Assay methods have been developed which are specific for the analysis of diazepam in the presence of formulation excipients, closely related degradation products and manufacturing impurities. The methods developed used difference ultraviolet spectrophotometry and HPLC. These methods have been applied to the analysis of diazepam in formulations and to investigate the reaction kinetics of the acid hydrolysis of diazepam. From analysis of both fresh and stored samples of formulations, it was seen that solid dosage forms showed no degradation, but degradation products were detected in liquid formulations. Advantages and disadvantages were seen for both techniques and criteria were established for the choice of method. The reaction kinetics of the degradation of diazepam was studied, using HPLC and GC. Previous workers had investigated the acid hydrolysis of diazepam using non-specific analytical methods. An attempt was made to repeat their work using the specific chromatographic methods described. From initial work, it appears that the results obtained are similar to those previously generated. Further work is required to investigate this more fully.

Cognitive engineering, by identifying behavior-shaping constraints, provides methods for design and evaluation of complex socio-technical systems. However, traditional methods examine only one type of constraint, either cognitive or environmental. In learning service systems such as education, both cognitive and environmental constraints must be examined together. Improved methods of planning and formative evaluation are needed for engineering education and other learning service systems. Therefore, this dissertation develops a new cognitive engineering method, Work Action Analysis (WAA), that is able to capture cognitive and environmental constraints in a single model. The WAA model represents a learning service system on three dimensions: means-end decomposition, parts-whole decomposition, and roles of cognitive agents. WAA also provides methods for developing and using this model in planning and formative evaluation. The WAA method for planning evaluation explicitly represents the evaluators mental model of a learning service system and examines its alignment to guide its design. The WAA method for formative evaluation then takes the WAA model and interprets evaluation measures in the context of the model. As a demonstration, the methods for planning and formative evaluation are applied to a portion of an undergraduate engineering course. To provide measures for formative evaluation of a course, a centralized evaluation component that collects performance, perception, and process measures was added to an Internet-based course management system. The WAA methods provide insights to the design and operation of this learning service system, including recommendations that could be implemented during instruction. The theoretical implications of the WAA model of learning service systems, and further extensions of WAA, are also discussed.

Human gait identification has become an active area of research due to increased security requirements. Human gait identification is a potential new tool for identifying individuals beyond traditional methods. The emergence of motion capture techniques provided a chance of high accuracy in identification because completely recorded gait information can be recorded compared with security cameras. The aim of this research was to build a practical method of gait identification and investigate the individual characteristics of gait. For this purpose, a gait identification approach was proposed, identification results were compared by different methods, and several studies about the individual characteristics of gait were performed. This research included the following: (1) a novel, effective set of gait features were proposed; (2) gait signatures were extracted by three different methods: statistical method, principal component analysis, and Fourier expansion method; (3) gait identification results were compared by these different methods; (4) two indicators were proposed to evaluate gait features for identification; (5) novel and clear definitions of gait phases and gait cycle were proposed; (6) gait features were investigated by gait phases; (7) principal component analysis and the fixing root method were used to elucidate which features were used to represent gait and why; (8) gait similarity was investigated; (9) gait attractiveness was investigated. This research proposed an efficient framework for identifying individuals from gait via a novel feature set based on 3D motion capture data. A novel evaluating method of gait signatures for identification was proposed. Three different gait signature extraction methods were applied and compared. The average identification rate was over 93%, with the best result close to 100%. This research also proposed a novel dividing method of gait phases, and the different appearances of gait features in eight gait phases were investigated. This research identified the similarities and asymmetric appearances between left body movement and right body movement in gait based on the proposed gait phase dividing method. This research also initiated an analysing method for gait features extraction by the fixing root method. A prediction model of gait attractiveness was built with reasonable accuracy by principal component analysis and linear regression of natural logarithm of parameters. A systematic relationship was observed between the motions of individual markers and the attractiveness ratings. The lower legs and feet were extracted as features of attractiveness by the fixing root method. As an extension of gait research, human seated motion was also investigated.

Steel industry is highly connected to a lot of industries. In year 2007 Taiwan steel industry is the third industry, after warfer and electronic industry, which achieved hundred billion NTD in total years¡¦s revenue. Taiwaness downstream industries, unlike Japanese and Korean, are mostly owned and managed by small and medium companies. Steel pipe is a long- hollow shaped material, massively adapted in fluid transportation, such as pretrolem, natural gas, water and steam etc. It is also heavily used in mechanic maching and structure engineering. This study focuses on API ERW carbon steel pipe industry in Taiwan. Analysis of pipe manufacture industry strategy is made upon the basis of theories like value chain, competitive strategy and game theory. Moreover, interviews with professionals and specialists are held to collect experiential wisdom regarding management and core competence ability. In another word, theory analyses together with interviews lead to the conclusion of competitive characteristics. Also, illustration of strategic competitiveness forming in CHS provides a practical example. How to evaluate the core competitive ability in Taiwan API ERW carbon steel pipe industry when facing global competition, that depends on every company¡¦s unique global strategy. To sum up, this study describes and analyzes the current state of API ERW carbon steel pipe industry in Taiwan and summits the proposal of competitive strategies by taking CHS as an example.

Strategic information systems security initiatives have seldom been successful. The increasing complexity of the business environment in which organizational security must be operationalized presents challenges. There has also been a problem with understanding the patterns of interactions among stakeholders that lead to instituting such an initiative. The overall aim of this research is to enhance understanding of the issues and concerns in shaping strategic information systems security initiative. To be successful, a proper undertaking of the content, context and process of the formulation and institutionalization of a security initiative is essential. It is also important to align the interconnections between these three key components. In conducting the argument, this dissertation analyzes information systems security initiatives in two large government organizations – Information Technology Agency and Department of Transportation. The research methodology adopts an interpretive approach of inquiry. Findings from the case studies show that the strategic security initiative should be harmonious with the cultural continuity of an organization rather than significantly changing the existing opportunity and constraint structures. The development of security cultural resources like security policy may be used as a tool for propagating a secure view of the social world. For secure organizational transformation, one must consider the organizational security structure, knowledgeability of agents in perceiving secure organizational posture, and global security catalysts (such as establishing trust relations and security related institutional reflexivity). The inquiry indicates that strategic security change would be successful in an organization if developed and implemented in a brief yet quantum leap adopting an emergent security strategy in congruence with organizational security values.

Acknowledging the necessity of a detailed understanding of the dynamics and contributions of wetlands in decision making processes, this research aims to identify the trade-offs between human interventions and human well-being in wetlands. Being one of the thirteen Ramsar Sites of Turkey and providing various ecosystem functions, Kizilirmak Delta was determined as the case study area of the research. Following the literature review on wetlands and their valuation, an assessment framework was developed for analyzing the trade-offs in the Kizilirmak Delta. Following this framework, first the importance, values and functions of the delta were defined by evaluation of its ecological, socio-cultural and economic structures and function analysis. Then, the pressures on the delta and their impacts were analyzed through DPSIR (Driving forces, Pressures, State, Impacts and Responses) Framework by action analysis. Finally, the trade-offs in the delta were calculated in monetary terms through valuation of the functions of the delta. Because of time and data constraints only a small portion of the functions of the delta was quantified in monetary terms. Calculated functions of the delta provide 753.531.772 TL worth of services that constitutes the 34 % of total GDP of the delta. This value was accepted as the cost of trade-offs in the delta, because the pressures on the delta would result in the loss of this value.

Die Dissertation besteht aus drei empirischen Beiträgen zur Analyse moralischer Emotionen sowie einer zusammenfassenden und integrierenden Synopse. Im Rahmen der Arbeit wird dabei zunächst (1) eine umfassende Theorie zur Klassifikation und Entstehungsbedingungen moralischer Emotionen entwickelt. Darauf aufbauend wird (2) die Entstehung moralischer Emotionen im Setting der Schule anhand der Urteile von Lehrern und Schülern sowie (3) unter entwicklungspsychologischer Perspektive überprüft. Die vorgeschlagene und empirisch überprüfte Theorie ermöglicht erstmals eine übergreifende Analyse der Entstehungsbedingungen moralischer Emotionen. Die Befunde werden vor dem Hintergrund der bisherigen Forschung zu einzelnen moralischen Emotionen diskutiert.

Die Dissertation besteht aus drei empirischen Beiträgen zur Analyse moralischer Emotionen sowie einer zusammenfassenden und integrierenden Synopse. Im Rahmen der Arbeit wird dabei zunächst (1) eine umfassende Theorie zur Klassifikation und Entstehungsbedingungen moralischer Emotionen entwickelt. Darauf aufbauend wird (2) die Entstehung moralischer Emotionen im Setting der Schule anhand der Urteile von Lehrern und Schülern sowie (3) unter entwicklungspsychologischer Perspektive überprüft. Die vorgeschlagene und empirisch überprüfte Theorie ermöglicht erstmals eine übergreifende Analyse der Entstehungsbedingungen moralischer Emotionen. Die Befunde werden vor dem Hintergrund der bisherigen Forschung zu einzelnen moralischen Emotionen diskutiert.

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