Relevant information at the right time can be critically important for clinicians when treating patients with cerebral palsy (CP). Gathering this information could be done through the usage of a clinical decision support system with a matching algorithm that finds relevant patients. The relevancy of this information for clinicians is determined by the relevancy of the matched patients. The aim of this thesis was therefore to investigate how an algorithm that matches similar patients with CP could be improved in terms of relevancy. The goal was also to explore the possibilities of domain knowledge and temporal aspects and how they could be combined and utilized in order to improve the matching algorithm. In this bachelor's thesis, we have conducted a literature study about the domain and a domain knowledge survey. The domain knowledge survey included gathering domain knowledge through contact with an expert in the area of CP. We also implemented an algorithm using intelligent similarity measurements based on validation from experts that could accurately match similar patients according to the domain knowledge gathered. The resulting algorithm is presented through a prototype of a CDSS, which allows clinicians to select and match patients through a GUI, and including features such as adjusting weight values for different attributes. The algorithm uses patient data retrieved from the CPUP database, which is specfic to patients with CP, to match with. From the CPUP database many temporal aspects could be concluded to be relevant for similarity assessment. Due to the limited scope of the thesis however, only the most important aspect was utilized. By treating this aspect as an attribute like the other domain knowledge based attributes, but with respect to other variables that affected it, a combination of temporal aspects and domain knowledge was done when identifying similar patients with CP. Using the prototype of the CDSS with the implemented algorithm could help clinicians make better informed decisions, and this leads to improved health care for children and patients with CP, which is why this thesis was important.

A human brain is capable to achieve great things, to endure heavy stress and to calculate complex problems. What happens when it fails to do so? Is there anything that could be done to prevent this from happening? Is it possible to help a pilot in command manage his or her stress during flight by measuring finger temperature, skin conductance, ECG and heart rate variations? This thesis study processes that can help pilots manage high stress with simple tools such as closing their eyes and taking a few deep breaths. To determine when the calming measures are needed and to evaluate potential effects, all the signal data stated above are used combined with scoring of every participant performance. The statistical methods used involves an ANOVA-test and mean value calculations. The results were also analyzed using CBR to get a better understanding of the results and to not only rely on statistical methods. The thesis is limited to a minor study of 10 student pilots participating in two sessions with a heavy workload departure in a simulator. The test did result in a small difference between the two sessions which pointed at the calming measures giving a slight improvement for the pilots. However, when ANOVA was applied it showed that the difference between the two sessions was not a significant one. This could be due to several reasons; the pilots were not used to the calming measures and because of this felt more stressed when trying to use the calming measures as well. There might have been a difference if calming measures were included into pilot training already from the beginning. Another reason might be because this is only a minor study and the difference was not apparent on so few participants. In future research, however, there might be a breakthrough on how to handle stress in a cockpit environment involving similar sensors.

The current trends in the road transport sector show a growth in axle loads as well as vehicle numbers on all types of roads in highly industrialised countries as well as in developing countries. This increase in axle loads and numbers has forced road agencies to amend their design standards adopting designs that provide roads with higher load bearing capacity. However, the rapid depletion of natural road construction gravel, as well as strict environmental conservation laws have resulted in many agencies in-charge of road construction and maintenance to resort to use of alternative materials that will be economically feasible and environmental friendly. The use of natural pozzolans for stabilising pavement layers fulfils this requirement. This research study was performed with the aim of evaluating the engineering properties of aggregate-lime-natural pozzolan (ALP) mixtures at varying compaction degrees of saturation and to compare them with conventional cement-stabilized aggregates. Two types of pozzolans found in Tanzania were used. The laboratory investigation was carried out in two parts, namely a pilot investigation where the strength behaviour with time, shrinkage and CBR were determined at three degrees of saturation for a washed river sand specimen followed by the main investigation using two different types of sands at four varying degrees of saturation. The study showed that the compaction degree of saturation for ALP mixes plays an important role in their tensile and compressive strengths development regardless of their optimum moisture contents. The ratio between tensile and compressive strengths for ALP mixes was also found to closely obey the relation given by Fulton (2001) for concrete. The ALP mixes were also observed to develop their strength similar to cement mixes with the formation of tobermorite crystals with the additional of water and appropriate activator. Both pozzolan mixes developed significant tensile and compressive strength after 28 days of curing similar to cement mixes. High CBR values for the two ALP mixes were obtained in mixes moulded at degrees of saturation lower than that corresponding to their optimum. Similarly, the shrinkage of the mixes was found to decrease with a decrease in the degrees of saturation. The CBR and shrinkage of the ALP mixes were found to show similar trend to that of the control cement mixes. The ALP mixes showed no significant strength loss with an increase in the fines content in unwashed sand mix in comparison with that of washed sand mixes. No significant strength loss was observed in the ALP mixes as in the control cement mixes at all moulding degrees of saturation. Finally the study concluded that the ALP mixes could be used in stabilization of pavement layers. However, care must be taken in deciding the compaction degrees of saturation as the specifications used in conventional cement stabilization does not necessarily yield desirable strength development in ALP mixes. / Dissertation (MEng (Transportation))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Civil Engineering / unrestricted

Community-based rehabilitation (CBR) is an inclusive community development strategy implemented for and by people with disabilities in resource-poor areas. The scarcity of guidelines for CBR program evaluation largely contributes to its insufficient and fragmented evidence base. This thesis aimed to advance knowledge in this field by defining best evaluative practices in CBR and developing guidelines to foster sound CBR program evaluation. To achieve this, the doctoral candidate designed a sequential mixed methods study in three research phases: 1) a systematic literature review to identify potential best practice guidelines, 2) a field study in South Africa to pilot the guidelines, and 3) a Delphi study to generate expert consensus and refine the guidelines. Findings from this doctoral research emphasize the importance of giving a voice and control to those most affected by the program throughout the evaluation process, including people with disabilities. The findings also call for embracing the challenge of diversity by adapting CBR program evaluation to local cultures and languages, and by ensuring that programs leave no one behind. In addition, they indicate that CBR evaluators can foster the use of process and findings by endorsing a rigourous, collaborative and empowering approach. Ten best practice guidelines for CBR program evaluation were systematically developed through the three phases and represent expert consensus. They offer much-needed directions. Three represent features of sound CBR program evaluation processes, six offer indications to facilitate sound methodological decisions, and one recommends using a common framework to situate evaluation findings. The guidelines now need to be piloted in a range of CBR contexts and linked with tools to yield the valid and reliable data necessary to establishing CBR’s evidence base and ensuring that program evaluations lead to positive change in local communities.

The global industry is gradually moving towards automation nowadays. Thetool for design support is a required tool for auto companies and relatedcompanies. The tool for design support is a tool based on Microsoft Excel, the mainobjective is to build an Interactive Tool for analysis, outputting productparameters and generating reports through Case Based reasoning (CBR),Decision Tree and Programming in Excel VBA. Through Excel’s calculationand analysis generate intuitive report instead of time-consuming and labour-consuming measurement, towards calculation and analysis automation. Thus,it can reduce working time and decrease labour consumption.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) is used internationally, to address the lack of access of People with Disabilities (PwD) to rehabilitation services. Physiotherapy is one of the rehabilitation services offered to PwDs at community level, through CBR. In Sudan, Ahfad University for Women (AUW) offers a Bachelor degree in Physiotherapy, which integrates a CBR module into the curriculum, since 2007. The aim of this current study was to investigate the CBR components of the current physiotherapy curriculum at AUW, to determine whether they should, and could be expanded. The Mix method study design was employed, with a mixed research methodology, containing both qualitative and quantitative approaches for data collection. The components of CBR, present in the current physiotherapy curriculum at AUW were identified, using the constructive alignment framework, and content analysis for data analysis. The PWD’s needs of rehabilitation services in Sudan were established, using a questionnaire survey among users at various rehabilitation centres in Khartoum State. The CBR components that needed to be adapted in the physiotherapy curriculum at AUW were identified, using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with AUW physiotherapy students and a CBR expert. Finally, the CBR components were revised and adapted, using a collaborative approach during workshops with AUW staff and clinicians. It was concluded that, in order to address the rehabilitation needs of PwDs, the CBR module needed to include additional components, to align the course content, teaching and learning techniques, as well as assessment tasks, with the intended learning outcomes of physiotherapy students. The components in the CBR matrix, such as livelihood and empowerment, were deemed important to provide students with knowledge, skills and competence. Additionally, providing information about assistive devices was deemed vital in rehabilitation. A significant relationship (P<0.05) was observed between the provision of information on assistive devices, and the maintenance thereof, as well as the benefits to users, respectively. Ultimately, commencing CBR placements in the fourth year, as is currently the norm, was deemed too late; therefore, it was suggested that community visits in the first and second years of physiotherapy studies, be included in the CBR course curriculum.

No description available.

This study focused on the material characterization of granular materials containing different percentages of “RAP”. A series of laboratory tests results were carried out to determine the physical and mechanical properties of natural aggregates and various aggregate-RAP blends. The results were used to evaluate methods to develop high-performance granular layer for pavement construction through proper compaction and control of RAP usage. The resilient modulus and accumulative deformation characteristics were determined in relation to RAP content, relative density, compaction method, stress level, stress state and the number of load applications. The effects of RAP content and density on the CBR values of aggregate-RAP blends under various conditions were also investigated. In addition, the effect of small strain cyclic loading on shear strength of aggregate-RAP blends was observed in laboratory tests. Results from this investigation demonstrated that: 1) adding RAP to natural aggregates may increase the resilient modulus of natural aggregates, and optimum content can be found to achieve the highest resilient modulus; 2) resilient modulus generally increases with density; higher density of aggregate-RAP blends can be achieved by using methods combining vibration and static loading. 3) deviatoric stress has more pronounced influence on accumulative deformation than confining pressure. 4) proper compaction method can reduce accumulative deformation of samples. 5) addition of RAP into aggregates results in little change in accumulative deformation when the RAP content is less than a threshold. 6) CBR value decreases with increasing RAP content and decreasing compaction effort or compacted dry density. 7) shear strength of an aggregate-RAP blend tends to increase after small strain cyclic loading. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

<p>Thule Sweden AB utvecklar, tillverkar och marknadsför kompletta och funktionella lasthållarsystem för bilar. De erbjuder en mycket stor bredd av olika lasthållare till över 1500 bilmodeller. De tillverkar lasthållare som cykelhållare, boxar, skidhållare, hållare för vattensport och andra tillbehör. För att en bil skall kunna bära en takbox måste det tillverkas en lasthållare som placeras mellan biltaket och takboxen. En del i denna lasthållare kallas för takbleck och dess form tas fram med en speciell takskanner vilken analyserar biltakets form vid kanterna.</p><p>Till detta har en mjukvara tagits fram som Thule kan använda för att söka/lägga till/redigera takbleck, istället för att manuellt söka i en pärm bland 700 olika ritningar. Programvaran var först utvecklad i Microsoft® Visual Studio 2003 (.NET Framework 1.1), men på senare tid omarbetad från grunden i den nyare utvecklingsmiljön Microsoft® Visual Studio 2005 (.NET Framework 2.0).</p><p>Innan programmeringen av mjukvaran sattes igång utformades en kravspecifikation från Thule om vad de ville ha för funktioner i programmet. Denna kravspecifikation har under utvecklingens tid ändrats, både under de möten som hållits och på en speciell webbplats som skapats för återkoppling av programmet (”TBS Felhanterings-center”), i form av buggar/ändringar/annat.</p><p>Förutom en avdelning i rapporten som behandlar hur denna programvara är uppbyggd, vilka problem som uppstod och hur de löstes, finns även teoretisk information om databaser, XML och andra teknologier.</p><p>Resultatet av projektet blev en applikation för hantering av takbleck som kan användas ute i fält (hos kund) utan uppkoppling mot en gemensam databas hos företaget (mot vilken all information synkroniseras). All information som läggs till/redigeras sparas på användarens lokala dator i form av XML som sedan kan synkroniseras mot den gemensamma server-databasen på företaget.</p> / <p>Thule Sweden AB develop, manufacture, and market complete and functional load carriers for cars. They provide a large amount of different load carriers for over 1500 car models. They also manufacture carriers such as bike carriers, roof boxes, ski carriers and water sport carriers. To be able to put a roof carrier on a car, a load carrier must be manufactured and be placed between the car roof and the roof carrier.</p><p>We have developed software that the group of workers at Thule can use to search/add/edit brackets, instead of manually search in a folder containing over 700 drawings. The program was first developed in Microsoft Visual Studio 2003 (.NET Framework 1.1), but has been rewritten in Microsoft’s new develop environment Visual Studio 2005 (.NET Framework 2.0).</p><p>Before we started to write the program, Thule gave us a specification of requirements that contained information of possible functions in the program. The specification of requirements has been changed a couple of times during our work. We have also put up a website where bugs and changes could be reported.</p><p>Except a part in this report, where we describe how the program is built, how we have solved problems, there is also theoretical information about how databases, XML and other techniques work.</p><p>The result of this project became an application, which the personnel at Thule can use while they visit their customers. The saved information can later be synchronised with the server.</p>

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Esta investigaÃÃo propÃe o desenvolvimento de um mÃtodo para a localizaÃÃo e prediÃÃo das caracterÃsticas geotÃcnicas dos solos que possa contribuir para o processo da tomada de decisÃo, quanto à sua utilizaÃÃo, para fins de pavimentaÃÃo. Utilizou-se Geoprocessamento e Redes Neurais Artificiais (RNAs) como tÃcnicas de modelagem, bem como variÃveis biofÃsicas e espaciais como explicativas dos fenÃmenos modelados. As caracterÃsticas pesquisadas (pedologia, geologia, geomorfologia, vegetaÃÃo, altimetria e posiÃÃo) se correlacionaram com as variÃveis geotÃcnicas estimadas (classificaÃÃo TRB - Transportation Research Board e CBR - California Bearing Ratio) para solos provenientes da RegiÃo Metropolitana de Fortaleza (RMF). Assim, desenvolveu-se trÃs modelos de RNAs que foram calibrados, validados e testados. Dois desses modelos foram dedicados à geraÃÃo de estimativas de CBR nas energias de compactaÃÃo normal (CBR-N) e intermediÃria (CBR-I). O terceiro modelo foi elaborado para geraÃÃo de estimativas da classificaÃÃo TRB dos solos da RMF. As caracterÃsticas geotÃcnicas estimadas por estes modelos possibilitaram a elaboraÃÃo dos chamados Mapas GeotÃcnicos Neurais, estratificados para previsÃo dos valores de CBR-N, CBR-I e ClassificaÃÃo TRB. Adicionalmente, os mapas produzidos e todas as informaÃÃes da pesquisa foram disponibilizados em um Sistema de InformaÃÃes GeogrÃficas Web (SIG-Web), de forma a possibilitar seu uso em projetos viÃrios e estudos acadÃmicos futuros, tanto para download dos mapas gerados, quanto para geraÃÃo de estimativas para uma Ãrea especÃfica da RMF. AlÃm disso, disponibilizou-se ao SIG-Web um realimentador de pontos geotÃcnicos para permitir uma recalibraÃÃo futura dos modelos na tentativa de melhorar a qualidade das estimativas geradas que atualmente à superior a 90% de taxa de acerto. / This research focuses on the development of a method, aimed to predicting and positioning the geotechnical characteristics of soils that may contribute to the process of decision making of its use for paving purposes. Were used Geoprocessing and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) modeling techniques, as well as spatial and biophysical variables of the phenomena modeled. The characteristics studied (pedology, geology, geomorphology, vegetation, altimetry and position) were correlated with the estimated geotechnical variables (TRB Classification and CBR) for soils from the metropolitan region of Fortaleza, Cearà (RMF). Three models of ANNs were developed calibrated, validated and tested. Two of these models were dedicated to generating estimates of CBR in the normal (CBR-N) and intermediate (CBR-I) compaction modes. The third model was developed to generate estimates of the geotechnical characteristics of the soils from the RMF Classification TRB. The geotechnical characteristics estimated by these models enabled the preparation of Neural Geotechnical Maps, stratified for values of CBR-N, CBR-I and TRB Classification. The maps produced and all the survey information was made available on a Web Geographic Information System (Webmapping), thus allowing its use in road projects and future academic studies, both to download the maps and to generate estimates for RMF. In addition, provided to the Webmapping a geotechnical receiver points, to allow recalibration of future models in an attempt to improve the quality of the estimates that currently is more than 90% accuracy rate.