitigate perceived hydrate blockage risk can end up taxing economics of marginal fields. Developing a comprehensive multiphase flow simulator capable of handling the transient aspects of production operations - shut-in, restart, blowdown and blockage prediction - continues to drive the research in Flow Assurance. New operating strategies based on risk management approach seem to be evolving from the model predictions. A shift in paradigm that allows for operations inside the hydrate region based on sound risk assessment and management principles could be a factor enabling future developments of marginal fields. This paper discusses the challenges and opportunities that have led to the change in focus from prevention of hydrates to prevention of blockage, and describes some initial successes in the development of a first generation empirical tool for the prediction of hydrate blockages in flow lines. Also presented in this article are new experimental data that shed some light on different ways that hydrate blockages can manifest in the field.