Case Study on Design Management: Inefficiencies and Possible Remedies

Delivering better products with a reduced lead time and less resources has become the primary focus of design management. The aim of this work is to revisit typical design management inefficiencies and discuss possible remedies for these problems. To this end, a case study and interviews with seven Estonian architects were carried out. The data obtained was analyzed within the framework of the transformation-flow-value theory of production. Despite its failure to deliver customer value, a single-minded transformation view of operations has been the dominant approach taken in design management and processes, leading to inefficiencies in design practices

Addressing the Grid-size Sensitivity Issue in Large-eddy Simulations of Stable Boundary Layers

In this study, we have identified certain fundamental limitations of a mixing length parameterization used in a popular turbulent kinetic energy-based subgrid-scale model. Replacing this parameterization with a more physically realistic one significantly improves the overall quality of the large-eddy simulations (LESs) of stable boundary layers. For the range of grid sizes considered here (specifically, 1 m -- 12.5 m), the revision dramatically reduces the grid-size sensitivity of the simulations. Most importantly, the revised scheme allows us to reliably estimate the first- and second-order statistics of a well-known LES intercomparison case, even with a coarse grid-size of O(10 m)

Partizan forms of Hackenbush combinatorial games

Bibliography: p. 120-12

The chicken embryo bioassay as a tool to assess the possible toxic effects of persistent organic pollutants (POPs): a study with special reference to thiamine deficiency, EROD induction and the bursa of Fabricius

Since the introduction of man made chemicals into the environment, the reproductive success of bird species all over the world has been compromised. Since the ban on the use of several chemicals, pollution has decreased, but residues still remain, and reproductive and physiological are still reported to be associated with contaminants. In the Baltic Sea, one of the most contaminated areas in the world, fish suffer from massive mortality during the early life stages. These fish contain high levels of contaminants and low levels of thiamine; thus, it has been hypothesised that contaminants induce thiamine deficiency. As fish eating birds occupy the same position in the food chain as the affected fish, one of the aims of the presented research was to establish the role of contaminant induced thiamine deficiency in bird embryotoxicity. Although the contamination levels in Baltic guillemots have decreased since the 1960s, the birds still contain appreciable amounts of contaminants. The second aim of the research was therefore to assess the potential toxic effects of these contaminants, at the current levels, in these birds.Several experiments were conducted to study both hypotheses, using an optimised chicken embryo bioassay. The thesis describes the development and validation of the bioassay, as well as its use in studies on the effects of contaminants on embryonal transketolase activity, which is a biomarker for thiamine deficiency. In addition, extracts from Baltic guillemots as well as from oystercatcher eggs from the Zeehavenkanaal in the Netherlands (which is contaminated with hexachlorobenzene) were tested for their toxic potencies. None of the selected model compounds or extracts resulted in decreased transketolase activity, indicating that contaminant induced thiamine deficiency probably does not play a role in avian embryotoxicity. Levels of PCBs in guillemot extracts were high enough to enhance the incidence of malformed embryos in fish eating birds. Both extracts resulted in decreased lymphocyte density in the bursa of Fabricius, and increased activity of EROD. Since EROD induction was found to be a very sensitive biomarker for exposure to contaminants that bind to the Ah receptor, this biomarker was studied during embryonic development; it was found to be a conservative predictor for toxicity in birds. Results were discussed in the framework of species differences in sensitivity towards toxic actions of chemicals. It was concluded that under the present contamination levels, toxic effects could not be excluded in Baltic guillemots and oystercatchers from the Zeehavenkanaal

Model uncertainty in financial markets:Long run risk and parameter uncertainty

Uncertainty surrounding key parameters of financial markets, such as the in- flation and equity risk premium, constitute a major risk for institutional investors with long investment horizons. Hedging the investors’ inflation exposure can be challenging due to the lack of domestic inflation-linked securities. I show that inflation hedging investors can benefit from holding bonds that are linked to inflation in foreign countries. Investors can further improve their inflation hedge by incorporating the long term interactions between his own inflation exposure and the foreign inflation measures. Focusing on the major inflation-linked security markets, I find an increase of the inflation risk premium over the financial crisis in the UK, whereas in the US it decreased. Since the parameter uncertainty of these estimates is large, and increased over the financial crisis in both the UK and US markets, I present a framework in which investors can quantify and integrate it in their long term investment decisions. Finally, I demonstrate that the difficulty of estimating the equity risk premium is the largest source of parameter uncertainty in defined contribution pension contracts. I introduce a methodology to take parameter uncertainty into account, so that participants can set contributions that reflect the uncertainty about their replacement rate at retirement. Overall, this thesis demonstrates robust methods to incorporate the effects of parameter uncertainty and contributes to the literature on how parameter uncertainty of financial models can substantially affect the investors’ investment risk

Alien Registration- Roode, Purley P. (Dresden, Lincoln County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/13008/thumbnail.jp

Strength criteria for composite materials (a literature survey)

Literature concerning strength (failure) criteria for composite materials is reviewed with emphasis on phenomenological failure criteria. These criteria are primarily intended to give a good estimation of the safety margin with respect to failure for arbitrary multiaxial stress states. The failure criteria do not indicate the types of fracture that will occur in the material. The collection of failure criteria is evaluated for applicability for the glass reinforced plastics used in mine detectors. Material tests necessary to determine the parameters in the failure criteria are discussed

Using Grounded Theory in the Analysis of Literature: The Case of Strategic Information Systems Planning

Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) has been widely researched, yet continues to be ranked as a key concern to IS managers. There have thus been calls for a strong theory to underpin SISP. In this study a theory is developed by integrating the findings from several major research studies published in the academic literature. The method employed is the grounded theory method, which is a qualitative research approach whose goal is specifically the generation of theory from data. The resultant theory possesses some unique characteristics as a result of using the grounded theory method