Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'VCII'

Chemokines (chemotactic cytokines) comprise a large family of proteins that recruit and activate leukocytes, giving chemokines a major role in both immune response and inflammation-related diseases. Viral CC chemokine inhibitor (vCCI) is a poxvirus encoded protein that has been shown to bind tightly and inhibit the action of many CC chemokines. This function suggests that vCCI could be explored as an antiinflammatory therapeutic, a possibility that has been supported in mouse studies. The structure of vCCI in unbound form was determined by others, but to date no structure has been reported of bound vCCI. We report the NMR structure of vCCI in complex with the human CC chemokine MIP-1[beta]. The non-aggregating MIP-1[beta] variant MIP-1[beta] 45AASA48 was used in this complex to allow sufficiently high concentration at pH 7 to carry out the solution structure determination. A combination of NOE distance restraints, torsion angle restraints, and residual dipolar coupling were used to determine the structure of the complex, which also required protein deuteration due to its relatively large size (34kDa). The structure shows that MIP-1[beta] binds to vCCI with 1:1 stoichiometry, forming a complex of 311 amino acids. vCCI uses residues from its [beta]- sheet II to interact with a surface of MIP-1[beta] that includes residues adjacent to its Nterminus, as well as residues in the 20's region, and the 40's loop. The structure of the MIP-1[beta]-vCCI complex reveals for the first time the regions of each protein involved in the interaction, and allows a greater understanding of the strategy used by vCCI to tightly bind numerous chemokines, while retaining selectivity for the CC chemokine subfamily.

The deregulation of electricity market created a competitive market environment. For Distribution companies (DISCOs), how to maximize its profit is the primary purpose of this planning and operations. Therefore, to achieve the best economic and technical benefits, a DISCOs should determine where and how much DG units allow to install in the system. Distributed generation is a key component in the power market. There is a brief introduction of DG in this thesis including: the definition of DG, size and several often used DG types. The benefit and risk of DG which may bring to the power system also have been appropriately evaluated in this study. The review of literature of optimal size and location of DG in distribution system have shown that a number of economic and technical impacts have been considered in DG planning. The selection of the best places and the preferable size of DG units for installation in the distribution system is a complex combinatorial optimization problem. The various solution techniques along with various objective function and constraints for the optimal solution of the problem of size and location problem of DG are discussed and compared in this work. With the increasing of load demand, distributed generation becomes an attractive alternative method to supply the power in the distribution system. DG can not only help to defer the T&D investment but also bring benefits to environment protection. The technical benefit which can bring to the distribution system also cannot be ignored. Such as power loss reduction, voltage profile and power quality improvement. The impact of DG units on voltage stability has become significant. A review of the indices refers to voltage stability has been shown in this work and an index named voltage collapse proximity index (VCPI) was introduced and used in this work. This study proposed a planning framework for effective planning of DG units in the distribution system due to minimize total cost and enhance the voltage stability of the system. To achieve the purpose of minimizing the total cost and maximize the technical benefit of DG units to voltage stability, a multi-objective methodology to decide optimal locations and size of DG units. The total cost in the proposed planning model includes investment cost, operation and maintenance cost except the revenue from the utility grid. VCPI which is given in this study have been used in this model to identify the voltage stability of this system. The uncertainties associated with the load value, and generated power of renewable energy DG units also take a part in this study. A Monte Carlo simulation method has been introduced in this work to calculate the uncertainty because of probabilistic nature of renewable DG unit (WTs, PVs). The Pareto optimal set is found by using non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm method and the final result is chosen by using the max-min method. An IEEE 33-bus distribution system with DG installation has been used to achieve the goals of minimum total cost and improvement of voltage stability.

Cerebrovascular disease is a major cause of dementia in elderly individuals, especially Black/African Americans. Within my dissertation, we focused on two vascular morphologies that affect small vessels: brain arteriolosclerosis (B-ASC) and multi-vascular profiles (MVPs). B-ASC is characterized by degenerative thickening of the wall of brain arterioles. The risk factors, cognitive sequelae, and co-pathologies of B-ASC are not fully understood. To address this, we used multimodal data from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center, Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, and brain-banked tissue samples from the University of Kentucky Alzheimer’s Disease Center (UK-ADC) brain repository. We analyzed two age at death groups separately: < 80 years and ≥ 80 years. Hypertension was a risk factor in the < 80 years at death group. In addition, an ABCC9 gene variant (rs704180), previously associated with aging-related hippocampal sclerosis, was associated with B-ASC in the ≥ 80 years at death group. With respect to cognition as determined by test scores, severe B-ASC was associated with worse global cognition in both age groups. With brain-banked tissue samples, we described B-ASC’s relationship to hippocampal sclerosis of aging (HS-Aging), a pathology characterized by neuronal cell loss in the hippocampal region not due to Alzheimer’s disease. We also studied MVPs, which are characterized by multiple small vessel lumens within a single vascular (Virchow-Robin) space. Little information exists on the frequency, risk factors, and co-pathologies of MVPs. Therefore, we used samples and data from the UK-ADC, University of Kentucky pathology department, and University of Pittsburgh pathology department to address this information. We only found MVPs to be correlated with age. Lastly, given the high prevalence of cerebrovascular disease and dementia in Black/African Americans, we discussed the challenges and considerations for studying Blacks/African Americans in these contexts.

Background: Around the world, markets deregulates, which leads to increased competition. Meetings between the consumer and the employees of a company determine how the customer perceives the company and / or its brand. This has result in that many companies have realized the importance of internal using the same marketing skills that are used externally. In 2009, pharmacy market went from being a monopoly market to be a regulated competitive market.

Problem: Is there any internal conditions for a private company, whose culture and structure was formed under a state monopoly, to create a strong corporate brand?

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to, through a case study, analyze and evaluate the internal marketing in a company which has undergone a change of ownership and retained the same staff.

Method: Through interviews with key personnel and staff , data was gathered for the case study, which means that the method is qualitative. Only one of the company's pharmacies has been included in the study.

Conclusions: The authors of this paper perceive that company has the required internal conditions to create a strong corporate brand, since the company i.e. has taken into consideration the history of the pharmacy staff, the management shows a personal commitment, campaigns are communicated internally, staff and customers consciously or unconsciously may be involved in shaping the content of the corporate brand, and that dialogue exists between staff and management so that management can have an understanding of how staff perceive the company's vision and corporate brand, which in turn leads the company to form a brand that staff can accept and understand because their norms and values has been taken into consideration.

Age-related neurologic disease is a significant and growing burden on our society. Although the largest share of research effort has typically been devoted to the common neurodegenerative illnesses (such as Alzheimer’s disease, or AD), the reality is that nearly all cases of neurodegenerative disease possess elements of mixed pathology. Vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) is a complex form of dementia, combining aspects of vascular disease and other forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease. This pathology is heterogeneous and can include cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), hemorrhages, white matter infarcts, and changes to the neurovascular unit. Given the heterogeneous nature of VCID, we hypothesized that we could further elucidate mechanisms that drive dementia in VCID by examining pathology in mouse models and use this data to guide the study of human autopsy cases. Using a mouse model of VCID, we identified NHE1, a sodium hydrogen exchanger that was upregulated in these mice, as a possible candidate for a factor involved in cerebrovascular disease in humans. We saw a significant age effect of NHE1 in cases with Down syndrome (DS), leading us to further examine cerebrovascular pathology in individuals with DS. People with DS are at a high risk of developing cognitive impairment and dementia after the age of 50. In fact, virtually all adults with DS develop the neuropathology for an AD (beta-amyloid (Aß) senile plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles) diagnosis by the age of 40 due to a triplication of chromosome 21. We found that these individuals develop CAA and microhemorrhages as a function of age, and that these rates are as severe as sporadic AD, despite an age difference of ~30 years. We also found that individuals with DS have different microglial morphologies than controls or individuals with AD. This data indicates that people with DS develop significant cerebrovascular and AD pathology, indicative of VCID. Overall, we found that mixed pathologies, specifically VCID, is an important contributor to the development of dementia and should be studied further to better understand how this pathology drives cognitive impairment. Further, it is clear that mouse models map imperfectly onto complex human diseases, and that significant work remains to be done towards achieving an adequate model of VCID.

På bara ett par år har elektronisk handel potential att radikalt förändra de ekonomiska och sociala förhållanden i samhället. Internets snabba tillväxt kopplar samman individer och organisationer till ett stort globalt nätverk som representerar enorma möjligheter. Det talas om ett nätverkssamhälle och en nätverksekonomi.

Elektronisk handel driver företag mot att bedriva affärer på ett fundamentalt nytt sätt. Behovet av att dela information i realtid ökar tillsammans med förändringarna i värdekedjan.

Syftet med studien är att kartlägga elektronisk handel i allmänhet. Studien fokuseras på hur elektronisk handel används för att länka samman företag, stora som små, från råmaterial till konsumenten. Arbetet belyser hinder och krav i samband med elektronisk handel och det sätt de hanteras på.

Företagen i undersökningen visar ingen tydlig strävan mot att uppnå en totalt integrerad värdekedja. Grundliga affärsprocesser flyttas mot Internet för att utnyttja nätverkets fördelar. Främst används EDI och online-tjänster som Internetbutiker för elektronisk handel.

Policy makers adopt irrigated agriculture for food security, since irrigation doubles crop production. Therefore, the development of large irrigation systems has a long history in many places worldwide. Although large-scale irrigation schemes play an important role in improving food security, many schemes, especially in Africa, do not yield the expected outcomes. This is related to poor water management, which is generally due to a lack of effective evaluation and monitoring. The objective of this study, therefore, is to propose a new methodology to assess, evaluate and monitor large-scale irrigation systems. Information on irrigation indicators is needed to enable the evaluation of irrigation performance. The evaluation is the first and the most significant step in providing information about how it is performing. After reviewing extensive literature, a list of indicators related to the performance of irrigation, rainwater supply and productivity is suggested. The irrigation efficiency indicators Relative Irrigation Supply (RIS) and Relative Water Supply (RWS) are selected. Potential rainwater supply to crops can be tested based on the Moisture Availability Index (MAI) and the Ratio of Moisture Availability (RMA). Water productivity can be assessed by Crop Yield (Y) and Water Use Efficiency (WUE). However, the central problem facing large-scale irrigation schemes is always the lack of data, which calls for the development of a new method of data acquisition that allows evaluation and monitoring. Remote Sensing (RS) technology makes it possible to retrieve data across large areas. Two different approaches via RS, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Actual Evapotranspiration (ETa), can be utilized for monitoring. The well-known Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), derived from the NDVI, is modified (MVCI) to allow a qualitative spatio-temporal assessment of irrigation efficiency. MVCI takes into account crop response to water availability, while ETa indicates whether water is used as intended. Furthermore, the assessment of the possible hydrological impact of the irrigation system should be considered in the evaluation and monitoring process. The Sudanese Gezira Scheme of 8,000 square kilometers in the Nile Basin, where performance evaluation and monitoring are absent or poorly conducted, is no exception. This research takes the large-scale irrigation of the Gezira Scheme as a case study, as it is the largest scheme, not only in the Nile Basin but also in the world, under single management. The first long-term historical evaluation of the scheme is conducted for the period 1961–2012 rather than only on a short-time scale as is the common practice. An increase in RIS and RWS values from 1.40 and 1.70 to 2.23 and 2.60, respectively, since the 1993/94 season shows decreasing irrigation efficiency. MAI and RMA for summer crops indicate a promising rainfall contribution to irrigation in July and August. The Gezira Scheme achieves low yield and WUE in comparison to many irrigation schemes of the globe. Low productivity is mainly due to poor distribution and irrigation mismanagement. This is indicated by the 15-year MVCI spatio-temporal analysis, which shows that the northern part of the scheme experiences characteristic drought during the summer crop season. Although MVCI can be considered a monitoring tool, the index does not deduct the soil water content, and water could be wasted and available in other ways (e.g. water depressions). Spatio-temporal information for ETa is required to better quantify water depletion and establish links between land use and water allocation. However, several RS models have been developed for estimating ETa. Thus, improving the understanding of performance of such models in arid climates, as well as large-scale irrigation schemes, is taken into account in this study. Four different models based on the energy balance method, the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL), Mapping EvapoTranspiration at High Resolution with Internalized Calibration (METRIC™), Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEB) and MOD16 ET are applied in order to determine the optimal approach for obtaining ETa. Outputs from these models are compared to actual water balance (WB) estimates during the 2004/05 season at field scale. Several statistical measures are evaluated, and a score is given for each model in order to select the best-performing model. Based on ranking criteria, SSEB gives the best performance and is seen as a suitable operational ETa model for the scheme. SSEB subsequently is applied for summer and winter crop seasons for the period 2000–2014. Unfortunately, one of the limitations faced in the current research is the absence of validation data on a regional scale. Therefore, the assessment focuses on spatial distribution and trends rather than absolute values. As with the MVCI distribution, the seasonal ETa for the Gezira Scheme is higher in the southern and central parts than in the northern part. This confirms the robustness of the developed MVCI. To avoid using absolute values of ETa, the ratio of ETa from agricultural areas (ETagr) to the total evapotranspiration (ET) from the scheme (ETsum) is calculated. The ETagr/ETsum ratio shows a descending trend over recent years, indicating that the water is available but not being utilized for agricultural production. This study shows that SSEB is also useful for identifying the location of water losses on a daily basis. Around 80 channels are identified as having leakage problems for the 2013/14 crop season. Such information is very useful for reducing losses at the scheme. In addition, Rainwater Harvesting (WH) is addressed and found to be applicable as an alternative solution for accounting for rainfall in irrigation. It is seen that these management scenarios could save water and increase the overall efficiency of the scheme. It is possible to save 68 million cubic meters of water per year when the overall irrigation efficiency of the scheme is improved by only 1%. A level of efficiency of 75% is predicted from the proposed management scenarios, which could save about 2.6 billion cubic meters of water per year. In conclusion, the present study has developed an innovative method of identifying the problems of large-scale schemes as well as proposing management scenarios to enhance irrigation water management practice. Improved agricultural water management in terms of crop, water and land management can increase food production, thereby alleviating poverty and hunger in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005.
Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xiii, 155 p.; also includes map, graphics (some col.) Includes bibliographical references (p. 149-155). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

L’insertion massive de sources interfacées par Électronique de Puissance (EP) dans le réseau va induire de grands défis techniques à surmonter pour garantir la stabilité du système électrique. L’une des principales préoccupations tient aux caractéristiques de ces sources, qui sont différentes de celles des Machines Synchrones (MS). Ce travail apporte un éclairage supplémentaire sur l’effet de l’insertion massive des sources interfacées par EP dans le système électrique, plus spécifiquement sur l’évolution du comportement de la fréquence de ces systèmes. Pour y répondre, un ensemble d’outils et de méthodes s’inspirant des fondamentaux des systèmes basés sur la production d’électricité avec les MSs a été développé. Des modèles d’ordre réduit des sources interfacées par EP se comportant comme sources de tension ou de courant sont proposés. Comme ces représentations partagent la même approche théorique que les modèles de MSs, il est ensuite possible de les fusionner en vue de l’analyse des systèmes électriques quelconques, indépendamment leur complexité. Les systèmes d’ordre réduit peuvent soit être modélisés en représentant chaque source ou bien en utilisant le concept des zones synchrones, ce qui offre une grande flexibilité d’analyse. Avec une approche progressive, le comportement de la fréquence des systèmes académiques relevé avec la méthodologie proposée est analysé en profondeur et comparé avec celui obtenu avec des modèles détaillés. L’approche développée dans ce travail peut être utilisée pour déterminer l’impact du ratio de pénétration des sources interfacées par EP sur le comportement global de la fréquence, mais aussi pour évaluer les oscillations intra et interzones des différents systèmes électriques
The massive insertion of Power Electronics (PE)-based sources into the grid is creating some technical challenges which must be overcome in order to guarantee the stability of the power system. One of the main concerns is due to the characteristics of these sources, which are different to those of Synchronous Machines (SMs). This research intends to provide a supplementary insight into the massive insertion of PE-based sources into the power system, more specifically the evolution of the frequency behaviour of these systems. For this purpose, a set of methods and tools already used on classical SM-based systems is proposed. Reduced order models of PE-based sources behaving as voltage or current sources are proposed, and, since the obtained representations share the same theoretical approach as that employed for SMs, they can be employed together to analyse any power system, regardless its complexity. The reduced order model of the systems can either be designed by representing each source of the original system or using the concept of synchronous areas, providing flexibility in the analysis. Using a step-by-step approach, the frequency behaviours observed with academic systems are deeply analysed with the proposed methodology, and validated with those obtained with detailed EMT models. The proposed approach developed in this work can be used to determine the impact of the penetration rate of PE-based sources on the overall frequency behaviour, and on the intra- and inter-area oscillations of different power systems

L’insertion massive de sources interfacées par Électronique de Puissance (EP) dans le réseau va induire de grands défis techniques à surmonter pour garantir la stabilité du système électrique. L’une des principales préoccupations tient aux caractéristiques de ces sources, qui sont différentes de celles des Machines Synchrones (MS). Ce travail apporte un éclairage supplémentaire sur l’effet de l’insertion massive des sources interfacées par EP dans le système électrique, plus spécifiquement sur l’évolution du comportement de la fréquence de ces systèmes. Pour y répondre, un ensemble d’outils et de méthodes s’inspirant des fondamentaux des systèmes basés sur la production d’électricité avec les MSs a été développé. Des modèles d’ordre réduit des sources interfacées par EP se comportant comme sources de tension ou de courant sont proposés. Comme ces représentations partagent la même approche théorique que les modèles de MSs, il est ensuite possible de les fusionner en vue de l’analyse des systèmes électriques quelconques, indépendamment leur complexité. Les systèmes d’ordre réduit peuvent soit être modélisés en représentant chaque source ou bien en utilisant le concept des zones synchrones, ce qui offre une grande flexibilité d’analyse. Avec une approche progressive, le comportement de la fréquence des systèmes académiques relevé avec la méthodologie proposée est analysé en profondeur et comparé avec celui obtenu avec des modèles détaillés. L’approche développée dans ce travail peut être utilisée pour déterminer l’impact du ratio de pénétration des sources interfacées par EP sur le comportement global de la fréquence, mais aussi pour évaluer les oscillations intra et interzones des différents systèmes électriques
The massive insertion of Power Electronics (PE)-based sources into the grid is creating some technical challenges which must be overcome in order to guarantee the stability of the power system. One of the main concerns is due to the characteristics of these sources, which are different to those of Synchronous Machines (SMs). This research intends to provide a supplementary insight into the massive insertion of PE-based sources into the power system, more specifically the evolution of the frequency behaviour of these systems. For this purpose, a set of methods and tools already used on classical SM-based systems is proposed. Reduced order models of PE-based sources behaving as voltage or current sources are proposed, and, since the obtained representations share the same theoretical approach as that employed for SMs, they can be employed together to analyse any power system, regardless its complexity. The reduced order model of the systems can either be designed by representing each source of the original system or using the concept of synchronous areas, providing flexibility in the analysis. Using a step-by-step approach, the frequency behaviours observed with academic systems are deeply analysed with the proposed methodology, and validated with those obtained with detailed EMT models. The proposed approach developed in this work can be used to determine the impact of the penetration rate of PE-based sources on the overall frequency behaviour, and on the intra- and inter-area oscillations of different power systems

Kmitočtové filtry a sinusoidní oscilátory jsou lineární elektronické obvody, které jsou používány v široké oblasti elektroniky a jsou základními stavebními bloky v analogovém zpracování signálu. V poslední dekádě pro tento účel bylo prezentováno velké množství stavebních funkčních bloků. V letech 2000 a 2006 na Ústavu telekomunikací, VUT v Brně byly definovány univerzální proudový konvejor (UCC) a univerzální napět'ový konvejor (UVC) a vyrobeny ve spolupráci s firmou AMI Semiconductor Czech, Ltd. Ovšem, stále existuje požadavek na vývoj nových aktivních prvků, které nabízejí nové výhody. Hlavní přínos práce proto spočívá v definici dalších původních aktivních stavebních bloků jako jsou differential-input buffered and transconductance amplifier (DBTA), current follower transconductance amplifier (CFTA), z-copy current-controlled current inverting transconductance amplifier (ZC-CCCITA), generalized current follower differential input transconductance amplifier (GCFDITA), voltage gain-controlled modified current-feedback operational amplifier (VGC-MCFOA), a minus-type current-controlled third-generation voltage conveyor (CC-VCIII-). Pomocí navržených aktivních stavebních bloků byly prezentovány původní zapojení fázovacích článků prvního řádu, univerzální filtry druhého řádu, ekvivalenty obvodu typu KHN, inverzní filtry, aktivní simulátory uzemněného induktoru a kvadraturní sinusoidní oscilátory pracující v proudovém, napět'ovém a smíšeném módu. Chování navržených obvodů byla ověřena simulací v prostředí SPICE a ve vybraných případech experimentálním měřením.

Second generation voltage controlled conveyers is an active block that is being widely explored in the field of analog electronics. Many exciting and wide range applications are being realized using second generation voltage conveyers. The applications such as sensor read out circuits, amplifiers, instrumentation amplifiers, multivibrators, etc. The properties of VCII can be used to implement applications like current follower, voltage follower, voltage to current converter, current to voltage converter, voltage differentiator, voltage integrator, etc. The work done during the course of this project helps in realizing analog circuits based on second generation voltage conveyer circuit. The analog circuits which have been implemented using VCII in this project are voltage buffer, current buffer, current to voltage converter, voltage to current converter, voltage differentiator, voltage integrator, Schmitt trigger, and Pulse Width Modulator. The Schmitt Trigger and Pulse Width Modulator circuits that have been designed using VCII presents a novel approach to realizing such non linear applications using active blocks. The circuits of Schmitt Trigger and Pulse Width Modulator have been designed using CMOS technology of 180 nm. The operation of both the circuits have been critically analyzed through mathematical computations and the feasibility of the circuits have been validated using SPICE simulations.

碩士
國立成功大學
工程科學系碩士在職專班
104
In recent years, the rapid growth of virtualization technology, virtualization technology is relatively mature and stable, for managers, the more urgent needs should be how to manage a number of virtualization hosts, and can be automated to manage, rather than by hand to deal with. In the school for personal services to their own practical experience it is often a problem, and only looking for reasons, so think about whether you can regain the initiative, proactively identify where the problem lies, early response and problem solving. In view of this, this study of reference SNMP vCLI (Simple Network Management Protocol) and virtualization software provide (vSphere Command-Line Interface), by combining a range of instruction, virtualization management system to achieve the necessary information, and then through numerous Information the integration of the required information presented on this page, to facilitate management can quickly understand the status of the various virtual machines, and can instantly add significant resources CPU, RAM and hard disk space for the virtual machine to achieve the goal of automated management. Key words：Virtualization, SNMP, vCLI

碩士
美和科技大學
企業管理系經營管理碩士班
104
Rapid development of information and communication technology (ICT) creates extensive opportunities for efficient and cost effective public service delivery. Even though most developed countries have had established electronic services for several years, the vast majority of developing countries have started only recently. In 2005, Vietnam has also started to prioritise e-service development in the national agenda e.g. dissemination of service information through websites, availability of official forms online, utility bill payment through mobile phone SMS and so on. All administrative reform achievements of the state government has been trying to form the common feature of modern public administration, in addition to the specific characteristics of each country's administration. One of the most important characteristics of modern administration which is the application of scientific and technological achievements latest in state administration, the administration building electronic - government electronic 2 important pillars: application of electronic transactions in public administration and business management. Vietnam Customs performs a key role in facilitating international trade and the legitimate commercial activity. This will rise to administrative costs for commercial transactions, e-customs procedures are carried out with the aim of keeping the costs low without major risks arising for Customs concerned. Therefore, customs procedures have a very important role for international trade, namely: Facilitate trade: Customs rules have been identified as the most important role in measures to help trade. Ensuring compliance with international trade rules: customs procedures are carried out on the basis of the application of standards and best practices to customs standardized, simple and harmonization of business processes of customs services with business processes of the enterprise. Thus ensure compliance with international trade rules, not hinder access to the market and the competitiveness of goods on the international business; Reducing direct contact between customs officials and enterprises; The relationship between enterprises with Customs becomes convenient, transparent, less expensive and more effective through the establishment of electronic exchange of information between the parties; Besides, the implementation of VNACCS/VCIS makes business easily and use of public services by the customs; including: access to business information, official forms, licenses, business registration, licensing and paying taxes. These services will allow simplification of licensing procedures, support the approval process for the requirements of the business, promote business development, especially the development of small and medium enterprises. Topic: "Measuring customer satisfaction with the VNACCS/VCIS program of the General Department of Vietnam Customs" was selected for study to find out solutions in order to improve the procedures quality. This thesis is based on the theory of public services, public services and measure the results of various research scientists in the world in terms of quality electronic services. Those researchers have developed research models, conducted formative researches which are based on qualitative and quantitative data collected by survey, data processing using statistical methods such as analysis of scale reliability, factor analysis to explore, analyze correlation and linear regression models tested. The analytical results have identified and quantified the extent of the impact of six factors (including: Fulfillment and Efficiency, Security & Responsiveness, Easiness, Convenience, Cost Effectiveness, Problem Handling and Contact) to the service quality and business satisfaction. Since then propose solutions in order to improve and business satisfaction.

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Arquitectura
O presente projeto de investigação pretende refletir sobre a infraestrutura viária urbana, como elemento estruturante, dinamizador e ao mesmo tempo condicionante do crescimento urbano. Tendo como objeto de estudo a Via de Cintura Interna-IC23(VCI), nas cidades do Porto e Vila Nova de Gaia. Numa primeira fase, será feito um breve estudo sobre a totalidade da VCI. Através do desenho cartográfico representa-se os seus limites, atribuindo especial relevância a reproduzir a forma como atualmente o peão transpõem a VCI. Em seguida será desenvolvida uma proposta de intervenção para alguns pontos específicos. O projeto pretende repensar em alguns pontos de conecção da via com a cidade, de forma a clarificar a articulação da infraestrutura com a malha urbana local, valorizando os percursos do peão. Ou seja, a criação de formas de mobilidade mais tênues que em consonância com alguns espaços verdes de estar, contribuam para uma maior qualidade ambiental. Considerando a zona de intervenção como um exemplo de alguns dos temas mencionados na análise de cima, o projeto ambiciona propor algumas soluções e estratégias tipo. Desta forma, ainda que o projeto parta de uma interpretação do lugar e das oportunidades que esconde, pretende-se que sirva de ponte e que conduza a algumas conclusões genéricas aplicáveis ao todo inicial.
This research project intends to study an urban road infrastructure, as a structuring, dynamic and at the same time conditioning element of urban growth. The objective is to study the Via de Cintura Interna-IC23 (VCI) in the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. In a first phase, a brief study on a totality of the VCI was made. Through the cartographic design its limits are represented, attributing particular relevance and reproducing a way as what one does the pedestrian transposes an IVC. Then, an intervention proposal for some specific points. The project intends to rethink some connection points of the highway with a city, in order to clarify an articulation of the infrastructure with a local urban city, valuing the pedestrian's routes. That is, a creation of other forms of mobility, but consisting of some green living spaces, contribute to a higher environmental quality. Considering the area of intervention as an example of some of the topics under analysis, the ambition project of solutions and type solutions. In this way, even if the project starts from an interpretation of the place and the opportunities it hides, it is intended to serve as a bridge and to lead to some generic conclusions.

碩士
美和科技大學
企業管理系經營管理碩士班
104
The study of customer satisfaction with the quality of service is essential for every business to improve supply and create competitive advantage or your brand positioning. This research seeks to address the critical factors impacting on customer satisfaction in customs procedures service. The study was Collecting data from customers at Tay Ninh who are using VNACCS/VCIS in Vietnam. The information used to analyze and research from 7/2015 to 9/2015. The author focused group discussions and interviews directly to determine the six groups that affect firms' satisfaction with VNACCS/VCIS in Vietnam Customs Department General. Customers at Tay Ninh who are using VNACCS/VCIS in Vietnam organization is influenced by 4 factors: Fulfillment and Efficiency, Security, Easiness, Cost, Problem Handling and Contact and Convenience. Some recommendations in this research are: the managers of VNACCS/VCIS continue to develop distribution channel by cooperate with the rivals in worldwide delivering. VNACCS/VCIS’ designers should think over the dimensions of price and make possible changes to meet customers’ expectations and needs. Each courier staff should be seen as the face of service because they directly deal with, take care of and generate good relationship with customers everyday rather than sale man.

Cognitive decline is one of the most common symptoms from neuropathology as well as a part of natural aging. While there may be a number of factors that contribute to age-related cognitive decline, previous research has shed a light on the role of chronic hypertension. The effect of hypertension on cognitive decline through small vessel disease is referred to as Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (VCID). However, the exact molecular pathology behind VCID is not very well understood. Using a non-human primate model of hypertensive aging with the Macaca mulatta, (more commonly known as the Rhesus Macaque) this project builds on previous research implicating collagen IV as part of the cascade of molecular changes that occur in VCID. This project evaluated collagen IV thickness around blood vessels in the corpus callosum and cingulum bundle of normotensive and hypertensive monkeys. as well as determined vessel properties such as total vessel area and perimeter length to evaluate the relationship to scores from the subjects cognitive testing batteries. The results from this project will allow for an examination of the effects on hypertension on vascular properties and possible mechanisms for the development of cognitive impairments. Data collected from this research shows significant differences of collagen IV thickness in the Corpus Callosum between hypertensive and normotensive groups. Similarly, in the cingulum bundle we see that the difference between these groups in collagen IV thickness is trending towards significance. The relationship between average collagen IV densities, blood pressure at perfusion, and cognitive testing scores also showed trending relationships in both the cingulum bundle and the corpus callosum. These results demonstrate how prolonged hypertension can negatively influence cognitive abilities and implicates increases in collagen IV around small vessels in white matter as a significant factor in the molecular cascade which results in cognitive impairment.

Proprietary mixtures of amines and carboxylic acids are used as volatile corrosion inhibitors (VCIs) for the protection of steel and iron components against atmospheric corrosion during storage and transportation. Interactions between amines and carboxylic acids have been comprehensively reported in the literature. However, little is known about the nature of the vapours these mixtures emit. The present study focused on the development of the evolved gas analysis method which will help in the characterisation of the vapours released by VCIs. In the method, the evaporation of various amine-carboxylic acid binary mixtures was monitored by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The nature and the composition of the released vapours was followed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Mixtures consisting of triethylamine (TEA) and acetic acid were studied as a model compound using TGA-FTIR at 50 °C to validate the TGA-FTIR method. As vaporisation progressed, the composition of the remaining liquid and the emitted vapour converged to a fixed amine content of ca. 27 mol %. This is just above the composition expected for the 1:3 amine: carboxylic acid complex. Mixtures close to this composition also featured the lowest volatility. TGA-FTIR proved to be a convenient method for studying the evaporation of TEA-acetic acid mixtures, and the nature and composition of the released vapours. Amine addition leads to the dissociation of carboxylic acid dimers in favour salt formation. The formation of an ion pair between the amine and carboxylic acid was confirmed by the FTIR spectra of the liquid phase. The resulting amine-carboxylic acid mixtures showed a slow mass loss rate on TGA when compared with the pure amines and pure carboxylic acids. This indicated that the mixtures have low volatility, hence low vapour pressure compared with the pure components. The low vapour pressure of the mixtures was confirmed by the calculated gas permeability values. These values were much higher for the pure amines and the pure carboxylic acids. However, they dropped significantly on amine addition. The strong amine-carboxylic acid interaction is responsible for the suppressed volatility of the mixtures. No interaction is observed between amine and carboxylic acid molecules in the vapour phase at 230 °C. The method developed was applied to characterise the model compounds simulating the amine-carboxylic acid-based volatile corrosion inhibitors. These model systems contained the primary, secondary and tertiary amines (hexylamine, morpholine and triethylamine), as well as carboxylic acids with different chain lengths (acetic, propanoic, hexanoic and octanoic). These systems are usually employed as equimolar mixtures to protect ferrous metals against atmospheric corrosion. The key finding of the study was that the vapours released by such equimolar mixtures initially contain almost exclusively free amine. After prolonged vaporisation, a steady-state “azeotrope”-like composition is approached. It contains excess acid and features impaired corrosion-inhibition efficiencies according to the Skinner test. In part, this behaviour can be attributed to the mismatch between the volatilities of the amine and carboxylic acid constituents.
Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013.
gm2013
Chemical Engineering
unrestricted

Policy makers adopt irrigated agriculture for food security, since irrigation doubles crop production. Therefore, the development of large irrigation systems has a long history in many places worldwide. Although large-scale irrigation schemes play an important role in improving food security, many schemes, especially in Africa, do not yield the expected outcomes. This is related to poor water management, which is generally due to a lack of effective evaluation and monitoring. The objective of this study, therefore, is to propose a new methodology to assess, evaluate and monitor large-scale irrigation systems. Information on irrigation indicators is needed to enable the evaluation of irrigation performance. The evaluation is the first and the most significant step in providing information about how it is performing. After reviewing extensive literature, a list of indicators related to the performance of irrigation, rainwater supply and productivity is suggested. The irrigation efficiency indicators Relative Irrigation Supply (RIS) and Relative Water Supply (RWS) are selected. Potential rainwater supply to crops can be tested based on the Moisture Availability Index (MAI) and the Ratio of Moisture Availability (RMA). Water productivity can be assessed by Crop Yield (Y) and Water Use Efficiency (WUE). However, the central problem facing large-scale irrigation schemes is always the lack of data, which calls for the development of a new method of data acquisition that allows evaluation and monitoring. Remote Sensing (RS) technology makes it possible to retrieve data across large areas. Two different approaches via RS, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Actual Evapotranspiration (ETa), can be utilized for monitoring. The well-known Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), derived from the NDVI, is modified (MVCI) to allow a qualitative spatio-temporal assessment of irrigation efficiency. MVCI takes into account crop response to water availability, while ETa indicates whether water is used as intended. Furthermore, the assessment of the possible hydrological impact of the irrigation system should be considered in the evaluation and monitoring process. The Sudanese Gezira Scheme of 8,000 square kilometers in the Nile Basin, where performance evaluation and monitoring are absent or poorly conducted, is no exception. This research takes the large-scale irrigation of the Gezira Scheme as a case study, as it is the largest scheme, not only in the Nile Basin but also in the world, under single management. The first long-term historical evaluation of the scheme is conducted for the period 1961–2012 rather than only on a short-time scale as is the common practice. An increase in RIS and RWS values from 1.40 and 1.70 to 2.23 and 2.60, respectively, since the 1993/94 season shows decreasing irrigation efficiency. MAI and RMA for summer crops indicate a promising rainfall contribution to irrigation in July and August. The Gezira Scheme achieves low yield and WUE in comparison to many irrigation schemes of the globe. Low productivity is mainly due to poor distribution and irrigation mismanagement. This is indicated by the 15-year MVCI spatio-temporal analysis, which shows that the northern part of the scheme experiences characteristic drought during the summer crop season. Although MVCI can be considered a monitoring tool, the index does not deduct the soil water content, and water could be wasted and available in other ways (e.g. water depressions). Spatio-temporal information for ETa is required to better quantify water depletion and establish links between land use and water allocation. However, several RS models have been developed for estimating ETa. Thus, improving the understanding of performance of such models in arid climates, as well as large-scale irrigation schemes, is taken into account in this study. Four different models based on the energy balance method, the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL), Mapping EvapoTranspiration at High Resolution with Internalized Calibration (METRIC™), Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEB) and MOD16 ET are applied in order to determine the optimal approach for obtaining ETa. Outputs from these models are compared to actual water balance (WB) estimates during the 2004/05 season at field scale. Several statistical measures are evaluated, and a score is given for each model in order to select the best-performing model. Based on ranking criteria, SSEB gives the best performance and is seen as a suitable operational ETa model for the scheme. SSEB subsequently is applied for summer and winter crop seasons for the period 2000–2014. Unfortunately, one of the limitations faced in the current research is the absence of validation data on a regional scale. Therefore, the assessment focuses on spatial distribution and trends rather than absolute values. As with the MVCI distribution, the seasonal ETa for the Gezira Scheme is higher in the southern and central parts than in the northern part. This confirms the robustness of the developed MVCI. To avoid using absolute values of ETa, the ratio of ETa from agricultural areas (ETagr) to the total evapotranspiration (ET) from the scheme (ETsum) is calculated. The ETagr/ETsum ratio shows a descending trend over recent years, indicating that the water is available but not being utilized for agricultural production. This study shows that SSEB is also useful for identifying the location of water losses on a daily basis. Around 80 channels are identified as having leakage problems for the 2013/14 crop season. Such information is very useful for reducing losses at the scheme. In addition, Rainwater Harvesting (WH) is addressed and found to be applicable as an alternative solution for accounting for rainfall in irrigation. It is seen that these management scenarios could save water and increase the overall efficiency of the scheme. It is possible to save 68 million cubic meters of water per year when the overall irrigation efficiency of the scheme is improved by only 1%. A level of efficiency of 75% is predicted from the proposed management scenarios, which could save about 2.6 billion cubic meters of water per year. In conclusion, the present study has developed an innovative method of identifying the problems of large-scale schemes as well as proposing management scenarios to enhance irrigation water management practice. Improved agricultural water management in terms of crop, water and land management can increase food production, thereby alleviating poverty and hunger in an environmentally sustainable manner.

À medida que o homem foi evoluindo e a cidade com ele também, as infraestruturas foram surgindo, enquanto produto desse Homem Moderno. Assim, a questão que se coloca inicialmente é o papel dessas infraestruturas na cidade contemporânea portuense, que é uma criatura incerta, fusão de variáveis sociais e económicas, culturais e políticas, temporais e espaciais. Comparativa à leitura da Imagem da Cidade, que é percebida pelos Caminhos, Limites, Bairros, Pontos Nodais e Marcos, poderá ler-se a Via de Cintura Interna, que além de caminho, é limite. Esta é fortemente percebida como tal, já que, para além de ressaltar visualmente o limite, é contínua na sua forma e poucos são os momentos em que ocorre uma permeabilidade plena à circulação. Justifica-se a VCI como uma via segregada no âmbito urbano, onde o principal interveniente é o “carro”. O objetivo para a integração urbana será romper o estigma da cidade servir o “carro”, como tal, valoriza-se o Homem, visto que a cidade é feita pelo e para este. Pretende-se com esta dissertação ultrapassar a leitura linear que se tem da Via que circula a Cidade, admitindo determinados pontos como elos de ligação e, propondo metodologias e estratégias de planeamento contemporâneas ao nível da acessibilidade e da mobilidade pedonal. Através da análise da Linha e de determinados pontos, é onde se desenvolve uma sistematização em função dos instrumentos de leitura da forma urbana, atendendo ao modo como a Via se relaciona com os tecidos envolventes. Neste âmbito, surge uma proposta metodologicamente estratégica, em que se questiona a (im)possibilidade de (na)morar nos separadores das estradas e se descarta a névoa utilitarista, que não reconhece a cidade como um território solidário de troca entre os Homens, o território por sublimidade da imprevisibilidade e da maravilha da diversidade.
As man evolved the city evolved with him, infrastructures emerged, as a product of this Modern Man. Thus, the question that arises initially is the role of these infrastructures in the contemporary city of Porto, which is an uncertain creature, a fusion of social and economic, cultural and political, temporal and spatial variables. Comparative to the reading of the Image of the City, which is perceived by the Paths, Edges, Districts, Nodes and Landmarks, one can read the Internal Belt Road, which is not only a path but also a limit. This is strongly perceived as such, since, in addition to visually emphasizing the limit, it is continuous in shape and there are few moments when there is full permeability to circulation. The VCI is justified as a segregated road in the urban scope, where the main player is the “car”. The objective for urban integration will be to break the stigma of the city serving the “car”, as such, the Man is valued, since the city is made by and for him. The aim of this dissertation is to go beyond the linear reading that one has of the Road that runs through the City, admitting certain points as connecting links and proposing contemporary methodologies and planning strategies in terms of accessibility and pedestrian mobility. Through the analysis of the Line and of certain points, this is where a systematization is developed based on the instruments for reading the urban form, taking into account the way in which the Road relates to the surrounding fabrics. In this context, a methodologically strategic proposal arises, in which the (im)possibility of (in)living on the road separators is questioned and the utilitarian fog that does not recognize the city as a solidary territory of exchange between Men is discarded, the territory by the sublimity of unpredictability and the wonder of diversity.

Dissertação de mestrado em Engenharia Humana
Os motoristas de longo curso que conduzem camiões estão expostos diariamente a vibrações de corpo inteiro (VCI). Permanecendo sentados grande parte do seu dia de trabalho, o presente trabalho avalia a exposição ocupacional às VCI de motoristas de camião e reporta a principal sintomatologia vivenciada por estes, tendo em conta as diferentes zonas do corpo humano. Assim, a presente amostra foi composta por 19 motoristas afetos ao transporte internacional de mercadorias distribuídos por 19 veículos, todos com a mesma tipologia. Depois de avaliadas todas as caraterísticas comuns entre eles, realizaram-se 11 testes às VCI, medidos sobre o assento do motorista. As avaliações foram protagonizadas num percurso simulando um contexto real de trabalho, impondo as mesmas condições para cada teste. Os resultados obtidos para a exposição ocupacional às VCI indicam que o eixo dos x é o eixo com maior nível de vibração para cada teste. Esta característica pode resultar do facto do circuito de teste realizado não ser livre de obstáculos. Os valores obtidos para o cálculo de av segundo a NP ISO 2631-1:2007, relativo a todos os veículos ensaiados, situam-se nas zonas de vigilância para a orientação da saúde [entre 0,747 m/s2 e 0,804 m/s2]. Relativamente ao cálculo de A(8), para 9 e/ou 10 horas de condução diária, [entre 0,52 m/s2 e 0,64 m/s2] [entre 0,55 m/s2 e 0,67 m/s2] respetivamente. Foi ainda calculado o A(8)semanal, para 56 horas de condução e os valores obtidos [entre 0,58 m/s2 e 0,71 m/s2], indicam que todos os testes situam-se entre o VAE e o VLE. Os resultados referentes ao Questionário Nórdico Musculosquelético (QNM) indicam que a zona corporal com maior sintomatologia vivenciada nos últimos 12 meses é a coluna lombar com 94,7% dos reportes, em concordância com a literatura consultada. A correlação de Spearman evidencia associação entre eixo x e as variáveis comando do assento (p=0,021), suspensão da cabine (p=0,000), suspensão do chassis (p=0,001), idade (p=0,003) e quilómetros (p=0,002). Para o eixo z verificaram-se associações com as variáveis comando do assento (p=0,000), suspensão da cabine (p=0,000), idade (p=0,000) e quilómetros (p=0,000). Os resultados sugerem a implementação de medidas preventivas nomeadamente a aquisição de assentos ativos, bem como a limitação da duração da exposição ocupacional às VCI, através da redução do número de horas de condução diárias.
Long-haul truck drivers are daily exposed to Whole Body Vibration (WBV). This study aimed to evaluate the occupational exposure to WBV experienced by truck drivers while sitting for most of their workday and the main symptoms reported of that exposure, considering the different areas of the human body. The sample consisted of 19 drivers of international transport of goods, distributed over 19 vehicles, all of which with the same typology. After evaluating all the common features between them, 11 WBV exposure levels were measured for the driver’s seat. The evaluations were carried out in a test course simulating a real working context, imposing the same conditions for every test. The WBV exposure levels indicate that the x-axis is the most predominant axis for every truck. This can partially result from the fact that the test circuit was not free of obstacles. The aw values, calculated according to NP ISO 2631-1: 2007, for all tests, fall in the health surveillance zone [from 0,747 m/s2 to 0,804 m/s2]. The calculation of A(8), for 9 or 10 hours daily driving, [from 0,52 m/s2 to 0,64 m/s2] [from 0,55 m/s2 to 0,67 m/s2] respectively, and the A(8)weekly, for 56 hours driving [from 0,58 m/s2 to 0,71 m/s2], fall between the EAV (exposure action value) and the ELV (exposure limit value). The Musculoskeletal Nordic Questionnaire (NMQ) results indicate that the body zone with the highest reported symptoms in the last 12 months was the lumbar spine with 94.7% of the reports, in agreement with the literature reviewed. Spearman correlation tests show association between x-axis and the variables seat command (p = 0.021), cabin suspension (p = 0.000), chassis suspension (p = 0.001), age (p = 0.003) and kilometers (p = 0.002). For the z axis there were associations with the variables seat command (p = 0.000), cabin suspension (p = 0.000), age (p = 0.000) and kilometers (p = 0.000). These results suggest the implementation of preventive measures namely the acquisition of active seats, as well as limiting the duration of occupational exposure to WBV by reducing the number of daily driving hours.