Development and parametric studies of pulsed nitrogen and d-switched nd:glass lasers and some of their applications

Laser engineering is an area in which developments in the existing design concepts and technology appear at an alarming rate. Now—a-days, emphasis has shifted from innovation to cost reduction and system improvement. To a major extent, these studies are aimed at attaining larger power densities, higher system efficiency and identification of new lasing media and new lasing wavelengths. Todate researchers have put to use all the ditferent Forms of matter as lasing material. Laser action was observed For the first time in a gaseous system - the He-Ne system. This was Followed by a variety of solidstate and gas laser systems. Uarious organic dyes dissolved in suitable solvents were found to lase when pumped optically. Broad band emission characteristics of these dye molecules made wavelength tuning possible using optical devices. Laser action was also observed in certain p-n junctions of semiconductor materials and some of these systems are also tunable. The recent addition to this list was the observation of laser action from certain laser produced plasmas. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the design and Fabrication techniques of pulsed Nitrogen lasers and high power Nd: Glass laserso Attempt was also made to put the systems developed into certain related experiments

Konzeption eines generischen Vorgehensmodells zur strategieorientierten und partizipativen Einführung komplexer Softwaresysteme unter Berücksichtigung organisatorischer Gestaltungsprozesse

Die Dissertation befasst sich mit der Einführung komplexer Softwaresysteme, die, bestehend aus einer Kombination aus parametrisierter Standardsoftware gepaart mit Wettbewerbsvorteil sichernden Individualsoftwarekomponenten, keine Software-Engineering-Projekte im klassischen Sinn mehr darstellen, sondern einer strategieorientierten Gestaltung von Geschäftsprozessen und deren Implementierung in Softwaresystemen bedürfen. Die Problemstellung einer adäquaten Abwägung zwischen TCO-optimierender Einführung und einer gleichzeitigen vollständigen Unterstützung der kritischen Erfolgsfaktoren des Unternehmens ist hierbei von besonderer Bedeutung. Der Einsatz integrierter betriebswirtschaftlicher Standardsoftware, mit den Möglichkeiten einer TCO-Senkung, jedoch ebenfalls der Gefahr eines Verlustes von Alleinstellungsmerkmalen am Markt durch Vereinheitlichungstendenzen, stellt ein in Einführungsprojekten wesentliches zu lösendes Problem dar, um Suboptima zu vermeiden. Die Verwendung von Vorgehensmodellen, die sich oftmals an klassischen Softwareentwicklungsprojekten orientieren oder vereinfachte Phasenmodelle für das Projektmanagement darstellen, bedingt eine fehlende Situationsadäquanz in den Detailsituationen der Teilprojekte eines komplexen Einführungsprojektes. Das in dieser Arbeit entwickelte generische Vorgehensmodell zur strategieorientierten und partizipativen Einführung komplexer Softwaresysteme im betriebswirtschaftlichen Anwendungsbereich macht - aufgrund der besonders herausgearbeiteten Ansätze zu einer strategieorientierten Einführung, respektive Entwicklung derartiger Systeme sowie aufgrund der situationsadäquaten Vorgehensstrategien im Rahmen der Teilprojektorganisation � ein Softwareeinführungsprojekt zu einem Wettbewerbsfaktor stärkenden, strategischen Element im Unternehmen. Die in der Dissertation diskutierten Überlegungen lassen eine Vorgehensweise präferieren, die eine enge Verschmelzung des Projektes zur Organisationsoptimierung mit dem Softwareimplementierungsprozess impliziert. Eine Priorisierung der Geschäftsprozesse mit dem Ziel, zum einen bei Prozessen mit hoher wettbewerbsseitiger Priorität ein organisatorisches Suboptimum zu vermeiden und zum anderen trotzdem den organisatorischen Gestaltungs- und den Systemimplementierungsprozess schnell und ressourcenschonend durchzuführen, ist ein wesentliches Ergebnis der Ausarbeitungen. Zusätzlich führt die Ausgrenzung weiterer Prozesse vom Einführungsvorgang zunächst zu einem Produktivsystem, welches das Unternehmen in den wesentlichen Punkten abdeckt, das aber ebenso in späteren Projektschritten zu einem System erweitert werden kann, welches eine umfassende Funktionalität besitzt. Hieraus ergeben sich Möglichkeiten, strategischen Anforderungen an ein modernes Informationssystem, das die kritischen Erfolgsfaktoren eines Unternehmens konsequent unterstützen muss, gerecht zu werden und gleichzeitig ein so weit als möglich ressourcenschonendes, weil die Kostenreduktionsaspekte einer Standardlösung nutzend, Projekt durchzuführen. Ein weiterer wesentlicher Aspekt ist die situationsadäquate Modellinstanziierung, also die projektspezifische Anpassung des Vorgehensmodells sowie die situationsadäquate Wahl der Vorgehensweisen in Teilprojekten und dadurch Nutzung der Vorteile der verschiedenen Vorgehensstrategien beim konkreten Projektmanagement. Der Notwendigkeit der Entwicklung einer Projektorganisation für prototypingorientiertes Vorgehen wird in diesem Zusammenhang ebenfalls Rechnung getragen. Die Notwendigkeit der Unternehmen, sich einerseits mit starken Differenzierungspotenzialen am Markt hervorzuheben und andererseits bei ständig sinkenden Margen einer Kostenoptimierung nachzukommen, lässt auch in Zukunft das entwickelte Modell als erfolgreich erscheinen. Hinzu kommt die Tendenz zu Best-Of-Breed-Ansätzen und komponentenbasierten Systemen im Rahmen der Softwareauswahl, die eine ausgesprochen differenzierte Vorgehensweise in Projekten verstärkt notwendig machen wird. Durch die in das entwickelte Modell integrierten Prototyping-Ansätze wird der auch in Zukunft an Bedeutung gewinnenden Notwendigkeit der Anwenderintegration Rechnung getragen.

Utilisation of Giant African snail (Achatina fulica) meal as protein source by laying hens

A 12-week experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of substituting Giant African snail meal for fish meal in laying hens diet. Four diets were formulated to contain snail meal as replacement for fish meal at 0 (control), 33, 67 and 100%. A total of 120 Shaver Brown pullets aged 18 weeks were allocated to the dietary treatments in a randomised design. Each treatment consisted of three replicates and ten birds per replicate. Feed intake increased only for the 33% treatment as compared to the 67% replacement diet but did not differ from the other treatments. There were no significant treatment effects on egg performance parameters observed (egg production, egg weight, total egg mass, feed conversion ratio and percent shell). The overall feed cost of egg production reduced on the snail meal-based diets. The organoleptic evaluation of boiled eggs revealed no difference between the treatments. Based on these results it was concluded that total replacement of fish meal with cooked snail meat meal does not compromise laying performance or egg quality. The substitution is beneficial in terms of production cost reduction and the reduction of snails will have a beneficial impact especially where these snails are a serious agricultural pest. The manual collection and processing of snails can also become a source of rural income.

Estudio Costo-Efectividad de Lidocaína tópica como adyuvante a Pregabalina y Gabapentina en dolor neuropático periférico en una I.P.S de Bogotá 2011.

Introducción: el dolor neuropático es una patología de considerable prevalencia e impacto socio-económico en la población latinoamericana, la evidencia clínica sugiere que los ligandos de canales de calcio y el parche de Lidocaína pueden tratar exitosamente el dolor neuropático periférico y localizado. Metodología: se realizo una evaluación económica tipo costo-efectividad, observacional y retrospectiva con datos extraídos de las historias clínicas de pacientes atendidos en la clínica de dolor de la IPS. La variable primaria de efectividad fue la mejoría del dolor medida mediante escala visual análoga. Resultados: se estudiaron 94 pacientes tratados con: Gabapentina (G) 21, Pregabalina (P) 24, Gabapentina+ lidocaína (G/P) 24, Pregabalina + Lidocaína (P/L) 25, los costos asociados al tratamiento son los siguientes COP$114.070.835, COP$105.855.920, COP$88.717.481 COP$89.854.712 respectivamente, el número de pacientes con mejoría significativa de dolor fue: 8,10,9 y 21 pacientes respectivamente. El ICER de G/L con respecto a G fue: COP$ -25.353.354. El ICER de P/L con respecto a P fue: COP$ -1.454.655. Conclusiones: la adición del parche de lidocaína a la terapia regular con P/L represento una disminución de consumo de recursos en salud como uso de medicamentos co-analgésicos, analgésicos de rescate y fármacos para controlar reacciones adversas, de la misma forma que consultas a profesionales de la salud. Cada paciente manejado con P/L representa un ahorro de COP $1.454.655 al contrario si se manejase con el anticonvulsivante de manera exclusiva, en el caso de G/L este ahorro es de COP $ 25.353.354 frente a G sola.

Costos asociados al soporte nutricional enteral en la unidad de cuidados intensivos, revisión de literatura

Objetivo:Describir los costos asociados al soporte nutricional enteral en pacientes adultos hospitalizados en Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos (UCI), Metodología: La elaboración de este documento se realizó en una búsqueda exhaustiva de acuerdo a las especificaciones y recomendaciones de la revisión de literatura, en MEDLINE, PUBMED, SCIENCE DIRECT, EBSCO por considerarse como bases de datos reconocidas por contener artículos de mayor fiabilidad y más usadas en el ámbito académico. Se evidencio en los 70 artículosel cumplimiento de los criterios de inclusión, enel cual se realizó un análisis de costos en el manejo del soporte nutricional enteral y se identificó la importancia del manejo de la nutrición en pacientes adultos del servicio de UCI. Resultados: De tal manera la importancia del soporte nutricional enteral, en su proceso precoz se identifica la reducción de costos y de recursos que se puede manejar ante el paciente crítico. Dentro de este marco se resalta que el soporte nutricional enteral debe ser la primera opción en paciente. Conclusión:La nutrición enteral considerada un modelo de innovación al soporte nutricional en las últimas décadas, ha evolucionado contribuyendo una adecuada alternativa de intervención y sin efectos adversos clínicos relevantes, que además mejoran la calidad de vida y contribuyen a la toma de decisiones clínicas basadas en la evidencia y en los análisis de costes con el uso racional de los recursos, así mismo, es una práctica costo- efectiva,con componente de costo- beneficio para el usuario al mejorar calidad de vida, obteniendo mayores beneficios a un menor costo.

Blended learning in distance education: Sri Lankan perspective

The purpose of this paper is to explore the implementation of online learning in distance educational delivery at Yellow Fields University (pseudonymous) in Sri Lanka. The implementation of online distance education at the University included the use of blended learning. The policy initiative to introduce online for distance education in Sri Lanka was guided by the expectation of cost reduction and the implementation was financed under the Distance Education Modernization Project. The paper presents one case study of a larger multiple case study research that employed an ethnographic research approach in investigating the impact of ICT on distance education in Sri Lanka. Documents, questionnaires and qualitative interviews were used for data collection. There was a significant positive relationship between ownership of computers and students’ ability to use computer for word processing, emailing and Web searching. The lack of access to computers and the Internet, the lack of infrastructure, low levels of computer literacy, the lack of local language content, and the lack of formal student support services at the University were found to be major barriers to implementing compulsory online activities at the University

Modelling the resistance of Enterprise Architecture adoption: linking strategic level of Enterprise Architecture to organisational changes and change resistance

During the last few years Enterprise Architecture (EA) has received increasing attention among industry and academia. By adopting EA, organisations may gain a number of benefits such as better decision making,increased revenues and cost reduction, and alignment of business and IT. However, EA adoption has been found to be difficult. In this paper a model to explain resistance during EA adoption process (REAP) is introduced and validated. The model reveals relationships between strategic level of EA, resulting organisational changes, and sources of resistance. By utilising REAP model, organisations may anticipate and prepare for the organisational change resistance during EA adoption.

The only way is up: retail format saturation and the demise of the American five and dime store, 1914-1941

We examine a classic ‘wheel of retailing’ episode – the abandonment of the five and dime pricing formula by American variety chains. These switched from a conventional product lifecycle, focusing on cost reduction through standardisation, to a reverse path up the ‘service cost - unit value’ continuum. We show that, rather than reflecting deteriorating managerial acumen, this was a response to the continued imperative for growth following retail format saturation. Firm-specific (rather than format-specific) competitive advantages were too weak for any chain to be confident it could win a within-format price war, making inter-format competition through raising price points more attractive.

Experimental performance of a string module in a CPC reflector cavity

The purpose of the work is to develop a cost effective semistationary CPC concentrator for a string PV-module. A novel method of using annual irradiation distribution diagram projected in a north-south vertical plane is developed. This method allows us easily to determine the optimum acceptance angle of the concentrator and the required number of annual tilts. Concentration ranges of 2-5x are investigated with corresponding acceptance angles between 5 and 15°. The concentrator should be tilted 2-6 times per year. Experiments has been performed on a string module of 10 cells connected in a series and equipped with a compound parabolic concentrator with C = 3.3X. Measurement show that the output will increase with a factor of 2-2.5 for the concentrator module, compared to a reference module without concentrator. If very cheap aluminium reflectors are used the costs for the PV-module can be decreased nearly by a factor of two.

Load Adapted Solar Thermal Combisystems - Optical Analysis and Systems Optimization

In a northern European climate a typical solar combisystem for a single family house normally saves between 10 and 30 % of the auxiliary energy needed for space heating and domestic water heating. It is considered uneconomical to dimension systems for higher energy savings. Overheating problems may also occur. One way of avoiding these problems is to use a collector that is designed so that it has a low optical efficiency in summer, when the solar elevation is high and the load is small, and a high optical efficiency in early spring and late fall when the solar elevation is low and the load is large.The study investigates the possibilities to design the system and, in particular, the collector optics, in order to match the system performance with the yearly variations of the heating load and the solar irradiation. It seems possible to design practically viable load adapted collectors, and to use them for whole roofs ( 40 m2) without causing more overheating stress on the system than with a standard 10 m2 system. The load adapted collectors collect roughly as much energy per unit area as flat plate collectors, but they may be produced at a lower cost due to lower material costs. There is an additional potential for a cost reduction since it is possible to design the load adapted collector for low stagnation temperatures making it possible to use less expensive materials. One and the same collector design is suitable for a wide range of system sizes and roof inclinations. The report contains descriptions of optimized collector designs, properties of realistic collectors, and results of calculations of system output, stagnation performance and cost performance. Appropriate computer tools for optical analysis, optimization of collectors in systems and a very fast simulation model have been developed.

Techno-economic Appraisal of Concentrating Solar Power Systems (CSP)

The diffusion of Concentrating Solar Power Systems (CSP) systems is currently taking place at a much slower pace than photovoltaic (PV) power systems. This is mainly because of the higher present cost of the solar thermal power plants, but also for the time that is needed in order to build them. Though economic attractiveness of different Concentrating technologies varies, still PV power dominates the market. The price of CSP is expected to drop significantly in the near future and wide spread installation of them will follow. The main aim of this project is the creation of different relevant case studies on solar thermal power generation and a comparison betwwen them. The purpose of this detailed comparison is the techno-economic appraisal of a number of CSP systems and the understanding of their behaviour under various boundary conditions. The CSP technologies which will be examined are the Parabolic Trough, the Molten Salt Power Tower, the Linear Fresnel Mirrors and the Dish Stirling. These systems will be appropriatly sized and simulated. All of the simulations aim in the optimization of the particular system. This includes two main issues. The first is the achievement of the lowest possible levelized cost of electricity and the second is the maximization of the annual energy output (kWh). The project also aims in the specification of these factors which affect more the results and more specifically, in what they contribute to the cost reduction or the power generation. Also, photovoltaic systems will be simulated under same boundary conditions to facolitate a comparison between the PV and the CSP systems. Last but not leats, there will be a determination of the system which performs better in each case study.

Photovoltaic System Design for a Contaminated Area in Falun – Comparison of South and East- West Layout

In this thesis the solar part of a large grid-connected photovoltaic system design has been done. The main purpose was to size and optimize the system and to present figures helping to evaluate the prospective project rationality, which can potentially be constructed on a contaminated area in Falun. The methodology consisted in PV market study and component selection, site analysis and defining suitable area for solar installation; and system configuration optimization based on PVsyst simulations and Levelized Cost of Energy calculations. The procedure was mainly divided on two parts, preliminary and detailed sizing. In the first part the objective was complex, which included the investigation of the most profitable component combination and system optimization due to tilt and row distance. It was done by simulating systems with different components and orientations, which were sized for the same 100kW inverter in order to make a fair comparison. For each simulated result a simplified LCOE calculation procedure was applied. The main results of this part show that with the price of 0.43 €/Wp thin-film modules were the most cost effective solution for the case with a great advantage over crystalline type in terms of financial attractiveness. From the results of the preliminary study it was possible to select the optimal system configuration, which was used in the detailed sizing as a starting point. In this part the PVsyst simulations were run, which included full scale system design considering near shadings created by factory buildings. Additionally, more complex procedure of LCOE calculation has been used here considered insurances, maintenance, time value of money and possible cost reduction due to the system size. Two system options were proposed in final results; both cover the same area of 66000 m2. The first one represents an ordinary South faced design with 1.1 MW nominal power, which was optimized for the highest performance. According to PVsyst simulations, this system should produce 1108 MWh/year with the initial investment of 835,000 € and 0.056 €/kWh LCOE. The second option has an alternative East-West orientation, which allows to cover 80% of occupied ground and consequently have 6.6 MW PV nominal power. The system produces 5388 MWh/year costs about 4500,000 € and delivers electricity with the same price of 0.056 €/kWh. Even though the EW solution has 20% lower specific energy production, it benefits mainly from lower relative costs for inverters, mounting and annual maintenance expenses. After analyzing the performance results, among the two alternatives none of the systems showed a clear superiority so there was no optimal system proposed. Both, South and East-West solutions have own advantages and disadvantages in terms of energy production profile, configuration, installation and maintenance. Furthermore, the uncertainty due to cost figures assumptions restricted the results veracity.

Replacing Finned Copper withCorrugated Stainless Steel, forthe Heat Exchangers of a SolarCombisystem Store : Performance and EconomicEvaluation

The importance of investigating cost reduction in materials and components for solar thermal systems is crucial at the present time. This work focuses on the influence of two different heat exchangers on the performance of a solar thermal system. Both heat exchangers studied are immersed helically coiled, one made with corrugated stainless steel tube, and the other made with finned copper tube with smooth inner surface.A test apparatus has been designed and a simple test procedure applied in order to study heat transfer characteristics and pressure drop of both coils. Thereafter, the resulting experimental data was used to perform a parameter identification of the heat exchangers, in order to obtain a TRNSYS model with its corresponding numerical expression. Also a representative small-scale combisystem model was designed in TRNSYS, in order to study the influence of both heat exchangers on the solar fraction of the system, when working at different flow rates.It has been found that the highest solar fraction is given by the corrugated stainless steel coil, when it works at the lowest flow rate (100 l/hr). For any higher flow rate, the studied copper coil presents a higher solar fraction. The advantageous low flow performance of stainless steel heat exchanger turns out to be beneficial for the particular case of solar thermal systems, where it is well known that low flow collector loops lead to enhanced store stratification, and consequently higher solar fractions.Finally, an optimization of the stainless steel heat exchanger length is carried out, according to economic figures. For the given combisystem model and boundary conditions, the optimum length value is found between 10 and 12 m.

O impacto da redução do custo do Brasil sobre a defasagem cambial

O objetivo deste trabalho é determinar qual o impacto da redução do custo Brasil sobre a defasagem cambial. Supõe-se uma economia em que o câmbio esteja fora de equilíbrio. A partir desta situação calcula-se o impacto de ganhos de eficiência e/ou redução de alíquotas de impostos distorcivos sobre o desequilíbrio cambial. O argumento básico é que em equilíbrio geral não é obrigatoriamente verdade que ganhos de eficiência concorram para reduzir o atraso cambial: é necessário saber em que setor e/ ou sob qual fator de produção a distorção incide. O principal resultado é que ganhos de produtividade no setor de bens comercializáveis reduzem o atraso cambial, no setor de bens domésticos elevam o atraso cambial, e se for em ambos os setores o resultado dependerá da resposta da demanda. Se a elasticidade renda da demanda do bem doméstico for maior do que a do bem comercializável o atraso cambial é reduzido. caso contrário eleva-se. Em particular quando a redução do custo Brasil significa elevação da eficiência do sistema portuário nada pode ser afirmado. Antes de responder esta questão, a segunda seção do trabalho discute o conceito de câmbio real, desequilíbrio cambial e de valorização cambial.

Uma metodologia multicritério construtivista de avaliação de alternativas para o planejamento de recursos hídricos de bacias hidrográficas

De acordo com a Lei Federal n° 9.433/97, que instituiu a Política e o Sistema Nacional de Gerenciamento dos Recursos Hídricos, o planejamento de recursos hídricos deve ter um enfoque sistêmico, de uso múltiplo das águas e descentralização das decisões, adotando a bacia hidrográfica como unidade de gestão. Dentro deste contexto, de descentralização de decisões e participação de grandes grupos no processo de tomada de decisão sobre a gestão dos recursos hídricos, os procedimentos clássicos de avaliação de alternativas para planejar o uso, controle e proteção das águas tornam-se limitados por sua impossibilidade de incluir outros critérios, além da minimização dos custos ou da maximização dos benefícios, e por não considerarem a subjetividade inerente ao processo de tomada de decisão, que corresponde ao sistema de valores dos atores envolvidos na tomada de decisões. Assim, este trabalho apresenta um Método Multicritério em Apoio à Decisão para o planejamento de recursos hídricos de bacias hidrográficas, que além de incorporar vários critérios na avaliação de alternativas, por adotar uma abordagem construtivista, propicia a participação de todos os atores envolvidos no processo de tomada de decisão. Para testar a aplicabilidade prática do método proposto foi escolhida a bacia hidrográfica do rio dos Sinos, localizada no estado do Rio Grande do Sul, sendo construído um Modelo Multicritério de Avaliação de Alternativas para o Plano da Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio dos Sinos. Os resultados do trabalho demonstraram a robustez da proposta que, ao possibilitar a geração e avaliação de alternativas para o Plano da Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio dos Sinos, a partir de diversos critérios, e levando em conta o sistema de valores dos decisores, se constituiu em um diferencial capaz de conferir maior legitimidade ao processo de tomada de decisões sobre o planejamento de recursos hídricos de bacias hidrográficas.