Tesi sul tema "Gap acceptance"

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2006.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 103-105).
This thesis develops a merging model that captures the gap acceptance behavior of drivers that merge from a ramp into a congested freeway. Merging can be classified into three types: normal, forced and cooperative lane changing. The developed merging model uses a single critical gap function, which incorporates explanatory variables that capture all three types of merging behavior. Thus, the model combines all three types in a single model. The merging gap acceptance model is estimated using the maximum likelihood method with detailed trajectory data that was collected on two freeway sections in California. Estimation results show that the merging gap acceptance model is affected by traffic conditions such as average speed in the mainline, interactions with lead and lag vehicles, and urgency of the merge. Transferability tests for the stability of the model parameters between the two datasets are conducted. The single level gap acceptance model is implemented and compared with an existing gap acceptance model in the microscopic traffic simulation model, MITSIMLab. The results show that the proposed model is better than the existing gap acceptance model.
by Gunwoo Lee.
S.M.

The research presented in this thesis, studies driver gap acceptance behavior for permissive left turn movements at signalized intersections. The thesis attempts to model the gap acceptance behavior using three different approaches, a deterministic statistical approach, a stochastic approach, and a psycho-physical approach. First, the deterministic statistical modeling approach is conducted using logistic regression to characterize the impact of a number of variables on driver gap acceptance behavior. The variables studied are the gap duration, the driverâ s wait time in search of an acceptable gap, the time required to travel to clear the conflict point, and the rain intensity. Considering stochastic gap acceptance, two stochastic approaches are compared, namely: a Bayesian and a Bootstrap approach. The study develops a procedure to model stochastic gap acceptance behavior while capturing model parameter correlations without the need to store all parameter combinations. The model is then implemented to estimate stochastic opposed saturation flow rates. Finally, the third approach uses a psycho-physical modeling approach. The physical component captures the vehicle constraints on gap acceptance behavior using vehicle dynamics models while the psychological component models the driver deliberation and decision process. In general, the three proposed models capture gap acceptance behavior for different vehicle types, roadway surface conditions, weather effects and types of control which could affect the driver gap acceptance behavior. These findings can be used to develop weather responsive traffic signal timings and can also be integrated into emerging IntelliDrive systems.
Master of Science

Using evolutionary and sociocultural theories, the current study examined what people consider important when entering an age gap relationship, willingness to accept a potential age discrepant partner, likelihood of entering an age gap relationship, and the importance of sex in relationships. Differences were predicted for older and younger potential partners as well as for short term or long term relationships in participants 30-50 years old. However, it seems that only men are willing to break dating norms for casual relationships, while women chose the traditional older male-younger woman relationship. For marriage, the pattern showed that participants preferred the traditional older male-younger female relationship, as well.

Purpose: The relationship between context and e-governance has been gaining a significant momentum in academic circles due its social and technical complexities. There are many challenges posed by the disparity between the context and the system when it comes to e-governance in developing countries. This research aims to reveal more successful adoption of e-governance initiatives and exposes factors that hinder its implementation. We develop a conceptual framework showing the reciprocity between the context and the system or what is termed “Context-System Gap”. Therefore, this research will study the appropriateness of the context and its influence on the system and the influence of the system on the context. The purpose of this research is to explore the factors that enable successful e-government adoption in Lebanon, where e-governance is still at its initial stage. Most empirical research and theories on the implementation of e-governance in developing countries remain at the macro-level and miss out on the complexities of the context of deployment and the role of the gap between the citizens and the government. The purpose of this thesis is to provide an empirical model differentiating between the electronic context and the electronic system and shed a light over a new gap, government-citizen gap, in the adoption of e-government. Design/methodology/approach: Following previous research on e-government services adoption, this study uses several technology use and acceptance models and literature to examine the elements behind the adoption and use of e-government services in Lebanon from citizen and government perspectives. The research strategy is a quantitative method approach employing questionnaire. Quantitative data will be collected from e-government users (citizens) and statistical tests will be conducted in order to examine the relation between variables. Practical implications: The findings are useful for policy-makers and decision-makers to develop a better understanding of citizens' needs. The proposed model can be used as a guideline for the implementation of e-government services in developing countries. Originality/value: This study is the only one to examine the dimensions influencing citizens’ adoption of e-government technologies in developing countries using a unified model merging context and system elements.

Freeways are divided roadways designed to facilitate the uninterrupted movement of motor vehicles. However, many freeways now experience demand flows in excess of capacity, leading to recurrent congestion. The Highway Capacity Manual (TRB, 1994) uses empirical macroscopic relationships between speed, flow and density to quantify freeway operations and performance. Capacity may be predicted as the maximum uncongested flow achievable. Although they are effective tools for design and analysis, macroscopic models lack an understanding of the nature of processes taking place in the system. Szwed and Smith (1972, 1974) and Makigami and Matsuo (1990) have shown that microscopic modelling is also applicable to freeway operations. Such models facilitate an understanding of the processes whilst providing for the assessment of performance, through measures of capacity and delay. However, these models are limited to only a few circumstances. The aim of this study was to produce more comprehensive and practical microscopic models. These models were required to accurately portray the mechanisms of freeway operations at the specific locations under consideration. The models needed to be able to be calibrated using data acquired at these locations. The output of the models needed to be able to be validated with data acquired at these sites. Therefore, the outputs should be truly descriptive of the performance of the facility. A theoretical basis needed to underlie the form of these models, rather than empiricism, which is the case for the macroscopic models currently used. And the models needed to be adaptable to variable operating conditions, so that they may be applied, where possible, to other similar systems and facilities. It was not possible to produce a stand-alone model which is applicable to all facilities and locations, in this single study, however the scene has been set for the application of the models to a much broader range of operating conditions. Opportunities for further development of the models were identified, and procedures provided for the calibration and validation of the models to a wide range of conditions. The models developed, do however, have limitations in their applicability. Only uncongested operations were studied and represented. Driver behaviour in Brisbane was applied to the models. Different mechanisms are likely in other locations due to variability in road rules and driving cultures. Not all manoeuvres evident were modelled. Some unusual manoeuvres were considered unwarranted to model. However the models developed contain the principal processes of freeway operations, merging and lane changing. Gap acceptance theory was applied to these critical operations to assess freeway performance. Gap acceptance theory was found to be applicable to merging, however the major stream, the kerb lane traffic, exercises only a limited priority over the minor stream, the on-ramp traffic. Theory was established to account for this activity. Kerb lane drivers were also found to change to the median lane where possible, to assist coincident mergers. The net limited priority model accounts for this by predicting a reduced major stream flow rate, which excludes lane changers. Cowan's M3 model as calibrated for both streams. On-ramp and total upstream flow are required as input. Relationships between proportion of headways greater than 1 s and flow differed for on-ramps where traffic leaves signalised intersections and unsignalised intersections. Constant departure onramp metering was also modelled. Minimum follow-on times of 1 to 1.2 s were calibrated. Critical gaps were shown to lie between the minimum follow-on time, and the sum of the minimum follow-on time and the 1 s minimum headway. Limited priority capacity and other boundary relationships were established by Troutbeck (1995). The minimum average minor stream delay and corresponding proportion of drivers delayed were quantified theoretically in this study. A simulation model was constructed to predict intermediate minor and major stream delays across all minor and major stream flows. Pseudo-empirical relationships were established to predict average delays. Major stream average delays are limited to 0.5 s, insignificant compared with minor stream delay, which reach infinity at capacity. Minor stream delays were shown to be less when unsignalised intersections are located upstream of on-ramps than signalised intersections, and less still when ramp metering is installed. Smaller delays correspond to improved merge area performance. A more tangible performance measure, the distribution of distances required to merge, was established by including design speeds. This distribution can be measured to validate the model. Merging probabilities can be predicted for given taper lengths, a most useful performance measure. This model was also shown to be applicable to lane changing. Tolerable limits to merging probabilities require calibration. From these, practical capacities can be estimated. Further calibration is required of traffic inputs, critical gap and minimum follow-on time, for both merging and lane changing. A general relationship to predict proportion of drivers delayed requires development. These models can then be used to complement existing macroscopic models to assess performance, and provide further insight into the nature of operations.

Context: Acceptance testing is an important activity that verifies the conformance of a system to its acceptance criteria. It aims to provide a detailed communication of domain knowledge and is used to evaluate whether the customer requirements are met. Existing literature lacks empirical evidence for acceptance testing. Especially in the context of industry practice, it is not in the authors' consideration, except for a few studies, where the authors have investigated the state of practice in a specific domain. Objective: This study aims to recognize the state of research and practice of acceptance testing in Agile Software Development and investigate the similarities and differences in both perspectives. The study contributes to identify the industry-academia gap in the context of acceptance testing. Research Method: To identify the acceptance testing practices and challenges from research, I have conducted a literature review. For the industry perspective on acceptance testing practices and challenges, I have conducted an interview-based survey of the practitioners working in the Agile Software Development environment. I followed the snowball search strategy to search the primary studies, whereas to select the respondents, I used the convenience and snowball sampling method. For data analysis, I followed the approach of thematic synthesis. Results: The results of this thesis are the outcome of a literature review of 20 selected studies and an interview-based survey with 12 practitioners representing10 companies. I identified acceptance testing practices and challenges from research and industry. In the research, the most recommended form of acceptance testing is acceptance test-driven development (ATDD), and the majority of the studies are referring to the use of FIT for acceptance testing. Customer involvement in different phases of acceptance testing is recommended in research. From the interviews, I come across that acceptance testing is manual at large in the industry, and the most challenging aspect is the customer’s involvement. Conclusions: From the findings of this thesis, it is concluded that there is a gap between the research and industry perspective of acceptance testing practices. Currently, acceptance testing in the industry is mostly manual, the research is not focusing on this aspect of acceptance testing. Despite the differences, there are some commonalities as well. Especially, most challenges of acceptance testing are similar in both perspectives. Researchers have to consider the commonalities, and they have to look at how they can minimize the acceptance testing challenges from the perspective of the industry.

This study aims to expand and enrich the research on the social gap regarding wind power development. We look into reasons for the malaise that people experience when confronted with wind power projects and propose that aspects of the Romantic era still prevail in and influence how humans relate to the world today. We show that the human relation to nature and technology is influenced by Romanticism providing one additional explanation for the social acceptance of wind power that has not yet been addressed in research. This is researched through a qualitative, exploratory multiple-case design that focuses on exploring personal stories and emotions about people’s relation to nature, technology and wind power. This resulted in the discovery of several paradoxes in people’s thinking, a nature paradox and a technology paradox which meet in the wind power debate. Our findings indicate that the malaise around wind power can be further understood by these paradoxes. Ultimately, people’s final decision on accepting wind power comes down to Romantic thinking versus Enlightenment thinking, in which the latter dominates.

This thesis examines Sweden’s transition towards a 100% renewable energy system in 2040, by analyzing the expansion of wind power in particular. The study applies a theoretical framework consisting of the concepts of Social Acceptance and Ladder of Participation to analyze how these can be applied on the national and local levels. As the purpose is to acknowledge the different opportunities and problems with the ongoing expansion of wind power and to identify if the “social gap” between global and local is present in Sweden, both qualitative and quantitative methods are applied. Content analysis was used to examine the role of social acceptance and citizen participation while the Pearson Correlation Analysis was conducted to identify possible connections between the public’s attitudes towards wind power and the increasing number of wind turbines on different scaling levels. The results identified differences in quality and quantity of the approach strategies used to increase social acceptance and citizen participation on the national and local levels. Strong resistance movements were also found on the local level, while no moderate nor strong relationship could be found between the public’s attitudes and the number of turbines, instead, strong support was found on all geographical levels, hence, the “social gap” is present in the Swedish context. The thesis also concludes that if implemented wrong, wind power could be considered as a “land- grabber” while the opposite is true if done right, and thus function as a local catalyst.

Within the set of all vehicle crashes that occur annually, of intersection-related crashes are over-represented. The research conducted here uses an empirical approach to study driver behavior at intersections, in a naturalistic paradigm. A data-mining algorithm was used to aggregate the data from two different naturalistic databases to obtain instances of unprotected turns at the same intersection. Several dependent variables were analyzed which included visual entropy, mean-duration of glances to locations in the driver's view, gap-acceptance/rejection time. Kinematic dependent variables include peak/average speed, and peak longitudinal and lateral acceleration. Results indicated that visual entropy and peak speed differs amongst drivers of the three age-groups (older, middle-age, teens) in the presence of traffic in the intersecting streams while negotiating a left turn. Although not significant, but approaching significance, were differences in gap acceptance times, with the older driver accepting larger gaps compared to the younger teen drivers. Significant differences were observed for peak speed and average speed during a left turn, with younger drivers exhibiting higher values for both. Overall, this research has resulted in contribution towards two types of engineering application. Firstly, the analyses of traffic levels, gap acceptance, and gap non-acceptance represented exploratory efforts, ones that ventured into new areas of technical content, using newly available naturalistic driving data. Secondly, the findings from this thesis are among the few that can be used to inform the further development, refinement, and testing of technology (and training) solutions intended to assist drivers in making successful turns and avoiding crashes at intersections.
Master of Science

Die vorliegende Dissertationsschrift widmet sich der Kapazität von Minikreisverkehren und der Berücksichtigung querender nichtmotorisierter Verkehrsteilnehmer an Kreisverkehren. Grundlage bilden Verkehrserhebungen an zehn Minikreisverkehren in Deutschland sowie eine Analyse des Erkenntnisstands zur Kapazitätsermittlung an Minikreisverkehren und an kleinen Kreisverkehren. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit wird ein Kapazitätsmodell für Minikreisverkehre unter Berücksichtigung relevanter verkehrlicher und gestalterischer Einflussfaktoren ermittelt. Dafür werden zwei unterschiedliche Ansätze betrachtet. Für den zeitlückentheoretischen Ansatz werden mithilfe der erhobenen Daten Funktionen zur Beschreibung der Zeitlückenverteilung im Kreis bestimmt und das Abflussverhalten der in der Zufahrt wartenden Fahrzeuge analysiert. Der theoretischen Beschreibung der Zeitlückenverteilung wird eine verschobene Exponentialverteilung mit Berücksichtigung des Anteils der frei fahrenden Fahrzeuge zugrunde gelegt, für die verschiedene Methoden der Parameterschätzung analysiert werden. Zur Ermittlung des Anteils der frei fahrenden Fahrzeuge wird ein Berechnungsmodell in Abhängigkeit der Verkehrsstärke und stromaufwärts gelegener Lichtsignalanlagen bestimmt. Für das Abflussverhalten der wartepflichtigen Fahrzeuge werden unterschiedliche Verfahren sowie Annahmen zur Bestimmung der Grenzzeitlücke analysiert und Zusammenhänge zwischen den ermittelten Zeitbedarfswerten und verkehrlichen sowie gestalterischen Eigenschaften der Minikreisverkehre bestimmt. Die Analyse des Abflussverhaltens wird durch die Betrachtung des Einflusses der ausfahrenden Fahrzeuge vervollständigt. Grundlage der empirischen Regressionsmodelle bildet eine zuverlässige Kapazitätsschätzung aus empirischen Daten, wofür bekannte Ansätze zur Kapazitätsschätzung überprüft und Modifikationsvorschläge erarbeitet werden. Zusammenhänge zwischen den erhobenen Kapazitäten und geometrischen sowie verkehrlichen Einflussgrößen werden mittels multipler Regressionsrechnung auf zwei unterschiedliche Arten bestimmt. Die nach beiden Arten ermittelten signifikanten Einflussgrößen werden sachlogisch diskutiert und ein regressionsbasiertes Kapazitätsmodell anhand der Erklärungsgüte ausgewählt. Die Gegenüberstellung der Vor- und Nachteile der mit der Zeitlückentheorie und der durch Regressionsrechnung ermittelten Berechnungsansätze führt zu der Empfehlung, allgemeingültige Kapazitätsmodelle für Minikreisverkehre und kleine einstreifige Kreisverkehre auf Basis der Zeitlückentheorie zu entwickeln. Diese Empfehlung wird durch Simulationsuntersuchungen an zwei Minikreisverkehren validiert. Im zweiten Teil der Arbeit werden für Minikreisverkehre Simulationsuntersuchungen zum Einfluss querender nichtmotorisierter Verkehrsteilnehmer durchgeführt. Aus den Simulationsergebnissen werden Berechnungsansätze zur Berücksichtigung des kapazitätsmindernden Einflusses querender Fußgänger und Radfahrer an Kreisverkehrszufahrten mit und ohne Fußgängerüberwegen bestimmt. Weiterhin wird ein Berechnungsverfahren zur Kapazitätsermittlung an Kreisverkehrsausfahrten mit und ohne Fußgängerüberwegen ermittelt. Ausgehend von der Kapazität und der Auslastung einer Ausfahrt wird ein Verfahren zur Berechnung von Rückstauwahrscheinlichkeiten sowie den daraus folgenden Blockadewahrscheinlichkeiten stromaufwärts gelegener Kreisverkehrszufahrten entwickelt, um damit den kapazitätsmindernden Einfluss der die Ausfahrt querenden nichtmotorisierten Verkehrsteilnehmer zu berechnen. Die Ergebnisse werden in einem integrierten Berechnungsmodell zur Kapazitätsermittlung an Minikreisverkehren unter Berücksichtigung des Einflusses querender Fußgänger zusammengefasst und daraus allgemeine, für kleine Kreisverkehre gültige Erkenntnisse abgeleitet.

In den letzten Jahren hat die Verbreitung von Elektrofahrrädern, sogenannten Pedelecs, stark zugenommen. Dies ist vor dem Hintergrund der Umweltfreundlichkeit und Gesundheitsförderlichkeit dieser Form der Fortbewegung zunächst grundsätzlich positiv zu bewerten. Gleichzeitig besteht jedoch die Sorge, dass Elektrofahrradfahrer häufiger und in schwerere Unfälle verwickelt werden könnten als Fahrradfahrer. So bieten motorgestützte Elektrofahrräder das Potential, höhere Geschwindigkeiten zu erreichen als konventionelle Fahrräder, und werden zudem vor allem von älteren Verkehrsteilnehmern genutzt. Nicht zuletzt deswegen könnten sich durch diese neue Mobilitätsform auch neue Herausforderungen für die Verkehrs-, insbesondere Radinfrastrukturen ergeben. Tatsächlich jedoch blieben die Auswirkungen auf die Verkehrssicherheit bisher weitestgehend ungeklärt. Um dieser Problematik zu begegnen, wurde im Rahmen einer Naturalistic Cycling Studie (NCS) und mehreren experimentellen Untersuchungen folgenden Fragen nachgegangen: Fahren Elektrofahrradfahrer tatsächlich schneller als nicht-motorisierte Radfahrer? Wie wirken sich diese potentiell höheren Geschwindigkeiten darauf aus, wie Elektrofahrradfahrer von Autofahrern wahrgenommen werden? Welchen Einfluss hat das Alter der Radfahrer auf die Geschwindigkeiten und auch auf deren Neigung zu Unfällen bzw. sicherheitskritischen Situationen im Verkehr? Und welchen Einfluss hat die Infrastruktur auf die gewählten Geschwindigkeiten und die Auftretenshäufigkeit von kritischen Situationen? Diese und weitere Fragen wurden in insgesamt vier Arbeiten, die in internationalen Fachzeitschriften publiziert sind (I - IV), beleuchtet. Im ersten Artikel werden die Geschwindigkeiten von Fahrradfahrern (n = 31) im Gegensatz zu Pedelecfahrern (n = 49; Motorunterstützung bis 25 km/h) sowie S-Pedelecfahrern (n = 10; Motorunterstützung bis 45 km/h) betrachtet. Als Einflussgrößen wurden das Alter und die Nutzung verschiedener Infrastrukturtypen der Probanden ausgewertet. Alle Räder wurden mit einem Datenaufzeichnungssystem inklusive Kameras und Geschwindigkeitssensoren ausgestattet, um für vier Wochen ein Bild des natürlichen Fahrverhaltens zu erhalten. Unabhängig von der Infrastruktur waren S-Pedelecfahrer schneller unterwegs waren als Fahrrad- und Pedelecfahrer. Pedelecfahrer fuhren ebenfalls signifikant schneller als konventionelle Fahrradfahrer. Die höchsten Geschwindigkeiten wurden für alle Radtypen auf der (mit dem motorisierten Verkehr geteilten) Fahrbahn sowie der Radinfrastruktur gemessen. Das Alter der Fahrer hatte ebenfalls einen signifikanten Einfluss auf die Geschwindigkeit: Unabhängig vom Fahrradtyp waren ältere Fahrer (65 Jahre und älter) deutlich langsamer als Probanden jüngerer Altersgruppen (41-64 Jahre sowie 40 Jahre und jünger). Die beiden jüngeren Altersgruppen fuhren selbst ohne Motorunterstützung (konventionelles Fahrrad) schneller als die älteren Pedelecfahrer. Genauere Analysen (wie etwa das Verhalten beim Bergabfahren) legen nahe, dass dieser Befund nicht allein der physischen Leistungsfähigkeit zugeschrieben werden kann. Es scheint vielmehr so, als ob ältere Fahrrad- und Elektroradfahrer durch die geringere Geschwindigkeit versuchen, Defizite in der Reaktionsgeschwindigkeit auszugleichen bzw. generell vorsichtiger fahren. Der zweite Artikel beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, inwieweit sich die Art und Häufigkeit von Unfällen und kritischen Situationen bei den drei verschiedenen Altersgruppen unterscheiden. Auch hier wurde auf die Daten aus der NCS zurückgegriffen, auf deren Basis eine umfassende Videokodierung durchgeführt wurde. Es zeigten sich keine Unterschiede zwischen den Altersgruppen hinsichtlich des Auftretens kritischer Situationen; weder in Bezug auf die absolute Anzahl, noch gemessen an der relativen Häufigkeit (pro 100 km). Ebenfalls keine Zusammenhänge fanden sich zwischen dem Alter der Fahrer und der Art von Konfliktpartnern oder der Tageszeit der kritischen Situationen. Auch hier scheint es so, dass Ältere keinem erhöhten Risiko unterliegen, und etwaige altersbedingte Einschränkungen kompensieren können. Bei der Betrachtung des Einflusses des Infrastrukturtyps auf das Auftreten von kritischen Situationen zeigte sich, dass, bezogen auf die zurückgelegten Wegstrecken, die Nutzung der mit dem motorisierten Verkehr geteilten Fahrbahn als relativ sicher einzustufen ist. Demgegenüber ergab sich ein erhöhtes Risiko für Unfälle oder kritische Situationen auf designierter Radinfrastruktur. Dies widerspricht der Wahrnehmung vieler Radfahrer, die diese Infrastruktur als besonders sicher empfinden. Es ist allerdings anzunehmen, dass diese Wahrnehmung nicht nur auf der vermeintlichen Auftretenshäufigkeit, sondern auch auf dem angenommenen Schweregrad einer möglichen Kollision beruht. Zwei weitere Artikel beschäftigen sich damit, wie Autofahrer die Geschwindigkeit beziehungsweise die Annäherung von Elektrofahrrädern wahrnehmen. Dies ist insbesondere in Kreuzungssituationen relevant, in denen Autofahrer abschätzen müssen, ob sie noch rechtzeitig vor einem Fahrrad abbiegen können ohne mit diesem zu kollidieren. Es wurde vermutet, dass die fehlende Erfahrung mit Elektrofahrrädern und der von ihnen erreichbaren Geschwindigkeit vermehrt zu entsprechenden Unfällen führen könnte. Der Frage wurde mit einem Experiment zur Lückenakzeptanz auf der Teststrecke (Artikel III) und einer Videostudie zu Schätzungen von Zeitlückengrößen (Artikel IV) nachgegangen. Es zeigte sich, dass Autofahrer die verbleibende Zeit bis zur Kollision für Elektrofahrradfahrer geringer einschätzten als für konventionelle Radfahrer. Zudem wählten Autofahrer bei einem herannahenden Elektrofahrrad signifikant kleinere Zeitlücken zum Abbiegen, als bei einem konventionellen Fahrrad. Dieser Effekt verstärkte sich sogar noch, wenn die Geschwindigkeit des herannahenden Zweirades zunahm. Diese Befunde legen nahe, dass die Einschätzung der Geschwindigkeit beziehungsweise Annäherung von Elektrofahrrädern durchaus risikobehaftet ist. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit helfen dabei, die Auswirkungen der steigenden Verbreitung von Elektrofahrrädern auf die Verkehrssicherheit einzuschätzen. Auch erlauben es die Erkenntnisse, Maßnahmen zur Erhöhung der Verkehrssicherheit für Fahrrad- und Elektrofahrradfahrern aller Altersgruppen abzuleiten. Damit leistet diese Arbeit einen Beitrag zur Unterstützung einer sicheren, gesunden und umweltfreundlichen Mobilität
Electric bicycles (e-bikes) are a relatively new form of transport. The aim of this dissertation is to investigate their effects on road safety. In 2012, at the beginning of this dissertation project, knowledge of e-bikes in general and their impact on road safety in particular was relatively scarce. As a starting point of this work, the influence of e-bikes on road safety was investigated compared relative to the road safety of conventional bicycles. Additionally, the influence of the age of the rider on safety is considered as a supplementary factor. Special attention is paid to the impact of the infrastructure utilised by riders and its characteristics. This cumulative dissertation consists of four research articles, labelled Paper I to IV accordingly. Papers I to IV have been published in peer reviewed journals. The synopsis provides an overview of previous research as well as a theoretical framework of the safety of cyclists and e-bike riders. Speed, and its perception through other road users (measured with experiments to gap acceptance and time to arrival (TTA) estimates) are considered as relevant factors for road safety. In Chapter 4, the research objectives are presented in detail. The methodology is clarified in Chapter 5, and in Chapter 6 and 7 the results are summarised and discussed. The implications of the results are considered in Chapter 8. In Paper I, the differences in speed between bicycles, pedelecs (pedal electric cycle, motor assistance up to 25 km/h) and S-pedelecs (pedal electric cycle, motor assistance up to 45 km/h) were investigated. Additionally the influence of infrastructure type, road gradient and the age of the rider were taken into account. Paper II is concerned with the influence of different conflict partners in crashes, and the utilisation of infrastructure on the safety of cyclists. For this purpose, safety critical events (SCE) involving cyclists were examined, with a special focus on the differences between younger, middle aged, and older cyclists. Papers III and IV focus on the perception of speed of e-bike and bicycle riders through other road users and its implications for road safety. Paper III specifically deals with the gap acceptance of car drivers at intersections in the presence of cyclists and e-bike riders with different speeds and under varying conditions (e.g. at intersections with different road gradients). Paper IV looks at drivers TTA estimates of approaching bicycles and e-bikes in combination with other influencing factors (e.g. speed, cyclist age)

Förväntad effekt av vårdens elektroniska IT-system är ökad patientsäkerhet, vårdkvalitet och tillgänglighet. Ett första villkor för att kunna uppnå detta är att IT-systemet används. I denna studie granskas ett underutnyttjat IT-system, använt för informationsöverföring mellan olika huvudmän vid samordnad vård- och omsorgsplanering. Granskningen baseras på teorier om hur individers intention och vilja till att använda ett IT-system initieras eller upprätthålls genom omgivningens påverkan. Resultatet visar att IT-användare i den patientnära vården (mikrosystemet) saknar adekvat tekniskt, organisatoriskt (mesosystemet) och ledningsstöd (makrosystemet), vilket kan förklara underutnyttjandet.
Expected impact of electronic healthcare systems is increasing patient safety, care quality and availability. Using the system is essential to achieve this. This study explain the assimilation gap in an electronic healthcare system used in coordinated care planning by theories how individuals’ intentions and willingness to use electronic systems is affected by environmental influences. The result shows that the end users lack technical, organizational, and management support, which can explains the assimilation gap.

Questions have been raised regarding how good Capcal works for roundabouts with a weaving length smaller than 25 meters and if Capcal would work for weaving lengths lower than the 16 meters that is the lower limit in the current model. In this thesis, two possible improvements has been developed and tested on five roundabouts with a weaving length less than 25 meters. Work has been done to build alternative gap acceptance models ranging from removal of the 16-meter limit through re-estimation of the current model to a completely new model. In this thesis a new sub model has been introduced that take into account the uncertainty of if circulating vehicles will exit or continue to circulate. These sub models have been combined in 29 different ways including the current Capcal model configuration and have been tested with five different roundabouts. The conflict delay, which is caused by interaction with other vehicles, has been used to compare the model results with delay observations from video captures of the roundabouts.   Out of all model configurations, the original Capcal 3.3 model had the lowest difference in average between the model result and the observations. If the 16-meter weaving length restriction in the original model is removed, almost the same results are obtained as with the restriction. While none of the model configurations improved the model fit, no configuration could be statistically be rejected. In the results of individual roundabouts, there were differences between the model and observations of up to 50%. This shows that while this thesis could not find any improvements of Capcal, there is a potential for future work to develop improvements of the roundabout model.
I nuläget tillåter Capcal att växlingssträckor ner till 16 meter modelleras, men i dataunderlaget som användes vid skapandet av nuvarande modell finns endast med en cirkulationsplats under 25 meter. Det har lyfts frågetecken kring huruvida Capcal ger bra resultat för cirkulationsplatser med en växlingssträcka på mindre än 25 meter samt huruvida modellens nedre gräns på 16 meter skulle kunna tas bort. I detta examensarbete har två olika möjligheter att förbättra modellen testats på fem olika cirkulationsplatser med växlingssträcka kortare än 25 meter. I arbetet har det ingått att ta fram alternativa gap-acceptance-modeller vilka sträcker sig från att enbart ta bort 16-metersgränsen via en nyestimering av Capcals modell till en helt ny modell. Därtill har en ny submodell skapats som tar hänsyn till den osäkerhet som uppstår kring huruvida cirkulerande fordon kommer att köra ur cirkulationen vid en utfart eller fortsätta cirkulera. De utvecklade submodellerna samt nuvarande Capcal modell har kombinerats i 29 olika kombinationer. Dessa 29 kombinationer har för varje av de fem studerade cirkulationsplatserna testats mot observationer från respektive cirkulationsplats. Konfliktfördröjningen, vilket är fördröjning på grund av interaktion med andra fordon, har använts för att jämföra Capcal-resultaten och observationerna.   Av alla modellkonfigurationer så gav nuvarande Capcal 3.3-modell lägst medelskillnad mellan modellresultat och observationer. Om 16-meter-restriktionen i nuvarande Capcal-modell tas bort, så fås i stort sett samma resultat. Ingen av de studerade modell-förändringarna gav en bättre passning mellan modell och verklighet i medel, men ingen förändring kunde förkastas ur statistisk synvinkel. Det var dock stora variationer i resultaten för enskilda cirkulationsplatser med upp till 50% skillnad mellan modellens resultat och observerade värden. Detta visar på att även om detta examensarbete inte lyckades hitta några förbättringar av Capcal, så finns det potential för framtida arbete att ta fram förbättringar av cirkulationsplatsmodellen i Capcal.

This thesis builds on previous work on an Institute of Roads FAST VUT dealing with modifications of road I/43 Brno – Svitavy. A conversion of the existing temporary three leg single lane roundabout to egg turbo roundabout with four legs, is proposed there, in accordance with local plan of Lipůvka. The intersection of road I/43 and II/379 can be characterized by large congestions in the morning peak hours during weekdays and afternoon peak hours on Saturday and Sunday. That is the reason for implementation of capacity assessment of designed turbo roundabout and comparison with current situation. Construction of fourth leg is motivated by the planned expansion of residential area and the development of industrial zone on the south-western outskirts of the village and rerouting of the county road II/379 out of built-up area as well. Road I/43 is an important thoroughfare north of Brno, so it is obvious effort to eliminate the bottlenecks on the route. The thesis also includes a theoretical introduction dealing with the design of turbo roundabouts abroad.

Sexual violence against women is not only a serious public health problem of epidemic proportions, it’s also a violation of women’s human rights. The devastating consequences of these events on women’s health have been widely documented. The overarching purpose of this thesis is therefore to explore why public healthcare facilities around the world often fail to provide victims of sexual violence with mental healthcare of good quality that is available, accessible and acceptable. In order to investigate this, the legal grounds of specialized healthcare for victims of sexual violence was documented. Secondly, an exploration of whether the Swedish healthcare system provides victims of sexual violence with access to the highest attainable standard of mental healthcare was carried out. Lastly, the history of violence against women was explored in order to identify reasons for why the right to mental healthcare often fail to work in practice for female victims of sexual violence despite apparent agreements. Also, constructive suggestions are put forth regarding what governments can do to provide victims of sexual violence with access to the highest attainable standard of mental healthcare. An interdisciplinary approach of political sociology was used to illustrate the multiple dimensions of human rights. The findings suggest that the right to mental health is an integrated part of the right to health and thus a fundamental right for all human beings. However, the results indicate that the right to mental healthcare for women who have been subjected to sexual violence is not available, accessible and of good quality within the Swedish healthcare system. The study concludes that one of the main barriers to make the right to mental healthcare accessible for this group of patients is the lack of an officially recognized name that include the many different syndromes these women suffer. Findings are discussed in relation to previous research.

Thesis (MSc Food Sc)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this study an industry-selected and diverse range of South African red wines were analysed for sensory and chemical attributes, as well as degree of liking using a target group of black South African consumers. Segments of consumers that differed in degree of liking were then tested for their response to intrinsic (sensory) and extrinsic (non-sensory) cues. The selection of wines included eighteen dry and natural sweet red wines, representing low-end inexpensive wines together with high-end, top quality wines. Sensory profiles for all samples were established using Quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA). The results revealed that cultivar specific dry red wines associated with a wide range of sensory descriptors such as woody, vegetative and fruity, while the sweet red wines associated with the fruity and sweet-associated attributes. Chemically there was a significant variation between wines regarding the alcohol and sugar content. Gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (GC-FID) indicated the major volatile constituents present in the wine, i.e. esters, alcohols and fatty acids. When investigating the association between the chemical and sensory data, it was revealed that the red blends were driven by the presence of alcohols and esters, and sensory descriptors such as high roast oak, coffee and mixed spice, whereas the red cultivar wines were mostly driven by fatty acids and esters and the sensory descriptors, green bean and asparagus. The sweet red blends were closely associated with acids and the sensory descriptors sweet-associated and floral. Degree of liking of a subset of 18 wines was investigated based on the preferences of black consumers from the Western Cape area, South Africa. These consumers predominantly preferred the sweet red wines with high sugar content, in a blind tasting session. Purchase intent was also evaluated by viewing actual photographs of packaging formats of the respective wines and the results indicated that the consumers preferred the well-known cultivar wines with a perception of value and style. Cluster analysis was furthermore performed to ascertain whether these consumers differed in their degree of liking of the intrinsic character of the respective wines. Four different clusters of consumers were identified: 1) Consumers preferring both dry and sweet red wines equally, 2) Consumers who strongly favoured sweet red wines and moderately liked dry red wines, 3) Consumers who strongly favoured sweet red wines with little preference for dry red wines; and 4) Consumers preferring dry red wines. Consumers were also probed on their general opinions or perceptions on the extrinsic character of the wines, and thus factors that influence the purchasing process. It was found that black consumers who don‟t consume wine often, preferred wines that they are familiar with, while consumers that drink wine more frequently enjoy to broaden their horizons by experimenting with more expensive wine brands. Extrinsic or non-sensory cues such as alcohol content, label, vintage, price and cultivar were found to be the most important considered factors when purchasing red wines, while awards and type of closure were regarded as the least important. It was also found that the discerning consumers, who purchase high-end wines, took more of the latter aspects into consideration, whereas consumers who purchase low-end wines considered a limited number of the non-sensory cues.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie is 'n diverse reeks industrie-geselekteerde, Suid-Afrikaanse rooiwyne geanaliseer vir hul sensoriese en chemiese eienskappe. Verbruikersvoorkeur van die wyne is getoets, asook tot watter mate verbruikersvoorkeure beïnvloed word deur intrinsieke (sensoriese) en ekstrinsieke (nie-sensoriese) faktore. Die reeks van agtien wyne het bestaan uit droë en soet rooi wyne, wat op hul beurt verder verdeel kan word in goedkoper, kwaliteit wyne en duurder, ultra-premium wyne. Die sensoriese profiel van al die wyne is bepaal deur beskrywende sensoriese analise. Resultate het getoon dat die kultivar-spesifieke droë rooiwyne geassosieer word met 'n wye reeks sensoriese eienskappe soos houtagtig, kruidagtig en vrugtig, terwyl die soet rooiwyne beskryf is as vrugtige en soet-geassosieerd. In terme van die chemiese analises was daar betekenisvolle verskille betreffende die alkohol- en suikerinhoud van die wyne. Gas chromatografie gekoppel met vlam-ioniserende deteksie (GC-FID) het die mees vlugtige verbindings teenwoordig in die wyn aangedui, naamlik esters, alkohole en vetsure. Met die korrelasie van die chemiese en sensoriese data is gevind dat die droë versnitwyne gedryf word deur die teenwoordigheid van alkohole en esters, asook sensoriese eienskappe soos gehout, koffie, en gemengde spesery, terwyl die kultivar-spesieke wyne weer meestal gedryf word deur vetsure en esters en sensoriese eienskappe soos groenboontjie en aspersie. Die soet rooiwyne het chemies geassosieer met sure en sensoriese terme soos soet-geassosieerd en blomagtig. Die aanvaarbaarheid van 'n kleiner groepering wyne is bepaal deur gebruik te maak van swart verbruikers in die Wes-Kaap area, Suid-Afrika. Die verbruikers het in 'n blinde proesessie onderskeie wyne se wynverpakking besigtig en aangedui of hulle die wyne sou koop. Hierdie resultate het getoon dat die verbruikers bekende kultivarwyne verkies wat 'n persepsie van waarde en styl geïllustreer het. Segmentasie tegnieke is op die data uitgevoer ten einde te bepaal of verbruikers in groepe verdeel kan word, wat betref hul voorkeur van die sensoriese of intrinsieke eienskappe van die wyne. Vier verskillende groepe is geïdentifiseer, nl. verbruikers wat 1) droë en soet rooiwyne ewe veel verkies; 2) soet rooiwyne en tot 'n mate ook droë rooiwyne verkies; 3) soet rooiwyne en tot 'n mindere mate droë rooiwyne verkies; en laastens 4) slegs droë rooiwyne verkies. Verbruikers se algemene opinies en persepsies betreffende die ekstrinsieke eienskappe van die wyne is ook ondersoek, met ander woorde faktore wat die aankoop van wyne beïnvloed. Daar is gevind dat swart verbruikers wat nie gereeld wyn drink, bekende handelsmerke verkies, terwyl verbruikers wat gereeld wyn drink, daarvan hou om hul horisonne te verbreed en te eksperimenteer met 'n verskeidenheid handelsmerke. Ekstrinsieke of nie-sensoriese aspekte soos, alkohol-inhoud, etiket, oesjaar, prys en kultivar is die belangrikste faktore wat in ag geneem word wanneer rooiwyne gekoop word, terwyl wyntoekennings en die feit dat die wyn met kurke gebotteleer word, nie as belangrik beskou word nie. Daar is ook gevind dat die meer ingeligte verbruiker, wat hoë kwaliteit wyne koop, meer van die bogenoemde aspekte in ag neem tydens die aankoopproses, terwyl die verbruiker wat meer geneig is om goedkoper wyne te koop, slegs 'n paar ekstrinsieke faktore in ag neem.

Questions that were answered in the dissertation: Which process is suitable to desulphurize biogas knowing that chemical absorption will be used to separate CO2? Which absorption solvent is suitable to separate CO2 from concentrated gases such as biogas at atmospheric pressure? What properties of the selected solvent, namely aqueous diglycolamine (DGA), are already known? How to determine solvent properties such as equilibrium CO2 solubility under absorption and desorption conditions using simple, but robust apparatuses? What values do solvent properties such as density, viscosity and surface tension take at various DGA contents and CO2 loadings? How do primary alkanolamine content and CO2 loading influence solvent properties? What is the optimal DGA content in the solvent? What is the optimal desorption temperature at atmospheric pressure? How can equilibrium CO2 solubility in aqueous DGA solvents be simulated? What is the uncertainty in the results? How to debottleneck an absorber and increase its gas-treating capacity? How to determine the optimal lean loading of the absorption solvent? What are the characteristics of the absorption process that uses aqueous DGA as the solvent to separate CO2 from biogas and is more energy efficient and safer than the state-of-the-art processes? How to quantitatively compare the hazards of absorption solvents? What is the disposition of the German population towards hazards from biogas plants? What are the favourable and adverse environmental impacts of biomethane?
Fragen, die in der Dissertation beantwortet wurden: Welches Verfahren ist zur Entschwefelung von Biogas geeignet, wenn die chemische Absorption zur CO2-Abtrennung genutzt wird? Welches Absorptionsmittel ist geeignet, um CO2 aus konzentrierten Gasen, wie Biogas, bei atmosphärischem Druck abzutrennen? Welche Eigenschaften des ausgewählten Absorptionsmittels, wässriges Diglykolamin (DGA), sind bereits bekannt? Wie wird die CO2-Gleichgewichtsbeladung unter Absorptions- und Desorptionsbedingungen mit einfachen und robusten Laborapparaten bestimmt? Welche Werte nehmen die Absorptionsmitteleigenschaften wie Dichte, Viskosität und Oberflächenspannung bei verschiedenen DGA-Gehalten und CO2-Beladungen? Wie werden die Absorptionsmitteleigenschaften durch den Primäramin-Gehalt und die CO2-Beladung beeinflusst? Was ist der optimale DGA-Gehalt im Absorptionsmittel? Was ist die optimale Desorptionstemperatur bei atmosphärischem Druck? Wie wird die CO2-Gleichgewichtsbeladung im wässrigen DGA simuliert? Welche Ungenauigkeit ist zu erwarten? Wie wird eine Absorptionskolonne umgerüstet, um die Kapazität zu erweitern? Wie wird die optimale CO2-Beladung des Absorptionsmittels am Absorbereintritt (im unbeladenen Absorptionsmittel) bestimmt? Was sind die Prozesseigenschaften eines Absorptionsverfahrens, das wässriges DGA als Absorptionsmittel nutzt sowie energieeffizienter und sicherer als Verfahren auf dem Stand der Technik ist? Wie kann das Gefahrenpotenzial von Absorptionsmittel quantitativ verglichen werden? Wie werden Gefahren aus einer Biogasanlage durch die deutsche Bevölkerung wahrgenommen? Welche positive und negative Umweltauswirkung hat Biomethan?

碩士
中華大學
運輸科技與物流管理學系
106
Accepted gap is an important parameter for vehicle drivers at unsignalized intersections since no traffic control signals at these intersections. It also causes traffic flow interruption and conflict problems. Vehicle delay and stops affects the operational efficiency of vehicles crossing the intersections. Illegal driving behaviors result in high probability of traffic accidents at unsignalized intersections. Therefore, driving behavior analysis of vehicle drivers at unsignalized intersections is the base of improved strategies development. This study analyzes the gap acceptance characteristics of vehicles crossing unsignalized intersections and develops a gap acceptance simulation model based on the Monte Carlo simulation method. Critical gaps are analyzed based on the surveyed and analyzed data of accepted gaps and rejected gaps at an unsignalized intersection. The regression models of cumulative probabilities for accepted and rejected gaps are developed. Finally, the study develops an application example of the simulation model to analyzed the average stopped delay of vehicles at unsignalized intersections.

Given that “driver error” is cited as a contributing factor in 93 percent of all crashes, understanding driver behavior is an essential element in mitigating the crash problem. Among the more dangerous roadway elements are unsignalized intersections where drivers’ gap acceptance behavior is strongly correlated to the operational and safety performance of the intersection. While a basic understanding of drivers’ gap acceptance behavior exists, several unanswered questions remain. Previous work has attempted to address some of these questions, however to date the research has been somewhat limited in scope and scale due to the challenges of collecting high fidelity gap acceptance data in the field. This research initiative utilized software newly developed for this project to collect gap acceptance data on 2,767 drivers at 60 sites, totaling 10,419 driver decisions and 22,639 gaps in traffic. This large-scale data collection effort allowed many of these remaining questions to be answered with an improved degree of certainty. This research initiative showed that naturalistic driver gap acceptance behavior can realistically be observed and accurately recorded in the field in real time using a newly developed software tool. This software tool and study methodology was validation using high fidelity video reduction techniques. This research compared different methods of analyzing gap acceptance data, in particular determining critical gap, seeing that the method used significantly affects the results. Conclusions were draw about the merits of each of the ten analysis methods considered. Through the analysis of the large data set collected, the research determined that there exist appreciable and identifiable differences in gap acceptance behavior across drivers under varied conditions. The greatest differences were seen in relationship to wait time and queue presence. If a driver has queued vehicles waiting behind them and/or has been waiting to turn for a long period of time, they will be more likely to accept a smaller gap in traffic. Additionally, an analysis of gap acceptance as it relates to crash experience identified critical situations where a driver's gap acceptance behavior contributes to the occurrence of a crash. Characteristics of the driver such as gender and approximate age associated with specific crashes were examined. Teen drivers were identified as exhibiting aggressive gap acceptance behavior and were found to be overrepresented in gap acceptance related crashes. Ultimately, a better understanding of the driver and environmental factors that significantly contribute to increased crash risk will help guide the way to targeted design solutions.

碩士
國立臺灣大學
土木工程學研究所
106
Side collisions are the most common types of accidents in Taiwan, accounting for about 30% of the total number of accidents. The side collisions including mainly Through with Right Collision and Left Turn with Opposing Through Collision. Commonly involved types of vehicles are turning vehicle and straight scooter, which have a higher degree of damage to the scooter. In the past, the number of accidents was commonly used to measure the safety of roads. However, it may face incomplete information on accidents, such is minor incidents without records, personal privacy issues, long data collection time and the data also represents the accidents had happened. In recent years, the use of conflict alternatives to judge intersection safety, which can reduce the time required for data collection and also enable active safety analysis before the incident happened. Taiwan has a large number of scooters and has a specially mixed traffic flow. Many smart vehicle systems developed overseas, such as self-driving cars and collision avoidance systems, do not fully be useful in Taiwan and must first be localized. However, there are few studies on the correlation between the right-turn traffic flow and the straight-line traffic flow. The main purpose of this study is to study the characteristics of the gap acceptance between the right-turn car and straight scooters at an intersection in the city. In the environment, the signalized intersection, and the road type of the fast/slow lane with marking divider, and the right-turn car has obvious crossing behavior. Use appropriate research methods to determine the gap acceptance characteristics of the right-turn vehicle crossing through straight scooters. It is divided into Lag and Gap, and will accept and reject which represented the right-turn vehicles crossing and not crossing. The survey selected each intersection in Kaohsiung and Taichung city and used a video recorder to conduct surveys and collation of the data. And conflict with the positional relationship between the cross-sectional differences before the measure for improve intersections for through and right collision. And use appropriate statistical methods to analyze the characteristics of right-turn gap acceptance. According to the analysis results, the cancellation of the slow lane line near the intersection and the drawing of the diversion direction line can improve the through and right collision, but the improvement strategy has no effect if there is no multi-party coordination. For the right turn gap acceptance, we can find that at the different intersections with the same road type the Lag distribution will be the same, and the Lag and the Gap distribution at the same intersection will be the same. The critical Lag is longer than the critical Gap. In this study, using logit model as the gap acceptance decision model, which contains lag and gap models. Gap acceptance decision model is based the relevant variables such as speeds of the right-turn car and the straight scooter, number of scooters in interfering area and (lag)gap through traffic video analysis that influence gap acceptance behavior.

Modern roundabouts are increasingly being considered as a preferred intersection design within urban street networks in North America due, in large part, to the increased safety provided by roundabout. In the last decade, much research has been conducted in North America to quantify the performance of roundabouts in terms of vehicle delay as a function of vehicle traffic volume and roundabout geometry. In most jurisdictions, vehicles entering and existing the roundabout are required by law to yield right-of-way to pedestrians crossing the roundabout approach, and consequently, the presence of substantial pedestrian volumes are expected to degrade operational performance of the roundabout for vehicles. However, very little research has been conducted to estimate the impact that pedestrian volumes have on average vehicle delay. The aim of this research is to study the effects of pedestrian volume, entry traffic volume, and conflicting or circulating volume, on the delays that vehicles experience when traversing the roundabout. An analytical model is proposed to estimate vehicle delays on the basis of traffic flow and queuing theory. The model is applicable to single lane roundabouts. The model was calibrated and validated using vehicle delays obtained from the micro-simulation software, VISSIM (version 5.2) for a range of different conditions. The research described in this thesis demonstrates that pedestrian flows cause delays to vehicles traversing the roundabout in four distinct ways. Existing analytical techniques included within most design manuals consider only one of these sources of delays and consequently, conventional models typically under-estimate the impact that pedestrian flows have in terms of increasing delays to vehicles traversing the roundabout.

Diese sprachanalytische Untersuchung befasst sich zum Zweck der Schärfung des argumentationsbezogenen Selbstverständnisses von Mediatoren mit ihren strategischen Handlungen gemäß einer modular strukturierten pragma-dialektischen philosophischen, theoretischen, analytischen, empirischen und praktischen Argumentationsforschung (fünf Komponenten). Durch die Ausarbeitung der internen Struktur der fünf Komponenten im Rahmen der Einführung einer Beschreibungssprache aus Relationsbegriffen wird die Dualität zwischen Theorie und Praxis der Argumentation, d. h. die „methodische Lücke“ zwischen Idealsprache und Aktualsprache, neuartig überbrückt. Es entsteht zugleich eine komplexe Übersicht über den Forschungsstand der Pragma-Dialektik. Dabei wird das analytische Potenzial des Idealmodells critical discussion kritisch bewertet, entsprechende Mängel werden in Bezug auf die Theorie-Praxis-Beziehung beseitigt. Wegen der praktischen Ausrichtung der Argumentationsforschung wird dann, erstens, über eine Integration von critical discussion mit Mediations-Regeln der Vereinten Nationen ein ontologischer Rahmen für strategische Gesprächsanalysen in Mediationssitzungen entwickelt. Zweitens wird eine Unterscheidung strategischer Handlungen im Rahmen der fünf Komponenten genutzt, um zu einer Lokalisierung der Komplexität der paradoxen Rolle von Mediatoren zu führen. Die zentralen Anforderungen an ihre argumentative Kompetenz sowie antizipierbare Strategien von Mediatoren als „analytisch-intuitive Praktiker“ werden ersichtlich, nämlich in ihrem Umgang mit der Theorie-Praxis-Lücke als „pragma-dialektische kritische Designer von Akzeptanz“. Wie, drittens, auf Grundlage dieser argumentativen Kompetenz durch die Nutzung der modular strukturierten Ergebnisse ein Flow von Kommunikation in der Praxis von Mediationssitzungen gesichert und damit zweckorientiert eine Optimierung der argumentativen Realität in Konfliktmanagements erreicht werden kann, wird in einer zweifach reflexiven Fallstudie vorgeführt.

Yes
For developing countries involved in enhancing communication between citizens and public administration and minimizing corruption, it is imperative to exploit information technology. However, certain factors surrounding the context of e-government adoption can either facilitate or hinder the achievement of this objective. In this paper we develop a conceptual framework that aims to enable more successful e-government adoption and aim to expose the factors hindering implementation. Most empirical research and theories on the implementation of e-government in developing countries remain at the macro-level and fail to highlight contextual complexities of deployment and the role of the gap between the citizens and the government. Therefore, this research offers an empirical model differentiating between the electronic context and the electronic system and shed a light over a new gap, government-citizen gap, in the adoption of e-government.

The present research examined, for the first time, the acculturation gap in the domain of female sexuality for immigrant women in the U.S. and Norway. We proposed that greater perceived difference between daughters and parents in the endorsement of host country norms of female sexuality would translate to more intergenerational conflict and women reporting more experiences of control from her family. In addition, proposing that women more acculturated to sexual norms of their host culture may be less accepting of control and, by consequence, report less experiences of control. Participants were double heritage women, ages 18 to 62, residing in Norway (n = 121), and the U.S. (n = 118). Two mediation models were tested. Results supported both processes in the overall sample and in the U.S., with support in Norway for the process via intergenerational conflict, but not via acceptance of controlling behaviors. Both in Norway and the U.S., participants with a greater acculturation gap reported more intergenerational conflict that translated to more experiences of controlling behaviors from family. Only in the U.S. did we find that participants more acculturated to host culture sexual norms tended to accept less control from family and, in turn, report less experiences of controlling behavior. These findings offer a novel theoretical angle in the study of acculturation and sexuality and may inform interventions to reduce conflicts and violence against women in acculturating families.
Este estudo examinou, pela primeira vez, a acculturation gap no contexto da sexualidade feminina. Mais especificamente, investigamos a sua relação com as experiências de controlo por parte da família, tal como o papel mediador da aceitação do controlo e do conflito intergeracional na aculturação de mulheres nos EUA e na Noruega. Propusemos que uma maior diferença entre pais e filhas no endosso das normas da sexualidade feminina do país anfitrião traduzir-se-ia em mais conflitos intergeracionais, resultando em mais experiências de controlo da parte da família. Adicionalmente, as mulheres mais aculturadas às normas sexuais do país anfitrião seriam menos dispostas a aceitar o controlo da parte da família e, consequentemente, relatariam menos experiências de controlo. As participantes eram mulheres de dupla herança, com idades entre 18 e 62 anos, residentes na Noruega (n = 121) e nos EUA (n = 118). Dois modelos de mediação foram testados. Tanto na Noruega como nos EUA, as participantes com uma maior acculturation gap relataram mais conflitos intergeracionais, e estes traduziam-se em mais experiências de controlo da parte da família. Somente nos EUA, as participantes mais aculturadas às normas sexuais do país anfitrião relataram menos aceitação para ser controladas pela família, que por sua vez era relacionada com menos experiências de controlo. Esses resultados oferecem um novo ângulo teórico no estudo da aculturação e da sexualidade, e podem informar intervenções para reduzir conflitos e violência contra as mulheres em famílias na fase de aculturação.

Tese de Doutoramento em Engenharia Civil, Especialidade de Urbanismo, Ordenamento do Território e Transportes, apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra.
Ao longo das três últimas décadas, as rotundas têm vindo a substituir as interseções prioritárias em muitos países, assegurando elevados níveis de aceitação. As condições de funcionamento de uma rotunda em termos de capacidade, segurança e emissões dependem da sua tipologia, das suas características geométricas e dos níveis de procura, importando dispor de modelos de avaliação operacional que apoiem os projetistas nos processos de seleção e conceção geométrica das soluções mais adequadas. Esta tese, desenvolvida em três fases, contribui para potenciar o desempenho e aplicabilidade desses modelos. A primeira fase incidiu nos modelos de capacidades baseados na teoria de gap-acceptance. O trabalho foi desenvolvido utilizando uma base de dados reais, recolhidos em seis rotundas portuguesas, e teve como objetivo otimizar a aplicabilidade do modelo generalizado de Hagring. Foi proposto um novo método de estimação dos parâmetros da distribuição estatística Cowan M3 a partir de uma distribuição empírica de intervalos entre veículos prioritários, com base no qual se obteve uma expressão de parametrização que depende apenas dos fluxos conflituantes. De seguida, analisaram-se diferentes métodos de estimação de intervalos críticos e complementares, obtiveram-se parâmetros calibrados para as condições portuguesas e efetuou-se uma comparação com valores de referência de outros países. Verificou-se que a fórmula de capacidades resultante possui uma elevada capacidade explicativa e produz estimativas que se ajustam muito bem às capacidades observadas. Finalmente, propôs-se uma nova metodologia de estimação de intervalos críticos para movimentos de atravessamento e de inserção em rotundas. O modelo proposto descreve o processo de gap-acceptance a nível microscópico, considerando as características da unidade veículo-condutor e a geometria da manobra. Tendo por referência resultados obtidos com modelos convencionais de estimação, concluiu-se que a nova abordagem é promissora, requerendo contudo o desenvolvimento de um submodelo de previsão de margens de segurança para maximizar o seu potencial. A segunda fase centrou-se no estudo dos modelos de microssimulação de tráfego tendo em vista a sua aplicação mais eficiente à análise do desempenho de rotundas nas suas mais variadas tipologias. Desenvolveu-se em primeiro lugar uma metodologia híbrida de calibração do modelo de microssimulação Aimsun, em que os parâmetros envolvidos no submodelo de car-following de Gipps são estimados com base em dados macroscópicos e os restantes parâmetros são estimados através de um processo de otimização, assente num algoritmo genético. Verificou-se que os parâmetros resultantes da estimação macroscópica são robustos, o que permite a sua aplicação em novas localizações apenas com ajustamentos pontuais. De seguida, avaliou-se as condições de aplicabilidade da metodologia de análise de segurança SSAM (Surrogate Safety Assessment Model). O trabalho consistiu na validação desse modelo através de dois métodos distintos: o primeiro compara o número de conflitos simulados pelo SSAM com o número de acidentes previstos por modelos clássicos de previsão de acidentes, em interseções virtuais; o segundo compara os conflitos reais observados em interseções reais com os conflitos previstos pelo SSAM, decorrentes de um modelo de simulação. Concluiu-se que o SSAM replica satisfatoriamente o padrão de conflitos reais e é uma ferramenta útil na previsão dos níveis de segurança de novas instalações. Na terceira fase avaliou-se o potencial de desempenho das turbo-rotundas relativamente às rotundas convencionais de duas vias de circulação. Este trabalho foi desenvolvido em duas partes. Na primeira, baseada na teoria clássica de gap-acceptance, procedeu-se à identificação precisa e detalhada do domínio preferencial de aplicabilidade das turbo-rotundas, em função dos níveis de procura e tendo em vista a componente de capacidade. Verificou-se que a turbo-rotunda oferece mais capacidade apenas sob casos muito particulares de procura, nomeadamente quando a proporção de tráfego de viragem à direita é muito grande. Na segunda, analisou-se o caso concreto de conversão da rotunda do Choupal, em Coimbra, numa rotunda de duas vias, e posteriormente em turbo-rotunda, considerando as componentes de capacidades/demoras, segurança/conforto e emissões atmosféricas, para diferentes cenários de procura. A análise foi suportada por um modelo de microssimulação Aimsun. Verificou-se que, relativamente à solução atual, ambas as propostas garantem o aumento da reserva de capacidade e a diminuição das emissões, tendo a turbo-rotunda a vantagem de manter os níveis de segurança atuais.
Over the past three decades, roundabouts have gained increased popular and political acceptance and are now used worldwide. Since the operating conditions of a roundabout in terms of capacity, safety and atmospheric emissions depend on its typology, geometric characteristics and demand levels, it is important to have operational assessment models that can help planners to select and design the most appropriate solutions. This thesis is organized in three stages, and aims at improving the performance and applicability of those models. The first stage focused on gap-acceptance capacity models. The work was based on a database of real traffic data collected at six roundabouts in Portugal and aims to optimize the applicability of Hagring’s generalized model. A new method to estimate the parameters of Cowan’s M3 headway distribution from an empirical distribution was proposed, from which a new parameterization method was derived that depends only on the opposing flow. After this, the work addressed the behavioral acceptance parameters - the critical headway and the follow-up. Several methods were compared and used to obtain calibrated values for Portuguese conditions, which were then compared with reference values from other countries. It was confirmed that the resulting capacity formula has a very good explanatory power and yields estimates very close to the field data. Finally, a new methodology to estimate the critical headways for merging and crossing movements at roundabouts was presented. This model describes the gap-acceptance process at microscopic level, taking into account vehicle-driver characteristics and the maneuver geometry. Taking the results obtained from classic estimation methods as reference, the new method seems promising. Nevertheless, in order to fully exploit its potential a sub-model that estimates the safety margins associated with each maneuver must be developed. The second stage addressed the study of microscopic simulation models with a view to applying them more efficiently to the assessment of roundabouts operations. In the first part, a new calibration procedure of the Aimsun model was presented. This procedure involves calibrating the model in two steps: first, the parameters related to the Gipps car-following model, particularly to the steady-state conditions, are estimated using macroscopic data; second, the other parameters are estimated following an optimization procedure based on a genetic algorithm. The resulting parameters are robust, that is, they can be applied in different locations with only minor corrections. The second part addressed the applicability conditions of the Surrogate Safety Assessment Model (SSAM). The work consisted of validating the SSAM using two distinct methods. The first compares the number of conflicts predicted by SSAM with the number of accidents predicted by classic accident prediction models, at virtual intersections. The second compares the real conflicts observed at real intersections with the conflicts predicted by SSAM linked to a simulation model. SSAM was found to satisfactorily replicate the pattern of real conflicts and can be considered a useful tool to predict the safety levels of new facilities. In the third stage, the research focused on the assessment of turbo-roundabouts as an alternative to conventional two-lane roundabouts. This work was done in two parts. First, based on gap-acceptance capacity models, the capacity of the two layouts was compared for a wide range of demand scenarios, using synthetic data. It has been shown that only under very specific demand scenarios that are uncommon in real-world networks and associated with very high percentages of right-turning entry traffic, can a standard turbo-roundabout be expected to provide more capacity than the equivalent two-lane roundabout. The second part addressed the specific case of converting the single-lane Choupal roundabout, in Coimbra, into a two-lane roundabout and then into a turbo-roundabout, following an integrated analysis that accounts for the capacity/delays, safety and atmospheric emissions. This analysis was based on an Aimsun microscopic model. It was concluded that, in comparison with the exiting solution, both multilane layouts would increase the spare capacity and decrease the emissions, with advantage for the turbo-roundabout for generally maintaining the existing safety conditions.
FCT PTDC/SEN-TRA/122114/2010

The existing audit risk model does not take business risk into account. The aims of this study are, firstly, to do research on the necessity of taking business risk into account in the audit risk model, and secondly, to indicate the influence of business risk on the audit risk model and on the scope of an audit. In this study, both audit and business risks were researched and it was determined that the existing audit risk model only considers the probabilities that auditors can give incorrect opinions. This study proposes a method whereby an auditor can consider both his own business risk and that ofhis client in determining an audit risk that is acceptable to him and in determining the scope ofhis audit. In addition to the probabilities of incorrect decisions by auditors the consequences thereof are also considered, thus limiting the auditor's engagement risk.
Die huidige ouditrisikomodel neem nie besigheidrisiko in ag nie. Die doel van hierdie studie is eerstens, om die noodsaaklikheid van die inagnerning van besigheidsrisiko in die ouditrisikomodel te ondersoek en tweedens, om die invloed van besigheidsrisiko op die ouditrisikomodel en op die omvang van 'n oudit aan te dui. In hierdie studie is literatuur oor ouditrisiko en besigheidsrisiko ondersoek waaruit aan die lig kom dat die huidige ouditrisikomodel net die waarskynlikhede in ag neem dat ouditeurs foutiewe menings kan uitspreek. Gevolglik stel die studie 'n metode voor waardeur 'n ouditeur beide sy eie besigheidsrisiko asook die van sy klient in ag kan neem tydens die bepaling van 'n ouditrisiko wat vir hom aanvaarbaar is en tydens die vasstelling van die omvang van sy oudit. Daardeur word nie alleen die waarskynlikhede nie, maar ook die gevolge van foutiewe besluitnemings deur ouditeurs oorweeg en 'n ouditeur se aanstellingsrisiko sodoende beperk.
Auditing
MCom (Ouditkunde)

Yes
Purpose - This study aims to explore: the actual usage of GAS features among Egyptian external auditors, through the technology acceptance model (TAM); how the conceptual complexity of GAS features impact its actual usage; and what factors influencing the GAS use by Egyptian external auditors. Design/methodology/approach - External audit professionals at twelve international audit firms, including the Big 4 and eight medium-sized firms, in Egypt were surveyed. Findings - The results show that the basic features including database queries, ratio analysis, and audit sampling were higher in GAS use, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use among Egyptian external auditors than the advanced features: digital analysis, regression/ANOVA, and data mining classification. The SEM analysis by GAS features suggests that perceived ease of use has a stronger effect on GAS use when the conceptual complexity of GAS features is high. The analysis also support that the use of GAS by Egyptian external auditors is more affected by co-worker, supervisor, or organization through perceived usefulness, but not by job relevance, output quality, and result demonstration. Research limitations/implications - Although Egyptian external auditors participated in this study may limit the extent to which the findings may be generalized, the responses provide an insight into the actual usage of GAS features by external auditors and the impact of conceptual complexity of GAS features, which is consistent with the literature concerning the relatively low level of utilizing the advanced features of GAS by internal auditors, suggesting that the issues revealed should be of concern. Practical implications - The results reported in this paper are useful to audit software developers and audit firms in their understanding of factors influencing GAS usage in a different audit context. Originality/value - The study adds value to prior research by providing context-contingent insight into the application of technology acceptance model in an unexplored audit context.

For over a decade this study followed designs for emissions trading schemes (ETS) that have emerged in response to global warming. An ETS is considered a cost-effective instrument to mitigate pollution (UNFCCC, 2006). Early in this study indications were that several operational ETSs struggled to achieve their emission reduction goals. Considering this problem, the study looks at the competing constraints of acceptance, effectiveness, and emissions reduction. The parameters of an ETS can be adjusted in relation to these constraints and the study also considers the alignment of nine design factors to these constraints. The design factors considered are legislation, governance, compliance, rules, compensation, targets, phasing-in, coverage and the distribution of allowances. It emerges that adjustments in terms of factor alignment may affect a schemes ability to reduce emissions. Other important factors sit outside the scope of this study, i.e. variations in greenhouse gas emissions as a result of the GFC and later COVID-19, also alternative mitigation policies, human adaptation, and innovative technologies. Viewed in a comparative manner the main case studies are the antecedent US Acid Rain Program (US ARP), the European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS) and the US Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Other ETS designs that provide data for the study include the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS), the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CRPS), which later became known as the Australian Carbon Tax, and the Californian Cap and Trade Program (CCTP). An effective ETS may perform adequately in relation to its’ goals for governance and compliance, although it can be shown that if the design leans too far toward acceptance the capacity for emissions reduction is diminished. According to the conceptual framework developed early in the study, over time the relationship between the constraints and the design factors should be revised toward reducing emissions.

碩士
國立臺東大學
資訊管理學系碩士班
106
Atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter (AF) is a common arrhythmia. Patients with AF must be evaluated the necessity of anticoagulants to prevent stroke. The electronic medical record alert system is a helpful tool for finding patients with AF, but there is currently no study of such an AF alert system. This study hypothesized that the knowledge level about AF may affect the acceptance of an AF alert system. The original Jessa atrial fibrillation knowledge questionnaire (JAKQ) was translated in Chinese by the forward and backward translation method. We evaluated AF-related knowledge gaps using the Chinese version of Jessa atrial fibrillation knowledge questionnaire between physicians, nurse practitioners and pharmacists. The mean score of the physician group was 76.27±9.97%, higher than that of the specialist nurse group (68.98±11.05, p<0.01) and the pharmacist group (66.69±11.65%, p<0.01), confirmed the discriminatory potential of the Chinese version of JAKQ. We designed an AF alert system technology acceptance model questionnaire, which was integrated the theoretical perspective of theory of reasoned action (TRA) with technology acceptance model (TAM). We simulated the introduction of an AF alert system and showed it to the subjects and then assessed the degree of acceptance of the alert system by the AF alert system technology acceptance model questionnaire. The correlation between the AF knowledge scores from the JAKQ and the degree of technology acceptance of the alert system among the physicians group was studied by structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques such as partial least squares (PLS). AF knowledge has a low explanatory power but significant degree of impact for perceived ease of use (PEOU). Thus, it can be deduced that although the knowledge level does not have direct, significant effect on perceived usefulness (PU), it can be achieved through the mediating effect of perceived ease of use (PEOU) and further has a positive impact on perceived usefulness (PU). Perceived ease of use (PEOU) has a considerable degree of predictability and explanatory power for perceived usefulness (PU). There is a similar power between perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) to attitude toward using and between attitude toward using and subjective norms (SN) to behavioral intention.