Yes / The recent growth of the Web of Data has brought to the fore the need to develop intelligent means to support user exploration through big data graphs. To be effective, approaches for data graph exploration should take into account the utility from a user’s point of view. We have been investigating knowledge utility – how useful the trajectories in a data graph are for expanding users’ knowledge. Following the theory for meaningful learning, according to which new knowledge is developed starting from familiar entities (anchors) and expanding to new and unfamiliar entities, we propose here an approach to identify knowledge anchors in a data graph. Our approach is underpinned by the Cognitive Science notion of basic level objects in domain taxonomies. Several metrics for extracting knowledge anchors in a data graph, and the corresponding algorithms, are presented. The metrics performance is examined, and a hybridization approach that combines the strengths of each metric is proposed.

The functional literacy performance among a significant portion of American adults is considerably low. The purpose of this study was to educe a comprehensive profile of the adult learner and his or her literacy performance by examining factors which are a manifestation of both the formal school experience and the environment. The problem investigated was: How do selected developmental, academic, and environmental factors influence the functional literacy performance of adult basic education students? Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the tenability of ten research hypotheses that each included one of the ten literacy subtests of the Adult Performance Level Assessment. A secondary analysis was performed across sex and race subgroups to determine if the hypotheses were valid for those groups. One hundred and twenty-three ABE students who were attending a four-week summer school session in Montgomery County, Maryland comprised the initial sample. Data were collected between July 6 and July 27, 1982 inclusive and involved the following four instruments: (a) a demographic questionnaire, (b) the Adult Performance Level Assessment, (c) the Wesman Personnel Classification Test, and (d) the Moos Family Environment Scale. At the close of the data collection period, 76 adults had completed all four instruments and comprised the final sample. Four hypotheses involving literacy performance in community resources, consumer economics, government-and-law, and identification of facts and terms were accepted. An alternate hypothesis for each of the ten primary analyses suggested factors which have more utility in understanding functional literacy performance than those factors hypothesized. The secondary analysis revealed that the selected factors had a differential influencie on literacy performance for sex subgroups but not for race subgroups. The most important general finding was that the environmental perceptions (current and past) held by ABE students significantly influenced each of the ten performance subtests and, in many instances, exerted a stronger influence than developmental and academic factors. / Ed. D.

Vibrations caused due to aerodynamic excitation may cause severe limitation to the performance of turbomachines. The force resulting from the non-uniform pressure distribution within the labyrinth cavity is identified as a major source of this excitation. In order to perform rotor dynamic evaluation of rotor-bearing-seal system, accurate prediction of this force is essential. A visual basic based front-end, for a labyrinth seal analysis program, has been designed herein. In order to accurately predict the excitation force, proper modeling of labyrinth leak path is important. Thus, the front-end developed herein incorporates a leak-path geometric diagram for visual analysis of labyrinth leak path and tooth location. Furthermore, to investigate influence of various operating conditions and gas properties on excitation force (effective cross-coupling stiffness), a parametric study is performed on both the eye seal and the balance piston labyrinth seal. / Master of Science

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Historically, the majority of South Africans were denied access to free, compulsory and general education (National Multi-Plan, 1997:1). This means that many citizens did not have access to that educational foundation necessary for further learning, quality employment opportunities or even full and active social and political participation. Various arguments throughout this study imply that the South African education system presented unequal educational opportunities for most of its people. In this case, Black Education failed to produce people with the necessary skills for our economy. To compensate these people, the opportunities for education should be created everywhere in schools, sports clubs, NGOs and more importantly, in workplaces because education is the key for survival. Due to the need for economic growth and the need for skilled workers, large numbers of adults should be provided with extensive adult education. In other words, industries should become educational centres where employees could be equipped with numeracy and literacy programmes which would improve production and basic life-skills necessary to meet the demands of the economy at large. The study sought to find out "what role the two industries play in providing basic life-skills education to unskilled Black employees in the Empangeni/Richards Bay industrial areas". This was an empirical survey involving the target population of unskilled Black employees and facilitators of the adult education programmes of the lllovo Sugar Milling and Spoornet industries. In this study two different types of questionnaires were designed and used to ascertain the respondents' disposition towards adult education programmes. In each industry one questionnaire was administered to the unskilled Black employees and another to the facilitators of adult education progarmnes. The research sample comprised of seven unskilled Black employees from lllovo, twentyfive unskilled Black employees from Spoomet, two facilitators from Illovo and another two facilitators from Spoornet industries. The data collected from the sample attempted to answer the following research questions: ./ What basic day-to- day life-skills are needed by unskilled Black employees in the industries? ./ How effective are these programmes to unskilled Black employees in the industries? ./ How accessible are these programmes to unskilled Black employees? These questions necessitated a literature study and an empirical survey as research tools. It has emerged from the study that adult education is seen as an agent for social change and instrument for social development. The study seeks to assess the extent to which these programmes: .:. Fulfil the day-to-day basic needs of unskilled Black employees, in for example, financial management or identifying and using sources of informatiom like directories and maps . •:. Fulfil the literacy and numeracy needs of unskilled Black employees, in for example, appending signatures, reading newspapers and bank forms . •:. Cultivate good habits in the workplace such as punctuality, time management, safety precautions and proper procedures. The findings reveal that adult education programmes in industries were valuable and useful to employees as they were able to transfer the skills acquired from the programme to the real world situation. These life-skills included counting money, writing names and letters, appending signatures, reading newspapers and safety precautions signs, understanding road signs and making telephone calls. The researcher concludes with a number of recommendations including the following: ~ Each industry should establish a building named a 'college' or 'centre' within its premises where adult education programmes will be presented. ~ Each industry should have its own policy documents regarding the provision of worker life-skills education. ~ All workers have a right to paid education and training leave. This means that skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers should be entitled to four or six weeks of paid leave per year for further education throughout their working life. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: As gevolg van die historiese en politieke ontwikkeling in Suid-Afrika is die meerderheid van die bevolking toegang tot vrye, verpligte en algemene onderwys ontsê (National Multi- Plan, 1997: 1). Dit het tot gevolg gehad dat die meerderheid van die bevolking dus ook nie toegang gehad het tot verdere onderwys en gevolglik ook nie tot goeie werksgeleenthede en dus deelname aan die maatskaplike en politieke lewe ontneem is. In hierdie navorsing word minderwaardige onderwysgeleenthede wat aan die meeste swart mense gegee is uitgewys. Dit het tot gevolg gehad dat swart onderwys nie die opgeleide menslike hulpbronne kon lewer wat die ekonomie nodig gehad het nie. Ekonomiese groei is afhanklik van opgeleide menslike hulpbronne en om dit moontlik te maak behoort onderwysgeleenthede in groot getalle vir volwassenes geskep te word. Daarom behoort skoolfasiliteite, sportklubs, nie-regeringsorganisasies en die werkplek benut te word om onderwys aan die ongeletterde volwassene te gee. Dit impliseer dat nywerhede geleenthede vir geletterdheids- en syfervaardigheidsprogramme vir hulle werkers behoort te skep sodat hulle toegerus kan word met basiese lewensvaardighede en sodoende hulle lewenskwaliteit en produktiwiteit verhoog kan word. Met die navorsing is gepoog om vas te stel watter rol nywerhede in die Empangeni- /Richardsbaai-gebied speel in die verskaffing van onderwys in basiese lewensvaardighede aan hulle ongeskoolde swart werkers. Twee verskillende vraelyste en onderhoude is gebruik om data in te samel by 'n steekproef van die ongeskoolde swart werkers en die fasiliteerders van onderwysprogramme aan volwassenes by Illovo Suikermeule en Spoornet. Daar is gepoog om die respondente se houdings ten opsigte van onderwysprogramme aan volwassenes in dié twee nywerhede vas te stel. Die navorsinsteekproef het sewe ongeskoolde swart werkers en twee fasiliteerders van Illovo Suikermeule en vyf-en-twintig ongeskoolde swart werkers en twee fasiliteerders van Spoornet ingesluit. Met behulp van die ingesamelde data van die steekproef is gepoog om die volgende vrae te beantwoord: - Watter basiese lewensvaardighede benodig die ongeskoolde swart werkers in hierdie twee nywerhede? - Watter onderwysprogramme vir volwassenes is deur die twee nywerhede daargestelom in die onderwysbehoeftes in basiese lewensvaardighede van die ongeskoolde swart werkers te voorsien? Hoe toeganklik is hierdie programme vir die ongeskoolde swart werkers? Hoe effektief is die programme vir ongeskoolde swart werkers in die twee nywerhede? Om die vrae te probeer beantwoord was dit noodsaaklik om 'n literatuurstudie te doen, 'n vraelysopname te onderneem en onderhoude te voer. Die doelstellings met die navorsing was om te bepaal in watter mate die onderwysprogramme vir volwassenes in die twee nywerhede: voorsien in die daaglikse behoeftes van ongeskoolde swart werkers byvoorbeeld om hulle finansies te bestuur en om inligtingsbronne soos gidse en kaarte te identifiseer en te gebruik; voorsien in die geletterdheids - en syfervaardigheidsbehoeftes van ongeskoolde swart werkers soos die gebruik van 'n handtekening, die lees van koerante en die invul van bankvorms; lei tot 'n bewuswording en 'n besef van die belangrikheid van onderwys aan ongeskoolde swart werkers; ongeskoolde swart werkers voorberei om akademiese ondersteuning, soos byvoorbeeld hulpverlening met skoolwerk, aan hulle kinders te voorsien; 'n bewuswording skep van die maatskaplike, politieke, kulturele en ekonomiese verband waarin ongeskoolde swart werkers hulle bevind. Dit sluit die verskaffing van onderwys in basiese lewensvaardighede met betrekking tot vigs, gesinsbeplanning en kiesersopvoeding in; en die aankweek van goeie gewoontes in die werksituasie soos stiptelikheid. tydsbestuur, die toepassing van veiligheidsmaatreëls in die gebruik van korrekte procedures tot gevolg het. Die bevindinge van die navorsing dui daarop dat onderwysprogramme aan volwassenes in die nywerhede waardevol en nuttig vir die ongeskoolde swart werkers is aangesien dit hulle in staat stelom die vaardighede wat hulle aangeleer het na die werklike alledaagse lewenssituasie oor te dra. Hierdie vaardighede sluit onder andere in die tel van geld, die skryf van hulle name en briewe, die gebruik van 'n handtekening vir die ondertekening van dokumente, die lees van koerante en kennisgewings i.v.m. veiligheidsmaatreëls, die verstaan van padtekens en die maak van telefoonoproepe. Dit blyk ook uit die navorsing dat onderwysprogramme aan volwassenes as 'n werktuig van maatskaplike ontwikkeling beskou word. Die aanbevelings wat op grond van die bevindinge van die navorsing gemaak word, sluit onder andere die volgende in: Nywerhede wat groot getalle ongeskoolde swart werkers in diens het, behoort 'n beleid ten opsigte van onderwysprogramme in basiese lewensvaardighede aan werkers te hê. Elke nywerheid behoort fisiese fasiliteite vir die aanbieding van onderwysprogramme aan volwassenes op die perseel te hê. Hierdie fisiese fasiliteit kan 'n "kollege" of ,,s»entrum genoem wor d. Alle werkers behoort die reg te hê op vier tot ses weke betaalde onderwys-en opleidingsverlof per jaar.

The problem of this study was to standardize the Basic Movement Performance Profile with male and female profoundly retarded residents from the ten Texas state schools for the mentally retarded. To standardize the Basic Movement Performance Profile, the following objectives were formulated: 1. To determine if the test items found in the Basic Movement Performance Profile were valid and appropriate items to measure the basic movement skills of profoundly retarded residents of state institutions. 2. To establish the reliability of the Basic Movement Performance Profile test items utilizing the test-retest method with thirty profoundly retarded males and thirty profoundly retarded females at the Denton State School for the Mentally Retarded. 3. To establish performance level norms utilizing percentile ranks for both sexes on the Basic Movement Performance Profile.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at the University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture (Sustainable Energy Efficient Cities) / Whereas the escalation of energy costs in South Africa over the past 5-years has been systematically reported, the extent to which low-income urban households are coping with the escalation has not been studied. Based on ethnographic data from Etwatwa in Ekurhuleni and secondary data from the Department of Energy and Statistics South Africa, the study evaluates the extent to which ongoing energy poverty mitigation programmes under FBE (Free Basic Electricity) and FBAE (Free Basic Alternative Energy) are facilitating how such households cope with the escalating costs. One of the key findings of the study is that FBE is not only inadequate for beneficiary household needs but also fails to accommodate large family sizes whose consumption goes beyond the set threshold of 450kWh/month. Since FBAE is only available for households not yet connected to the grid, the programme would not serve as a complementary intervention for households not benefiting from FBE due to consumption beyond the threshold. Based on the key finding of inadequacy of existing mitigation interventions (declining affordability of electricity, unresponsiveness of FBE to large-family size and the barrier to accessing FBAE while connected to grid) the study finds that energy poverty among low-income households and communities is deepening. As coping strategies, households resort to switching to alternative combustible fuels like paraffin, wood, coal, and solid waste which leads to indoor and outdoor air-pollution with related respiratory illnesses and under severe situations they resort to suppressing demand through options such foregoing cooked meals, irregular bathing/cleaning and space-heating in winter. The findings also allowed the study to critique the energy ladder model on its assumptions on linear energy carrier transitions in line with improved incomes of low-income households. In particular, the study finds that even as incomes of affected households improve, an ever increasing share of the income goes towards covering the escalating energy costs but still never managing to close the affordability gap for clean energy thus reinforcing a vicious cascade in energy poverty In order to systematically mitigate these escalating patterns of energy poverty, the study recommends the distribution of renewable technology through a more innovative FBAE policy which would allow municipalities, national government and other stakeholders to commit to more equitable long-term investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy interventions for such households. Key words: escalating energy costs, coping mechanism, energy poverty, Free Basic Electricity, Free Basic Alternative Energy

Apesar da complexidade envolvendo a compreensão dos processos hidrossedimentológicos, o conhecimento da quantidade de sedimentos transportados pelos rios é importante para o planejamento e aproveitamento dos recursos hídricos e não deve ser ignorado. Além disso, a quantidade de dados obtidos em monitoramentos é significativa, e o entendimento dessas variáveis requer obrigatoriamente análises estatísticas. Com base na dificuldade em relacionar hidrossedimentologia com estatística, buscou-se com esse trabalho desenvolver uma ferramenta computacional gratuita e de código aberto em Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) integrando métodos de cálculos hidrossedimentológicos e estatísticos. Ela permite que o usuário calcule descarga sólida em suspensão, descarga sólida total, e realize testes estatísticos como, teste Kolmogorov-Smirnov de normalidade dos dados, testes paramétricos F de Fisher-Snedecor e T de Student, além do teste não-paramétrico Wilcoxon. A ferramenta computacional (NH Sediment and Statistic) foi aplicada em dados obtidos em medições de características hidráulicas, da concentração de sedimentos em suspensão, turbidez e temperatura do reservatório da Pequena Central Hidrelétrica de Mogi-Guaçu (SP). Desse modo, a ferramenta utilizada para o suporte às análises hidrossedimentológicas alcançou resultados equivalentes a outros softwares para cada um dos módulos desenvolvidos, se mostrando confiável e de fácil aplicação. Destaca-se, por fim, que a ferramenta pode ser aplicada em outras áreas de estudo permitindo planejamento e gerenciamento completo de recursos hídricos, assim como outras áreas do conhecimento. / Despite the complexity that involves the understanding of hydrosedimentological processes, the knowledge of the amount of sediment transported by rivers is fundamental for the planning and utilization of water resources. The amount of data obtained from the monitoring is significant, and the understanding of such variables requires statistical analyses. This paper addresses the development of a free and open-source computational tool in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) that integrates methods of hydrosedimentological and statistical calculations and relates hydrosedimentology to statistics. Users can calculate solid suspended discharge and total solid discharge and perform important statistical tests, such as Kolmogorov- Smirnov normality test, Fisher-Snedecor and Student T parametric tests, and Wilcoxon non- parametric test. The computational tool (NH Sediment and Statistic) was applied to data obtained from measurements of hydraulic characteristics, suspended sediment concentration, turbidity and reservoir temperature of the Mogi-Guaçu Small Hydroelectric Power Plant. It supports hydrosedimentological analyses and yielded results equivalent to those of other software for each module developed. It also proved reliable and of easy application and provides a friendly interface. It can be applied to other areas of study for a complete planning and management of water resources, as well as other areas of knowledge.

Företaget vars denna studie görs i samråd med, har identifierat problem beträffande de sömnadsprover som erhållits från olika underleverantörer. Återkommande passformsproblem har resulterat i att företaget valt att utveckla grundkonstruktioner för olika överdels- samt nederdelsplagg för att tids- samt kostnadseffektivisera framtagningsprocessen av nya klädesplagg. Utgångspunkt för denna studie är en dam-byxgrund konstruerad enligt anvisningar ur Öberg, Ersman, Cedervall och Svensson (2010). En programvara med tredimensionell avprovning används för att effektivisera utvecklingsprocessen av denna. Företagets kroppsmåttlista har jämförts gentemot STU (1977) ”Storlekssystem för damkläder; Måttlistor och marknadsandelstabeller”, SIS (2017) ”Storleksmärkning av kläder; Storleksmärkning baserad på kroppsmått och intervall” samt tre e-handelsbolags kroppsmåttlistor för att analysera företagets val av byst-, midje- samt stussomfång. Gradering tillämpas i denna studie utifrån två olika tillvägagångsätt för att jämföra dessa: (1) en underleverantörs applicering av koordinater utifrån en tillhandahållen skillnadsmåttlista från företaget, (2) anvisningar från undervisningsmaterial som används tillsammans med STU (ibid) och SIS (ibid). Studien belyser en problematik beträffande gradering som överlåtes till underleverantörer. Här uppmärksammas nödvändigheten av att regelbundet kontrollera denna, då det inte finns någon existerande process för hur detta görs i nuläget. Det finns även ett behov av att se över företagets kroppsmåttlista, specifikt bystomfånget, då avvikelser har uppmärksammats i denna studie. / The company which this study is in collaboration with, has highlighted a complex of problems regarding production samples received from subcontractors. Because of re-appearing fitting problems, the company has chosen to develop basic patterns for different types of garments to make the production process more time and cost efficient when creating new products. Starting-point for this study is a basic pattern for women’s pants created from Öberg, Ersman, Cedervall and Svensson’s (2010) directions. A three-dimensional fitting software is used to make the development process of the pants more efficient. The company’s body measurement chart is compared to STU (1977) “Sizing systems for women’s clothing; Measurement charts and market-share tables”, SIS (2017) “Size designation of clothes; Size labelling based on body measurements and intervals” and three e-businesses to analyze deviations. Two different grading techniques are applied in this study to compare them both: (1) a subcontractor’s choice on how to apply grading coordinates based on a given chart with differential measurements from the company, (2) tutoring materials from school that are being used in correlation with STU (ibid) and SIS (ibid). This study identifies a problem regarding grading as this stage is passed on to the subcontractors. Here follows an importance of always verifying the grading that is applied onto the pattern, because there is no existing process of how this is managed at this current moment. The company needs to look over their body measurement chart, specifically regarding the chest, because deviations have been observed in this study.

The aim of this study is to investigate teachers&rsquo / perceptions of constraints on improving student thinking skills in schools, and to find out whether there are differences in teachers&rsquo / perceptions of constraints in terms of subject area, educational background, teaching experience, gender, geographical area, and school location. A survey design was used in this study. The questionnaire used in the study was developed by making use of the related literature, and it was administered to 522 teachers working in the public high schools in four different regions of Turkey during the fall semester of 2002-2003 academic year. The data gathered are analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics (one-way ANOVA and t-test). There were four major constraints on improving student thinking, namely, teacher-related, student-related, curriculum-related, and external factors to classroom. The results indicated that the most agreed constraints were the student-related ones. The results also showed that there were no statistically significant differences in teachers&rsquo / perceptions of the constraints on improving student thinking based on the background variables, i.e., subject area, educational background, teaching experience, gender, geographical region, and school location.

The world’s human population is presently politically organized into an international system of territorially-defined nation-states. Each nation-state claims sovereign rights to non-interference and self-determination which minimize the legitimate influence of all other nation-states on the conduct of its internal affairs. International political discourse using the concept of human rights has become increasingly influential in addressing the regulation and restrictions of coercive activity that governing institutions can exact upon citizen populations. If there are universal human rights that all persons possess regardless of national affiliation, does this include basic economic rights that should insure all persons the basic economic goods necessary for healthy subsistence? Philosophers working within the state of nature contractual theory of government philosophical tradition, including Hobbes, Locke, Nozick, and Rawls, reach contradictory conclusions regarding the existence of universal basic economic rights. More recently, Shue has provided arguments affirming the existence of universal basic economic rights.