Observational learning (OL) allows an individual to acquire novel responses by observing others' behavior and the corresponding consequences. The complexity of skills involved with OL may vary with the learning context. A learner may observe modeled responses to both trained (known) and untrained (unknown) stimuli or they may observe both reinforced (correct) and nonreinforced (incorrect) responses. The purpose of this study was to develop assessment and training procedures for OL component skills when the learner observes a combination of learning contexts: reinforced and nonreinforced responses to both trained and untrained stimuli. Two children with autism, Tom and David, participated. We assessed the following component skills in the context of tact trials: (1) Discriminating trained and untrained stimuli, (2) attending to the modeled performance, (3) discriminating consequences, and (4) conditionally responding based upon a name call. Next, we trained the component skill(s) for which the learner's performance did not meet criterion and then reassessed for OL. For both participants, immediate increases in OL were observed; however, modifications to the post-assessment (differential observing response for consequences and/or differential reinforcement) were required to produce (Tom) or maintain (David) criterion levels of responding. Interpretations of these outcomes, as well as limitations and directions for future research, are discussed.

The widespread adoption of E-Learning has largely been driven by the recommendations of educational technologists seeking to convey the benefits of E-Learning as a valuable accessory to teaching and possible solution for distance-based education. Research in the E-Learning domain has mainly focused on providing and delivering content andinfrastructure. Security issues are usually not taken as central concern in most implementations either because systems are usually deployed in controlled environments, or because they take the one-to-one tutoring approach, not requiring strict security measures. The scope of this research work is to investigate the impact of Access Control and Copyright in E-Learning system. An extensive literature review, theories from the field of information systems, psychology and cognitive sciences, distance and online learning, as well as existing E-Learning models show that research in E-learning is still hardly concerned with the issues of security. It is obvious that E-learning receives a new meaning as technology advances and business strategies change. The trends of learning methods have also led to the adjustment of National Curriculum and standards. However, research has also shown that any strategy or development supported by the Internet requires security and is therefore faced with challenges. This thesis is divided into six Chapters. Chapter 1 sets the scene for the research rationale and hypotheses, and identifies the aims and objectives. Chapter 2 presents the theoretical background and literature review. Chapter 3 is an in-depth review of the methods and methodology with clear justification of their adaptation and explains the underlying principles. Chapter 4 is based on the results and limitations obtained from the six case studies observations supported with literature review and ten existing models, while Chapter 5 is focused on the questionnaire survey. Chapter 6 describes the proposed Dynamic E-Learning Access Control and Copyright Framework (DEACCF) and the mapping of the threats from the Central Computing and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) Risk Analysis and Management Method (CRAMM) to Annualised Loss Expectancy (ALE). Chapter 7 presents the conclusions and recommendations, and the contribution to knowledge with further development plans for future work.

Because the information advance in technology, the social welfare gradually increase, creates the government expenditure to increase, the finance is difficult. In 2000, the government had announced private participation public construction law, positively impelling the private organization participation public construction, and used the resources, the technology, the efficiency to lighten the government serious financial burden, and created the vigorous folk commercial vitality. The high tech health center is medical industry extending, and is one kind of important tool to impel the preventive medicine. Although it has used the massive medicine theory and the technology, it has not involved the treatment behavior and the medicine prescription. However, it still located in the medical scope, must controlled by the government health organization. At present, the health center has two kinds of managements, one is attached in the hospital, and the other picks the independent form. This case belongs to former. The rehabilitation, operation and transfer on the positron emission tomography center of Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital bases on the law of private participation public construction. The rehabilitation and operation periods amounts to 11 years. Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital should suggest that specialized organization or by itself to handle the feasibility and earlier scheme before R.O.T. proposals. If the earlier scheme checks to pass, Veterans General Hospital has to proceed following system of preposition and commercial attraction. Bases on the market analysis, we find that five hospitals have been established positron emission tomography equipment in the area of Kaohsiung and Pingtung. At present, the market supplies increase much, and potential market demands develop slowly. Under these factors disturbance about global budget payment system or hospital excellent project, it inevitably will have the influence on the investment will of industry. Moreover, the condition of industrial and marketable environment, like the supply source of positron medicine FDG, the degree of market development, the medical standard of teams, will be the essential topics. From financial assessment, we find that the private organization participates in the business of the positron emission tomography center of Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital by the R.O.T. form, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital could gain considerable premium, the management efficiency, the higher reputation, and provide the precise health examines. The franchised corporation also could gain required return. The bank financing gets safety. Therefore, the contract about the private participation in the positron emission tomography center of Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital resembles reasonable. By the sensitivity analysis, we find that the key factors in turn as follows: Revenue, operating cost, operating expenses, initial investment, and financing interest rate. Revenue at their own expense affects this case much higher than customers. Health insurance revenue is regulated by the global budget payment system, we find that pay point is more sensitive than pay value per point, and the franchised corporation must spend more resources to develop the market about non-insurance revenue. The R.O.T. on the positron emission tomography center of Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital belongs to successful case, its main points including: First, we can use R.O.T. business model to break these constraint of laws and regulations, effectively promote the management elasticity and the overall achievements. Second, the party of the public in the plan and operating stage assigns professionals and continues to participate in the coordination and the management, which is helpful to the project implemented. Third, with the lower premium threshold and the higher surveillance standard, this is helpful to the quality control. Finally, by financial assessment, we can control risk management in advance.

Using microsimulation software, with a focus on VISSIM, the analysis of different applications of merge concepts through delay and safety is presented in this thesis. In order to appropriately draw conclusions and usage trends of different merge concepts from the microsimulation software, early merge, late merge, and signal merge were first explored in a thorough literature review. While focusing primarily on delay, queues, and safety, this thesis essentially provides an introduction to determining the ideal merge concept on freeway work zones for varying roadway configurations, roadway conditions, and user demands, among other factors. In addition to delay and queuing analysis completed using VISSIM, the Federal Highway Administration’s Surrogate Safety Assessment Model (SSAM) was used to address the effects of implementing signal merge on rear-end and lane-change conflicts. Compiling the VISSIM microsimulation outputs and SSAM signal merge safety outputs, general conclusions and decisions were provided. While this thesis provides determinations of ideal merge concepts for a variety of cases, it is important for the next researcher to assess some of the assumptions that were made, to ensure that they would not significantly affect the results and analysis. / text

Integrated assessment models are powerful tools for providing insight into the interaction between the economy and climate change over a long time horizon. However, knowledge of climate parameters and their behavior under extreme circumstances of global warming is still an active area of research. In this thesis we incorporated the uncertainty in one of the key parameters of climate change, climate sensitivity, into an integrated assessment model and showed how this affects the choice of optimal policies and actions. We constructed a new, multi-step-ahead approximate dynamic programing (ADP) algorithm to study the effects of the stochastic nature of climate parameters. We considered the effect of stochastic extreme events in climate change (tipping points) with large economic loss. The risk of an extreme event drives tougher GHG reduction actions in the near term. On the other hand, the optimal policies in post-tipping point stages are similar to or below the deterministic optimal policies. Once the tipping point occurs, the ensuing optimal actions tend toward more moderate policies. Previous studies have shown the impacts of economic and climate shocks on the optimal abatement policies but did not address the correlation among uncertain parameters. With uncertain climate sensitivity, the risk of extreme events is linked to the variations in climate sensitivity distribution. We developed a novel Bayesian framework to endogenously interrelate the two stochastic parameters. The results in this case are clustered around the pre-tipping point optimal policies of the deterministic climate sensitivity model. Tougher actions are more frequent as there is more uncertainty in likelihood of extreme events in the near future. This affects the optimal policies in post-tipping point states as well, as they tend to utilize more conservative actions. As we proceed in time toward the future, the (binary) status of the climate will be observed and the prior distribution of the climate sensitivity parameter will be updated. The cost and climate tradeoffs of new technologies are key to decisions in climate policy. Here we focus on electricity generation industry and contrast the extremes in electricity generation choices: making choices on new generation facilities based on cost only and in the absence of any climate policy, versus making choices based on climate impacts only regardless of the generation costs. Taking the expected drop in cost as experience grows into account when selecting the portfolio of generation, on a pure cost-minimization basis, renewable technologies displace coal and natural gas within two decades even when climate damage is not considered in the choice of technologies. This is the natural gas as a bridge fuel scenario, and technology advancement to bring down the cost of renewables requires some commitment to renewables generation in the near term. Adopting the objective of minimizing climate damage, essentially moving immediately to low greenhouse gas generation technologies, results in faster cost reduction of new technologies and may result in different technologies becoming dominant in global electricity generation. Thus today’s choices for new electricity generation by individual countries and utilities have implications not only for their direct costs and the global climate, but also for the future costs and availability of emerging electricity generation options.

Magister Commercii (Information Management) - MCom(IM) / Purpose: The research aims to validate whether the proposed beta version of a Business Architecture Assessment Model (BAAM) can be usefully extended to organisations. Design/methodology/approach: The research draws from existing literature to further extend the scope of the BAAM. The literature review includes a description of Business Architecture (BA) and investigates the requirements of maturity models. The literature did reveal that the beta version of the BAAM’s maturity levels should be extended from the initial 3 levels to 5 well documented maturity levels (i.e. the roadmap). A focus group consisting of various subject matter experts evaluated the BAAM using an interpretative survey. The focus group approved the BAAM with some minor recommendations. The online BAAM survey was then deployed at eight (8) organisations to collect data on the level of maturity of the organisations’ business architecture. The output of the BAAM consists of a roadmap and the assessment results which assist organisations to improve their business architecture maturity. Findings: The literature review revealed that maturity models exist, but not many focus specifically on BA maturity. Those that does exist primarily focuses on the methodology involved in BA but do not specifically point out areas where the content matter of BA can be improved upon.

Magister Pharmaceuticae - MPharm / Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is reported to be the leading cause of death in hospitalised patients worldwide. Thromboprophylaxis provides a well-established and evidence-based approach to preventing VTE. This approach employs individualised patient risk stratification followed by the provision of pharmacological and/or non-pharmacological prophylaxis. Although various VTE risk assessment models (RAMs) are available, the Caprini RAM offers an objective, evidence-based and validated approach to risk assessment in hospitalised medical patients. Literature findings are indicative of a trend towards both under- and inappropriate VTE prophylaxis prescribing in this patient population. Together with the reported lack of medical practitioner appreciation for VTE risk assessment, the necessity to explore these aspects of practice is evident. Methods: This study used a retrospective, cross-sectional study design. It was conducted at one regional- and two district-level public hospitals in the Cape Town Metropole in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Medical folders of all adult hospitalised medical patients who were admitted to a general medical ward between January and July 2020 were retrospectively reviewed using a uniquely designed data collection tool. The data collection tool included the 2013 version of the Caprini RAM, which was employed to document VTE risk factors and assess overall VTE risk. Thromboprophylaxis regimens prescribed as well as contraindications to pharmacological thromboprophylaxis were also reviewed

The goal of this research was to analyze the academic impact of the implementation of the Value Added Assessment Model. The researcher analyzed the Value Added Assessment Models in the three Value Added Assessment Model states that had implemented the Value Added Assessment Model for more than five years. Additionally, the research was done by analyzing the academic impact as measured by the eighth grade reading NAEP and the eighth grade mathematics NAEP. The researcher paired the three states that had implemented Value Added Assessment Model for more than five years, with three demographically matched states that had not implemented Value Added Assessment Model. The states were matched as follows: Ohio (Value Added Assessment Model implementing state) with Michigan (non Value Added Assessment Model state), Pennsylvania (Value Added Assessment Model implementing state) with Virginia (non Value Added Assessment Model state) and Tennessee (Value Added Assessment Model implementing state) with Georgia (non Value Added Assessment Model state). The mean composite scale score in NAEP from the following categories of students were compared and analyzed: 1) All students 2) White students 3) Black students 4) National School Lunch Program Eligible Students 5) National School Lunch Program Ineligible Students 6) Exceptional Education students. The results of the study indicated that the impact of Value Added Assessment Model on academic impact as measured by the eighth grade reading NAEP and the eighth grade mathematics NAEP was negligible.

The efficient delivery of potable water for a community through its distribution system has historically been the backbone of nearly all metropolitan developments. Much of these systems are comprised of pipe networks made of various materials including concrete, iron, PVC, and even steel. As these communities expand and urbanize, water demand and population density simultaneously increase. This develops higher strains and stresses in the community‟s water distribution network causing pipes to corrode, crack, or rupture prematurely while in service. As a result, the deterioration of water distribution systems in growing cities is increasingly becoming a major concern for our nation. There have been several publications on the subject of evaluating pipe conditions within a water distribution network that use statistical models, estimation, and other mathematical analyses. However, many of these publications are cumbersome and are difficult to understand from a non-engineering perspective. In order to simplify the evaluation process for all varying professions in a city‟s public works division, the primary objective of this study was to develop a user-friendly risk assessment model that was practical, cost effective, and easy to follow. This risk assessment model focuses primarily on the physical condition of pipes in a water distribution system. It assesses the installation year, age, material, and break history of these water mains. It does not consider pipe fittings, pumps, or other network components. A pipe‟s probability of failure is determined from its physical condition. Page v The model then considers various economic degrees of impact that may affect the rehabilitation or replacement of these water mains. These degrees of impact include raw material costs, customer criticality, land use, demand, pipe material, and traffic impact. By focusing on pipes having the highest probability of failure and considering their economic impacts, this model identifies and prioritizes the most vulnerable water mains that require immediate attention. In order to validate this developed risk assessment model, the method was applied to a real water distribution system. Data from the City of Arroyo Grande, California was used in conjunction with WaterCAD and geographic information systems (ArcGIS) software during analysis. Application of the risk assessment model identified six cast iron pipes in Arroyo Grande‟s water distribution system as having a high risk of failure. Of the city‟s 3,057 individual pipe segments, recognizing only five of these pipes as high risk indicated that the assessment model was functional. Developing and testing this risk assessment model with real city data effectively demonstrated its practicality and easy application to a real water distribution system. If utilized, city officials can quickly identify and prioritize pipes needing rehabilitation or replacement by using reliable, up-to-date water distribution data from their city with this risk assessment model. Furthermore, use of this model may also simplify allocation of capital funds for future pipe improvement projects as the city continues its urbanization.

This research is to validate a risk assessment model?s ability to predict work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). The model looks at the primary risk factors of repetition, force, deviated posture, tool design, duration, and frequency. The sum of the ratings for each factor is the risk assessment score for the person doing a certain job task. According to the score, the task is rated as a ?no risk? to an ?extreme risk? task. The data used for this research was from an epidemiological study preformed at a fish processing facility. To validate the model, the scores from the risk assessment model were compared to the operators? severity and frequency of pain in the median nerve distribution of the hand and to previous risk model. The statistical tests show that the risk assessment model can predict if the operator performing a task is at risk for forming a WMSD.