The Implementation of Cellular Manufacturing on to a Functional Factory Floor

This thesis will focus on the implementation of cellular manufacturing and the issues that must be addressed for the successful transformation from a traditional functionally partitioned manufacturing environment . A large percentage of companies who attempt to transform a functionally partitioned factory into a cellular layout fail to obtain the benefits that it can bring. Research has attributed this to the lack of planning for all the issues involved in cellular manufacturing . It is necessary to address all the issues, not just one or two, or the negative effects of partitioning a factory floor (the loss of pooling synergy) may offset some of the benefits obtained from cellular manufacturing . The purpose of this study is to provide a manual that gives a general set of guidelines covering the major issues that must be addressed if the competitive advantages of cellular manufacturing are to be obtained . Specifically, it will cover cell design, special problems that can occur when designing cells, setup time reduction, worker assignment within the cell, preventive maintenance, and labor issues involved in this type of manufacturing environment . Three business professionals participated in the study as evaluators . The evaluators work in three different disciplines; Purchasing, Operations Management, and Industrial Engineering. The evaluators were administered the manual and a questionnaire f or the purpose of gathering their professional feedback . The questionnaire asked for validity/coverage, errors, and additions that need to be made to the manual. The results of the evaluation revealed the overall coverage is good. This indicates the manual covers the major issues of cellular manufacturing and it solves the problems occurring when the transformation fails. There are a few issues that were removed as well as added to the manual . This made the manual more applicable in a real life business situation

Cameras in the United States Supreme Court: Judicial Transparency & the Obligation Thereof

The sources utilized in this thesis each serve a particular function in relation to the theoretical framework. They are organized by the extent to which they contribute to the three dominant disciplinary approaches found throughout the work. The established literature referenced in the first section contributes to the historical summary of the Supreme Court’s forward progression toward the public disclosure of its work. Many sources used therein are primary, as they are meant to portray contemporary accounts of the Court’s steps as they occur in time. The sources used in the second section help to develop transparency as a demanded intangibility—a commodity of sorts. Hopefully, understanding transparency as a resource for the public will allow for the reader of this thesis to make sense of the concept’s variable application in all parts of the federal government. In the third section, the sources used are distinct in that they are meant to help conceptualize the potential consequences of implementing cameras in the Supreme Court. Identifying the public’s stance on issues related to the Supreme Court itself is necessary to any speculation regarding the consequences. This is because they affect the public both directly and indirectly. In this final section, much of the literature also includes pre-fabricated ideas about what could potentially happen if the institution were to tolerate televised coverage of proceedings. In my own assessment, I am skeptical of the reasoning in positions for both the affirmative and the negative, but I ultimately side with those—and with others in part—whom I feel better represent my ideas regarding the Court’s future. This summary view is expressed in the second subsection of Chapter III and elaborated in the conclusion of this thesis. In our democracy (a constitutional republic) the value of transparency cannot be overstated, as it provides a monitorial means through which the electorate can ensure their interests are maintained by those who make decisions on their behalf. Nonetheless, whether the obligation of transparency should be taken to apply throughout the government co-equally—and specifically, in the nation’s highest court—has become subject to disagreement. Though the benefits of increasing transparency in the U.S. Supreme Court are indeed significant, doing so by permitting video cameras for court proceedings in an era of considerable ideological polarization may also yield unwanted consequences that should discourage efforts toward any implementation policy at this point in time. To properly assess and respond to the debate regarding cameras in the Court, this work begins with a historical discussion, covering a near-comprehensive timeline of the institution’s progression in public disclosure. The purpose of this is to demonstrate the extent to which the Court has already become the most transparent branch of the federal government. This thesis then proceeds to evaluate the potential outcomes of camera implementation while making sense of the societal context in which the debate persists. The idea of government transparency is a theme discussed throughout the work, as it is the fundamental demand that underlies the relevant debate. This thesis endeavors to address the debate regarding whether video cameras ought to be allowed in the United States Supreme Court. Prior to joining the relevant discussion, I provide a comprehensive history of the Court’s steps toward increased transparency, beginning with the institution’s inception. This section highlights the evolving role of transparency in the context of institutional independence—a context that persists emphatically today. The following section describes the role and degree of transparency in the elected branches of the federal government. It contrasts the obligation of disclosure in these branches with that of the Judiciary and also seeks to identify the propriety of selective disclosure in each of the three. Then, this thesis focuses on the prospect of video camera implementation. I have chosen to dissect the positive and negative consequences that might occur should the Court lift the current device ban. In the final section, I compare the consequences, then proceed to argue that the probable negatives cause concerns that should outweigh the potential benefits. I believe that camera implementation can happen without compromising the Supreme Court’s ability to function properly, but only if society changes. In this section, I discuss the societal polarization that makes a policy allowing cameras so dangerous, and I detail the developments that must take place if the Court is to progress safely

Isotopic composition (238U/235U) of some commonly used uranium reference materials

We have determined 238U/235U ratios for a suite of commonly used natural (CRM 112a, SRM 950a, and HU-1) and synthetic (IRMM 184 and CRM U500) uranium reference materials by thermal ionisation mass-spectrometry (TIMS) using the IRMM 3636 233U-236U double spike to accurately correct for mass fractionation. Total uncertainty on the 238U/235U determinations is estimated to be < 0.02% (2σ). These natural 238U/235U values are different from the widely used ‘consensus’ value (137.88), with each standard having lower 238U/235U values by up to 0.08%. The 238U/235U ratio determined for CRM U500 and IRMM 184 are within error of their certified values; however, the total uncertainty for CRM U500 is substantially reduced (from 0.1% to 0.02%). These reference materials are commonly used to assess mass spectrometer performance and accuracy, calibrate isotope tracers employed in U, U-Th and U-Pb isotopic studies, and as a reference for terrestrial and meteoritic 238U/235U variations. These new 238U/235U values will thus provide greater accuracy and reduced uncertainty for a wide variety of isotopic determinations

Physical Properties and Baryonic Content of Low-Redshift Intergalactic Ly-alpha and O VI Absorption Systems: The PG1116+215 Sight Line

We present HST and FUSE observations of the intergalactic absorption toward PG1116+215 in the 900-3000 A spectral region. We detect 25 Ly-alpha absorbers at rest-frame equivalent widths W_r > 30 mA, yielding (dN/dz)_Ly-alpha = 154+/-18 over an unblocked redshift path of 0.162. Two additional weak Ly-alpha absorbers with W_r ~ 15-20 mA are also present. Eight of the Ly-alpha absorbers have large line widths (b > 40 km/sec). The detection of narrow OVI in the broad Ly-alpha absorber at z=0.06244 supports the idea that the Ly-alpha profile is thermally broadened in gas with T > 10^5 K. We find dN/dz ~ 50 for broad Ly-alpha absorbers with W_r > 30 mA and b > 40 km/sec. If the broad Ly-alpha lines are dominated by thermal broadening in hot gas, the amount of baryonic material in these absorbers is enormous, perhaps as much as half the baryonic mass in the low-redshift universe. We detect OVI absorption in several of the Ly-alpha clouds along the sight line. Two detections at z=0.13847 and z=0.16548 are confirmed by the presence of other ions at these redshifts, while the detections at z=0.04125, 0.05895, 0.05928, and 0.06244 are based upon the Ly-alpha and OVI detections alone. The information available for 13 low-redshift OVI absorbers with W_r > 50 mA along 5 sight lines yields (dN/dz)_OVI ~ 14 and Omega_b(OVI) > 0.0027/h_75, assuming a metallicity of 0.1 solar and an OVI ionization fraction < 0.2. The properties and prevalence of low-redshift OVI absorbers suggest that they too may be a substantial baryon repository, perhaps containing as much mass as stars and gas inside galaxies. The redshifts of the OVI absorbers are highly correlated with the redshifts of galaxies along the sight line, though few of the absorbers lie closer than 600/h_75 kpc to any single galaxy. [abbreviated]Comment: 99 pages, 30 figures, aastex format, ApJS in pres

Quantitative Effects of Fiscal Foresight

Changes in fiscal policy typically entail two kinds of lags: the legislative lag—between when legislation is proposed and when it is signed into law—and the implementation lag—from when a new fiscal law is enacted and when it takes effect. These lags imply that substantial time evolves between when news arrives about fiscal changes and when the changes actually take place—time when households and firms can adjust their behavior. We identify two types of fiscal news—government spending and changes in tax policy—and map the news processes into standard DSGE models. We identify news concerning taxes through the municipal bond market. If asset markets are efficient, the yield spread between tax-exempt municipal bonds and treasuries should be a function of the news concerning changes in tax policy. We identify news concerning government spending through the Survey of Professional Forecasters. We conclude that news concerning fiscal variables is a time-varying process that can have important qualitative and quantitative effects.

FUSE and STIS Observations of the Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium towards PG1259+593

We use FUSE and STIS spectra to study intergalactic absorption towards the quasar PG1259+593 (z=0.478). We identify 135 intergalactic absorption lines with equivalent widths >10mA, tracing 78 absorption components in 72 Ly alpha/beta absorption-line systems. We concentrate on the distribution and physical properties of the WHIM as sampled by OVI and intrinsically broad Ly alpha lines. The number of intervening OVI absorbers for equivalent widths W>24 mA is 3-6 over an unobscured redshift path of dz=0.368. This implies a number density of OVI systems, dN/dz, of ~8-16 along this sight line. This range is consistent with estimates from other sight lines, supporting the idea that intervening intergalactic OVI absorbers contain an substantial fraction of the baryonic mass in the low-redshift Universe. We identify a number of broad Ly alpha absorbers with large Doppler parameters (b~40-200 km/s) and low column densities (N(HI)<10^14 cm^-2). For pure thermal broadening, these widths correspond to temperatures of ~1x10^5 to 3x10^6 K. While these broad absorbers could be caused by blends of multiple, unresolved lines, continuum undulations, or by kinematic flows and Hubble broadening, we consider the possibility that some of these features are single-component, thermally broadened Ly alpha lines. These systems could represent WHIM absorbers that are too weak, too metal-poor, and/or too hot to be detected in OVI. If so, their widths and their frequency in the PG1259+593 spectrum imply that these absorbers trace an even larger fraction of the baryons in the low-redshift Universe than the OVI absorbing systems (abridged version).Comment: 71 pages, 25 figures; accepted for publication in ApJ

The Grizzly, April 21, 1989

Spring Weekend a Whopper! • Ours Nouveau • Sunday\u27s Reception Huge Success • Letter: Shed Miniskirts for Spandex • Heritage Day • Berman Roofing Top Hat Affair • \u27Packers Hike Hick Hills • Ground Round: Super Service • Running\u27s More Than Just Winning • Spring Sports: Hot and Cold • Mr. Ursinus a Whomping Good Time!https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1236/thumbnail.jp

Identification of a CCR5-Expressing T Cell Subset That Is Resistant to R5-Tropic HIV Infection

Infection with HIV-1 perturbs homeostasis of human T cell subsets, leading to accelerated immunologic deterioration. While studying changes in CD4(+) memory and naïve T cells during HIV-1 infection, we found that a subset of CD4(+) effector memory T cells that are CCR7(−)CD45RO(−)CD45RA(+) (referred to as T(EMRA) cells), was significantly increased in some HIV-infected individuals. This T cell subset displayed a differentiated phenotype and skewed Th1-type cytokine production. Despite expressing high levels of CCR5, T(EMRA) cells were strikingly resistant to infection with CCR5 (R5)–tropic HIV-1, but remained highly susceptible to CXCR4 (X4)–tropic HIV-1. The resistance of T(EMRA) cells to R5-tropic viruses was determined to be post-entry of the virus and prior to early viral reverse transcription, suggesting a block at the uncoating stage. Remarkably, in a subset of the HIV-infected individuals, the relatively high proportion of T(EMRA) cells within effector T cells strongly correlated with higher CD4(+) T cell numbers. These data provide compelling evidence for selection of an HIV-1–resistant CD4(+) T cell population during the course of HIV-1 infection. Determining the host factors within T(EMRA) cells that restrict R5-tropic viruses and endow HIV-1–specific CD4(+) T cells with this ability may result in novel therapeutic strategies against HIV-1 infection