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.

Musikalisk prestationsångest (MPA) är ett vanligt förekommande problem bland musiker och kan i vissa fall omöjliggöra en karriär som musiker. Syftet med föreliggande studie var att utvärdera en 5 sessioners behandling med Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) för MPA. Resultatet är lovande, 7 av 8 deltagare fullföljde behandlingen och flera deltagare fick förbättringar på såväl ACT-relaterade mått som på mått för MPA. Resultatet motiverar vidare forskning om ACT för MPA. / Musical performance anxiety (MPA) is a common problem among musicians and can in certain cases make impossible a career as a musician. The aim with the present study was to evaluate a 5 sessions' treatment with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for MPA. The result is promising, 7 of 8 participants pursued treatment and several participants got improvements on ACT-related measures as well as on measures for MPA. The result justifies further research on ACT for MPA.

Vår kropp är utrustad med alarmsystem som hindrar människan från skada, rädslan får oss uppmärksammad på faran och agerar därefter. Poliser befinner sig många gånger i utsatta situationer som kan bidra till känslomässigt svåra upplevelser, samtidigt uppfattas poliser som starka och många gånger odödliga. Forskning visar att det finns lite utrymme och acceptans till känsloyttringar inom den polisiära kulturen. Åtta poliser varav tre kvinnor intervjuades med fokus på deras upplevelse och hantering av rädsla i arbetet. Data som analyserades utifrån meningskoncentrering, visade att rädsla uppstår hos poliser i deras arbete, men att rädsla inte alltid uttalas. Rädsla tar sig olika uttryck och då främst i sättet att hantera den. Studien visade även att det finns attityder till rädsla bland poliser som bland annat innebär oro för negativa effekter av uttalad rädsla. I likhet med en studie av Christianson och Karlssons (2003) visade även denna studie att intervjupersonerna valde att tala om incidenter som inträffat under deras första år som polis. Om detta beror på habituering eller om intervjupersonerna lärt sig under sin karriär som polis att trycka undan känslor som inte går i linje med den polisiära kulturen låter författaren vara osagt.

Litteraturstudiens syfte var att beskriva vilka copingresurser som individer med långvarig smärta använder sig av samt hur dessa resurser förbättrar eller försämrar individernas möjlighet att acceptera sin smärta. Designen för litteraturstudien var deskriptiv och studien baserades på 17 vetenskapliga artiklar med både kvantitativ och kvalitativ ansats. Litteratursökningarna utfördes i databaserna Medline (via PubMed) samt CINAHL. Huvudresultatet visade att individer med långvarig smärta använde sig av inre copingresurser som fysiska och psykosociala copingresurser samt förmågor vid acceptans av långvarig smärta. Individer använde sig även av yttre copingresurser som socialt stöd och materiella copingresurser. Dessa copingresurser kunde förbättra eller försämra individers möjlighet att acceptera långvarig smärta. Litteraturstudiens slutsats belyste vikten av att sjuksköterskan har kunskap om att fysiska, psykiska, sociala och existentiella aspekter genererade smärtupplevelsen. Sjuksköterskan behövde även ha kännedom om copingresurser för att kunna uppmärksamma individens unika förutsättningar och behov. Detta gjorde det möjligt för sjuksköterskan att erbjuda professionellt stöd anpassat efter individens unika copingresurser och hjälpa denne att uppnå acceptans av långvarig smärta. / The aim of the literature rewiev was to describe which coping skills individuals with chronic pain use and how these skills improve or impair the individuals' ability to accept their pain. The design for the literature study was descriptive and the study was based on 17 scientific articles of both quantitative and qualitative approach. The literature searches were carried out in the databases Medline (via PubMed) and CINAHL. The main result showed that individuals with chronic pain use internal skills such as physical and psychosocial skills and abilities to accept chronic pain. Individuals also use external skills such as social support and material resources. These skills can improve or impair individuals' possibility to accept chronic pain. The conclusion highlighted that a nurse should have knowledge about that physical, psychological, social and existential aspects generated the pain experience. A nurse should also have knowledge about coping skills in order to pay attention to the individual's unique circumstances and needs. This enabled the nurse to offer professional support tailored to the individual's unique coping skills and help the individual to achieve acceptance of chronic pain.

<p>We develop algorithms to approximately count perfect matchings in bipartite graphs (or permanents of the corresponding adjacency matrices), perfect matchings in nonbipartite graphs (or hafnians), and general matchings in bipartite and nonbipartite graphs (or matching generating polynomials). </p><p>First, we study the problem of approximating the permanent and generating weighted perfect matchings in bipartite graphs from their correct distribution. We present a perfect sampling algorithm using self-reducible acceptance/rejection and an upper bound for the permanent. It has a polynomial expected running time for a class of dense problems, and it gives an improvement in running time by a factor of $n^3$ for matrices that are (.6)-dense. </p><p>Next, we apply the similar approach to study perfect matchings in nonbipartite graphs and also general matchings in general graphs. Our algorithms here have a subexponential expected running time for some classes of nontrivial graphs and are competitive with other Markov chain Monte Carlo methods.</p> / Dissertation

Mobile Advertising is considered to be an unlimited industry in business opportunities, and the relative chain in Taiwan has become mature. When the technology has improved a lot, we should come up with a business model to maximize the potential of mobile advertising. This article focus on the factor of mobile acceptance, and analysis the relationship between acceptance and advertising effect. Also, we observe the effects of involvement and the structure of mobile advertising. We obtained some conclusions as following. 1. The factors that affect mobile advertising are utility, context, the sacrifice of controlling, the cost of receiving and the degree of trust. Especially we view context and the degree of trust are the most important factors of all. 2. The acceptance of mobile advertising will affect the attitude towards advertising, the attitude towards brand and the intention of purchasing.3. The adjust function of involvement between acceptance and advertising effects is not significant. 4. The adjust function of the structure of mobile advertising between acceptance and advertising effects is also not significant.

With the evolution of communication and hardware technology, mobile phones evolved from the voice communication to the multi-function, the scope of mobile phone applications had completely changed. In this era of rapid technological progress, the shorter product lifecycle and higher replacement rates of smartphone induce competition in the relevant industry become more intense. Various industries introduce new products and applications in efforts to cope with the increasing challenges, but how many features are used by users? In the cause of real connection between mobile phone and users, the control must with a good user interface, but the needs of industries identified do not necessarily conform to user's needs, ignoring the user's thoughts often lead to product failure, master the needs of user is the key to success. Therefore, this study uses the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as the theoretical foundation, adds the Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) and the induction of the human-machine interface (or User Interface, UI) design principles (diversity, intuition) as external variables, to further explores the attitude of using smartphone . The results: (1) diversity, compatibility, positive influence on perceived usefulness, but intuition don't influence significantly; (2) diversity, intuition, compatibility, positive influence on perceived ease of use; (3) perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, relative advantage positive influence on the attitude of use; (4) trialability, observability influence on the attitude of use is not significant, and trialability existence negative relationship with the attitude of use.

The e-book reader has become one of the most popular consumer electronics goods since the Amazon Kindle first launched in the end of year 2007; it has led the trend of e-book worldwide. E-book reader not only sold very well in North America, the sales increased very fast in Asia and Europe. According to FIND (2010), the global total sales of e-book reader is 3.6 million pieces in 2009, and it increased almost 80% in 2010. This shows that the e-book reader has become more and more popular. Taiwan is the most important country of e-book reader supply chain, which not only predominate the key techniques and patent but also takes OEM / ODM orders worldwide. Despite the advantage of the hardware development, the use of e-book readers is not common in Taiwan. Therefore the purposes of this research are to explore the factors that would influence user¡¦s adaptive behavior of e-book readers. This research based on technology acceptance model (TAM), and extends with ¡§Compatibility¡¨, ¡§Observability¡¨ and ¡§Perceived complementarity¡¨ as external variables to investigate the factors influencing consumer usage of e-book reader. The analytical results are as below: 1. ¡§Compatibility¡¨ has positive significant effect on both ¡§Perceived Usefulness¡¨ and ¡§Perceived Ease of Use.¡¨ 2. ¡§Observability¡¨ has positive significant effect on both ¡§Perceived Usefulness¡¨ and ¡§Perceived Ease of Use.¡¨ 3. ¡§Perceived complementarity¡¨ has positive significant effect on both ¡§Perceived Usefulness¡¨ and ¡§Perceived Ease of Use,¡¨ but has no significant effect on¡§Behavioral Intention.¡¨ 4. Both ¡§Perceived Usefulness¡¨ and ¡§Perceived Ease of Use¡¨ have positive significant effect on¡§Behavioral Intention.¡¨

Along with the progress of Information and Communication Technology, there has been a great change in the field of e-learning. For instance, the Distance Teaching, the Web-Based Teaching, and the Digital Teaching System, they all strengthen diversified Information and Communication Technology and applications of multi¡Vmedia content. Meanwhile, teachers must make good use of those new teaching tools in their teaching soon to make the tools effective. In order to make the Digital Teaching System soon become a teaching tool for teachers, this study makes the service system get involved with the Digital Teaching System and the teaching satisfaction. The Digital Teaching System uses TAM to learn the willing to use Information and Communication equipment. With the service system, which includes hardware, software, teacher training (teaching materials), and customer service, and finally teachers are provided with the Digital Teaching System to be more willing to use the equipment and moreover, to improve their teaching effectiveness. ¡@ Based on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), this study tries to point out if the teaching satisfaction will be improved after the service system gets involved with the Digital Teaching System. Many different cram schools with their classes using tools of e-learning in Kaohsiung City are chosen and 200 questionnaires are collected to be analyzed in detail. ¡@¡@ The result shows that the service system has a distinct direct positive impact on the Digital Teaching System. Moreover, the impact on the Digital Teaching System also improves the teaching satisfaction indirectly. Hopefully, the study will prove that the service system can help the process of digital teaching go well, and the related institutions which want to promote Classroom of the Future can work faster and more easily in the future.

To increase the efficiency of speedy customs clearance for the outboard and inboard passengers, the Nation Immigration Agency under the Ministry of Interior has adjusted the related administrative procedures, such kind of management policies. Take the Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) constructed in the major ports of Taiwan as an example. It requires the ship lines submit the related information of the ships and the basic information of the crewmembers to the information-processing center of the target state for advanced inspection before entry or exit. The center can judge whether there are control subjects among them by the submitted information, and further take some prevention measures in advance. This system is one of the key policies of national security in Taiwan. It is found from the literature review that although the APIS built by the National Immigration Agency has put into practice, the system performance evaluation is so rare, furthermore, the use willingness and achievement of the related practitioners and carriers can¡¦t be known. Therefore, this study takes the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as the main axis to develop a TAM for the APIS. Moreover, it takes the Kaohsiung Port Brigade of Nation Immigration Agency as study scope, and the freight forwarders as the study objects, to conduct investigative study and evaluation on the situation of importing the APIS technology and the factors affecting the use of that system. The purpose of this study is to realize the effectiveness of the system implementation and subsequent improvement directions, as well as provide suggestions on how to carry out the system in the future. The study shows that the APIS effectiveness can help to increase the users¡¦ positive attitude, but the attitude towards the system can¡¦t effectively improve the users¡¦ positive intention, the information security awareness needs to be strengthened, the behavior control can¡¦t effectively increase the users¡¦ positive intention, and the persons who are in charge of the related fields show low willingness of using the APIS. Besides, the practitioners that have been founded for a longer time and developed into a large scale show a higher recognition degree to that system, and the education level also affects the willingness of using the APIS. The follow-up studies suggest reviewing the APIS promotion plan and making some improvements for it. Moreover, the involved institutions should provide assistance in the improvement of the human resource structure, make some related incentive, and enhance the information security concept, as well as conduct policy study, so as to facilitate the improvement and smooth implementation of the system.