The fire department depends on the fire apparatus to support the many roles firefighters fulfill in the community. The instrument panel of the fire apparatus is the primary man-machine interface for controlling the vehicle. The instrument panel contains many gauges and controls for the numerous features of the apparatus. This research reflects the investigation of how the fire apparatus instrument panel is used by the Atlanta Fire Department. Research involves an immersive study observing the Atlanta firefighters. Surveys and a design critique were developed to obtained firefighter feedback. A comparison of similar tasks was completed to Based on the feedback from fire apparatus drivers and captains design concepts were developed. Concepts are desiged to help the driver and the captain of the apparatus.

In the past decade, there has been an enormous growth of distance education courses and programs in higher education. However, the potential of distance education is tempered by one overriding question: How do you ensure that distance education coursework and degrees are of high quality? The purpose of this study is threefold: (1) to identify quality indicators of distance education; (2) to provide implications of the identified quality indicators for health education researchers and practitioners; and, (3) to develop an instrument to assess student opinions of the quality of distance education. Dillman's (2000) steps of pretesting and the instrument development framework in the Standards (1999) were used, and data were collected from students enrolled in four health education on-line courses during the Spring 2006 semester at Texas A&M University. MPlus (Muthen & Muthen, 2002) was used to conduct reliability and validity analyses of the instrument. The results of the study revealed common benchmarks and quality indicators that all parties deem important in designing, implementing and evaluating distance education courses and programs. Additionally, an instrument was produced that resulted in both valid and reliable scores.

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The rapid development of information technology (IT) has impacted the competitive environment between properties. Today, more and more companies introduce information system to flow internal messages freely, reduce the communication cost and provide support the important messages to managers for fast decision. By this way, the enterprise could maintain its competitive advantage. To introduce the information system¡]IS¡^ is really costly, companies should probe the effects before and after the investment of IS . We have learned from literatures that measurement of service quality is the proper means to gauge the information system. This study is to assess information system at the base of ¡uIS-adapted SERVQUAL instrument¡v and ¡uThree-column format¡v. A survey, which adapted to individual company, was conducted with some measures modified from the viewpoint of captioned company. 436 valid samples were taken from more than 8600 employees by stratified random sampling. The major findings are (1) instead of four dimensions expected from the original model, only two service components, attitude perspective and skill perspective, are identified in the service quality of information system for manufacturing industry,¡]2¡^the difference between ¡¥perceive quality¡¦ and ¡¥self-confident quality¡¦ is significant, ¡]3¡^Following the demographic variables among ages, positions, working departments and academic degrees, it appears no significant difference in the attitude perspective and skill perspective of service quality concerning information system.

Reproduction de : Thèse de doctorat : Musicologie : Lyon 2 : 2003. / Titre provenant de l'écran-titre. Bibliogr. Index.

When selecting applicants for professions with job descriptions involving complex human interaction, identifying suitable candidates is essential. This strongly applies in police selection, because police officers must act appropriately at all times, deal with difficult and sometimes dangerous work situations, and come into contact with people who are in highly emotional states, such as anxiety, fear, excitement, and shock. However, suitability is a broad and vague concept that cannot be even defined without understanding the value of various personal skills and qualities for specific duties, ways that such skills are manifested during life as an officer (potentially both on- and off-duty), and appropriate ways to assess them. The overall aim of this thesis was to explore the personal skills and qualities that are relevant to suitability for the police profession with a special focus on the concept of empathy, and to investigate how it can be conceptualized and measured in the context of selection. Two of the four studies focused on different perspectives regarding the personal skills and qualities of a good police officer, while the other two focused on theoretical aspects and practical measurement of empathy. Mixed methods were used, in acknowledgement of the value of using different forms of data collection, material, and analytical methods to achieve valid information. The results and findings support several of the personal skills and qualities that have been identified in previous research and also can be found as criteria in police selection. Empathy should be considered in the selection process, but it is also important to ensure that there is an alignment between the definition of the concept and practical outcomes in police work. The findings indicate that empathy could be conceptualized in a relevant way using a social cognitive neuroscience (SCN) approach. In particular, a modified, Swedish 4-factor version of the Empathy Assessment Index (based on recent theoretical advances in SCN) appears to have considerable potential for further development. Future studies will focus on areas identified as requiring further research, such as the development of this instrument by adding complementary measures focusing on manifestations of empathy and other relevant qualities in actual work-related situations. Other aspects that require further attention include the definition, assessment, and impact of social desirability in selection contexts.

Aspherical optics are increasingly used these days. The application of aspherical surfaces on large, astronomical telescope mirrors brings challenge to the fabrication. Since the surface radius of curvature varies across the surface, the grinding/polishing tool needs to change its shape when working on different parts of the surface, making surface error more easily embedded into the surface. Therefore, a tighter test-fab loop is needed to guide the fabrication process. To maximize the accuracy during the grinding of the surface and to minimize the working time in the polishing stage, a better metrology device that can measure rough surface is needed to guide the grinding process. Scanning long-wave optical test system (SLOTS) is designed to meet this demand by providing accurate, fast, large dynamic range, and high spatial resolution measurements on rough optical surfaces (surface rms roughness<1.7 µm).SLOTS is a slope measuring deflectometry system that works like a reversed wire test. It measures the reflection of the infrared light off the test surface, and calculates the local slope of the test surface. The surface sag/height is obtained through integration. During the test, a heated metal ribbon radiates long-wave infrared light that is reflected by the test surface. A thermal imaging camera records the reflected light. The ribbon is scanned in two orthogonal directions. From the variation of the irradiance recorded by the camera, slope maps of the test surface can be retrieved in the two orthogonal directions. SLOTS is a combination of tradition slope measurement and modern technology, processing advantages from both parts. It measures surface slope, so there is no need for null optics. It uses an uncooled thermal imaging camera that is made with high resolution and high sensitivity. The linear stage used to scan the hot ribbon has long travel, small resolution, and high accuracy. Both the camera and stage enable SLOTS a large dynamic range and high sensitivity. SLOTS has successfully guided the grinding process of the primary mirror of Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope. This mirror is a 4-meter diameter off-axis parabola (OAP). Its largest aspherical departure is 8 mm. SLOTS is able to measure it without any null optics. Under the guidance of SLOTS, the surface shape was controlled to be 1 µm rms within designed shape (with astigmatism removed) at 0.7 µm rms surface roughness (12 µm loose abrasive grits).

La juste valeur maintient un lien théorique fort avec l'allocation des ressources étant donné qu'elle permet une vision financière plus collée à la réalité économique que le coût historique notamment pour les instruments financiers. La transparence envers la réalité économique est la déclinaison comptable de la condition d'information parfaite formulée par Pareto dans une allocation des ressources qui serait alors pareto-optimale. L'allocation optimale des ressources étant le but ultime de tout système économique, notre travail de recherche examine le lien entre juste valeur et allocation efficace des ressources. Notre travail teste l'effet de la juste valeur sur l'allocation des ressources en deux points. En tenant compte des variations de valeur des instruments financiers, interdites dans l'ancien modèle comptable au coût historique, la juste valeur peut inciter les dirigeants à substituer une partie de l'investissement productif par des placements financiers. Le danger sur une allocation efficace des ressources dans les sociétés non financières est alors le redéploiement des actifs de la société suivant une stratégie financière et non dans une logique industrielle. Nous nous questionnons alors sur le rôle de la juste valeur dans la financiarisation des entreprises. De plus, nous tentons de comprendre dans quelle mesure la violation du principe de prudence qui dérive de l'application de la juste valeur influence l'efficience de l'investissement. L'application de la juste valeur amène une constatation symétrique des plus et moins-values latentes. La réalisation de ces valeurs est toutefois subordonnée aux mouvements du marché. Les investisseurs et autres parties prenantes peuvent considérer ces valeurs avec précaution parce qu'elles risquent de n'être que de simples estimations qui optimisent l'image financière de l'entreprise. La réaction des investisseurs qui ont dévalué les titres, suite à la suppression des bénéfices issus d'une constatation audacieuse des revenus en application du SAB 101, témoigne de cette aversion contre l'incertitude. Nous mettons alors l'accent sur le comportement d'investissement en fonction de l'aversion au relâchement de la prudence dans la mesure du résultat. Cette question est d'importance majeure vu que les investisseurs perdent leur confiance dans les marchés financiers lorsqu'ils s'aperçoivent que ces perspectives de gains ou pertes ne sont pas réelles (Enron, Lehman Brothers). Sur un échantillon de firmes canadiennes appartenant à l'indice TSX Composite pour la période entre 2007 et 2011, nos résultats indiquent d'une part que la rentabilité financière des instruments financiers n'intervient pas dans la stratégie d'investissement financier des entreprises et d'autre part ils confirment l'effet modérateur de l'audace sur la relation entre l'information comptable en juste valeur et l'efficience d'investissement. Ce résultat demeure même après avoir contrôlé pour différentes estimations de l'efficience d'investissement. Notre travail contribue, d'une part, à éclairer le débat sur la légitimité de l'emploi de la juste valeur comme mode d'évaluation des actifs et des passifs notamment depuis son rôle présumé dans la dernière crise financière et, d'autre part, les résultats de notre recherche se veulent significatifs dans le contexte de l'adoption, par le Canada, des normes internationales, dont la juste valeur constitue une des pierres angulaires. ______________________________________________________________________________ MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : information comptable en juste valeur, stratégies d'investissement, efficience de l'investissement, relâchement de la prudence comptable.

In this paper, the evocative nature of patina on stringed instruments is linked to the four agents of transformation that create it. These correspond to four nostalgic values: nostalgic reflection on the passage of time; nostalgia inspired by use; nostalgia for craftsmanship and pastoral nostalgia. Actors in the subfield of restricted cultural production of stringed instruments invoke one or more of these nostalgic values explicitly as a means to rationalize their actions to competing actors and to the broader public in their battle for status. Patina offers visible proof of their claims. Actors in the subfield of large-scale cultural production do not appeal to specific nostalgic values. Rather, they partake of the nostalgic aura surrounding antique instruments by "pasting" artificial patina onto their instruments. This serves to validate the idea of nostalgia. It also lays bare tensions existing in the broader field of cultural production over questions concerning the past and present.

This thesis describes an approach to create high-quality music synthesis by automatically constructing an instrument model and a performance model; the latter module generates control signals from score input and drives the former module to produce synthetic instrumental sounds. By designing and applying appropriate machine learning techniques as well as domain knowledge, the instrument model and the performance model are constructed from acoustic examples and their corresponding scores for a musical instrument. The automated model is able to synthesize realistic instrumental performances from scores.