An exploratory investigation of the implementation of Lean in a UK automotive plant

This thesis reflects upon several decades of research into Lean Production systems, highlighting the need for further investigation using an empirical study of exemplar implementations of Lean. The initial point of departure is an analysis of the current views of Lean based on a detailed literature review. The resulting Views of Lean Table provides a framework for the investigation of an exemplar Lean operation, viz the Nissan Sunderland Plant, widely regarded to be one of the most productive automotive plants in Europe. The exploratory nature of this investigation, and unique opportunity for access, argued for the use of an inductive single case study as an appropriate research approach. A four phase approach was used to; a) identify views of Lean, b) gain an initial understanding of the Nissan Production Way at the Nissan Sunderland Plant, b) acquire a detailed description of the Nissan Production Way and c) to assess the level of intrinsic motivation amongst employees. The primary objective of this research is to establish whether our current knowledge of Lean sufficiently encapsulates the concept’s many facets. Detailed semi-structured interviews with Nissan Production Way experts revealed that Nissan Sunderland Plant’s production system uses a large number of elements in contrast to the relatively narrow list of ‘Lean’ elements cited in the Views of Lean Table. In contrast to academic theory there was a focus on extrinsic motivation with low intrinsic motivation offset by the plant’s continuous fight for survival and ‘whatever-it-takes’ attitude. In practice Lean is viewed as an overarching philosophy with a toolkit encompassing a wide range of tools which are used when they are suitable for the task in hand

The Effects of Contaminated Rena Sediments on Juvenile Paua (Haliotis iris)

The grounding of the MV Rena on Otaiti resulted in the release of heavy fuel oil and container debris contaminants into the surrounding environments including the rocky shores of the adjacent Mōtītī Island. This is the habitat where significant populations of benthic paua reside. Paua (Haliotis iris) are a staple and consistent food source for Mōtītī Island. Being an offshore island with no amenities, Mōtītī Island residents are reliant on the ocean as a pataka kai (food cupboard) and are therefore acutely aware of environmental influences to the harvest of kaimoana. This thesis aimed to address concerns relating to the effects of contaminated boundary layer water emanating from contaminated ‘Rena’ sediment on juvenile paua. Research was focused in two areas: 1) the sublethal behavioural effects of contaminated Rena sediment to Paua and 2) the accumulation of trace metals in the edible tissue and viscera mass. The experiments were carried out with the use of a close circuit aquaria in a laboratory environment, followed by a field experiment. In all experiments, paua in control treatments were healthy by comparison to paua exposed to treatments with Rena contaminated sediments and copper as judged by survivorship and behaviour. The most likely cause of of behavioural aberrations and mortality observed was deemed to be copper as demonstrated by Diffusive Gradient in thin film (DGT) and ambient water analyses in both experiments. Copper that is bioavailable can increase quickly in the edible tissue and viscera mass as was identified as the visceral mass of Rena and copper exposed paua had a higher mean concentration of this and other trace metals. On Otaiti, the effects to paua from the Rena ship wreck and lost container contents, know to include a medly of metals and other contaminants, is not likely to be limited to copper alone. Results demosntrate the relevance of examining the effects of water borne contaminated plumes emanating from complex mixtures of contaminants. This is rarely done in ecotoxicological studies which tend to focus on individual contaminant compounds

Effect of pectin on the composition, microbiology, texture, and functionality of reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

International audienceAbstractHydrocolloids have been extensively studied in low-fat cheeses as a way to improve defects associated with fat reduction, which are often related to texture and functionality (meltability). Pectin is a polysaccharide obtained from plant cells and is commonly used as a stabilizer for acidified dairy beverages. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of three types of commercial pectins on the characteristics of reduced-fat Cheddar cheese during a ripening period of 180 days. Five Cheddar cheeses were made: full-fat control (FF), reduced-fat control (RF), and reduced-fat cheeses with amidated (RA), high-methoxy (RH), or low-methoxy (RL) pectin added to milk prior processing at concentrations of 0.175%, 0.100%, and 0.075% (w/w), respectively; levels were chosen to avoid phase separation of the casein micelles, due to depletion flocculation. Addition of amidated pectin markedly increased the moisture content of the experimental cheese (~49%), compared to RF (~45%; P 100 N in RF at 180 days; P 85 versus <70% at 180 days; P < 0.05). These results suggest that pectin addition can be used to modify the moisture content, texture, and melting properties of reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

Purification and characterization of DR_2577 (SlpA) a major S-layer protein from Deinococcus radiodurans

The protein DR_2577 is a major Surface layer component of the radio-resistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans. In the present study DR_2577 has been purified and its oligomeric profile characterized by means of size exclusion chromatography and gel electrophoresis. DR_2577 was found to be organized into three hierarchical orders characterized by monomers, stable dimers formed by the occurrence of disulfide bonds, and hexamers resulting from a combination of dimers. The structural implications of these findings are discussed providing new elements for a more integrated model of this S-layer

pulsar_spectra: A pulsar flux density catalogue and spectrum fitting repository

We present the pulsar_spectra software repository, an open-source pulsar flux density catalogue and automated spectral fitting software that finds the best spectral model and produces publication-quality plots. The Python-based software includes features that enable users in the astronomical community to add newly published spectral measurements to the catalogue as they become available. The spectral fitting software is an implementation of the method described in Jankowski et al. (2018) which uses robust statistical methods to decide on the best-fitting model for individual pulsar spectra. pulsar_spectra is motivated by the need for a centralised repository for pulsar flux density measurements to make published measurements more accessible to the astronomical community and provide a suite of tools for measuring spectra