Thèses : « Measure 214 »

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LaBouff, Jordan Rowatt Wade C. « Towards an implicit measure of religiousness-spirituality ». Waco, Tex. : Baylor University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2104/5170.

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Razouki, Zayd. « Developing an anticoagulation composite measure : a stronger predictor for warfarin associated complications and a more comprehensive performance measure for anticoagulation clinics ». Thesis, Boston University, 2014. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/21245.

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Thesis (M.S.H.P.) PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you.
BACKGROUND: Percent time in therapeutic range (TTR) and INR variability are both used to measure anticoagulation control with warfarin. TTR measures anticoagulation intensity, while INR variability measures anticoagulation stability; both predict definitive clinical outcomes such as stroke, major hemorrhage. Here, we examine whether an intermediate composite measure (ICOMO) predicts warfarin associated complications better than each measure separately. We also examine how the choice of measure changes the ranking order of anticoagulation clinics (ACCs) in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) healthcare system. METHODS: We calculated TTR and INR variability for the study sample (N=130,897 patients) from 100 VHA ACCs. We constructed ICOMO using an equally weighted method, adding standardized TTR to standardized log-transformed INR variability. We used a subset of patients anticoagulated for atrial fibrillation (N=40,404) and divided them into quintiles based on their level of control, for each anticoagulation measure. We calculated the Hazard ratios for ischemic stroke and major bleeding and compared the ability of our independent variables (TTR, log INR variability, ICOMO) to predict each outcome. We measured mean observed value (O) and mean expected value (E) for each clinic, after adjusting for important clinical and demographic variables, for each anticoagulation measure. We identified outlier anticoagulation clinics if O was one standard deviation different from its corresponding E. We measured Kappa score and Pearson correlation coefficients when ranking sites according to each anticoagulation measure. RESULTS: ICOMO predicted ischemic stroke better than TTR and log INR variability in all quintiles. ICOMO and TTR predicted major bleeding similarly except in the second-best quintile; but both measures were better than log INR variability in all quintiles. Kappa scores identifying outlier and non-outlier clinics among our three profiling measures were moderate between ICOMO and its components (0.59 for TTR and 0.54 for log INR variability) but was weak between TTR and log INR variability (0.025) CONCLUSION: ICOMO predicts ischemic stroke better over TTR and log INR variability alone but it is only better than the latter in predicting major bleeding. The choice of which measure to use for clinic profiling changes clinic rankings considerably.
2031-01-01

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Berke, Shawna S. « Development and validation of a measure of prenatal anxiety ». Scholarly Commons, 1997. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/2714.

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This study developed and validated the Berke Prenatal Anxiety Questionnaire, created to measure prenatal anxiety. Scores from 301 pregnant women in various stages of pregnancy were used to determine the internal consistency of the Berke Prenatal Anxiety Questionnaire. These women were recruited in obstetric offices and hospitals across California. Coefficient alpha for the total scale was.87. Factor analysis showed that the items did not really cluster together in three groups as expected. Two approaches were undertaken to develop a new definition, in order to revise the scale. Three one-way ANOVA with trimester of pregnancy as the between subjects variable were calculated on the total scale and revised scales scores from the questionnaire and no significant differences were found. This questionnaire needs additional validation though the creation of new items characterizing the revised definitions. Eventually, in a revised form, this questionnaire can be used in additional research and in a clinical setting to identify pregnant women experiencing high levels of maladaptive prenatal anxiety. Efforts could then be made to reduce their anxiety, which can benefit both the mother and her infant.

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Sammonds, George M. « An objective measure to quantify discomfort in long duration driving ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 2015. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/21186.

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In recent years increased emphasis has been placed on improving seat comfort in automobiles. This is partly due to research showing that prolonged driving is associated with increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders, but largely because driver comfort is now viewed as an increasingly important aspect of the competitive marketing of vehicles. Driving is firmly cemented as a major part of most people s daily life across the world and people are now spending more time in their vehicles than ever before. As urban congestion continues to rise, commuting distances and durations will progressively increase, subjecting drivers to the risks of long duration driving more often. Consequently the automotive industry has invested in designing seats that perform better under increased usage durations and ergonomics has played a vital role in the design of new seats. However, the ability to design a successful seat relies heavily on the capacity to accurately evaluate the comfort of a vehicle seat and one major issue that has been highlighted with the current state of automotive ergonomics research is the standardisation of comfort evaluation techniques. This research aimed to tackle these issues by investigating the effects of long duration driving on discomfort and the range factors associated with driver discomfort. Furthermore, the ultimate goal of this research was develop and evaluate a novel objective measure of driver discomfort that focused on driver seat fidgets and movements (SFMs) with the aim of standardising discomfort evaluation within the automotive industry. Three laboratory studies and one field observation were conducted to address these aims whereby subjective and objective evaluations of discomfort were conducted during long term driving (ranging from 60 - 140 minutes). The results determined that a measure of driver SFMs can be effectively implemented into long duration driving trials to evaluate the effects of long term driving and vibration exposure on driver discomfort and subsequently used to make accurate predictions of overall discomfort. Large positive correlations have been determined between measures of SFMs and subjective ratings of overall discomfort (r2 > 0.9, P < 0.05) and the SFM method has been successfully repeated under a range of driving conditions. Driver seat fidget and movement (SFM) frequency is shown to significantly increase congruently with subjective ratings over the duration of a long term drive as drivers seek to cope with increased discomfort. It is proposed that drivers will record movements in the vehicle seat when discomfort reaches a threshold that is consciously or unconsciously perceived and as the duration of driving accrues, drivers will reach this threshold with increased frequency. A measure of both SFM frequency and total accumulative SFMs have been shown to accurately predict discomfort ratings and provides the basis for discomfort evaluations to be made via remote monitoring, removing the need for subjective assessment. During a long term drive, there becomes a point upon which improvements in seat design become ineffective as extended duration driving will result in discomfort regardless of how well the seat has been designed. It was shown that drivers will move in the vehicle seat to cope with increased discomfort and in addition, another method of combatting the negative effects of long term driving was investigated. Subjective and objective evaluation determined that breaks from driving will reduce discomfort both immediately and upon completion of a long term drive. Furthermore, these benefits were increased when drivers left the vehicle seat as discomfort was reset when drivers took a 10 minute walk. Walking during a break from driving can be considered the ultimate SFM. Drivers are recommended to plan breaks from driving when conducting a long duration journey in order to minimise discomfort and when taking a break, drivers should take a walk rather than remain seated in the vehicle.

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Alyoubi, Khaled Hamed. « Database query optimisation based on measures of regret ». Thesis, Birkbeck (University of London), 2016. http://bbktheses.da.ulcc.ac.uk/224/.

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The query optimiser in a database management system (DBMS) is responsible for �nding a good order in which to execute the operators in a given query. However, in practice the query optimiser does not usually guarantee to �nd the best plan. This is often due to the non-availability of precise statistical data or inaccurate assumptions made by the optimiser. In this thesis we propose a robust approach to logical query optimisation that takes into account the unreliability in database statistics during the optimisation process. In particular, we study the ordering problem for selection operators and for join operators, where selectivities are modelled as intervals rather than exact values. As a measure of optimality, we use a concept from decision theory called minmax regret optimisation (MRO). When using interval selectivities, the decision problem for selection operator ordering turns out to be NP-hard. After investigating properties of the problem and identifying special cases which can be solved in polynomial time, we develop a novel heuristic for solving the general selection ordering problem in polynomial time. Experimental evaluation of the heuristic using synthetic data, the Star Schema Benchmark and real-world data sets shows that it outperforms other heuristics (which take an optimistic, pessimistic or midpoint approach) and also produces plans whose regret is on average very close to optimal. The general join ordering problem is known to be NP-hard, even for exact selectivities. So, for interval selectivities, we restrict our investigation to sets of join operators which form a chain and to plans that correspond to left-deep join trees. We investigate properties of the problem and use these, along with ideas from the selection ordering heuristic and other algorithms in the literature, to develop a polynomial-time heuristic tailored for the join ordering problem. Experimental evaluation of the heuristic shows that, once again, it performs better than the optimistic, pessimistic and midpoint heuristics. In addition, the results show that the heuristic produces plans whose regret is on average even closer to the optimal than for selection ordering.

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Hill, Marguerite Elizabeth. « The development of an instrument to measure intrapreneurship : entrepreneurship within the corporate setting / ». Thesis, Rhodes University, 2003. http://eprints.ru.ac.za/210/.

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Al-Ghassani, Asma Said Ahmed. « Measures of growth of discrete rational equations ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 2010. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/6055.

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The general scope of this thesis is aimed at investigating certain classes of discrete equations through the analysis of certain characteristics of the solutions of these equations. We construct new methods of analysis based on the growth of these characteristics that let us single out known integrable discrete equations from certain class of equations. These integrable discrete equations are discrete analogues of the famous Painleve equations.

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Sjödin, Tomas. « Topics in Potential Theory : Quadrature Domains, Balayage and Harmonic Measure ». Doctoral thesis, KTH, Mathematics (Dept.), 2005. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-213.

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In this thesis, which consists of five papers (A,B,C,D,E), we are interested in questions related to quadrature domains. Among the problems studied are the possibility of changing the type of measure in a quadrature identity (from complex to real and from real signed to positive), properties of partial balayage, which in a sense can be used to generate quadrature domains, and mother bodies which are closely related to inversion of partial balayage.

These three questions are discussed in papers A,D respectively B.

The first of these questions (when trying to go from real signed to positive measures) leads to the study of approximation in the cone of positive harmonic functions. These questions are closely related to properties of the harmonic measure on the Martin boundary, and this relationship leads to the study of harmonic measures on ideal boundaries in paper E. Some other approaches to the same problem also lead to some extent to the study of properties of classical balayage in paper C.

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Sjödin, Tomas. « Topics in potential theory : quadrature domains, balayage and harmonic measure / ». Stockholm, 2005. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-213.

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Wiberg, Charlotte. « A Measure of Fun : Extending the scope of web usability ». Doctoral thesis, Umeå : Dept of Informatics [Institutionen för informatik], Univ, 2003. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-210.

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York, Richard H. « A new methodology to measure body/self-concept based on personal construct theory ». Thesis, Boston University, 1987. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/38120.

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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University
PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you.
The objective of this dissertation is to describe and test the reliability and validity of the Body/Self-Concept Methodology (BSC). It measures body attitudes as consequences of body/self-concept. The BSC Methodology was constructed from insights of the debate about the self in American psychology. This debate included philosophical, neurological, psychological, spiritual, and theological issues. These were integrated into Kelly's methodology producing a psychotheological research perspective. This methodology consists of a research philosophy, theory and measures for body/self-concept, and statistical methods. The BSC Method is the six techniques for collecting qualitative and quantitative data. This collection depended on a computer. The quantitative data are ratings of bipolar adjective pairs and a Q-sort of body items. The BSC Method was tested in a study with 40 subjects. The qualitative results included affective self-report data. It was concluded that some of these results implied that this method pierced denial defense mechanisms. The quantitative results were highly valid and reliable for the attitude ratings, but less for the Q-sort. It was concluded that there was sufficient reliability and validity to justify further development of the BSC Methodology. The next step is to write a computer program for data collection and analysis.
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Burrage, Alex J. « Complexity measures for classes of sequences and cryptographic applications ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 2013. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/11723.

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Pseudo-random sequences are a crucial component of cryptography, particularly in stream cipher design. In this thesis we will investigate several measures of randomness for certain classes of finitely generated sequences. We will present a heuristic algorithm for calculating the k-error linear complexity of a general sequence, of either finite or infinite length, and results on the closeness of the approximation generated. We will present an linear time algorithm for determining the linear complexity of a sequence whose characteristic polynomial is a power of an irreducible element, again presenting variations for both finite and infinite sequences. This algorithm allows the linear complexity of such sequences to be determined faster than was previously possible. Finally we investigate the stability of m-sequences, in terms of both k-error linear complexity and k-error period. We show that such sequences are inherently stable, but show that some are more stable than others.

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Hirst, Andrew S. « Measuring journal quality : developing a multi-item measure and investigating its usefulness in marketing ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 1999. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/7174.

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The research journal especially in marketing, is now not only the primary communication method, but is also used to evaluate an academic's research contribution. Measuring the quality of research journals has also become more complex as a result of the rapid increase in the number of journals published. In marketing research, scientists have professed the use of sophisticated or more sensitive techniques yet little has been done to improve the measurement of research journals. This thesis investigates the use of alternative measurement techniques to explore this important aspect of the academic environment. Historically two dominant methodologies have been used to measure the quality ofjournals: Peer review and Citation Analysis. However these methods have been criticised and academics have been sceptical of the results, taking the opinion that these methods create, bias in the results. Previous methods have also taken a one-dimensional view of journal quality with little time devoted to uncovering the criteria that governs that quality. The research applied marketing methodologies that combined qualitative and quantitative research techniques to explore the problem. Four critical research questions were examined in this study. What are the important elements of journal research standing? 38 items were found to be important elements ofjoumal research standing. Is journal research standing a multi-dimensional construct? Three underlying dimensions represented the construct journal research standing, these were Reputation, Reviewing Standards and Content Quality. Do academics acknowledge the multiple dimensions of journal research standing? Academics acknowledged the -differences -between dimensions for ten selected marketing journals. What moderating factors affect academic opinions of journal research standing? Academic attitudes towards a joutnal's research stdtiding are moderated by their country of origin, familiarity and research fit. Attitudes towards a journal may also be moderated when academics have a paper rejected from that particular journal.

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Hanna, Victoria. « Investigating the impact of performance measures on task related behaviour ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 1998. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/28125.

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This thesis investigates the relationship between performance measures and people in manufacturing organisations. Existing research on performance measurement has concentrated on the strategic importance of measures and the nature of measurement itself. There is little focus on the impact of these measures on people's behaviour, this work has closed this gap by forming a theoretical view of the organisational variables that influence behaviour. The reference model, developed from motivation theories, identifies the critical organisational variables and illustrates how they interact. The variables of primary interest are performance measures, organisational goals and rewards systems, although the importance all of the variables is acknowledged.

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Wang'ombe, Wangari. « An empirical investigation of measures to enhance intra-Africa trade ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 2013. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/12448.

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Trade is largely considered a driving force of economic growth and development of nations. To this end, there is vast and far-reaching research on the subject, especially on matters international. However, research on intra-African trade is lacking in comparison to research on trade amongst the rest of the world, not just developed, but also developing countries alike. That aside there are numerous efforts put in place to enhance and encourage trade within and without the continent. The research presented in this thesis aims to investigate and address three key issues specific to intra-Africa trade. The questions asked are: are the measures currently in place successful in the promotion of intra-Africa trade; is the continent ready for measures about to be implemented and after all that, is trade really the key driving force for economic growth and development within Africa? To answer these questions, the research presented here in this thesis employs the gravity modelling approach, the G-PPP test and develops a macro-economic model which is applied to the Kenyan economy. The results indicate that; yes, trade is significant and important in determining economic growth, and while measures taken thus far such as the creation of Economic Integrations have not been as successful as was envisioned, trade openness continues to be among the most important ways in which trade is encouraged and enhanced, to this end, although the continent is yet to fulfil all the requirements for the formation of a full-blown Economic Union, it is ready for drastic measures such as the formation of a currency union. Literature reveals that this could form the basis of hastening complete integration and harmonization of all systems of the participating economies, thereby benefiting not just trade but also all other sectors of the economies.

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Pardasaney, Poonam K. « Development of improved balance measures for community-dwelling older adults ». Thesis, Boston University, 2013. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/12828.

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Thesis (Sc.D.)--Boston University PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you.
Balance measures used in community-dwelling elderly suffer from important psychometric limitations including limited comprehensiveness in content, ceiling effects, and limited sensitivity to change and responsiveness. This dissertation examines conceptual and methodological reasons underlying psychometric limitations of balance measures, and proposes strategies to overcome these limitations. Conceptually, psychometric limitations of balance measures may be related to gaps in representation of essential task and environmental components within their items. The first study conducted a systematic item-level content analysis of balance measures for community-dwelling elderly to examine the extent to which essential task and environmental components were represented within each measure. One hundred sixty-seven items from 26 measures were coded on seven criteria related to task and environment. Important gaps were noted across measures, with limited comprehensiveness in content areas represented and minimal incorporation of environmental variations. Most measures focused on single-task assessment in quiet, static environments, underrepresenting postural control demands in daily life situations, which involve dynamic changing environments, person-environment interactions, and multi-tasking. Methodologically, most balance measures are traditional fixed-form tests, which require administration of a fixed set of items to every individual. Developing comprehensive and precise fixed-form balance measures is challenging due to the large number of items needed to cover the spectrum of balance ability and components. Item response theory (IRT) and computer-adaptive testing (CAT) offer contemporary methodological approaches to develop comprehensive, tailored, and efficient balance tests with improved psychometric properties across the balance continuum. The second study built a computer-adaptive balance test from three traditional fixed-form balance measures using existing data on 187 community-dwelling older adults. Rasch IRT analysis was applied to compile a 23-item pool from the traditional measures. A 10-item CAT developed from the item pool showed excellent accuracy, acceptable reliability, and superior validity compared with the traditional measures. The CAT was the only measure to discriminate between fallers and non-fallers, and was a stronger predictor of self-reported function compared with the traditional measures. In summary, this dissertation reveals important content gaps in existing balance measures for community-dwelling elderly, highlights content areas that should be incorporated in new measures, and demonstrates advantages of computer-adaptive balance testing over traditional fixed-form measures. Development of new measures that better reflect postural control demands in daily life situations is recommended. Prospective investigation of computer-adaptive balance testing in community-dwelling elderly is also recommended.

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Shiuan, Kevin Shiue. « Development of an ultrasound system to measure in vivo dynamic cervical spine intervertebral disc mechanics ». Thesis, Boston University, 2012. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/12626.

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Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you.
Neck and back pain have become increasingly prevalent in the military population, especially in those that experience variable frequency loading environments such as helicopter pilots. The number of cervical spine injuries is expected to increase with the advent of heavier head-mounted equipment with most problems attributed to intervertebral disc complications. Currently, CT and MRI are the gold standards for the evaluation ofthe cervical spine. However, those modalities are not suited to capture real-time biomechanical information in extreme environments. Clinical ultrasound, which is known for dynamic imaging, was explored as a valuable tool to image motion of the cervical spine, specifically vertebral motion and intervertebral disc deformation. Ultrasound imaging was first validated ex vivo and then utilized in vivo to demonstrate applicability. Compliances of FSU levels C4-C5 and C5-C6 were successfully calculated using static loads in compression and distraction. Dynamic analysis of intervertebral disc deformation (vertebral end plate displacements) from four cadaveric cervical spines (C2- C7) showed an overall uncertainty error of ±0.148 mm. The reliability of measurements was considered poor at vertebral loading frequencies higher than 4 Hz. A transfer function of intervertebral disc deformation in response to external translations was empirically derived through discrete Fourier transform analysis; however, the uncertainty of the measurements was too great to accurately describe the function. The capability of ultrasound to detect a difference in intervertebral disc responses in various conditions was explored on human subjects with the ultrasound probe mounted on a makeshift cervical collar at the C4-C5 functional spinal unit. A significant difference in response was detected when subjects wore an Army issued helmet with an attached weight to mimic night vision goggles. The results from these experiments will help develop ultrasound into an inexpensive, portable, and safe technique to evaluate cervical spine kinetics and kinematics. Furthermore, this expansion of ultrasound's capabilities beyond its current clinical indications can be applied within the civilian population to provide a low-cost, portable, and non-ionizing cervical spine imaging solution.

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Shamim, Khalid. « A model driven methodology to measure the Level of Application of Management Process (LAMP) in manufacturing enterprise ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 2013. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/11852.

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Increasingly Manufacturing Enterprises (MEs) need to perform competitively to survive in today s global markets. This thesis investigates the notion that competitive product realisation is not simply dependent on deploying state of the art operational and infrastructural support processes but also depends upon the adoption of management processes that ensure efficient and effective use of human and non human resources. Having an experience of more than two decades working in a public sector ME located in Pakistan the author has observed that improvements in timelines, quality and profit begins from measurement; followed by goal, problem & solution understanding, then planning and control of needed change. Therefore, a desire to enhance best practice qualitative and quantitative measurement of management processes triggered and focussed this research. Consequently the aim of this research has been to contribute to knowledge by using state of the art modelling techniques to structure and enable quantitative measurement of management processes within MEs. Subsequent research of the author has conceived, implemented and case tested a modelling methodology that is designed to measure the Level of Application of Management Process (LAMP) in pursuit of ME productivity improvement. In order to achieve the aim of this research, a semi generic model of management processes deployed in MEs was defined and explicitly modelled by using an ISO Enterprise Modelling technique. The definition of this semi-generic model was realised consequent upon (1) a literature review and (2) conducting semi-structured interviews with experts (n=42) in three public sector MEs located in Pakistan. Use of the Enterprise Modelling technique enabled decomposition and classification of management processes into so called Domain Processes, which subsequently were explicitly defined as Business Processes at a more detailed level of modelling abstraction. Then during subsequent research the author conceived and developed the use of a methodology to apply a LAMP scorecard the use of which was tested whilst conducting structured interviews with project managers (n=25) in three public sector MEs located in Pakistan that operate on project oriented management structures. The case study results partially validated the fitness for purpose of the model driven measurement methodology, identified opportunities for future methodological research and illustrated how LAMP identified and enabled measurements can help to define, quantify and direct potential opportunities for ME enhancement.

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Osman, Ismail I. « Performance measures for contracting companies : a study of the Arab Contractors Company ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 2002. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/6812.

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In today's worldwide competitive environment, contracting companies are competing in terms of product quality, delivery, reliability and customer satisfaction. In current literature, models of performance measures for contracting companies and construction projects have limitations and shortcomings. They depend mainly on financial measures. These are no longer sufficient to ensure survival and continued profitability in time of change. New measures of performance at the different levels of contracting companies are, therefore, needed. The relatively new performance measurement technique of benchmarking has been widely applied as a powerful performance management concept. However, current published literature does not provide satisfactory proof of its successful implementation in contracting companies. This research addresses these two major weaknesses. Firstly, a methodology using Nominal Group Technique and Delphi Technique was explained and applied to obtain consensus performance measures for construction projects. New performance measures appropriate to construction projects, together with each element's relative importance, were developed. The consensus covers project managers, senior managers and top management. Secondly, quality measures appropriate to construction projects, together with each measure's relative importance, were developed. Thirdly, new performance measures appropriate to contracting organizations were developed. The development of these measures and the determination of their relative importance depend upon: the strategic direction of the organization which reflects the current business and market conditions; the type of construction work; the organization structure; and the development of the management staff within the organization. Fourthly, the implementation of the new performance measures using benchmarking as a management tool for performance measurement and improvement was carried out in one of the largest contracting organizations in the Middle East, the Arab Contractors, Osman A. Osman & Co. The implementation was carried out over a period of five years. Sixteen company branches implemented the measurement system. Each branch was considered as an independent contracting company. The results showed that the use of the new performance measures and the implementation of benchmarking in the company were very effective and led to successful and improved performance.

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McWilliams, Anne E. « Development of a questionnaire to measure perceived support during pregnancy and its relation to coping strategies and outcome ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 2000. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/32919.

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There is a considerable body of research examining the effects of social support factors, socioeconomic status (SES) and demographics on pregnancy outcome. However, there has been little research examining the effects of perceptions of social support on pregnancy outcome. The initial studies of this thesis examined the relation of scores on a Support in Pregnancy Questionnaire (SPQ) to pregnancy outcomes (n=68). It was found that the level of perceived support predicted lower infant birthweight and higher rates of obstetric complications (methodological issues of the complication measure are discussed). Furthermore, a small group of women who scored negatively on the questionnaire and received non-directive counselling were comparable to controls who had adequate levels of support.

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Dimitriou, Vanda. « Lumped parameter thermal modelling for UK domestic buildings based on measured operational data ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 2016. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/23239.

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The development and use of thermal models is an integral part of the design process in existing buildings due for refurbishment. Energy predictions for existing buildings are often based on models which assume thermal property values of the building construction elements. However, once built, the actual thermal properties may differ significantly from their estimated values. Possible reasons include thermal bridging, material distortion and moisture content, sub-standard construction on-site and unavailability of construction details. The uncertainties can be reduced if the modelling process can also make use of operational measurements, such as the fuel use and internal temperatures, which have been recorded in the building during operation. To make use of operational data, performance-based models can be used. Performance-based models rely on measured data for the development of the model s architecture and for informing the estimation of the model parameters that would otherwise be based on the modeller s assumptions of the building s characteristics. One solution to the challenge of using performance-based models for existing buildings is to use the Lumped Parameter modelling approach. The Lumped Parameter modelling technique is often used for performance-based modelling of existing buildings due to the moderate knowledge of the building s physical properties required and the limited operational data needed for model training. This thesis investigates the potential of performance-based modelling techniques for existing UK domestic buildings, based on the Lumped Parameter thermal modelling technique, and the use of measured operational data to inform the model structure and parameters. Operational data have been collected in 20 homes as part of the REFIT project, an EPSRC-funded research project on Smart Meters and Smart Homes (REFIT, 2016). This thesis explores 11 houses from the REFIT dataset and, in particular, the temperature, gas and electricity measurements from the participating households, and develops whole-house and sub-system performance-based models using the Lumped Parameter technique. The suitability of simple performance-based Lumped Parameter models in representing typical UK domestic buildings using mainstream operational data such as temperatures and gas consumption measurements is explored. This thesis concludes on the adequacy of the operational data as measured. High correlations (>0.9) between whole-house average indoor temperatures and individual room air temperature measurements prove the use of averages adequate for representing the main rooms of the houses, whereas individual representation of the house s main rooms in use in the same model can prove challenging. A similar result is observed for whole-house radiator representation and the individual radiators. The relationships between the operational data is explored to inform the model structure and to identify collinearity and multi collinearity in the measurements. In terms of whole-house modelling, when using constraints for the parameter values during the model calibration to the measured data the resulting model parameters can be realistic and a good agreement to the measured data can be achieved (on average an RMSE of 1.03 for air temperature). The most significant parameters affecting the mean value of internal air temperatures are the external envelope resistance Re, the non-inertia elements (e.g. windows and doors) resistance, the window area for solar gains, boiler efficiency and the infiltration rate. The indoor air and internal element heat capacitance had the greatest impact on the swing in the internal air temperature (a 75% decrease in the capacitance value resulted in a 190.70% increase in the standard deviation value on average across the 11 houses). The building envelope heat capacitance and the envelope node positioning were the two parameters with the least impact on the model goodness of fit (a 75% decrease in capacitance and a value of 0.9 in envelope node positioning resulted in a 2.57% and 6.68% increase respectively in the RMSE on average across all 11 houses). Finally, the heating system representation using the Lumped Parameter model showed that the whole-house gas consumption data at the meter level, consisting of gas used for space heating as well as other purposes, is inadequate to drive the heating system model. A temperature threshold (e.g. of 1oC) indicating model overprediction can be used to remove the time-stamps of mixed use gas consumption from the model calibration. The heating system model can then be used to quantify gas consumption for space heating and non-space heating uses. In the 11 houses under study, 82.96% of the total gas consumption served for space heating, with 17.04% serving for other non-space heating purposes.

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Salleh, Azhari bin Md. « A methodology for the selection of overall strategic performance measures for manufacturing business ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 1995. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/7064.

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This research has identified the performance measures congruent with each model during a business life cycle. Questionnaire surveys have also been carried out to complement and validate the theoretical models. The results of the survey generally confirm the expected measures derived from the theoretical models. The learning process for these newer industrial business organisations can be greatly reduced if the expertise and experience of the established manufacturing business organisations is made readily available. This is the motivation for this research and the methodology which has been developed. The research also proposes use of a knowledge based expert decision support system to encapsulate the methodology, and the wealth of expert knowledge in the domain of performance measures. A prototype knowledge based expert decision support system has been developed to test the concept. It is hoped that this research has achieved its aim to provide a new contribution in the manufacturing business organisation strategy domain and to the improvement of managerial productivity and effectiveness through better use of performance measures.

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De, Leon Sherryl A. « Epstein-Barr virus associated post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders : preventative measures and current treatments ». Thesis, Boston University, 2012. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/12344.

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Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you.
Lymphoproliferative disorders develop in 1-20% of solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant surgeries and continue to be serious and potentially fatal post-surgery complications for patients. Epstein-Barr virus, which is estimated to have infected over 90% of the adult population, is a major risk factor for the development of a post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) and is linked to the majority of cases. PTLD can be defined as an aberrant growth of lymphocytes typically attributed to the standard practice of immunosuppressive therapy post hematopoietic stem cell transplant or solid organ transplant procedures. Disorders range from a relatively harmless benign plasmacytic hyperplasia to an aggressive malignant lymphoma. The complexity of the patient population diagnosed with PTLD, as well as the broad spectrum of clinical and pathological manifestations of the disorder, make the use of a standardized therapeutic strategy impractical. This reason can also be attributed to the fact that large scale, randomized, controlled trials of therapeutic regimens are lacking. However, reduction of immunosuppression (RI) remains a frontline therapeutic strategy for PTLD and several studies have found success in combining RI and rituximab, an antibody that targets B-lymphocytes. As with other lymphomas, radiation and/or surgery to excise localized tumors are still widely used in the management of this disorder. Chemotherapy is mainly used as a salvage therapy when all else fails, since mortality rates from drug toxicity effects remain high. Novel approaches have shown much promise in initial studies. They include adoptive immunosuppression with EBV-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes and antiviral agents and alternative immunosuppressants with antineoplastic effects that slow down B-cell proliferation. Further research should be done to confirm safety and efficacy of these new modalities. Research attention has turned to the discovery of prophylactic strategies and the improvement of methods to attain earlier diagnoses ofPTLD. An EBV vaccine is being developed to prevent EBV infection, since EBV-serostatus is the major risk factor for PTLD. Innovations in EBV-DNA load monitoring have been proven helpful in the early diagnosis of PTLD, when therapies are most effective. There have been many developments in the prophylactic and therapeutic approaches to PTLD, but more research should be done in the future to confirm their efficacies. Additionally, an algorithm for PTLD treatment recommendations should be developed using information from previous studies. The algorithm would help clinicians decide on the best treatment method for their patients based on the success of patients with similar characteristics.

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Toomer, Tarla TaMia. « Development of Risk Based Treatability and Engineering Measures for Reducing Exposure to Lead Contaminated Media in the Miami Inner City, Florida ». FIU Digital Commons, 2008. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/219.

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A major consequence of contamination at the local level’s population as it relates to environmental health and environmental engineering is childhood lead poisoning. Environmental contamination is one of the pressing environmental concerns facing the world today. Current approaches often focus on large contaminated industrial size sites that are designated by regulatory agencies for site remediation. Prior to this study, there were no known published studies conducted at the local and smaller scale, such as neighborhoods, where often much of the contamination is present to remediate. An environmental health study of local lead-poisoning data in Liberty City, Little Haiti and eastern Little Havana in Miami-Dade County, Florida accounted for a disproportionately high number of the county’s reported childhood lead poisoning cases. An engineering system was developed and designed for a comprehensive risk management methodology that is distinctively applicable to the geographical and environmental conditions of Miami-Dade County, Florida. Furthermore, a scientific approach for interpreting environmental health concerns, while involving detailed environmental engineering control measures and methods for site remediation in contained media was developed for implementation. Test samples were obtained from residents and sites in those specific communities in Miami-Dade County, Florida (Gasana and Chamorro 2002). Currently lead does not have an Oral Assessment, Inhalation Assessment, and Oral Slope Factor; variables that are required to run a quantitative risk assessment. However, various institutional controls from federal agencies’ standards and regulation for contaminated lead in media yield adequate maximum concentration limits (MCLs). For this study an MCL of .0015 (mg/L) was used. A risk management approach concerning contaminated media involving lead demonstrates that the linkage of environmental health and environmental engineering can yield a feasible solution.

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Chan, Dara V. « Using geographic information systems (GIS) to measure community integration and accessibility for people with disabilities who were once homeless ». Thesis, Boston University, 2013. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/12069.

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Thesis (Sc.D.)--Boston University
This purpose ofthis dissertation is to expand the understanding of the community integration of individuals with disabilities who used to be homeless but now have permanent housing. Current measures of community integration rely on self-report assessments that often quantify physical or social participation, but fail to capture the individual's spatial presence in the community, accessibility to resources, and neighborhood characteristics that may promote or impede integration efforts. To sustain the momentum of research in community integration and recovery, new techniques using activity maps created by participants combined with quantitative assessments of integration are an important next step. The use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques in combination with a participatory mapping interview provides a more comprehensive approach to evaluating community integration. In addition, GIS calculations of an individual's activity space area based on the drawn maps may provide meaningful information about one's activity and movement patterns within the community in relation to other measures of community integration. Finally, by having individuals create their own maps, they define what community means and what locations are important to them in the integration process. The first study measures the size ofan individual's activity space, or spatial extent of one's day-to-day interactions in the community, and compares this measure to the results of more traditional, survey-based community integration measures. Methods in the first study also explore the types of locations, activities, and resources that are identified as important to individuals in their interaction with the community, as well as test the significance of family involvement and feeling part of the community. The second study examines the relationship of proximity to community features within the individual's immediate environment to both community integration outcomes and the types of locations used. Methodological strengths of these studies include identification of current community integration activities from the individual's perspective and using a spatial approach to measure the impact of accessibility and neighborhood characteristics on community integration.

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Cosar-Jorda, Paula. « A socio-technical evaluation of the impact of energy demand reduction measures in family homes ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 2017. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/25181.

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Energy consumption in the home depends on appliance ownership and use, space heating systems, control set-points and hot water use. It represents a significant proportion of national demand in the UK. The factors that drive the level of consumption are a complex and interrelated mix of the numbers of people in the home, the building and system characteristics as well as the preferences for the internal environment and service choices of occupants. Reducing the energy demand in the domestic sector is critical to achieving the national 2050 carbon targets, as upward of 60% reduction in demand is assumed by many energy system scenarios and technology pathways. The uptake of reduction measures has been demonstrated to be quite ad hoc and intervention studies have demonstrated considerable variation in the results. Additionally, a limitation of many studies is that they only consider one intervention, whereas a more holistic approach to the assessment of the potential of reduction measures in specific homes may yield a better understanding of the likely impact of measures on the whole house consumption and indeed would shed light on the appropriateness of the assumptions that underpin the decisions that need to be made regarding the future energy supply system and demand strategies. This work presents a systematic approach to modelling potential reductions for a set of seven family homes, feeding back this information to householders and then evaluating the likely reduction potential based on their responses. Carried out through a combination of monitoring and semi-structured interviews, the approach develops a methodology to model energy reduction in specific homes using monitoring data and steady-state heat balance principles to determine ventilation heat loss, improving the assumptions within the energy model regarding those variables affected by human behaviour. The findings suggest that the anticipated reductions in end use energy demand in the domestic sector are possible, but that there is no `one size fits all' solution. A combination of retrofitting and lifestyle change is needed in most homes and smart home technology may potentially be useful in assisting the home owner to achieve reductions where they are attempting to strike a balance between energy efficiency, service and comfort.

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Verde, Julianna Villa. « As medidas provisórias e a relação executivo-legislativo no Brasil (1988 – 2014) ». Master's thesis, Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/14073.

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Dissertação de Mestrado em Ciência Política
Esta dissertação descreve a interação entre os poderes Executivo e Legislativo no sistema político brasileiro após o fim do regime militar (1964 a 1985) e a transição para a democracia. O período analisado tem início na promulgação da Constituição Federal de 1988 e termina em 2014, compreendendo oito mandatos presidenciais, de José Sarney, Itamar Franco, Fernando Collor de Mello, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva e Dilma Roussef. A análise sobre a preponderância do poder Executivo no processo legislativo brasileiro tem como foco a Medida Provisória, instrumento a dispor do presidente que, no momento de sua edição, ganha caráter automático de lei, a vigorar provisoriamente e com prazo para deliberação na casa legislativa. Procura-se contextualizar o uso da Medida Provisória no âmbito do chamado Presidencialismo de Coalizão brasileiro e compreender, por meio de análise quantitativa, a recorrência a este recurso pelos presidentes do período estudado. Além disso, pretende-se entender os movimentos do Congresso Nacional no sentido de limitar a atuação legislativa da presidência, pela análise da Emenda Constitucional nº32 de 2001 e seus efeitos no processo legislativo.
This dissertation describes the interaction between Executive and Legislative powers in the Brazilian political system after the end of the military regime (1964 a 1985) and the transition towards a democracy. The analysed period begins with the publication of the Federal Constitution of 1988 and ends in 2014, consisting in eight presidential mandates, of José Sarney, Itamar Franco, Fernando Collor de Mello, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Dilma Roussef. The analysis about the preponderance of the Executive power over the legislative process in Brazil focuses on the Provisional Measure, instrument in hands of the President that, in the moment of its edition, gains automatic status of law, being provisionally enforced and with a deadline of deliberation in the Legislative branch. We look to provide a context of the use of the Provisional Measures in the scope of the so called Brazilian Coalition Presidentialism and comprehend, by a quantitative analysis, the frequence of the use of this resources by the presidents in the studied period. Besides that, we intend to understand the movements of the National Congress to limit the legislative action of the presidency, through the analysis of the Constitutional Amendment nº32 of 2001 and its effects in the legislative process.
N/A

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Darby, Jenny A. « An investigation of social and other factors which influence evaluations of educational courses ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 2005. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/2810.

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This thesis examines factors, which influence responses on “paper and pencil” evaluations, commonly used with training programmes. A series of ten studies investigated evaluations of a wide range of courses, some taught by the researcher. It was emphasised, evaluations should take into account the educational variables of type of training, type of student and course content. Open ended evaluations were found to be influenced by a desire to react in a socially desirable manner. This interpretation was supported by student's responses on a questionnaire. The value of open ended evaluations as a probing mechanism was emphasised. Activity measure evaluations were found to relate more closely to the effort involved in the task than the to merits of a particular aspect of a course. Likert style structured rating scales were subject to a ‘halo effect'. Students also tended to answer using the favourable end of scales regardless of their real feelings. Combining two evaluation techniques was found to have a dramatic effect on response rate on open ended evaluations and thus validity. In addition response patterns produced conflicting findings between open ended and Likert style scales.. It is suggested the way people complete evaluation forms is partly a reflection of the impact of a range of influences, not formerly linked by research methods texts to evaluation form. It was stressed the educational aims of any evaluation should be established before methods of evaluation are decided.

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Kiritsis, Demetrios V. « An analysis of self-report measures in comparing physical activity patterns in English and Greek children ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 1996. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/10595.

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The Analysis of Self-Report Measures in Comparing the Physical Activity Patterns of English and Greek Children Educators and health professionals have expressed concern that the physical activity patterns of children have declined during the past decades and many researchers believe that the levels of activity have declined to such an extent to be detrimental to health. However, the research evidence is contradictory. This represents the starting point for the design of a self-report measure of physical activity (interview based questionnaire) comprising two fonns - a week-day and week-end fonnat - for use with English children but modified for use with children in Greece. The evaluation of the self-report measure involved a number of studies to establish its validity and reliability. The interview-based questionnaire involved estimates of children's time commitment to activity therefore to establish its reliability a number of studies were undertaken to ascertain the accuracy of their estimates. A scoring procedure based on intensity, frequency and accumulation of activity during a whole day was developed to establish an activity score to distinguish levels of activity. The study paralleled a similar investigation by Cale (1993) This was followed by investigation of a sample of Greek children aged 11 to 14 to establish their physical activity patterns. The data from this investigation was used to compare Greek children (n= 113) with a sample of English children (n = 199) from the East Midlands region (Cale, 1993). The findings of the Greek investigation revealed that the majority (58%) of the children were inactive and girls were less active than boys and activity levels declined with age. A similar pattern emerged when the results were compared with an English sample. The implications of the study have far reaching consequences for the health of young people in both countries and other international studies. The implications of these results are discussed and proposals for future research highlight the need for much larger scale studies in different popUlation and cultural groups using questionnaires to avoid the time consuming method of interviews. The research also highlights the need for more qualitative analysis to explore the reasons why some young people are less active than others.

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Tink, Victoria J. « The measured energy efficiency and thermal environment of a UK house retrofitted with internal wall insulation ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 2018. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/33727.

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Approximately 30% of the UK s housing stock is comprised of older, solid wall buildings. Solid walls have no cavity and were built without insulation; therefore these buildings have high heat loss, can be uncomfortable for occupants throughout the winter and require an above-average amount of energy to heat. Solid wall buildings can be made more energy efficient by retrofitting internal wall insulation (IWI). However, there is little empirical evidence on how much energy can be saved by insulating solid wall buildings and there are concerns that internal wall insulation could lead to overheating in the summer. This thesis reports measured results obtained from a unique facility comprised of a matched pair of unoccupied, solid wall, semi-detached houses. In the winter of 2015 one house of the pair was fitted with internal wall insulation then both houses had their thermal performance measured to see how differently they behaved. Measuring the thermal performance was the process of measuring the wall U-values, the whole house heat transfer coefficient and the whole house airtightness of the original and insulated houses. Both houses were then monitored in the winter of 2015, monitoring was the process of measuring the houses energy demand while using synthetic occupancy to create normal occupancy conditions. In the summer of 2015 indoor temperatures were monitored in the houses to assess overheating. The monitoring was done firstly to see how differently an insulated and an uninsulated house perform under normal operating conditions: with the blinds open through the day and the windows closed. Secondly, a mitigation strategy was applied to reduce high indoor operative temperatures in the houses, which involved closing the blinds in the day to reduce solar gains and opening the windows at night to purge warm air from the houses. The original solid walls were measured to have U-values of 1.72 W/m2K, while with internal wall insulation the walls had U-values of 0.21 W/m2K, a reduction of 88%. The house without IWI had a heat transfer coefficient of 238 W/K; this was reduced by 39% to 144 W/K by installing IWI. The monitored data from winter was extrapolated into yearly energy demand; the internally insulated house used 52% less gas than before retrofit. The measured U-values, whole house heat loss and energy demand were all compared to those produced from RdSAP models. The house was found to be more energy efficient than expected in its original state and to continue to use less energy than modelled once insulated. This has important implications for potential carbon savings and calculating pay-back times for retrofit measures. In summer, operative temperatures in the living room and main bedroom were observed to be higher, by 2.2 oC and 1.5 oC respectively, in the internally insulated house in comparison to the uninsulated house. Both of these rooms overheated according to CIBSE TM52 criteria; however the tests were conducted during an exceptionally warm period of weather. With the simple mitigation strategy applied the indoor operative temperature in the internally insulated house was reduced to a similar level as observed in the uninsulated house. This demonstrates that any increased overheating risk due to the installation of internal wall insulation can be mitigated through the use of simple, low cost mitigation measures. This research contributes field-measured evidence gathered under realistic controlled conditions to show that internal wall insulation can significantly reduce the energy demand of a solid wall house; this in turn can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and could help alleviate fuel poverty. Further to this it has been demonstrated that in this archetype and location IWI would cause overheating only in unusually hot weather and that indoor temperatures can be reduced to those found in an uninsulated house through the use of a simple and low cost mitigation strategy. It is concluded that IWI can provide a comfortable indoor environment, and that overheating should not be considered a barrier to the uptake of IWI in the UK.

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Proctor, Susan P. « The influence of overtime on cognitive function as measured by neurobehavioral tests in an occupational setting ». Thesis, Boston University, 1992. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/34664.

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Thesis (D.S.)--Boston University
PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you.
This two year cohort study involved 248 workers within the automotive industry and explored the effects of two workplace factors, e.g. overtime and assembly-line work, on behavior and cognitive performance as measured by neurobehavioral tests. Review of the occupational epidemiology literature did not reveal any studies of the effects of cumulative fatigue, as a result of long work days due to overtime, on cognitive abilities or job performance. Overtime, defined as number of hours worked greater than 8 hours per day and/or greater than 5 days per week, was calculated from company payroll records. Subjects were categorized as working a machine-paced, assembly line job based on review of their work histories and characterization of their job codes. Cross-sectional analysis of Year 1 data by multiple linear regression demonstrated that overtime worked the week before testing was significantly associated with increased response times on tasks involving simple and complex attention and executive function and an attention-requiring task of basic verbal abilities. The findings from Year 1 support the hypothesis that overtime per week results in cumulative fatigue which affects cognitive performance in the specific functional domains of attention and executive function. Machine-paced work was significantly associated with impaired performance in the areas of attention and executive function, however no significant mood changes were observed. An increased number of errors on a task of complex attention and executive function, poorer performance on a visual memory task involving attention and new learning skills, and reduced percent correct on a computerized task of attention and motor skills and on an attention-requiring task of basic verbal abilities were observed. Machine-paced work did not significantly affect the observed effects of overtime. The results suggest a different response to the strain produced by machine-paced work than that observed with overtime. Machine-paced work was predictive of a faster response time with increased errors, whereas the fatigue effects of overtime resulted in a slower time to complete a task without a decrease in accuracy. Neither overtime nor machine-paced work was associated with performance on any test in Year 2. It was suspected that fewer subjects working increased overtime hours, loss-to-follow-up, and that two of the tests associated with overtime in Year 1 were not repeated in the Year 2 battery, contributed to the difference in the findings between the two years. Further study is recommended to evaluate the proposed hypotheses regarding the effects of overtime and machine-paced work on cognitive function and to investigate the strategic response difference between overtime and machine-paced work.
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Graham, Martin. « Measuring a firm's economic profitability : a study of the measurement of a firm's economic profitability with proposals for, and evaluations of, an ex post measure, return on total capital employed (ROTCE), and an ex ante measure, a modified version of Tobin's q (modq) employing current earnings in lieu of capital employed ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 1994. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/7268.

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Despite its significance for industrial economics, utility regulation and competition policy, the measurement of the economic profitability of a firm remains a relatively underresearched area. The difference between the Accounting Rate of Return (ARR), measured on a net replacement cost or current cost basis, and a firm's estimated risk adjusted cost of capital is favoured by many economic researchers and is widely employed in utility regulation, but strong claims have been made for Tobin's q (q - the ratio of the market value of a firm's securities to the cost of replicating the firm, often identified with the net replacement cost of its net assets). Both measures have shortcomings. Davis and Kay have drawn attention to, but have failed to fully explain, a bias in ARR when firms buy in goods and services. Bias in q due to the omission of hidden capital can be significant. In this paper, economic profitability is identified with a firm's input-output ratio expressed in present value terms, and with the internal rate of return on a firm's expenditure in the accounting year, both revenue and capital. In the case of ex Post profitability, the last two measures are shown to be equivalent. Departures from the form of these ideal measures explains the biases in both ARR and q. Employing the Capital Asset Pricing Model, two alternative, operational measures of a firm's economic profitability are derived from the ideal measures with a view to eliminating the biases in q and ARR. The ex post measure is called here the Return on Total Capital Employed (ROTCE) and the ex ante measure is called here modified Tobin's q (modq). ROTCE is appraised using data from a simple corporate model. modq is appraised using data extracted from the accounts of companies comprising the Buildings Materials and Food Manufacturing sectors of the FTA All Share Index. In this study, I/modq and 1/q are shown to be significantly correlated at the 95t confidence level, and some 45k of the difference between them can be associated with taxation effects. Associating market power with the product of Beta and the Return on Sales, 1/modq is found to be significantly related at the 95t confidence level with market power and wages deflated by market value.

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Georgiou, Georgios. « Assessing energy and thermal comfort of domestic buildings in the Mediterranean region ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 2015. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/18199.

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Nowadays, buildings are responsible for the 40% of energy consumption in the European Union, with energy up to 68% being coherent with thermal loads. Acknowledging the great potential of building sector, a substantial amount of the current building inventory must be refurbished, based on the trade-offs between energy and thermal comfort. To this effect, this study investigates the impact of retrofitting measures in residential envelope for areas experience Mediterranean climate. Seven detached houses, located in Cyprus, were modelled, investigating 253 parameters of envelope interventions and also, 7,056 combinations of these measures. In general, the findings revealed a seasonal performance variation of interventions with regards to the outdoor climate. The application of roof insulation determined as the most economic viable solution during retrofitting (single interventions), achieving a reduction up to 25% of annual energy consumption with enhancement of the indoor thermal environment. In the perspective of synergies between interventions, the application of roof and external walls thermal insulation with upgrade of glazing system with double Low-E demonstrated exemplary levels of performance decreasing on average energy consumption up to 38%.The findings of this research will contribute on the development of guidelines for designers and house builders for a perceptual retrofitting of existing residential envelopes in Cyprus and also, for countries experiencing the Mediterranean climate.

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Chen, Zhuo. « Towards practical location systems with privacy protection ». HKBU Institutional Repository, 2015. https://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_oa/218.

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With the rapid growth of mobile, ubiquitous and wearable computing, location-based services become an indispensable part of mobile internet. These services rely on the geographical position of the mobile devices and provide location-dependent contents or services to users, such as location-based in- stant messaging, POI browsing, map navigation, and location-based virtual reality games. Most existing systems implement these location-based services by always storing and transmitting raw, plaintext GPS coordinates. However, location information is arguably a private asset of individual user, and the disclosure of such information could lead to severe privacy disclosure of other even more sensitive information, such as religion, sexuality, medical condition, or political affiliation. To address this issue, researchers have proposed a series of techniques to protect user location privacy against location-based service providers. How- ever, it is challenging to apply these theoretical and sophisticated techniques ii to practical location systems because of the computational or network over- head imposed on the mobile devices as well as the complexity of the secure protocols and algorithms for application developers. In this thesis, I will study two real-life privacy-preserving location systems and show how they can be adopted by developers with little security background. The rst is outdoor proximity detection that determines whether two users (or a user and an ob- ject) are within a given distance threshold. This is a fundamental service in many geo-social or map services. For example, \People nearby" in Wechat and QQ interconnect users because of their locality and/or mutual interests in some topics, such as food and movies. The second is indoor location mon- itoring and tracking. Wearable devices such as smart watch and bracelets continually broadcast Bluetooth Low Energy signals, which can be easily cap- tured by monitoring devices such as WiFi routers and Bluetooth scanners. As more and more wearable devices emerge, unauthorized monitoring and track- ing by adversary becomes great privacy threats not only in the cyberworld, but also in the physical world. To protect location privacy, I develop a real- life location monitoring system that is based on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) privacy feature that changes the device physical address periodically. To en- able users to better control their privacy level while still providing monitoring and tracking service to authorized parties (e.g., for child and elderly care), I extend BLE privacy by enriching its privacy semantics with a comprehensive set of metrics, such as simple opt-in/out, k-anonymity, and granularity-based anonymity. Both systems have been posted online and evaluated in terms of accuracy and user study.

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Lian, Peng. « Pathwise properties of random quadratic mapping ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 2010. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/6628.

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Mažuolis, Jurgis. « Research and evaluation of wind turbines noise and protection measures ». Doctoral thesis, Lithuanian Academic Libraries Network (LABT), 2014. http://vddb.library.lt/obj/LT-eLABa-0001:E.02~2014~D_20140211_122049-67519.

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The dissertation examines the issue of noise emission from the wind farms. The objects of investigation are wind farm noise and environmentally friendly low-frequency noise-deadening materials with cylindrical structure. The paper addresses a number of key objectives: to determine and assess low frequency noise and infrasound emission and dispersion both inside and outside the industrial wind farms, as well as to establish effective measures for protection of settlements against low-frequency noise generated by wind turbines. The dissertation consists of an introduction, three chapters, conclusions, recommendations, list of references and the author's publications on the topics. The introductory chapter discusses the research problem, the relevance of the investigation, describes the object of the research, states the aims and objectives, presents the research methodology, scientific novelty, practical significance of the results, and the statements for defending. It also highlights practical significance of the dissertation presents the author's publications and presentations at conferences, and explains the structure of the thesis. The first chapter is devoted to literature review. It provides an overview of general problems related to wind and noise produced by wind turbines, an overview of the outlook on wind energy in Lithuania, and a discussion of wind turbine constructions. The chapter presents the analysis of aerodynamic noise emitted by means of low-frequency noise... [to full text]
Disertacijoje nagrinėjama triukšmo sklaidos nuo vėjo jėgainių problema. Pagrindiniai tyrimo objektai yra vėjo jėgainių parkų skleidžiamas triukšmas ir aplinkai nekenksmingos, cilindrinę struktūrą turinčios, žemo dažnio triukšmą slopinančios medžiagos. Darbe sprendžiami keli pagrindiniai uždaviniai: nustatomas ir įvertinamas žemo dažnio triukšmo ir infragarso susidarymas ir sklaida pramoninių vėjo jėgainių parkuose ir jų išorėje, taip pat nustatomos efektyvios gyvenviečių apsaugos priemonės nuo vėjo jėgainių keliamo žemo dažnio triukšmo. Disertaciją sudaro įvadas, trys skyriai, bendrosios išvados, rekomendacijos, naudotos literatūros ir autoriaus publikacijų disertacijos tema sąrašai. Įvadiniame skyriuje aptariama tiriamoji problema, darbo aktualumas, aprašomas tyrimų objektas, formuluojamas darbo tikslas bei uždaviniai, aprašoma tyrimų metodika, darbo mokslinis naujumas, darbo rezultatų praktinė reikšmė, ginamieji teiginiai. Įvado pabaigoje pristatomos disertacijos tema autoriaus paskelbtos publikacijos ir pranešimai konferencijose bei disertacijos struktūra. Pirmasis skyrius skirtas literatūros analizei. Jame pateikta vėjo jėgainių ir jų keliamo triukšmo apžvalga. Apžvelgtos vėjo energetikos būklė Lietuvoje, vėjo jėgainių konstrukcijos, vėjo jėgainių triukšmo formavimosi principas, triukšmo matavimo metodikos. Analizuojamos skleidžiamo aerodinaminio triukšmo mažinimo priemonės bei žemo dažnio triukšmo slopinimo būdai ir izoliuojančių medžiagų panaudojimas. Skyriaus... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

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Pindus, Dominika. « The relations between objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, chronic aerobic exercise and cognitive control in children and adolescents ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 2015. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/17621.

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Physical inactivity among young people is a public health concern. Markers of physical inactivity, such as low cardio-respiratory fitness (CRF) and obesity are adversely related to higher order cognitive functions, which underpin goal directed behaviour (i.e. cognitive control) and are implicated in academic achievement. Regular aerobic exercise can benefit cognitive control in children. However, it remains unknown whether daily physical activity behaviour is associated with cognitive control. Investigating this is important as targeting increments in daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) may initially be a more realistic policy goal than developing aerobic exercise interventions. Nominal number of studies assessed this relationship using objective monitoring of physical activity (accelerometry), and yielded mixed results. None of the studies into objectively measured physical activity and cognitive function in young people controlled for CRF, which is posited to mediate the relationship between regular aerobic exercise and cognitive control. Likewise, other important confounders such as intelligence, have yet to be addressed in the literature. Moreover, it is unknown whether this relationship varies with age, as extant studies looked solely at younger adolescents. For example, meta-analytical findings (Fedewa & Ahn, 2011) suggest that children can benefit more cognitively from CRF and chronic aerobic exercise than adolescents as greater effect sizes have been observed for younger compared to older youngsters. Alternatively, chronic aerobic exercise may be specifically needed for cognitive benefits to emerge. However, none of the aerobic exercise interventions included objective assessments of baseline physical activity and few studies assessed the effects of chronic aerobic exercise interventions on multiple indices of cognitive control. This thesis aimed to address the limitations of previous research and to investigate: 1) the associations between objectively measured daily MVPA and cognitive control in older adolescents (study 1), and 2) in preadolescent children (study 2), while controlling for CRF, general intellectual ability and a number of important confounders (e.g. adiposity, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder); 3) the relationship between daily MVPA and academic achievement (study 2); 4) the effects of chronic aerobic exercise intervention on cognitive control in children, while controlling for objectively measured daily MVPA and time sedentary at baseline (study 3). Methods: Study 1. A sample of 667 adolescents (Mage = 15.4, SD = .17, 55.5% girls) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children was included in the analyses. MVPA was measured with ActiGraph, GT1M accelerometer. CRF was assessed with sub-maximal cycle ergometer test and expressed as weight adjusted predicted physical work capacity at the heart rate of 170 beats per minute (PWC-170). Attentional control was measured with Stop Signal task. Study 2. A sample of 81 children (Mage = 8.64 years, SD = .57, 45.7 % girls) was included in the analyses. MVPA was objectively measured using the ActiGraph, wGT3X+ accelerometer. CRF was measured using a maximal graded exercise test on a treadmill. Inhibitory control was assessed with a modified Eriksen flanker task, working memory with Operation Span Task; and academic achievement with Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement. Study 3. 32 children (Mage = 8.64, SD = .58, 56.2% girls) were randomised into a physical activity intervention (FITKids2) or a waitlist control group. Changes in VO2max were measured using a maximal graded treadmill exercise test and changes in MVPA were objectively monitored for 7 days using the ActiGraph, wGT3X+ accelerometer. Behavioural measures of inhibition (reaction time, and accuracy) and working memory (accuracy) were taken using computerised laboratory tasks (modified Eriksen flanker task and Operation Span Task). Results: Study 1. MVPA was not significantly related to cognitive processing speed or variability of cognitive performance in hierarchical linear regression models. In simple regression models, CRF was negatively related to mean RT on the simple go condition (R2 = 2.6%, F(1, 308) = 8.28, p = .004). Study 2. No significant associations were noted between MVPA and either inhibition, working memory, or academic achievement. In contrast, CRF explained 4.7% of variance in accuracy interference (ΔR2 = .047, p = .045; β = -.22, t(78) = 2.03, p = .045, F(2, 78) = 4.95, p = .009). Study 3. FITKids2 physical activity intervention had a positive effect on the speed of responding during incongruent condition of flanker task (F(1, 30) = 4.69, p = .038, ηp2 = .13). A significant increase in BMI percentile was observed in the control (Z = 2.17, p = .03) but not in the intervention group (p = .53). Discussion: Study 1. Our results suggest that aerobic fitness, but not MVPA, was associated with cognitive processing speed under less cognitively demanding task conditions. The results thus indicate a potential global effect of aerobic fitness on cognitive functions in adolescents but this may differ depending on the specific task characteristics. Study 2. The results of this study suggest that CRF but not objectively measured MVPA was associated with better interference control in preadolescent children. Given the intermittent nature of children s daily MVPA, it is possible that aerobic exercise, which increases CRF is needed for cognitive benefits to emerge. Study 3. FITKids2 after-school physical activity intervention had a positive effect on children s inhibitory control, namely this cognitive function, which is closely related to academic achievement and future job and health outcomes. Thus, the results of this study convey a positive public health message, where promoting child s engagement in aerobic exercise can engender benefits to their cognitive function. Conclusions: The findings from this thesis can inform development of physical activity interventions to benefit cognitive functions in young people and contribute to the evidence base to inform future health and educational policies.

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Kucharczyk, Erica. « The occupational impact of sleep quality ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 2013. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/11336.

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While the importance of assessing the occupational consequences of insomnia and other sleep disorders is emphasised in clinical nosologies and research guidelines, there is little consensus on which aspects of occupational performance should be assessed, how such impairment should be measured, and how outcomes should be reported. The research programme described in this thesis aimed to address this issue. Chapter 1 presents a systematic review and methodical critique of studies reporting those aspects of occupational performance most impacted by (or most frequently associated with) insomnia symptoms and degraded sleep quality. Equivocal results, wide variations in reporting conventions, and the overall lack of comparability among studies, strongly indicated the need to develop a standardised metric able to quantify sleep related occupational performance and serve as an assessment and outcome instrument suitable for use in research and clinical settings. Informed by the literature review, Chapters 2-4 describe the development and validation of the Loughborough Occupational Impact of Sleep Scale ( LOISS ), a unidimensional 19 item questionnaire that captures sleep-related occupational impairment across a number of workplace domains over a 4-week reference period. Chapters 5-7 describe LOISS outcomes from: i) surveys in a random population sample; ii) a representative sample of the UK workforce; and iii) a clinical sample of patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (before and after treatment with CPAP). Overall, the scale showed strong internal consistency (Cronbach s alpha range=0.84-0.94) and test-retest reliability (r=0.77, r2=0.59, p<0.001), high levels of criterion validity (significantly discriminating between good and poor sleepers), and proved an effective outcome measure in OSA. From the survey data reported in Chapters 2-7, LOISS score distributions showed no consistent gender difference but did show a significant ageing gradient, with sleep-related occupational impairment declining with increasing age. In conclusion, the work presented here supports the usability, validity and reliability of the LOISS as an assessment and outcome instrument, and also demonstrates the utility of this instrument in exploring the dynamics of sleep-related occupational performance

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Rowley, Jordan M. « The Martingale Approach to Financial Mathematics ». DigitalCommons@CalPoly, 2019. https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/2014.

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In this thesis, we will develop the fundamental properties of financial mathematics, with a focus on establishing meaningful connections between martingale theory, stochastic calculus, and measure-theoretic probability. We first consider a simple binomial model in discrete time, and assume the impossibility of earning a riskless profit, known as arbitrage. Under this no-arbitrage assumption alone, we stumble upon a strange new probability measure Q, according to which every risky asset is expected to grow as though it were a bond. As it turns out, this measure Q also gives the arbitrage-free pricing formula for every asset on our market. In considering a slightly more complicated model over a finite probability space, we see that Q once again makes its appearance. Finally, in the context of continuous time, we build a framework of stochastic calculus to model the trajectories of asset prices on a finite time interval. Under the absence of arbitrage once more, we see that Q makes its return as a Radon-Nikodym derivative of our initial probability measure. Finally, we use the properties of Q and a stochastic differential equation that models the dynamics of the assets of our market, known as the Ito formula, in order to derive the classic Black-Scholes Equation.

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Venter, Sahm. « The safety of journalists an assessment of perceptions of the origins and implementation of policy at two international television news agencies / ». Thesis, Connect to this title online, 2005. http://eprints.ru.ac.za/213/.

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Walker, James Richard. « Relationships Among Student Leadership Experiences and Learning Outcomes ». Scholarly Repository, 2009. http://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/oa_dissertations/254.

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The relationships among students' reports of learning outcomes based on leadership experiences in various types of student organizations and various roles within organizations were investigated. Relationships between demographic variables (i.e., ethnicity, gender, age, and type of housing) and type of organization, role within an organization, and learning outcomes, were also examined. A new instrument, the Student Leadership Learning Outcomes Assessment (SLLOA), was created to measure student generated learning outcomes; it has good internal consistency and validity. The SLLOA was completed by 328 student leaders at a private southeastern university. SLLOA scores indicated student leaders in cultural and service groups reported learning more than student leaders in sports/athletic groups. Vice Presidents and Presidents reported learning more from the leadership experience than Treasurers. Female student leaders reported learning more than male. Relationships were found between ethnicity of student leaders and type of organization and between type of housing (i.e., on campus, off campus without parents/parental figures, off campus with parents/parental figures) and type of organization. There was no relationship between type of organization and leaders' gender and age, or between the role held and leaders' gender, ethnicity, and type of housing. The results revealed no relationship between ethnicity and SLLOA scores.

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Gregson-Green, Lucy E. « Resilience, security, and the railway station : a unique case study of the current and future resilience to security threats ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 2018. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/33411.

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Major railway stations in England and Wales are highly networked and open locations, frequently crowded, and are vulnerable to criminal and terrorist activities. Successive Government policies and agendas have sought to lessen this susceptibility, by promoting the understanding of and the application of resilience and security measures. Thus, the complex stakeholders are responsibilised (Garland, 1996) and urged to integrate and merge resilience, crime prevention and counter-terrorism measures into their governance, and operational policies and agendas. The aim of this research is to determine and examine the interdependencies and boundaries of the multiple stakeholders within St Pancras International Railway Station (SPIRS), and to analyse how their governance, operational and legislative requirements, and agendas influence current and future resilience of complex Category A railway stations to human malign security threats. Through a unique single case study of SPIRS, qualitative data was collected from thirty-two stakeholder participants, sampled for their expert opinion and experience. Data was also collected via documents and observations. SPIRS interconnected and complex stakeholders were represented using stakeholder analysis and mapping to create an original and innovative map highlighting those who can influence and impact the resilience of the space to human malign security threats. From the thematic analysis of the data, the overarching themes exposed the resilience within SPIRS operates in an uncertain legal space, competing with disparate institutional processes creating a gulf between reality and rhetoric of the responsibilisation of resilience and security strategies. The blurred boundaries of responsibility and understanding of the resilience and security agendas within SPIRS created tension between the national and local level stakeholders. The research adds an original and novel contribution to knowledge, as through contemporary empirical evidence it has established the political rhetoric of responsibilisation (Garland, 1996) for resilience and security policies are inconsistent and contradictory with the reality of how these transpire in an ambiguous operational and legal space such as SPIRS. Regardless of the mapped interdependencies between the multiple stakeholders and their interconnecting operational and legislative obligations, there is a definite absence of a clear and united approach to resilience, with concerns being dealt with by multiple stakeholders and policies. The research has revealed the complications and disparities the complex and multiple stakeholders face implementing policy and subsequently institutional changes in a cohesive manner. The findings of the research necessitate transformations in established organisational procedures, thus ensuring these interdependencies are dealt with now to make certain the effectual incorporation and integration of agendas and strategies are unified, and which maintain the resilience of Category A railway stations and SPIRS for future generations.

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Odey, E. J., et A. S. Sydorchuk. « The Retrospective Study of Epidemiological Measures Taken to Contain the Spread of the Ebola Virus in Nigeria in July 2014 ». Thesis, "Chyst", 2016. http://dspace.bsmu.edu.ua:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10869.

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Сміянова, Ольга Іванівна, Ольга Ивановна Смиянова, Olha Ivanivna Smiianova et E. A. Nduonyi. « The incidence and prevalence forcast of tuberculosis in Ukraine and Nigeria till 2014 and main measures to stop tuberculosis propagation ». Thesis, Сумський державний університет, 2013. http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/32147.

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The purpose of the work consists of study and comparison of the dynamics of incidence and prevalence of tuberculosis in Ukraine and Nigeria and the development of the forecast of these indices until 2014. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/32147

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Dove, Jacqueline Beckham Kreider Richard B. « Effects of a multicomponent school-based intervention on health markers, body composition, physical fitness, and psychological measures in overweight and obese adolescent females ». Waco, Tex. : Baylor University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2104/5253.

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Obioha, Chinonye Leuna. « User-centred design to engender trust in e-commerce ». Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/2414.

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Thesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016.
Consumer trust is a core element for any e-commerce website. This study aimed to explore attributes of business-to-consumers (B2C) e-commerce websites that can communicate and engender trust from the users’ perspective using user-centred design. E-commerce websites are known to have features such as security certificates and encryption methods to ensure trust, but this requires technical knowhow to understand. The technologies used to develop websites have improved so far, but it has little effect on improving the trust of the users of e-commerce mostly in developing countries (Africa in particular). E-commerce users do not realise that these features have been put in place for the trustworthiness of the websites which contributes to their reluctance to conduct business transactions online, thus reducing their buying intentions. There is a need to design e-commerce websites to communicate/ convey trust from the users’ perspective. The study explored various sources of data to obtain insight and understanding of the research problem—user-centred design (UCD) group activity with users, interviews with developers, and secondary prior literature. Using UCD as the main methodology, an intensive UCD workshop activity with a group of eight e-commerce users was carried out. Furthermore, to obtain the view of experts (developers) on what is currently done to engender trust in B2C e-commerce websites, interviews with four respondents were also carried out. These interviews were intended to reduce any prejudice or bias and to obtain a clearer understanding of the phenomenon being studied. The findings from the study revealed six main attributes to engender trust, namely aesthetics design, security and information privacy, functionality design, trustworthiness based on content, development process, and vendor attributes. Proposed guidelines for each of the attributes were outlined. The findings from the users showed that those who were acquainted with the e-commerce technologies were those whose backgrounds are computer and technology related. Most users focused on aesthetics design, functionality, and security of their privacy and private details. Less emphasis was placed on the technology behind the e-commerce websites. Users use their aesthetic and cognitive value in their judgement for trust. The findings from the research were further validated using the Domestication of Technology Theory (DTT), which resulted in the development of a user-centred e-commerce trust model.

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Jacobsen, Helen Letícia Grala. « Interação estratégica entre os poderes executivo e legislativo : as Medidas Provisórias editadas nos mandatos de Lula e Dilma (2003-2014) ». Universidade Federal de Pelotas, 2016. http://repositorio.ufpel.edu.br:8080/handle/prefix/3105.

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Submitted by Simone Maisonave (simonemaisonave@hotmail.com) on 2016-11-30T13:54:11Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Helen Leticia Grala Jacobsen_Dissertacao .pdf: 2069126 bytes, checksum: b393793f15dd599125ff3ab7c1ed2a67 (MD5)
Made available in DSpace on 2016-11-30T13:54:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Helen Leticia Grala Jacobsen_Dissertacao .pdf: 2069126 bytes, checksum: b393793f15dd599125ff3ab7c1ed2a67 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-06-16
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Esta dissertação tem como objetivo analisar a utilização das MPs pelo Executivo e a participação do Poder Legislativo nos dois governos de Lula e no mandato de Dilma (2003-2014). Apresenta o instrumento da MP desde sua criação em 1988 e as mudanças institucionais pelas quais passou. Traz o posicionamento especialmente de autores da Ciência Política sobre o tema que os divide: se as MPs promovem a governabilidade ou ingovernabilidade. A dissertação apresenta a pesquisa empírica realizada com base em três vértices: quantitativo, tema e resultado das MPs. Também analisa a participação do Legislativo na formatação final das MPs através de PLVs e eventuais vetos presidenciais. As fontes de estudo são: recursos bibliográficos, sites oficiais, dados da Presidência da República, da Câmara Federal e do Senado.
The dissertation aims to analyze the use of MPs by the Executive and the participation of the legislature in both Lula and Dilma governments in office (2003-2014). It displays the MP instrument since its creation in 1988 and the institutional changes by which it passed. It brings the positioning especially authors of Political Science on the topic that divides: If MPs promote governability and ungovernability. And it presents the empirical research based on three points: quantitative, subject and results of MPs. It also analyzes the participation of the legislature in the final formatting of MPs through PLVs and possible presidential vetoes. Study sources are library resources, official websites, the Presidency of the Republic data, the Federal House and Senate.

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Ložytė, Aurelija. « The influence of agri-environmental measures based grassland management on grassland plant communities ». Doctoral thesis, Lithuanian Academic Libraries Network (LABT), 2014. http://vddb.library.lt/obj/LT-eLABa-0001:E.02~2014~D_20140526_082518-10331.

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Grassland is an important component of agrarian landscape, performing wide range of ecological, economic and social functions. Long-term changes of the conditions of habitats, determined by human economic activities, influence the state of grassland plants. Rural Development Programme for Lithuania 2007–2013 sets measure to preserve biological diversity of grassland. The purpose of it is to reduce negative anthropogenic effect on grassland plant communities using the EU funds. Having researched the differences of grassland plant diversity and economic value, influenced by different intensity economic activities, the main objective of this paper is to evaluate the efficiency of EU regulated, agri-environmental measures based, grassland management methods in small farming sector of Lithuania. The research, involving the assessment of the number of plant species, diversity of plant families, distribution of relative plant abundance, and dominance of plant species in plant communities in grassland managed traditionally and according to the requirements of agri-environmental farming, showed that both types of grassland had similar plant communities. Such conclusion was drawn from the analysis of Jaccard and Sörensen similarity coefficients. The difference of plant adaptation to soil dampness, acidity, and nutrition was not statistically significant in grasslands of both types. Most of the plants in grassland researched were mesophytes; soil acidity was not a determining factor to... [to full text]
Pievos yra svarbus agrarinio kraštovaizdžio komponentas, atliekantis įvairias ekologines, ekonomines ir socialines funkcijas. Ilgalaikiai augaviečių sąlygų pokyčiai, kuriuos lemia žmogaus ūkinė veikla, įtakoja pievų augalų būklę. Lietuvos kaimo plėtros 2007–2013 m. programoje numatyta priemonė pievų biologinės įvairovės išsaugojimui, kurios tikslas panaudojant ES lėšas mažinti neigiamą antropogeninį poveikį pievų augalų bendrijoms. Ištyrus pievų augalijos įvairovės ir ūkinės vertės skirtumus, sąlygotus skirtingos ūkinės veiklos intensyvumo, šio darbo tikslas įvertinti reglamentuotų, ES agrarinės aplinkosaugos priemonėmis paremtų, pievų tvarkymo metodų efektyvumą smulkiuose Lietuvos ūkiuose. Atliktas tyrimas parodė, kad įvertinus augalų rūšių skaičių, augalų šeimų įvairovę, augalų rūšių santykinio gausumo pasiskirstymą, dominuojančias augalų rūšis tradiciniais ir agrarinės aplinkosaugos reikalavimus atitinkančiais ūkininkavimo metodais tvarkomose pievose, nustatyta, kad jose augo panašios augalų bendrijos. Tai parodė ir Žakaro bei Sörensen bendrumo koeficientų reikšmės. Abiejų tipų pievose rastų augalų rūšių prisitaikymo prie dirvožemio drėgmės, rūgštingumo, turtingumo maisto medžiagomis rodiklių reikšmės statistiškai reikšmingai nesiskyrė. Pievų augalų bendrijose vyravo mezofitai, daugumai augalų rūšių dirvožemio rūgštingumas buvo neįtakojantis veiksnys, pievoms būdingi mezooligotrofiniai ir mezotrofiniai žolynai. Tyrimas parodė, kad biologinės įvairovės apsaugai palankus... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

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Barrett, Ashley K. Schlueter David W. « Gender, computer-mediated leadership, and the utilization of disciplinary measures breaking the unequal distribution of power and social stereotypes that invade face-to-face communication / ». Waco, Tex. : Baylor University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/2104/5316.

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Mazhikeyev, Arman. « Central Asia : colonial ties, economic performance & ; trade costs ». Thesis, Loughborough University, 2015. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/19042.

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This thesis comprises a three papers. The chapters stand on their own. Each paper-chapter analyses a specific issue and contains introduction, theoretical framework, methods of analyses, results and findings. Each of the chapters offers new empirical, methodological and modelling contributions with new empirical evidence and findings, with new extensions and specifications for the gravity based and CGE based analytical tools. The thesis reflects my analysis of regional and international trade of Central Asia by analyzing the past economic ties of the CA with former Big Brother , Russia; the present heterogeneity of socio-economic environment of CA countries; and the future development of CA trade relations with the formation of the Eurasian (Re)Union. The Introductory Chapter binds together the other chapters by discussing the general background of the Central Asian institutional formation, transition and trade relations; the research motivations and methodology employed in this thesis. Afterwards come three substantive chapters. In the first chapter, the analysis of enhancing economic relations between Russia and CA in the post-Soviet period contradicts the post-colonial trade erosion theory. In the second chapter, how the open or isolationist policies followed by Central Asian countries affect the performance of local firms and MNEs, and linked to the economic performances of the countries, is investigated. In the third chapter, the impact of deeper Eurasian regional economic integration is assessed quantitatively in the context of asymmetry between the union members and the EU deeper integration project. The final chapter discusses the limitations and possible directions for future research.

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