Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Comparison of measurement methods'

When creating cavities below ground, movements occur in the surrounding soil due to disrupted equilibrium. In tunnel constructions these displacements are referred to as tunnel convergence. This report compares four dierent methods for monitoring tunnel convergence with regards to both measurement precision and method cost. Three of the methods are based on displacement measurements of optical targets placed at regular intervals in the tunnel. Presented is also a method using a combination of wireless tilt and distance sensors to monitor tunnel convergence. The overall conclusion is that measurement precision and cost are well correlated. However, important to consider is that tunnel convergence monitoring cost is faceted and not only the obvious cost of equipment and labour, but also the indirect cost from interfering with other activities in the tunnel. Measurement precision of the dierent methods was determined by applying the methods in a lab environment, congured to eliminate any possible movements, and analysing the distribution of the displacement demonstrated by each method. In addition, information regarding the labour eort required to prepare and perform the measurements was also collected. Based on the experiments and literature studies, the report discusses the criteria to consider when selecting a tunnel convergence monitoring method and presents a comparison of the four methods included in the study.
Vid skapandet av underjordiska hålrum uppträder rörelser i den omgivande marken på grund av att jämvikten upphävs. I tunnelkonstruktioner kallas dessa förskjutningar för tunnelkonvergens. Denna rapport jämför, med avseende både på precision och kostnad, fyra metoder för mätning av tunnelkonvergens. Tre av metoderna baseras på förskjutningsmätningar av optiska mål placerade på regelbundna avstånd längs tunneln. Rapporten presenterar även en metod där en kombination av trådlösa tilt- och distanssensorer används för att monitorera tunnelkonvergens. Den övergripande slutsatsen är att mätprecision och kostnad är väl korrelerade. Viktigt är dock att beakta de olika delarna i den totala kostnaden, som inte bara består av kostnader för arbetskraft och utrustning utan även indirekta kostnader på grund av att annan verksamhet hindras under mätaktiviteter. Mätprecisionen för de olika metoderna uppskattades genom att analysera fördelningen av mätvärden uppmätta i en lab-miljö beskaffad så att inga rörelser förväntades. Från labmätningarna noterades även omfattningen av den arbetsinsats som krävs för att förbereda och utföra mätningarna. Med mätningarna och litteraturstudier som bakgrund diskuteras kriterier att beakta när man väler metod för konvergensmätning. Baserat på dessa kriterier jämförs de fyra metoderna.

Older adults with chewing and swallowing difficulties frequently report increased fatigue and effort, or energy expenditure, during eating. Energy is defined as the ability to perform work. It is most accurately measured through an examination of the gaseous composition of inhaled and exhaled air at rest and during activity using laboratory-based indirect calorimetry. There is a need for a valid measure of energy expenditure that can be used to document the effort involved in eating and swallowing in natural contexts. The purpose of the current study was to determine the concurrent validity of the portable SenseWear® system compared to indirect calorimetry during a simulated eating task. Nineteen university students served as participants. Each was connected simultaneously to indirect calorimetry and SenseWear® systems. Energy expenditure was obtained while participants chewed gum and swallowed repeatedly. Pearson product-moment correlations showed a close relationship (p < 0.05) between the two measurement methods. Mean Mid-Arm Muscle Circumference measures also correlated positively with both measurement methods, reflecting the influence of body mass on energy expenditure. Results support the use of the SenseWear® system to measure energy expenditure in chewing and swallowing in natural contexts, particularly for adults with chewing and swallowing difficulties.
Thesis (M.A.)--Wichita State University, College of Health Professions, Dept. of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 23-26, 2000 / Town & Country Hotel and Conference Center, San Diego, California
This presentation summarizes a study characterizing strain gages and pressure transducers used to measure the fluid pressure within aircraft hydraulic lines. A series of laboratory calibrations and finite element analyses was performed to demonstrate the quality of data from both pressure transducers and strain gages under variations in both temperature and external strains on the hydraulic lines. Strain gages showed a marked susceptibility to external strains on hydraulic lines, and wide variations in susceptibility to temperature changes. Pressure transducers were found to be relatively immune to both conditions. It is recommended that strain gages be used for trend data only.

Physical inactivity is a significant health concern for individuals in the United States, and is especially an issue for those with a history of coronary artery disease. Increased physical activity is encouraged for those who are participants in Phase III cardiac rehabilitation to promote a healthy lifestyle after a cardiac event. The purpose of the study was to assess and characterize the physical activity levels of Phase III cardiac patients. Other objectives of this study were to compare various forms of physical activity assessment and compare the activity levels of the cardiac rehabilitation participants with other populations. Comparisons of three physical activity devices were analyzed as well as activity levels on rehab and non-rehab days. Those who participated in home exercise vs. those who did not do home exercise were compared as well as those who were retired vs. those who were employed. Subject inclusion criteria included Phase III cardiac patients who were 40-69 years of age and who attended rehab a minimum of two days per week. The subjects were required to wear a pedometer and accelerometer for at least 12 days and complete a questionnaire following the trial. The mean ± S. D. for age, height, weight and BMI of the subjects was 59.4±8.2 years, 69.1±3.1 inches, 200.9±41.8 lbs., and 29.4±4.8 kg/m2 respectively. The Lifecorder, ActiGraph and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) were used to measure physical activity levels of the Phase III cardiac patients. The IPAQ did not correlate well with the Lifecorder or ActiGraph in assessing physical activity in Phase III cardiac patients (R=0.251, P=0.226-ActiGraph and R=0.280, P=0.175-Lifecorder), however, the Lifecorder and the ActiGraph had a significant correlation coefficient with one another (R=0.83, P<0.001). Rehab vs. non-rehab day data as well as rehab session and non-rehab session physical activity levels were compared among the subjects. On a rehab day, subjects took 9,770±3132 steps/day, which was significantly higher than what they took on a non-rehab day, 5,404±2843 steps/day. Those who did not exercise at home accumulated on average 8,194±2912 steps/day on a rehab day, while on a non-rehab day they accumulated 3,475±1579 steps/day (P<0.001). Those who did exercise at home, took 10,883±2856 steps/day on a rehab day, while on a non rehab day they took 6,767±2768 steps/day (P<0.001). Those who were employed were more active than those who were retired. In conclusion, Phase III cardiac rehabilitation is an effective way to increase physical activity levels of those with a history of coronary artery disease. All participants in Phase III cardiac rehabilitation should be encouraged to come into the center-based facility at least 4-5 days per week or implement a home exercise program into their weekly regimen.
School of Physical Education, Sport, and Exercise Science

Repetitive tasks, awkward hand/wrist postures and forceful exertions are known risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) of the hand and wrist. WMSD is a major cause of long work absence, productivity loss, loss in wages and individual suffering. Currently available assessment methods of the hand/wrist motion have the limitations of being inaccurate, e.g. when using self-reports or observations, or expensive and resource-demanding for following analyses, e.g. when using the electrogoniometers. Therefore, there is a need for a risk assessment method that is easy-to-use and can be applied by both researchers and practitioners for measuring wrist angular velocity during an 8-hour working day. Wearable Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) in combination with mobile phone applications provide the possibility for such a method. In order to apply the IMU in the field for assessing the wrist velocity of different work tasks, the accuracy of the method need to be examined. Therefore, this laboratory experiment was conducted to compare a new IMU-based method with the traditional goniometer and standard optical motion capture system. The laboratory experiment was performed on twelve participants. Three standard hand movements, including hand/wrist motion of Flexion-extension (FE), Deviation, and Pronationsupination (PS) at 30, 60, 90 beat-per-minute (bpm), and three simulated work tasks were performed. The angular velocity of the three methods at 50th and 90th percentile were calculated and compared. The mean absolute error and correlation coefficient were analysed for comparing the methods. Increase in error was observed with increase in speed/bpm during the standard hand movements. For standard hand movements, comparison between IMUbyaxis and Goniometer had the smallest difference and highest correlation coefficient. For simulated work tasks, the difference between goniometer and optical system was the smallest. However, for simulated work tasks, the differences between the compared methods were in general much larger than the standard hand movements. The IMU-based method is seen to have potential when compared with the traditional measurement methods. Still, it needs further improvement to be used for risk assessment in the field.
Upprepade uppgifter, besvärliga hand- / handledsställningar och kraftfulla ansträngningar är kända riskfaktorer för arbetsrelaterade muskuloskeletala störningar (WMSD) i hand och handled. WMSD är en viktig orsak till lång frånvaro, produktivitetsförlust, löneförlust och individuellt lidande. För närvarande tillgängliga bedömningsmetoder för hand / handledsrörelser har begränsningarna att vara felaktiga, t.ex. när du använder självrapporter eller observationer, eller dyra och resurskrävande för följande analyser, t.ex. när du använder elektrogoniometrarna. Därför finns det ett behov av en riskbedömningsmetod som är enkel att använda och som kan användas av både forskare och utövare för att mäta handledens vinkelhastighet under en 8-timmars arbetsdag. Wearable Inertial Measuring Units (IMU) i kombination med mobiltelefonapplikationer ger möjlighet till en sådan metod. För att kunna använda IMU i fältet för att bedöma handledens hastighet för olika arbetsuppgifter måste metodens noggrannhet undersökas. Därför genomfördes detta laboratorieexperiment för att jämföra en ny IMU-baserad metod med den traditionella goniometern och det vanliga optiska rörelsefångningssystemet. Laboratorieexperimentet utfördes på tolv deltagare. Tre standardhandrörelser, inklusive hand / handledsrörelse av Flexion-extension (FE), Deviation och Pronation-supination (PS) vid 30, 60, 90 beat-per-minut (bpm) och tre simulerade arbetsuppgifter utfördes. Vinkelhastigheten för de tre metoderna vid 50: e och 90: e percentilen beräknades och jämfördes. Det genomsnittliga absoluta felet och korrelationskoefficienten analyserades för att jämföra metoderna. Ökning av fel observerades med ökning av hastighet/bpm under standardhandrörelserna. För standardhandrörelser hade jämförelsen mellan IMUbyaxis och Goniometer den minsta skillnaden och högsta korrelationskoefficienten. För simulerade arbetsuppgifter var skillnaden mellan goniometer och optiskt system den minsta. För simulerade arbetsuppgifter var dock skillnaderna mellan de jämförda metoderna i allmänhet mycket större än de vanliga handrörelserna. Den IMUbaserade metoden anses ha potential jämfört med traditionella mätmetoder. Ändå behöver det förbättras för att kunna användas för riskbedömning på fältet.

The introduction of Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) in distribution network has an important innovation that brings the possibility of having in real time the complete knowledge of the full network with higher accuracy. In the following chapters is analized the possibility to derive the position of a fault along a line using measurements performed by a limited number of PMU connected to strategic nodes. Aim of this thesis is to analize and compare different possible use of PMU for fault location and undestrand which are the problematics that have to be solved for real implementation. Firstly is provided an introduction on the main features of the instrument focusing on the definition of the synchrophasor and because it is important to improve the quality of the measurements providing some accuracy indexes used to define such parameter. Then, different methods for fault location in distribution network are described concentrating the discussion on the algorithm provided for the calculation and finally, is introduced a method for stategic PMU positioning inside the network and then a comparison between the methods is performed emphasizing the advantages and disadvantages brings from each method, focusing on the limitations that can occur due to not easily accessible input data, exibility of each method to different types of fault and extension of the theorical model to a real network with different components and higher vastity.

Thesis (M.S. in Meteorology and Physical Oceanography) Naval Postgraduate School, March 1998.
"March 1998." Thesis advisor(s): Kenneth L. Davidson. Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-64). Also available online.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) regulates fill of jurisdictional waters of the United States including wetlands. Recent USACE regulations set a threshold of impacts to wetlands at one-half acre. Impact area can be determined by Global Positioning System (GPS) measurement of wetland boundary and Geographic Information System (GIS) calculation of impact area. GPS point selection methods include (1) equal time interval, (2) transect and (3) intuition. Four two-acre shapes were measured with each GPS method and brought into GIS for area calculation. Analysis of variance and Root Mean Square Error analyses determine that the transect method is an inferior point selection method in terms of accuracy and efficiency.

This study was designed to determine which method of measuring the systolic blood pressure is more accurate when determining the ankle/brachial index (ABI), which is an important tool in assessing graft patency for patients who have had peripheral vascular surgery. The accuracy of the stethoscope diaphragm was compared with the stethoscope bell and Doppler methods used to measure the brachial systolic pressure. These pressures were then used in the calculation of the ABI and then the ABI was compared by method and time since surgery. The theoretical framework for this study was drawn from theories on sound generation, transmission and measurement. This study used a two-repeated measures design in which the subjects served as their own control. The results were then analyzed using an ANOVA specific to a two-repeated measures design. The sample consisted of 31 subjects which comprised 80% of all peripheral vascular surgery patients admitted over a two month period to a large tertiary care hospital in Western Canada. The subjects ranged in age from 47 to 82 years, the majority had at least one other medical condition in addition to peripheral vascular disease, were on a variety of medications, and 35% had had previous vascular surgery. The subjects had their brachial systolic blood pressure measured by the three methods on the third, fourth and fifth postoperative day. At the same time they also had their dorsalis pedis and posterior tibial pressures measured by the Doppler method. There was no significant difference in the brachial systolic blood pressure related to the methods used to take the blood pressure, the postoperative day that the blood pressure was measured, nor was there any interaction between method and occasion. Also, there was no significant difference in either the dorsalis pedis or posterior tibial ankle/brachial indices related to method used to measure the brachial systolic blood pressure, the postoperative day the measurement was taken, nor any interaction between method and occasion. The findings suggest that peripheral vascular surgery patients often have systolic pressures that differ between the right and left arm which would make a major difference in the calculation of the ABI. Therefore, the pressures should be measured in both arms, followed by documentation and consistent use of the arm with the highest pressure when determining the ABI. The findings also suggest that inservice education and periodic skill checking be implemented when the nurse is required to employ the Doppler method owing to the number of variables to consider when operating this instrument.
Applied Science, Faculty of
Nursing, School of
Graduate

High performance cutting tools are essential in many industry areas. Cemented carbides (WC-Co) are common materials used for these applications due to the excellent mechanical properties. The mechanical properties of the material are manly dependent on the WC grain size distribution.To be able to tailor the material properties it is important to be able to characterize and control the WC grain size.In this study a quantitative method for WC grain size distribution measurements has been developed using the automated electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique. The EBSD system was optimized for a fast and accurate measurement. Using the method approximately 2000-3000 WC grains can be measured in approximately 25 minutes. This will give reliable statistics and information about the material.The method was used to compare materials produced with three different milling methods; traditional 30l ball mill, method A and B. Two WC raw materials with different initial particle sizes, one coarser and one finer, was milled aiming for similar grain sizes in the sintered structure. The results showed some tendency for a larger fraction of large grains in the materials produced using the ball mill compared to the materials produced with method A and B. The difference between the milling methods was larger using a raw material with a coarser initial particle size.The developed quantitative method was successfully used to compare grain size distributions of different materials in a fast and quantitative way. The differences between the materials were small and materials with similar grain size distribution and mechanical properties could be produced using both the traditional ball mill method and method A and B.

The steps of theoretical aspects of univariate, adjusted univariate and multivariate analysis for repeated measures studies are presented. Some formulas of the test procedures are extended to make computation easy. As a verification and to provide background experience of the test procedures, some recent data from livestock, clinical, psychological and physiological experiments are analysed and the results are incorporated with the theoretical discussion. Considering the repeated measurements experiments model several wellknown procedures are presented for multiple inferences of the occasion contrasts. The adjusted and multivariate tests for multiple comparisons of repeated measures means are also considered when the sphericity requirements are not considered valid. A simulation study is made to compare the univariate, adjusted univariate and multivariate methods. The sample variance-covariance matrices observed from a number of experimental studies as representative of population variance-covariance patterns are used to generate sets of multivariate normal 'lq observation. The sphericity and homogeneity assumptions of the matrices are presented and the comparisons are interpreted in the light of these assumptions. Actual (fractional) degrees of freedom of the test statistics are used and an investigation is then presented which compares several data analytic strategies when the assumptions are violated. The question of how to analyse repeated measures data with missing observations is a common problem facing analysts. An attractive approach is to estimate the missing values and then proceed with the standard analysis. A new method for values which are missing at random is discussed and compared with other methods, and the new method found best.

Hydrogels are biocompatible polymeric materials that are becoming increasingly important in biomedical applications, such as drug delivery and tissue engineering. Understanding of small-molecule diffusion in these systems is important in the contexts of controlled drug release; transport of nutrients (e.g., O2 and growth factors) into the gel; and transport of cellular waste out of the gel. In this work, the diffusion coefficient of the aromatic amino acid phenylalanine (Phe) in non-crosslinked and crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels was measured using two NMR diffusion methods, CONVEX and the standard pulsed-gradient spin-echo (PGSE). Pulsed field-gradient (PFG) NMR measurements provide the advantage of measuring the molecular selfdiffusion coefficient directly and without having to rely on the physical release of the solute, but are often difficult to perform in tissues and hydrated polymers due to a large water signal. CONVEX is a recently proposed diffusion method that alleviates this problem by means of NMR excitation-sculpting water suppression. In the measurements presented here, CONVEX results were superior to those from PGSE measurements with respect to every test applied, and enabled a reliable comparison of the diffusion coefficients of Phe in crosslinked and non-crosslinked hydrogels. The value of D(Phe) was smaller in the non-crosslinked hydrogel than in the crosslinked gel; this finding is discussed in the paper.

Thesis (MScAgric)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Irrigation scheduling is one of the most important cultural practices in irrigated vineyards. Water holding capacity of soil is arguably therefore one of the most important characteristics of a soil as it determines how much water can be made available to the plant. The measurement of water holding capacity of soils is time consuming and costly. In situ determinations are often impractical to determine. For routine determinations, water holding capacity is therefore determined on disturbed samples. Such a method for example is the rubber ring method. A great deal of criticism surrounds this rubber ring method and results are often questioned. The objectives of this study were therefore to determine what the relationship was between undisturbed and disturbed samples and to determine whether compacted samples could give a more accurate representation of the water holding capacity of soil. Soil textural factors influencing the volumetric water content of undisturbed, rubber ring and compacted samples at 5, 10 and 100 kPa were investigated. In addition, soil textural properties influencing water holding capacity of the respective samples between 5 and 100 kPa and 10 and 100 kPa were investigated. The final objective of the study was to develop simple models to predict the volumetric water content and water holding capacity of soil. Undisturbed and disturbed soil samples were taken at various localities to ensure a wide range of textures. Water holding capacity of undisturbed and disturbed samples was determined at ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij using the standard air pressure and ceramic plate technique and the routine rubber ring method respectively. Soil samples were also compacted to a bulk density of approximately 1.5 g.cm-3 as a further treatment for determination of water holding capacity using the air pressure and ceramic plate technique. To investigate aspects of soil texture that could possibly influence volumetric water content of the soil, correlations were done between different texture components and volumetric water content of undisturbed, rubber ring and compacted samples at 5, 10 and 100 kPa. In order to determine the effect of texture on water holding capacity of the soil, correlations were drawn between texture components and water holding capacity of undisturbed, rubber ring and compacted samples between matric potential ranges 5 and 100 kPa and 10 and 100 kPa. The results from this study were used to develop models to predict volumetric soil water content and water holding capacity of soils for a range of soils. Volumetric water content of rubber ring samples at 5 kPa was more than the volumetric water content of undisturbed samples at 5 kPa. The volumetric water content of rubber ring samples at 5 kPa and the volumetric water content of undisturbed samples at 5 kPa was correlated by 87%. Volumetric water content of compacted samples at 5 kPa had a 85% degree of correlation with the volumetric water content of undisturbed samples. At 10 kPa, the correlation between volumetric water content determined using rubber ring samples and undisturbed samples was 77%. This was identical to the correlation between volumetric water content of compacted samples at 10 kPa and undisturbed samples. At 100 kPa, most of the rubber ring samples' volumetric water content fell below the 1:1 line of volumetric water content of undisturbed samples. The volumetric water content of all the compacted samples was higher than that of the undisturbed samples. Water holding capacity of all the rubber ring samples between 5 and 100 kPa was greater than the water holding capacity of the undisturbed samples between 5 and 100 kPa. Rubber ring samples therefore generally overestimated the water holding capacity of the soil. The water holding capacity of most of the rubber ring samples between 10 and 100 kPa was greater than the water holding capacity of the undisturbed samples. In contrast, the water holding capacity of compacted samples between 5 and 100 kPa was less than the water holding capacity of undisturbed samples between 5 and 100 kPa. Water holding capacity of compacted samples was therefore underestimated. The results from this study confirmed that the influence of clay and silt content on volumetric water content of undisturbed, rubber ring and compacted samples increased as the suction on the respective samples is increased. The influence of fine sand content on volumetric water content of undisturbed, rubber ring and compacted samples decreased with an increase in matric potential to 100 kPa. Medium sand content of undisturbed, rubber ring and compacted samples had the greatest influence of all the textural components on the volumetric water content of the respective samples at 5 kPa and 10 kPa. Water holding capacity of undisturbed, rubber ring and compacted samples between 5 and 100 kPa was greatly influenced by the fine sand content of the samples. Medium sand content of the samples also had an influence on the water holding capacity thereof. To predict the volumetric water content of undisturbed samples at 5, 10 and 100 kPa, the independent variables were fine sand content, square root of medium sand content and In of medium sand content. In the case of models to predict the volumetric water content of rubber ring samples at 5, 10 and 100 kPa, the same variables were used as independent variables. Additional variables such as silt content, the In of silt content, square root of clay plus silt content and the medium sand content. To predict the volumetric water content of compacted samples at 5, 10 and 100 kPa the terms used were silt content, clay plus silt content, the e-clay plus silt content. medium sand content and the square root of medium sand content. The models to predict volumetric water content of rubber ring samples gave the best correlation with the actual volumetric water content of rubber ring samples. The final models to predict the water holding capacity of all the samples between 5 and 100 kPa and 10 and 100 kPa used only fine and medium sand parameters as independent variables. Soil textural components do play an important role in determining the volumetric water content of undisturbed, rubber ring and compacted samples at 5, 10 and 100 kPa. The magnitude of the water holding capacity between 5 and 100 kPa and 10 and 100 kPa is also influenced by soil texture. The models developed to predict the volumetric water content of samples at 5, 10 and 100 kPa and the magnitude of the water holding capacity between 5 and 100 kPa and 10 and 100 kPa could be very useful. Both time and money can potentially be saved. Models that can be highly recommended are the models generated for the undisturbed samples. These are: At 5 kPa, VWCu = 0.47259 - 0.04712 medium sando.s At 10 kPa, VWCu = 0.41292 - 0.04221 medium sandos At 100 kPa, VWCu = 0.48080 - 0.00254 fine sand - 0.0865 In medium sand Between 5 and 100 kPa, WHCu = -29.523 + 3.394 fine sand Between 10 and 100 kPa, WHCu = -891.794 + 232.326 In fine sand + 38.006 In medium sand
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Besproeiingskedulering is een van die belangrikste wingerdverbouingspraktyke. Waterhouvermoë bepaal hoeveel water beskikbaar gestel kan word aan die plant en daarom is dit een van die belangrikste eienskappe van 'n grond. Die meting van waterhouvermoë van grond is tydsaam en duur. Boonop is in situ bepalings dikwels onprakties om te bepaal. Waterhouvermoë word dus bepaal op versteurde monsters vir roetine ontledings. 'n Voorbeeld van so 'n metode is die rubberring metode. Daar bestaan groot kritiek teenoor hierdie rubberring metode en resultate word dikwels betwyfel deur die landboubedryf. Die doel van hierdie studie was dus om te bepaal wat die verwantskap is tussen onversteurde monsters en rubberring monsters asook om te bepaal of gekompakteerde monsters 'n meer akkurate aanduiding sou gee as onversteurde monsters van die waterhouvermoë van die grond. Grondtekstuur faktore wat die volumetriese waterinhoud van onversteurde monsters, rubberring monsters en gekompakteerde monsters by 5, 10 and 100 kPa beïnvloed, was ondersoek. Grondtekstuur faktore wat waterhouvermoë van die onderskeie monsters tussen 5 en 100 kPa en tussen 10 en 100 kPa beïnvloed, was ook ondersoek. Die finale doelwit van die studie was om eenvoudige modelle te ontwikkel vir die voorspelling van volumetriese waterinhoud en waterhouvermoë van grond. Onversteurde grond monsters en grond vir versteurde monsters is by verskeie lokaliteite geneem om 'n wye reeks teksture te verkry. Waterhouvermoë van onversteurde monsters is bepaal by LNR Infruitec- Nietvoorbij met die standaard drukplaat tegniek. Waterhouvermoë van versteurde grond is bepaal met die roetine rubberring metode van LNR Infruitec-Nietvoorbij. Grond was ook gekompakteer tot 'n bulkdigtheid van ongeveer 1.5 g.cm-3 en daarna is die waterhouvermoë bepaal by die LNR Infruitec- Nietvoorbij met die standaard drukplaat tegniek. Om aspekte van grondtekstuur, wat moontlik die volumetriese waterinhoud van grond kan beïnvloed te ondersoek, is korrelasies tussen verskeie tekstuur komponente en die volumetriese waterinhoud van onversteurde monsters, rubberring monsters en gekompakteerde monsters by 5, 10 en 100 kPa bepaal. Om te bepaal watter tekstuur komponente waterhouvermoë van die grond kan bepaal, is korrelasies getrek tussen tekstuur komponente en waterhouvermoë van onversteurde monsters, rubberring monsters en gekompakteerde monsters tussen 5 en 100 kPa en tussen 10 en 100 kPa. Die data is verwerk met die SAS uitgawe 6.12 (SAS, 1990) om modelle vir die voorspelling van volumetriese waterinhoud en waterhouvermoë van grond met behulp van maklik kwantifiseerbare grondtekstuur veranderlikes te ontwikkel. Die volumetriese waterinhoud van rubberring monsters by 5 kPa was meer as die volumetriese waterinhoud van onversteurde monsters by 5 kPa. Die volumetriese waterinhoud van rubberring monsters by 5 kPa en die volumetriese waterinhoud van onversteurde monsters by 5 kPa is gekorreleerd met 87%. Die volumetriese waterinhoud van gekompakteerde monsters by 5 kPa het 'n korrelasie van 85% met volumetriese waterinhoud van onversteurde monsters getoon. By 10 kPa, was die graad van korrelasie tussen volumetriese waterinhoud bepaal met rubberring monsters en onversteurde monsters, 77%. Dit was omtrent dieselfde as die graad van korrelasie tussen volumetriese waterinhoud van gekompakteerde monsters en onversteurde monsters by 10 kPa. By 100 kPa het die meeste van die rubberring monsters se volumetriese waterinhoud onderkant die 1:1 lyn van die volumetriese waterinhoud by 100 kPa van al die onversteurde monsters. Die volumetriese waterinhoud van al die gekompakteerde monsters was hoër as die van die onversteurde monsters. Die waterhouvermoë van al die rubberring monsters tussen 5 en 100 kPa was groter as die van die onversteurde monsters tussen 5 en 100 kPa. Die rubberring monsters het dus oor die algemeen die grootte van die waterhouvermoë oorskry. Die waterhouvermoë van die meeste van die rubberring monsters tussen 10 en 100 kPa was groter as die waterhouvermoë van die onversteurde monsters. Die waterhouvermoë van gekompakteerde monsters tussen 5 en 100 kPa was minder as die waterhouvermoë van die onversteurde monsters tussen 5 en 100 kPa. Die waterhouvermoë van gekompakteerde grondmonsters is dus onderskat. Die resultate van hierdie studie het die invloed van klei- en slik- inhoud op die volumetriese waterinhoud van onversteurde monsters, rubberring monsters en gekompakteerde monsters bevestig. Die invloed van klei en sand op die volumetriese waterinhoud van onversteurde monsters, rubberring monsters en gekompakteerde monsters het toegeneem soos die matriks potensiaal op die onderskeie monsters toegeneem het. Die invloed van fynsand op die volumetriese waterinhoud van onversteurde monsters, rubberring monsters en gekompakteerde monsters was die grootste by 5 kPa en het afgeneem tot by 100 kPa. Die mediumsand inhoud van onversteurde monsters, rubberring monsters en gekompakteerde monsters het van al die tekstuur komponente die grootste invloed op die volumetriese waterinhoud van al die monsters by 5 kPa en 10 kPa gehad. Die waterhouvermoë van onversteurde monsters, rubberring monsters en gekompakteerde monsters tussen 5 en 100 kPa is grootliks beinvloed deur die fynsand inhoud van die monsters. Die mediumsand inhoud van die monsters het ook 'n invloed gehad op die waterhouvermoë daarvan. Om die volumetriese waterinhoud van onversteurde monsters by 5, 10 en 100 kPa te voorspel, is onafhanklike veranderlikes soos fynsand inhoud, vierkantswortel van mediumsand inhoud en In van mediumsand inhoud bepaal. In die geval van modelle om die volumetriese waterinhoud van rubberring monsters by 5, 10 en 100 kPa te voorspel, is dieselfde veranderlikes gebruik as onafhanklike veranderlikes. Addisionele veranderlikes soos slik inhoud, In van slik inhoud, die vierkantswortel van die klei plus slik inhoud en die mediumsand inhoud is ook gebruik. Om die volumetriese waterinhoud van gekompakteerde monsters by 5, 10 en 100 kPa te voorspel, is die terme slik inhoud, klei plus slik inhoud, e-klei plus slik inhoud, mediumsand inhoud en vierkantswortel van mediumsand inhoud gebruik. Die modelle om volumetriese waterinhoud van rubberring samples te voorspel het die akkuraatste voorspellings gegee. Die finale modelle, om waterhouvermoë van alle monsters tussen 5 en 100 kPa en tussen 10 en 100 kPa te bepaal, het slegs fyn en mediumsand as onafhanklike veranderlikes gebruik. Grondtekstuur komponente speel dus 'n belangrike rol in die volumetriese waterinhoud van onversteurde monsters, rubberring monsters en gekompakteerde monsters by 5, 10 en 100 kPa. Die grootte van die waterhouvermoë tussen 5 en 100 kPa en tussen 10 en 100 kPa is ook beinvloed deur die grondtekstuur. Die modelle wat ontwikkel is om die volumetriese waterinhoud van monsters by 5, 10 en 100 kPa en die grootte van die waterhouvermoë tussen 5 en 100 kPa en tussen 10 and 100 kPa te voorspel, kan baie waardevol wees. Tyd en geld kan potensieel bespaar word. Die modelle wat hoogs aanbevole is, is die modelle vir onversteurde monsters. Die modele is: By 5 kPa, VWlo = 0.47259 - 0.04712 rnedlumsand?" By 10 kPa, VWlo = 0.41292 - 0.04221 mediumsando.s By 100 kPa, VWlo = 0.48080 - 0.00254 fynsand - 0.0865 In mediumsand Tussen 5 en 100 kPa, WHVo = -29.523 + 3.394 fynsand Tussen 10 en 100 kPa, WHVo = -891.794 + 232.326 In fynsand + 38.006 In mediumsand

The career anchors concept is an approach to understanding career orientation and motivation. The original career anchor model was introduced by Schein in 1974. Several investigators have created revisions of the model to make it more useful. This dissertation is a continuation of the quest to evaluate the original model and the revised models with respect to empirical support. This study is the first of two studies in which measurement methods are devised to solve the psychometric problems of previous measures. In this study we create and test an "economic exchange" model to correct the problem of acquiescent bias. We test five career anchor models and this new scaling method against two sets of data. The first consists of data from 330 participants we collect in the present study, and the other is a set of correlation matrices from Barclay's dissertation meta-analysis of six previous studies from the literature. We find that the economic exchange method creates greater variances in the ratings (both within each person and across persons) as predicted, but the hypothesis of predicted increase in the range of correlation coefficients for this method is not supported. In its present form the economic exchange method is not found to be superior to the standard Likert scale method. In addition, the oppositionality of career anchor choices does not increase for older respondents as expected. From a confirmatory factor analysis test of goodness of fit of the five models against the six datasets of this dissertation and the six studies from Barclay's meta-analysis, we find no evidence for one best career anchors model. That is, the five competing theoretical models seem to each be "best" in some situations or populations.

The simplicity and ease of use of the Rasch procedure is a decided advantage. The test user needs only two numbers: the frequency of persons who answered each item correctly and the Rasch-calibrated item difficulty, usually a part of an existing item bank. Norms can be computed quickly for any specific group of interest. In addition, once the selected items from the calibrated bank are normed, any test, built from the item bank, is automatically norm-referenced. Thus, it was concluded that the Rasch quick norm procedure is a meaningful alternative to traditional classical true score norming for test users who desire normative data.

Aeolian sediment transport threshold is commonly defined as the minimum wind speed (or shear stress) necessary for wind-driven sediment transport. Threshold is a core parameter in most models of aeolian transport. Recent advances in methodology for field-based measurement of threshold show promise for improving parameterizations; however, investigators have varied in choice of method and sensor. The impacts of modifying measurement system configuration are unknown. To address this, two field tests were performed: (i) comparison of four piezoelectric sediment transport sensors, and (ii) comparison of four calculation methods. Data from both comparisons suggest that threshold measurements are non-negligibly modified by measurement system configuration and are incomparable. A poor understanding of natural sediment transport dynamics suggests that development of calibration methods could be difficult. Development of technical standards was explored to improve commensurability of measurements. Standards could assist future researchers with data syntheses and integration.
xi, 108 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm

Online gradebooks have gradually become a staple of schools in the 21st century. Students and parents have immediate access to grades, and the composition of these grades is transparent. While the purpose of the online gradebook may have initially been for the conveniences such systems offer the school and its stakeholders, it has also served as a catalyst for gradebook reform. Gradebook construction strategies have been called into question, and solutions which allow gradebooks to provide more accurate and specific information have been developed.

This study explored student learning growth through the use of two different online gradebooks: a traditionally averaged gradebook and a standards-based gradebook. While the quantitative results of the study showed that students demonstrated a little more growth with an online standards-based gradebook than with an online traditional gradebook, the qualitative portion of this study explored student, parent, and teacher preferences for gradebook construction and suggested that online standards-based gradebooks may result in greater learning increases for students if they are consistently used.

For instance, "organization and clarity benefits" were among the positives students referenced concerning the standards-based gradebooks. One student recognized the benefit such a gradebook may provide at final exam time, as the gradebook clearly showed the skills in which the student was strong and weak. Likewise, the parents also preferred the clarity of the standards-based gradebook. However, they also liked the traditionally averaged gradebook as it provided information they were familiar with and to which they could relate.

The teacher input echoed thoughts of the students and parents. They liked the idea of the standards-based gradebook and could see how it helped students learn. However, they also recognized the great deal of work that may go into developing such a system for classroom use, and the great deal of work that may accompany such a system in day-to-day use. This ominous amount of work, they opined, would likely decrease once they used the system consistently, allowing results of this study to support that such a system can only work to its intended extent once it has been implemented and consistently practiced over multiple semesters.

The Swedish law requires a set of noise limit for residential buildings for health and safety. Conventionally, the Nordic Prediction Method (NMT) is used to predict the noise. However Nord2000 and CNOSSOS is going to be introduced to replace NMT. An investigation was made to determine which is more accurate in predicting railway noises, particularly reflected railway noises due to the uncharacteristic result in preliminary test. Compromises were made to recreate the measured scenarios in SoundPLAN 8.1. CNOSSOS features an alternative source model requiring new data on the trains and tracks and therefore unable to be compared. The conversion between NMT and Nord2000 was not successful due to the poor documentation of the method. An equivalent value in octave band was used instead. The result were not conclusive as no correlation was found. This might be partly due to the lacking of source model data in the form of track roughness. Result in reflected sound was not conclusive as well since 2 of 3 cases favour Nord2000 and the remaining one favours NMT. The uncertainty introduced in using of the standards and measurements were also rather large, which is also one of the factor in non correlating results.
Svensk lag kräver en viss uppsättning bullergränser gällande boende i bostadshus för deras hälsa och säkerhet. Konventionellt används den nordiska beräkningsmodellen för tågbuller (NMT) för att förutsäga bullret. Nord2000 och CNOSSOS kommer dock att införas för att ersätta NMT. En undersökning gjordes för att avgöra vilken eller vilka modeller som är mest exakta för att kunna förutsäga järnvägsljud, i synnerhet reflekterade järnvägsljud på grund av tidigare osäkerhet i resultatet i det preliminära testet. Kompromisser gjordes för att återskapa de uppmätta scenarierna i SoundPLAN 8.1. CNOSSOS erbjuder en alternativ modellering men kräver ny data från både tåg och räls och omöjliggjorde därför att kunna jämföras. Konverteringen mellan NMT och Nord2000 lyckades inte på grund av den bristfälliga dokumentationen av metoden. Ett ekvivalent värde i oktavband användes istället. Resultatet var inte definitivt eftersom ingen korrelation upptäcktes. Detta kan delvis bero på bristande källmodelldata i form av spårgrovhet. Resultatet av reflekterat ljud var inte heller definitivt eftersom 2 av 3 fall förespråkar Nord2000 och det återstående förespråkar NMT. Osäkerheten som implementeras vid användning av standarder och mätningar är också av betydande storlek, vilket också är en av faktorerna som härleder korrelerande resultat.

This project aims at establishing a new method to characterize the interface between 4H-SiC and passivating dielectric layers. The investigations are made on metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) test structures. The oxides are made of Al2O3, deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD), and SiO2, deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) and the semiconductor is lowly doped 4H-SiC n-type epitaxial layers. These structures have been exposed to different fluencies of Ar ion irradiation to induce damage at the interface and then measured by well-established electrical techniques, as well as the new method utilizing optical free carrier absorption (FCA) technique to assess the interface traps. We have furthermore developed an analytical tool using Matlab that can extract surface recombination velocity (SRV) from the optical data. This tool is developed for an idealized epi-layer between two surfaces, but could also be applied, for instance, to the region between the emitter and base contacts on SiC mesa etched BJT’s. First, optical free carrier absorption (FCA) measurements are carried out to measure the effective lifetimes in the structures. The data obtained from FCA is then fitted with the analytical tool and SRVs, for samples with both types of dielectrics with various Ar ion fluencies, are extracted. Standard electrical measurements using capacitance-voltage (CV) measurements are also undertaken and the density of interface traps (Dit) is extracted using the Terman method. Extracted SRV values are then compared to Ditvalues. It is observed that SiO2 samples show a large rise of SRVs, from 0.5x104 cm/s for a reference sample to 8x104 cm/s for a fluence of 1x1012 cm-2, whereas Al2O3 samples show more stable SRV, changing from 3x104 cm/s for the un-irradiated reference sample to 6x104 cm/s for a fluence of 1x1012 cm-2. A very similar trend is observed for Dit values extracted from CV measurements and it can therefore be concluded that the FCA method is very suitable for characterization of the interface, and together with CV, it should be possible to obtain quantitative values on charge carrier trapping dynamics.

Several different approaches are applied in low flow frequency analysis. Each method's theory and application is explained. The methods are (1) physically based recession model dealing with time series, (2) log-Pearson type III and mixed log-Pearson type III using annual minimum series, (3) Double Bounded pdf using annual minimum series, (4) Partial Duration Series applying truncated and censored flows. Each method has a computer program for application. One day low flow analysis was applied to 15 stations, 10 perennial streams and 5 intermittent streams. The physically based method uses the exponential baseflow recession with duration, initial recession flow, and recharge due to incoming storm as random variables, and shows promise as an alternative to black box methods, and is appealing because it contains the effect of drought length. Log-Pearson is modified to handle zero flows by adding a point mass probability for zero flows. Another approach to zero flows is the Double Bounded probability density function which also includes a point mass probability for zero flows. Maximum likelihood estimation is used to estimate distribution parameters. Partial Duration Series is applied due to drawbacks of using only one low flow per year in annual minimum series. Two approaches were used in Partial Duration Series (i) truncation, and (ii) censorship which represent different low flow populations. The parameters are estimated by maximum likelihood estimation.
M.S.

In recent years physical inactivity among students has become a matter of great concern. Nearly 65% of students do not meet the daily recommended level of physical activity, which is 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day, with 50% of that time being spent in moderate to vigorous levels of activity (CDC, 2010b). As a result, the 21st century has shown to be a time of many health problems such as, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. In fact, nearly one third of all children are considered obese or overweight (Slawta & DeNeui, 2009). Researchers suggest that these health problems are directly related to students' sedentary lifestyles (Pate et al., 2006). Schools play a pivotal role in addressing and increasing physical activity during the school day. The purpose of this research study was to measure levels of physical activity in elementary students during school hours. Specifically, the study sought to discover if there were increased levels of physical activity while students were using a cross-curricular adventure playground, as compared to when they were engaged in free play or physical education class. The study also compared the different measurement types (pedometers, accelerometers, and the observational method) used to assess physical activity, to indicate which measurement types were most feasible in the elementary school setting. Schools are ideal locations for assessing levels of physical activity, as 95% of all children are enrolled in these learning institutions (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2005). The data indicate that physical education provided for the highest levels of moderate to vigorous activity, while both free play and cross-curricular activity still rendered adequate levels of physical activity. After studying the different measurement protocols (pedometers, accelerometers, and the observational method) used in this study, results suggested the pedometer to be the most feasible device to use for measuring children in these types of physical activity settings. One implication for practice was implementing cross-curricular physical activity as a supplement to other physical activities or as an addition to physical education classes in an effort to allow more time for academic instruction while having students engaged in physical activity. Another recommendation for practice was to use pedometers as a cost-effective physical activity measurement device for elementary students.

Aim The thesis set out to examine validations of three observational pain assessment tools and establish nurses’ expectations of them and the factors that might influence them within intensive care unit (ICU) settings. Background The guidelines to pain assessment specific to ICU patients have been of great interest to health professionals over the last 20 years. Pain assessment remains a challenge for most ICU patients due to the difficulty of assessing pain with any precision. Evidence suggests that the Behavioural Pain Scale (BPS) and Critical- Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) have demonstrated sound psychometric properties. A review of the relevant literature highlighted the fact that no such studies have yet been conducted with a similar homogenous group in Asia. The Wong-Baker Face Pain Rating Scale (FPRS) is currently widely used for nonverbally communicating patients (NVCPs) with pain in ICU settings, and is even recommended for use with children. Valid assessment tools are required for effective pain assessment in ICU settings, particularly in patients who are experiencing communication difficulties. Design An embedded mixed methods design was employed to: 1) translate Chinese versions of BPS and CPOT, 2) test their validity and reliability of in comparison with FPRS, and 3) establish the nurses’ expectations about the three study scales when undertaking pain assessment by using semi-structured focus group interviews. Methods This thesis initially reviews the literature available to select the most appropriate scales for assessing pain in critically-ill NVCPs. The selected scales were then translated into a Traditional-Chinese version using established procedures for the Taiwanese context. Evaluations of the three pain scales were gathered using quantitative measures of pain scores in NVCPs experiencing painless/painful interventions. These were further compared with a few focus groups to establish the feasibility and utility of the three pain scales. The psychometric properties of the pain scales were assessed for reliability by using internal consistency and inter-rater agreement) and for validity by using content validity, concurrent validity, discriminant validity, and responsiveness. The validity was evaluated using ANOVA to compare the changes between the different procedures. The significance level was set at 0.05. As for the analysis of the qualitative data, this study typically follows the path of aggregating the words into themes of information and presenting the diversity of ideas gathered during the data collection. Results For the 2068 observations in 237 patients, there were no statistical differences between the characteristics of the BPS, CPOT, and FPRS groups. Validity was demonstrated by changes from baseline in the scores of the three groups, which were significantly higher during suction (p < 0.001). In regard to the result for the criterion validity, both BPS and CPOT had moderate positive correlations with FPRS. The internal consistency was excellent; the Cronbach’s α was 0.700 for BPS and 0.821 for CPOT when all items were included. The majority of nurses preferred to use BPS to assess pain in their clinical practice. When the nurses were asked how long they needed and how easy they found it to complete the assessments using these tools, they all agreed that each patient assessments were easier and took the least time when they used FRPS. However, the nurses considered that the most effective pain reaction during nociceptive procedures had been assessed by using BPS. Even though all of the participant nurses stated that CPOT provides a detailed item-description about pain behaviour, it also provided the biggest obstacle to use because of its ambiguous indicators. Conclusions BPS, CPOT and FRPS provide potentially useful measurement scales for assessing pain in ICU NVCPs. However, judging from the inconsistencies between the nurses’ replies, the results could reflect a conflict between the need to use a validated measure of pain for NVCPs on the one hand and managing a heavy workload in the ICU on the other. This study opens up an avenue for investigating further the link between the underlying conceptions of pain behaviour and the effectiveness of pain assessments in NVCPs when using an objective pain measurement.

Diel dissolved oxygen (DO) data were used to characterize seasonal, inter-annual, and longitudinal variation in production and respiration for the James River Estuary. Two computational methods (Bayesian and bookkeeping) were applied to these data to determine whether inferences regarding DO metabolism are sensitive to methodology. Net metabolism was sensitive to methodology as Bayesian results indicated net heterotrophy (production < respiration) while bookkeeping results indicated net autotrophy (production > respiration). Differences in net metabolism among the methods was due to low seasonal variation in respiration using the Bayesian method, whereas bookkeeping results showed a strong correlation between production and respiration. Bayesian results suggest a dependence on allochthonous organic matter (OM) whereas bookkeeping results suggest that metabolism is dependent on autochthonous OM. This study highlights the importance in considering the method used to derive metabolic estimates as it can impact the assessment of trophic status and sources of OM supporting an estuary.

Thesis (PH. D.)--Michigan State University. Measurement and Quantitative Methods, 2008.
Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Sept. 8, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 85-89). Also issued in print.

This thesis presents a comparison of different methods for measuring road surface skid resistance and an assessment of whether there is a functional dependency in between measurement results of these methods. It consists of a description of the physical quantities, which are measured by these methods and equipment used for these measurements. The work includes the measurement and comparison of measurement outputs with each other. Among the measurement methods there can be seen similar development of their values, with two exceptions there is similar difference between the results of the measurement methods. When comparing the results XL Meter instrument seemed more accurate than the RaceLogic due to its higher frequency of data recording. By using numerical method of comparison between XL Meter device and multipurpose device TRT there was a constant by which the results differed from each instrument, with value of 0,35, using the method of interspacing the resulting differences of values by a line, the resulting constant by which the results differed between the devices had the value of 0,33.

Les facteurs de risque de troubles musculo-squelettiques(TMS) tels que les facteurs physiques, organisationnels et psychosociaux sont un défi commun pour les industries de l'assemblage automobile qui entrainent des effets indésirables sur le système et les humains. L’ergonomie a déjà été intégrée dans les systèmes de production de ces industries pour la prise en charge de la prévention des TMS. La question est de savoir si l'approche ergonomique actuelle des industries automobiles, sur la base de normes à l'entreprise et des méthodes d'observation, peut fournir une connaissance partagée des facteurs ergonomiques pour les divers intervenants et pour faciliter l'amélioration des conditions de travail. Cette étude aborde la problématique du positionnement des différents méthodes d'évaluation (utilisées par les différents intervenants) et compare les résultats et apports de chaque méthode d'évaluation. Cette thèse propose que la procédure actuelle d'évaluation des risques de TMS ne favorise pas une connaissance partagée entre les intervenants dans les industries automobiles. On constate que les évaluations par auto-questionnaire (opérateurs) sont significativement différentes de celles issues des méthodes d'observation (ergonome) et des mesures directes (analyse biomécanique). Cependant, les opinions et jugements des opérateurs concernant les facteurs ergonomiques sont importants pour faciliter la réussite d'une approche ergonomique. Un entretien structuré et systématisé, basé sur des données objectives (Video-observations ou de mesure directe) liées aux activités et stratégies des opérateurs, pourrait être une procédure appropriée pour faire progresser l'ergonomie des situations de travail. Enfin, la connaissance tirée de cette thèse souligne que la variabilité des tâches dans l’industrie automobile nécessite une approche ergonomique qui partage les connaissances des risques entre les intervenants. Dans cette approche, les attitudes et les comportements des opérateurs sont pris en compte dans les projets d’amélioration continue. De plus, la participation des intervenants devrait être intégrée afin d'améliorer la prise en compte de l'ergonomie dans la production. Une synthèse de cette thèse en Français a été fournie dans l’annexe première
Musculoskeletal risk factors such as physical, organizational and psychosocial factors are a common challenge for the automotive assembly industries and result in adverse human and system effects. Ergonomics has already been integrated inthe production systems of such factories to eliminate work related musculoskeletal disorders (WR-MSDs). The issue is whether the current ergonomic approach of car industries, based on corporate standards and observational methods, can provide a shared knowledge of ergonomic factors for various stakeholders and facilitate ergonomic improvement. This study focuses on the positioning of the different assessment methods (used by various stakeholders), agreement between their results in evaluation of physical risk factors and the influence of intervention and improvement following ergonomic assessment. This thesis proposes that the current procedure of risk factor assessment can not provide ashared knowledge and representation of risks between stakeholders in manufacturing industries. It was found that the operators’ assessments of risk factors (self-reported questionnaire) were significantly different from those assessed by observational methods (ergonomist) and direct measurement. However, the operators’ opinions and judgments of ergonomic factors of a job are of particular importance to the success of an ergonomic approach. A structured interview based on objective data (video-observation or direct measurement) linked the activities and strategies of atrisk operators might be an appropriate procedure to advance ergonomics.The knowledge gained from this study emphasizes that the variable nature of tasks in manufacturing industries needs an ergonomic approach which shares knowledge and representation of risks between stakeholders. In such an approach, attitudes and behaviors of operators are taken into consideration in developing new intervention processes, organizational and technical remedies. Moreover, involvement of stakeholders should be integrated and this should result in improving production ergonomics

LIU, FU, Ph.D. Comparisons of Subscoring Methods in Computerized Adaptive Testing: A Simulation Study. (2015) Directed by Dr. Terry A. Ackerman. 187 pp. Given the increasing demands of subscore reports, various subscoring methods and augmentation techniques have been developed aiming to improve the subscore estimates, but few studies have been conducted to systematically compare these methods under the framework of computerized adaptive tests (CAT). This research conducts a simulation study, for the purpose of comparing five subscoring methods on score estimation under variable simulated CAT conditions. Among the five subscoring methods, the IND-UCAT scoring ignores the correlations among subtests, whereas the other four correlation-based scoring methods (SEQ-CAT, PC-MCAT, reSEQ-CAT, and AUG-CAT) capitalize on the correlation information in the scoring procedure. By manipulating the sublengths, the correlation structures, and the item selection algorithms, more comparable, pragmatic, and systematic testing scenarios are created for comparison purposes. Also, to make the best of the sources underlying the assessments, the study proposes a successive scoring procedure according to the structure of the higher-order IRT model, in which the test total score of individual examinees can be calculated after the subscore estimation procedure is conducted. Through the successive scoring procedure, the subscores and the total score of an examinee can be sequentially derived from one test. The results of the study indicate that in the low correlation structure, the original IND-CAT is suggested for subscore estimation considering the ease of implementation in practice, while the suggested total score estimation procedure is not recommended given the large divergences from the true total scores. For the mixed correlation structure with two moderate correlations and one strong correlation, the original SEQ-CAT or the combination of the SEQ-CAT item selection and the PC-MCAT scoring should be considered not only for subscore estimation but also for total score estimation. If the post-hoc estimation procedure is allowed, the original SEQ-CAT and the reSEQ-CAT scoring could be jointly conducted for the best score estimates. In the high correlation structure, the original PC-MCAT and the combination of the PC-MCAT scoring and the SEQ-CAT item selection are suggested for both the subscore estimation and the total score estimation. In terms of the post-hoc score estimation, the reSEQ-CAT scoring in conjunction with the original SEQ-CAT is strongly recommended. If the complexity of the implementation is an issue in practice, the reSEQ-CAT scoring jointly conducted with the original IND-UCAT could be considered for reasonable score estimates. Additionally, to compensate for the constrained use of item pools in PC-MCAT, the PC-MCAT with adaptively sequencing subtests (SEQ-MCAT) is proposed for future investigations. The simplifications of item and/or subtest selection criteria in a simple-structure MCAT, PC-MCAT, and SEQ-MCAT are also pointed out for the convenience of their applications in practice. Last, the limitations of the study are discussed and the directions for future studies are also provided.

The Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR) and the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (NBHW) have published a yearly report called “Open Comparisons of Quality and Efficiency in Swedish Health Care –Regional Comparisons” since the year 2006 to compare medical outcomes, patient experience, availability and costs among hospitals and counties. In this paper, inspired by the region profiles attached to the report, we describe several possible measurement methods for comparing dichotomous data: Risk Difference (RD), Relative Risk (RR), Relative Risk Reduction (RRR) and Odds Ratio (OR), mainly by using a geometric approach as a basis for further discussion. A standard scores method is also presented as a means for more efficient comparisons.

This thesis examines the difference between the extracted cyclical components of some macroeconomic time series using four popular detrending methods HP, BK, CF and FOD. We use different approaches to compare their differences. A standard examination of the cyclical component is applied. We also take a frequency domain approach and examine the sample spectra for each cycle. Moreover, impulse responses and the correlation between the cyclical components extracted by each detrending method are studied. We conclude that for quarterly data HP, BK and CF produce similar cycles. However, when considering annual data the HP diverges from the other filters. The FOD extracts cycles that are not similar to those of the other three examined filters.

Industrial surveying and photogrammetry are being increasingly applied to the measurement of engineering objects which have typical dimensions in the range 2-100 metres. Both techniques are examples of the principle of triangulation. By applying photocrammetric concepts to surveying methods and vice-versa, a general approach is established which has a number of advantages. In particular. alternative strategies for constructing and analysing measurement networks are developed. These should help to strengthen the geometry and simplify the analysis. The primary results concern the use of non-levelled theodolites, which have applications on board floating objects, and three new suggestions for controlling and computing relative orientations in photogrammetry. These involve reciprocal observations with theodolites. the photographing of linear scales defined by three target points and employing cameras which have been levelled. As a secondary result, some consideration Is given to automation, and instrument design. It is suggested that polarimetry could be successfully applied to improve the transfer of orientation in confined situations, such as in mining. In addition, the potential use of electronic cameras as photo-theodolites is discussed.

Recent developments in smart grid technology have spawned interest in the use of phasor measurement units to help create a reliable power system transmission and distribution infrastructure. Wide-area monitoring systems (WAMSs) utilizing synchrophasor measurements can help with understanding, forecasting, or even controlling the status of power grid stability in real-time. A power system Frequency Monitoring Network (FNET) was first proposed in 2001 and was established in 2004. As a pioneering WAMS, it serves the entire North American power grid through advanced situational awareness techniques, such as real-time event alerts, accurate event location estimation, animated event visualization, and post event analysis. Traditionally, Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) have utilized signals obtained from current transformers (CTs) to compute current phasors. Unfortunately, this requires that CTs must be directly connected with buses, transformers or power lines. Chapters 2, 3 will introduce an innovative phasor measurement instrument, the Non-contact Frequency Disturbance Recorder (NFDR), which uses the magnetic and electric fields generated by power transmission lines to obtain current phasor measurements. The NFDR is developed on the same hardware platform as the Frequency Disturbance Recorder (FDR), which is actually a single phase PMU. Prototype testing of the NFDR in both the laboratory and the field environments were performed. Testing results show that measurement accuracy of the NFDR satisfies the requirements for power system dynamics observation. Researchers have been developing various techniques in power system phasor measurement and frequency estimation, due to their importance in reflecting system health. Each method has its own pros and cons regarding accuracy and speed. The DFT (Discrete Fourier Transform) based algorithm that is adopted by the FDR device is particularly suitable for tracking system dynamic changes and is immune to harmonic distortions, but it has not proven to be very robust when the input signal is polluted by random noise. Chapter 4 will discuss the Least Mean Squares-based methods for power system frequency tracking, compared with a DFT-based algorithm. Wide-area monitoring systems based on real time PMU measurements can provide great visibility to the angle instability conditions. Chapter 5 focuses on developing an early warning algorithm on the FNET platform.
Ph. D.

In this project, a number of different clustering algorithms are described and their workings explained. They are compared to each other by implementing them on number of graphs with a known architecture.

These clustering algorithm, in the order they are implemented, are as follows: Nearest neighbour hillclimbing, Nearest neighbour big step hillclimbing, Best neighbour hillclimbing, Best neighbour big step hillclimbing, Gem 3D, K-means simple, K-means Gem 3D, One cluster and One cluster per node.

The graphs are Unconnected, Directed KX, Directed Cycle KX and Directed Cycle.

The results of these clusterings are compared with each other according to three criteria: Time, Quality and Extremity of nodes distribution. This enables us to find out which algorithm is most suitable for which graph. These artificial graphs are then compared with the reference architecture graph to reach the conclusions.

Trend estimation is important in many fields, though arguably the most important applications appear in ecology. Trend is difficult to quantify; in fact, the term itself is not well-defined. Often, trend is quantified by estimating the slope coefficient in a regression model where the response variable is an index of population size, and time is the explanatory variable. Linear trend is often unrealistic for biological populations; in fact, many critical environmental changes occur abruptly as a result of very rapid changes in human activities. My PhD research has involved formulating methods with greater flexibility than those currently in use. Penalized spline regression provides a flexible technique for fitting a smooth curve. This method has proven useful in many areas including environmental monitoring; however, inference is more difficult than with ordinary linear regression because so many parameters are estimated. My research has focused on developing methods of trend detection and comparing these methods to other methods currently in use. Attention is given to comparing estimated Type I error rates and power across several trend detection methods. This was accomplished through an extensive simulation study. Monte Carlo simulations and randomization tests were employed to construct an empirical sampling distribution for the test statistic under the null hypothesis of no trend. These methods are superior over smoothing methods over other smoothing methods of trend detection with respect to achieving the designated Type I error rate. The likelihood ratio test using a mixed effects model had the most power for detecting linear trend while a test involving the first derivative was the most powerful for detecting nonlinear trend for small sample sizes.

This report is an attempt to find an absorption method that is more suitable for IKEA. Several different methods and standards from around the world are compared to see their pros and cons. The methods are compared both theoretically and practically. The practically comparison is made in a round robin were 14 different fabric is tested in three different methods. Two of the methods in the round robin are compared against each other and the result from a home test to see if the methods can show what the customer experience. The results from the round robin is used to recommend a proper method and requirement level that suit IKEA the best, based on their demands and requirements.
Program: Magister i textilteknologi

After many decades of being considered useless and often destroyed wetlands have become valued for the many functions they provide. To make informed wetland management decisions biologists have to develop practical, rapid, and inexpensive ways to assess biological conditions and functions. Ideally these assessment methods have to measure more than one attribute of the wetland to represent the overall condition of the biological community. For this project I conducted field assessments at mitigation sites in Pembroke Pines, Florida, to see how the newest method used in the State of Florida, the Uniform Mitigation Assessment Method (UMAM), compared to the older Wetland Rapid Assessment Procedure (WRAP), and a Wildlife Survey (WS). The assessments determined at what level the mitigation sites of this study functioned, and were than repeated over a thirteen month period to account for seasonal fluctuations. For each assessment method a worksheet was completed, which along with available background information for the sites, was used to determine the value, and function provided by the wetlands. The three methods were then compared using eleven evaluation criteria I developed. Based on my results UMAM was the best assessment method tested saving the most acreage while integrating risk factors and time lag.

This thesis shows the results of an experiment in order to test the validity of Methods Time Measurement (MTM) data. MTM, developed in 1948, is one of the most commonly used Predetermined Motion Time Systems to calculate standard time for a task. However, there is limited research on the validity of the MTM data in the literature. Today&rsquo
s technology provides new computerized tools to perform time studies. One of such tools is Real Time Method Study (RTMS). RTMS is a computerized method study tool being developed in METU Technopolis, which uses Image Processing and Machine Learning to conduct time studies automatically. RTMS uses MTM data as a benchmark data to compare observed performance results
therefore validity of MTM data is an important issue for it. In order to test the validity of MTM data an experiment conducted in the Ergonomics Laboratory of the METU Industrial Engineering Department. In this experiment 40 undergraduate students performed four different tasks. These tasks were recorded by a video camera and analyzed frame by frame to calculate normal times for basic motions of MTM. Results are compared with the original MTM data and it is shown that MTM times do not fit the observed data. This study in the end suggests updating MTM data or constructing a new standard time database by using a tool like RTMS.