Sistema Bibolsa: Commercialization of Biol Report

This report encapsulates our research process, key opportunities, and challenges identified in the field. We recommend ways for Sistema Biobolsa to successfully pilot a biol sales model, focusing on best practices for biol storage, treatment, quality control, distribution, and application. The report is accompanied by a distribution decision tool to guide day-to-day decision-making by technicians and to serve as a resource for long-term planning by the Sistema Biobolsa team. This tool will allow the executive team to adjust the unit economics of the business plan, and each day technicians can check that the key assumptions are accurate, enter the starting locations, and see maps of all client locations that fall within the radius that the model deems financially feasible

Reliability applied to maintenance

The thesis covers studies conducted during 1976-79 under a Science Research Council contract to examine the uses of reliability information in decision-making in maintenance in the process industries. After a discussion of the ideal data system, four practical studies of process plants are described involving both Pareto and distribution analysis. In two of these studies the maintenance policy was changed and the effect on failure modes and frequency observed. Hyper-exponentially distributed failure intervals were found to be common and were explained after observation of maintenance work practices and development of theory as being due to poor workmanship and parts. The fallacy that constant failure rate necessarily implies the optimality of maintenance only at failure is discussed. Two models for the optimisation of inspection intervals are developed; both assume items give detectable warning of impending failure. The first is based upon constant risk of failure between successive inspections 'and Weibull base failure distribution~ Results show that an inspection/on-condition maintenance regime can be cost effective even when the failure rate is falling and may be better than periodiC renewals for an increasing failure situation. The second model is first-order Markov. Transition rate matrices are developed and solved to compare continuous monitoring with inspections/on-condition maintenance an a cost basis. The models incorporate planning delay in starting maintenance after impending failure is detected. The relationships between plant output and maintenance policy as affected by the presence of redundancy and/or storage between stages are examined, mainly through the literature but with some original theoretical proposals. It is concluded that reliability techniques have many applications in the improvement of plant maintenance policy. Techniques abound, but few firms are willing to take the step of faith to set up, even temporarily, the data-collection facilities required to apply them. There are over 350 references, many of which are reviewed in the text, divided into chapter-related sectionso Appendices include a review of Reliability Engineering Theory, based on the author's draft for BS 5760(2) a discussion of the 'bath-tub curves' applicability to maintained systems and the theory connecting hyper-exponentially distributed failures with poor maintenance practices

Wood Anatomy of Myoporaceae: Ecological and Systematic Considerations

Quantitative and qualitative features are presented for 28 collections of three genera (Bontia, Eremophila, Myoporum); data on Oftia are also included since it is sometimes referred to Myoporaceae. Wood of all Myoporaceae represents variation on a basic plan: woods diffuse porous or semi-ringporous; vessels with simple perforation plates; lateral wall pits of vessels alternate and circular, with grooves interconnecting some pit apertures; vessels grouped to various degrees into radial multiples; imperforate tracheary elements all fiber-tracheids with pit cavities 1-5 μm in diameter (wider on contacts with ray cells), nonseptate; axial parenchyma vasicentric scanty plus, in some species, tangential para tracheal bands (sometimes terminal); rays multi seriate plus uniseriate (uniseriate almost exclusively in two species of Eremophila); ray cells procumbent exclusively, upright and square in uniseriate rays and in tips of multiseriate rays; rays storied in some species of Eremophila, axial parenchyma variously storied; crystals present in ray cells of some species of Eremophila and in fibers of E. polyclada; amorphous deposits and starch often present in parenchyma. Ofiia differs from Myoporaceae by having: septate libriform fibers rather than fiber-tracheids; large pits on vessel walls; axial parenchyma nearly absent; and erect cells predominant in rays. Oftia may be placed in Scrophulariaceae. Leucophyllum differs from Myoporaceae by having: helical thickenings in vessels; vasicentric tracheids transitional from vascular tracheids; scarce axial parenchyma; and erect cells predominant in rays. Leucophyllum may be excluded from Myoporaceae. Wood anatomy ofMyoporaceae shows relationship between Myoporaceae, Scrophulariaceae, and Gesneriaceae, and is also indicative of derivation from woody ancestors. Wood of Myoporaceae reflects xeromorphy, especially in Eremophila, but the foliar apparatus may partially preempt the role of wood in promoting safety, which is connoted by growth rings, narrow and numerous vessels, and grouped vessels

Wood Anatomy of Gesneriaceae

Qualitative and quantitative data are presented for woods of 37 species representing 11 genera; most species included represent a maximal degree of woodiness for the family, and herbaceous groups are mostly omitted. Growth rings are absent or nearly so. Vessel elements have simple perforation plates (except for Kohleria elegans) and alternate circular or oval pits of various sizes on vessel-vessel walls (often laterally elongate, often with gaping apertures, on vessel-parenchyma and vessel-septate fiber interfaces). Grooves interconnect pit apertures in vessels of four genera. Vessels are grouped, usually in radial chains, to a moderate extent. Tyloses are present. Imperforate tracheary elements are libriform fibers or (Coronanthera) fiber tracheids with vestigial borders on pits. Septa are present in imperforate tracheary elements of most species, but in most species of Cyrtandra, septate fibers occur only near vessels. Uniseriate rays are present in some species, but in most species rays are muItiseriate only or are absent altogether. Vascular and vasicentric tracheids are absent. In Cyrtandra, wood with multiseriate rays can be demonstrated to be rayless earlier in ontogeny. Crystals are present in rays and in septate fibers of a few species. Storying is present in a few species. All features of wood reflect the mesic habitats characteristic of Gesneriaceae, but moderate degrees of xeromorphy are illustrated by species in which narrow vessels, grouped vessels, and grooves in vessel walls occur. The wood anatomy of Drymonia reflects its vining habit. Raylessness may indicate secondary woodiness in Besleria and Cyrtandra. Wood anatomy of Gesneriaceae is consonant with a hypothesis that the family is closely related to Acanthaceae, Scrophulariaceae, and other families of Scrophulariales