School readiness has a long-term effect on the development of a learner, including a successful school career, employment and the ability to contribute to society. The criteria for the personal readiness of the learner at school entry were proposed by the National Education Goals Panel (NEGP, 1991), and include physical well-being and motor development; social-emotional development; approaches to learning; language usage and communication skills; and cognitive skills and general knowledge. As learning starts long before school entry, stimulation during the pre-school years should not be underestimated. External factors that have an impact on the personal readiness of the child include the expectations of the parents, the readiness of the school, preschool experiences and the environment of the child. Many studies have proven that children from disadvantaged backgrounds are less ready for formal learning than their more advantaged peers, since they are often deprived from attending good quality preschools. As a result they are at heightened risk for school failure, which has serious and long-lasting consequences. In South Africa a significant number of young learners have not reached the required level of readiness to cope with formal learning in Grade 1, due to inadequate early learning experiences, which in most cases, is the result of poverty and deprivation. Instead of a smooth transition from the informal preschool environment to the formal learning environment of the Grade 1 classroom, these learners are traumatised by the fact that they cannot keep up with the pace and requirements of the formal learning situation, resulting in experiences of failure, discouragement and a poor self esteem which, in turn will have a negative long term effect on the academic performance of these learners. School readiness is regarded as a multi-dimensional construct which, apart from the personal readiness of the learner, also includes the readiness of the school to support learners according to their diverse needs. Schools have a responsibility to provide positive learning environments as well as positive learning experiences for their learners. According to the teachers in this study their schools are not prepared to support these learners by addressing their needs. Their predominant concern is the inaccessibility of the current curriculum for learners with insufficient school readiness. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / Early Childhood Education / MEd / Unrestricted

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[pt] Nas últimas décadas, foi possível presenciar a forte pressão da opinião pública para reduzir os acidentes com danos ambientais e colisões rodoviárias. Diversas empresas multinacionais, organizações não-governamentais, assim como governos têm investido muitos recursos nesse sentido. A Alfa, uma empresa petroleira com grande presença na América Central, fez uma enorme redução de empresas fornecedoras de transporte nesta região para poder gerenciar, de maneira mais adequada, seus contratados e, junto com eles, trabalhar em busca da minimização do número de acidentes. Assim, no lapso de três anos, a empresa cortou suas relações com quase uma centena de fornecedores e reestruturou sua operação de transporte contratado. Para chegar a um número tão menor de provedores, a empresa lançou mão de várias técnicas de análise de fornecedores de transporte, de técnicas de negociação eletrônica pela Internet e de um método multicritério de apoio à decisão, desenvolvido por ela. Cada uma destas etapas foi revista à luz da bibliografia acadêmica correspondente, o que possibilita a comparação de modelos apontados somente na teoria quanto à sua aplicação prática. Os resultados mostraram que o caso estudado, além de haver conseguido chegar a seu objetivo, é um caso de sucesso que traz valiosas contribuições à bibliografia acadêmica. / [en] In the last decade it was possible to observe a strong pressure from public opinion to reduce the accidents with environmental consequences and road collisions. Several multinational companies, Non Governmental Organizations, as well as Governments have invested great amount of resources for this aim. Alpha, an oil company, with large operation in Central America, made an enormous carriers reduction in this region, with the objective of being able to manage, in a suitable manner, their contractors and work altogether in the search of accident minimization. Thus, in the lapse of three years the company cancelled its relation with almost one hundred of road transport contractors, and restructured its operation of contracted transport. In order to have only one fraction of the contractors, in relation to what the company had before, a great variety of techniques of analysis for carriers was used. Techniques such as electronic negotiation by Internet, and a multi-criteria decision method developed by the company. Each of these stages was reviewed and compared with the academic bibliography that corresponded. This made possible the comparison of models only written in the bibliography relating their practical application. The results show that the case studied, besides having managed to reach its objective, is a case of success, bringing valuable contributions to the academic bibliography.

This diploma thesis deals with the analysis of current accounts on the Czech banking market. Its goal is to find the most appropriate accounts for different types of clients. The work is divided into three parts. The theoretical part describes the problem of multicriteria decision making, basic concepts and principles, methods for calculating weight of the criteria and individual methods of multicriterial evaluation of alternatives. The second part is devoted to the description of the currently offered current accounts for individuals and a description of the selected criteria according to which the individual alternatives are evaluated. The last computational part tries to find the most appropriate accounts for those clients. Weights are calculated using the scoring method and DEMATEL method. Subsequently, the best accounts are selected by WSA, TOPSIS, ELECTRE III and MAPPAC. The calculations are made by using MS Excel add-in application Sanna.

Konsekvenserna av långvarig ventilatorbehandling i form av ökat antal komplikationer och ökade kostnader är väl dokumenterade. Patienten behöver tränas ur ventilatorn med en adekvat metod, utan fördröjning. Urträningsprotokoll kan minska risken för ineffektiv vård och medicinska misstag genom att tillhandahålla en enhetlig strategi och gemensam terminologi. Syftet med studien var att beskriva innehållet i de ventilatorurträningsprotokoll som förekommer inom Svenskintensivvård. Studien utgjordes av en totalundersökning där samtliga svenska intensivvårdsavdelningar tillfrågades om de hade urträningsprotokoll. Protokollen analyserades utifrån manifest innehållsanalys. Fyra kategorier av urträningsprocessen urskiljdes: kriterier för urträningstart, åtgärder, utmattningskriterier och extubationskriterier. En dryg femtedel (21 %) av intensivvårdsavdelningarna i Sverige visade sig ha ett urtränings-protokoll. I de 16 protokollen återfanns 31 kriterier för urträningsstart, 8 åtgärder, 24 utmattningskriterier och 9 extubationskriterier. De vanligaste kriterierna för urträningstart samt utmattningskriterier stämde väl överens med vad internationella studier rekommenderar, emellertid har vissa urträningsprotokoll inkluderat ett stort antal av dessa kriterier. Trots detta återfanns inget kriterium i samtliga urträningsprotokoll. Prognoskriterier saknades i det närmaste helt i de svenska urträningsprotokollen. Åtgärderna uppvisar en mer samlad strategi där samtliga hade som första åtgärd att sänka andningsunderstödet, men även här hade vissa urträningsprotokoll inkluderat ett stort antal åtgärder. Terminologin som används var inte enhetlig vilket kan försvåra kvalitetssäkringen av protokollen. / The consequences of extended mechanical ventilation in the form of increased number of complications and high costs are well documented. The patient needs to wean with an adequate method without delay. Weaning protocols can reduce the risk of ineffective care and medical errors by providing common weaning strategy and terminology. The purpose of this study was to describe the contents of weaning protocols in Swedish intensive care units. The study consisted of a total survey, and all Swedish intensive care units were asked if they had weaning protocols. The protocols were analyzed on the basis of manifest content analysis. Four categories of the weaning process distinguished: readiness to wean criteria, guidelines for reduction in ventilatory support, fatigue criteria and extubation criteria. One fifth (21 %) of intensive care units in Sweden had a weaning protocol. In the 16 protocols 31 readiness to wean criteria, 8 methods for reduction of ventilatory support, 24 fatigue criteria and 9 extubation criteria where found. The most common readiness to wean criteria and fatigue criteria are well in line with what international studies recommends, however some weaning protocols included a large number of these criteria. Despite this no criteria occurs in all weaning protocols. Criteria to predict weaning outcome is almost completely missing in Swedish weaning protocols. The methods for reduction of ventilatory support showed a more united approach in which all lower ventilatory support as a first step. Even in this category some weaning protocols had included a large variety in methods for reduction of ventilatory support. The terminology used in the weaning protocols varies which makes quality evaluation difficult.

Bakgrund: Tidigare forskning som beskriver hur bedömningen av postoperativ trakeal extubation ska gå till och vad som måste vägas in i bedömningen är begränsad. Existerande forskning berör specifika kriterier för att bedöma extubationstillfället, men få studier sammanställer samtliga. De kriterier som framkommer är anestesidjup, spontanandning, vakenhet, neuromuskulär blockad och temperatur. Anestesiyrket och den tysta kunskapen karaktäriseras av att simultant balansera flöden av formell kunskap från litteratur och kunskap från tidigare erfarenhet. Som nyutbildad och oerfaren anestesisjuksköterska saknas referenser och tidigare upplevelser vilket kan försvåra bedömningen av extubationstillfället. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att beskriva hur anestesisjuksköterskan bedömer postoperativ trakeal extubation. Metod: En kvalitativ ansats med fokusgruppsintervju som metod användes. Två fokusgruppsintervjuer genomfördes med tre respektive fem anestesisjuksköterskor på två sjukhus i Stockholm. Materialet analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: Analysen gav en vidareutveckling av befintliga kriterier utifrån anestesisjuksköterskornas tidigare erfarenheter och kunskaper. Extubation sågs som en process och inte som ett enskilt moment, där datainsamling utfördes kontinuerligt för att bedöma den. I resultatet identifierades åtta kategorier: Fri luftväg, anestesimetod, neuromuskulär blockad, temperatur, väckning, vakenhet, andning och tyst kunskap. Dessa skapade en tydligare bild av hur kriterierna stod i relation till varandra. Slutsats: Den tysta kunskapen hjälper anestesisjuksköterskan i processen att bedöma extubationen. Klinisk betydelse: Studien ökar förståelsen för komplexiteten av bedömningen som utförs av anestesisjuksköterskan inför extubation. / Background: Previous research assessing postoperative tracheal extubation is limited. Existing research refer to specific criteria to assess extubation, but few studies compile all criteria. These criteria were depth of anesthesia, breathing, alertness, neuromuscular blockade and temperature. The profession of anesthesiology and tacit knowledge is characterized by simultaneously balancing formal knowledge from literature and knowledge from previous experiences. A recently graduated and inexperienced nurse anesthetist lacks references and past experiences which can complicate the assessment of extubation. Aim: The aim of this study is to describe how the nurse anesthetist assesses postoperative tracheal extubation. Method: A qualitative approach with focus group interviews was used. Two focus group interviews were carried out with three and five nurse anesthetist in two hospitals in Stockholm. The material was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: The analysis resulted in a further development of criteria by nurse anesthetics previous experiences and knowledge. Extubation was referred to as a process rather than a specific procedure, where the collection of data was carried out continuously in order to assess it. Eight categories were identified: airway, anesthetic regimen, neuromuscular blockade, temperature, awakening, alertness, breathing and tacit knowledge. These created a clearer view of how the criteria were related to each other. Conclusion: Tacit knowledge helps the nurse anesthetist in the process to assess extubation. Clinical significance: The study increases the understanding of the complex assessment of extubation.

L’imagerie par résonance magnétique pondérée en diffusion est une modalité unique sensible aux mouvements microscopiques des molécules d’eau dans les tissus biologiques. Il est possible d’utiliser les caractéristiques de ce mouvement pour inférer la structure macroscopique des faisceaux de la matière blanche du cerveau. La technique, appelée tractographie, est devenue l’outil de choix pour étudier cette structure de façon non invasive. Par exemple, la tractographie est utilisée en planification neurochirurgicale et pour le suivi du développement de maladies neurodégénératives.Dans cette thèse, nous exposons certains des biais introduits lors de reconstructions par tractographie, et des méthodes sont proposées pour les réduire. D’abord, nous utilisons des connaissances anatomiques a priori pour orienter la reconstruction. Ainsi, nous montrons que l’information anatomique sur la nature des tissus permet d'estimer des faisceaux anatomiquement plausibles et de réduire les biais dans l’estimation de structures complexes de la matière blanche. Ensuite, nous utilisons des connnaissances microstructurelles a priori dans la reconstruction, afin de permettre à la tractographie de suivre le mouvement des molécules d’eau non seulement le long des faisceaux, mais aussi dans des milieux microstructurels spécifiques. La tractographie peut ainsi distinguer différents faisceaux, réduire les erreurs de reconstruction et permettre l’étude de la microstructure le long de la matière blanche. Somme toute, nous montrons que l’utilisation de connaissances anatomiques et microstructurelles a priori, en tractographie, augmente l’exactitude des reconstructions de la matière blanche du cerveau. / Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging is a unique imaging modality sensitive to the microscopic movement of water molecules in biological tissues. By characterizing the movement of water molecules, it is possible to infer the macroscopic neuronal pathways of the brain. The technique, so-called tractography, had become the tool of choice to study non-invasively the human brain's white matter in vivo. For instance, it has been used in neurosurgical intervention planning and in neurodegenerative diseases monitoring. In this thesis, we report biases from current tractography reconstruction and suggest methods to reduce them. We first use anatomical priors, derived from a high resolution T1-weighted image, to guide tractography. We show that knowledge of the nature of biological tissue helps tractography to reconstruct anatomically valid neuronal pathways, and reduces biases in the estimation of complex white matter regions. We then use microstructural priors, derived from the state-of-the-art diffusionweighted magnetic resonance imaging protocol, in the tractography reconstruction process. This allows tractography to follow the movement of water molecules not only along neuronal pathways, but also in a microstructurally specific environment. Thus, the tractography distinguishes more accurately neuronal pathways and reduces reconstruction errors. Moreover, it provides the mean to study white matter microstructure characteristics along neuronal pathways. Altogether, we show that anatomical and microstructural priors used during the tractography process improve brain’s white matter reconstruction.

The basic problem that this work wishes to address concerns the  unsustainable use of water resources in many places of the world. In some places, the problem leads to human suffering and death while also obstructing social and economic development. In other places, where the consequences are less severe, natural environments are seriously damaged. A significant part of the solution to this problem lies in the planning and decision-making domain. The overall aim of this thesis is therefore to contribute to the available knowledge on planning and management for the sustainable use of water resources. Planning as a process is in focus, both in itself and in the organisational and legal contexts that affect how planning processes are performed.   The main methodological approach used, and the theoretical contribution made here, is the deriving and discussion of a set of deductive criteria for the development and assessment of planning processes for the sustainable use of water resources (Papers III and IV). The criteria were derived using a multi-disciplinary approach, where the relevant literature on how to transform the concepts of ‘integration’ and ‘participation’ – both key principles for sustainable development in relation to planning – into an analytical framework of twelve criteria, was reviewed and synthesised. The derived criteria concern issues such as, how to integrate knowledge and values into the planning process and how to generate commitment, legitimacy or acceptance for the resulting plan, by democratic means. The criteria are then used to assess the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) – an extensive legal framework which will steer water planning in the EU Member States for several decades to come – and to assess the planning processes that follows on from WFD implementation in Sweden.   The analysis contained in (Paper V) showed that the WFD erects few formal barriers to good planning practices. The analysis also showed however, that the planning processes that follow on from its implementation will need to be adapted to compensate for the weak legal support in a number of important areas, namely, the use of knowledge from beyond the natural sciences, the use of methodologies for the explicit handling of values and the use of procedures for democratic participation. Several recommendations are also made in respect of how the WFD could be supplemented in order for it to become a stronger support in planning processes for the sustainable use of water.   The analysis of the ongoing water planning processes in Sweden (Paper VI) showed that knowledge of how to work with values and how to create forms and methods of participation and collaboration remain clearly underdeveloped. In consequence, the main objectives behind participation – the provision of knowledge and perspectives for the process and the creation of legitimacy, acceptance or engagement – are actually at risk. Recommendations include complementing the existing knowledge base with insights from the social sciences and the humanities, to create well informed learning systems within the new water administration and to make use of alternative methods for the handling of values.   In addition to this, two papers from the thesis (Papers I and II) concern the situation pertaining before WFD implementation in Sweden. By comparing the system for municipal land and water planning (the former main system for long-term water planning in Sweden) with WFD prescriptions, and with the organisation of the new water administration bodies, some potential implications of WFD implementation were identified. From here it followed, that the development of forms of co-operation between the concerned administrative organisations, and in respect of the democratic involvement of the public and other concerned actors, were crucial in creating an integrative, effective and democratic system for water planning in Sweden.   The thesis also illustrates the use of a tentative model for the operationalisation of ‘sustainable development’. The tentative model is described in the thesis, and it constitutes the methodological baseline for the thesis, since five of the papers contained herein use various approaches related to this model.

Elemental analysis can become an important piece of evidence to assist the solution of a case. The work presented in this dissertation aims to evaluate the evidential value of the elemental composition of three particular matrices: ink, paper and glass. In the first part of this study, the analytical performance of LIBS and LA-ICP-MS methods was evaluated for paper, writing inks and printing inks. A total of 350 ink specimens were examined including black and blue gel inks, ballpoint inks, inkjets and toners originating from several manufacturing sources and/or batches. The paper collection set consisted of over 200 paper specimens originating from 20 different paper sources produced by 10 different plants. Micro-homogeneity studies show smaller variation of elemental compositions within a single source (i.e., sheet, pen or cartridge) than the observed variation between different sources (i.e., brands, types, batches). Significant and detectable differences in the elemental profile of the inks and paper were observed between samples originating from different sources (discrimination of 87 – 100% of samples, depending on the sample set under investigation and the method applied). These results support the use of elemental analysis, using LA-ICP-MS and LIBS, for the examination of documents and provide additional discrimination to the currently used techniques in document examination. In the second part of this study, a direct comparison between four analytical methods (µ-XRF, solution-ICP-MS, LA-ICP-MS and LIBS) was conducted for glass analyses using interlaboratory studies. The data provided by 21 participants were used to assess the performance of the analytical methods in associating glass samples from the same source and differentiating different sources, as well as the use of different match criteria (confidence interval (±6s, ±5s, ±4s, ±3s, ±2s), modified confidence interval, t-test (sequential univariate, p=0.05 and p=0.01), t-test with Bonferroni correction (for multivariate comparisons), range overlap, and Hotelling’s T2 tests. Error rates (Type 1 and Type 2) are reported for the use of each of these match criteria and depend on the heterogeneity of the glass sources, the repeatability between analytical measurements, and the number of elements that were measured. The study provided recommendations for analytical performance-based parameters for µ-XRF and LA-ICP-MS as well as the best performing match criteria for both analytical techniques, which can be applied now by forensic glass examiners.

This study was designed to assess the reliability of "The Psychiatric Rating Scale for Diagnostic Classification of Children and Adolescents" as an instrument for determining diagnoses congruent with DSM-III criteria. In Phase I graduate students from a University doctoral program in psychology independently rated case vignettes and completed the 64-item rating scale to arrive at Axis I or II diagnoses consistent with DSM-III classifications for Disorders Usually First Evident in Infancy, Childhood, or Adolescence. Subsequent correlations to determine individual scale reliability yielded significantly positive correlations. Clinicians practicing in three diverse metropolitan mental health settings acted as raters in Phase II of the study. Paired raters jointly interviewed a total of 54 child or adolescent patients and independently completed the rating scale to arrive at Axis I or II diagnoses. These diagnoses were subsequently correlated with diagnoses previously obtained by traditional psychometric methods. Phase II interrater agreement was 92 percent for Axis I and II combined, with a .96 correlation. Rating scale diagnoses when correlated with traditional psychometic diagnoses yielded an overall rate of agreement on Axis I of 95 percent for Rater 1 and 90 percent for Rater 2 and correlations of .96 and .95 respectively. Clinicians were asked to rate a case vignette having previously been given an erroneous diagnosis. This attempt to assess rater expectancy effects yielded an agreement rate of 100 percent for the correct diagnosis. These results supported both major hypotheses of the study at a minimum of the .001 level of significance. They also confirmed a prior belief concerning limited intrusion upon rating scale reliability from rater expectancies. As a reliable and objective method of eliciting, structuring, and evaluating patient information, the rating scale could aide in reducing interdisciplinary interview variability and time expenditures among clinicians while providing an appropriate foundation for entry into treatment.