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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
31

Guiding the User : Redesign and Usability Improvement of a Student Thesis Publication Form / Vägleda användaren : Omdesign av formulär för publicering av studentarbeten för ökad användbarhet

Ledin, Johanna January 2017 (has links)
Students struggle with publishing and uploading their thesis in DiVA - the Swedish digital archive for academic papers (Digitala Vetenskapliga Arkivet). In a mixed methods usability test of the publication form with 7 users, it was shown that the overall usability was low. Three aspects of usability were tested using the following metrics: efficiency by total task time, effectiveness by task completion and satisfaction by PSSUQ and SUS. 22 usability problems were found and prioritised using a 0-4 severity rating. Concepts for a new form were brainstormed and evaluated using a variation of a Pugh chart. From the concepts, sketches were created using form design guidelines and were evaluated using Nielsen’s heuristics. Usability problems from the heuristic evaluation were solved and the sketches were translated into a computer prototype which was subsequently usability tested using a mixed methods approach with 6 users. Task completion increased, total time on task decreased significantly, and PSSUQ and SUS increased. Taken together with the qualitative results, the usability of the new prototype was higher than the current system. Important qualities that increase the usability in forms for publishing academic student papers included a wizard structure, explaining terminology and focus on guiding the user. Further studies should include usability studies of other publication types and further validating guidelines for form design. / Studenter upplever problem när de ska publicera sina examensarbeten i det nationella Digitala Vetenskapliga Arkivet (DiVA). Det nuvarande formuläret testades med 7 användare i ett användbarhetstest med Tänka-högt protokoll och det visades att användbarheten var låg. De tre aspekterna av användbarhet representerades av följande kvalitativa mått: efficiency representerades av tid för uppgiften, effectiveness representerades av task completion och satisfaction representerades av PSSUQ och SUS. 22 användbarhetsproblem hittades och prioriterades med en allvarlighetsgrad mellan 0-4. Nya koncept togs fram och utvärderades med en variation av en Pugh-matris. Från koncepten skapades skisser i enlighet med tumregler för formulärsdesign och utvärderades med Nielsens tumregler. Problem som identifierades i DiVA löstes och en datorprototyp skapades varpå den testades med samma metod som det nuvarande formuläret med 6 användare. Task completion ökade, tiden för att lösa uppgiften minskade signifikant och PSSUQ och SUS minskade signifikant. Tillsammans med de kvantitativa resultaten är slutsatsen att användbarheten var högre i prototypen än i det nuvarande systemet. Kvaliteter som ökar användbarheten i formulär som används för att publicera akademiska studentarbeten är en stegvis struktur, förklarande av terminologi och fokus på att vägleda användaren. Framtida studier bör inkludera användbarhetstest för andra publikationstyper och validering av tumregler för formulärsdesign.
32

Expanding KTH's Canvas ecosystem to support additional automated services : Automating the injection of theses and their metadata into a digital archive / Utöka KTHs Canvas-ekosystem för att stödja ytterligare automatiserade tjänster : Automatisera injektionen av avhandlingar och deras metadata i ett digitalt arkiv

Fallahian, Shayan, Zioris, Konstantinos January 2020 (has links)
Whenever a student submits their final version of their thesis, a series of processes is triggered to finalize and archive the report. These processes are often handled in a less than efficient way which results in excessive manual labor and costs that can be prevent if automated. This report describes a solution that automates the series of processes that occur following a final thesis report submission. By utilizing the available information in a Canvas course and the content in the submitted thesis much of the manual cut-and-paste effort is avoided. Entering this data into DiVA is done by automated interaction via a browser, as DiVA does not have an application programming interface that could be used. The conclusion is that it is possible to automate this process through a headless browser. However, the automated parsing of the PDF version of the thesis proven to be inconsistent which results in the extracted data being inconsistent. With some improvements to the parsing module, the entire process could be fully automated. / Varje gång en student skickar in sin slutgiltiga version av sitt examensarbete, utlöses en serie av processer för att slutföra och arkivera examensarbetet. Dessa processer hanteras ofta på ett mindre än effektivt sätt vilket resulterar i extra mycket manuellt arbete och kostnader som kan förhindras ifall de automatiseras. Denna uppsats beskriver en lösning som automatiserar serien av processer som inträffar efter att ett slutgiltigt examensarbete har godkänts. Genom att använda tillgänglig information i en Canvas-kurs och innehållet i det inlämnade examensarbetet undviks mycket av den manuella ”klipp-och-klistra”-insatsen. Inmatning av den relevanta data från examensarbetet måste göras via automatiserad interaktion via en webbläsare i DiVA, eftersom DiVA inte hade ett API som kunde användas. Slutsatsen är att det är möjligt att automatisera detta genom en huvudlös webbläsare, även om modulen som behandlar PDF har visat sig vara inkonsekvent vilket i sin tur har resulterat i att den automatiska interaktionen är inkonsekvent. Med några optimeringar i analysmodulen kan hela processen automatiseras.
33

Development of an ELISA for Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus that can Differentiate Infected from Vaccinated Horses

Bingham, Andrea 01 January 2011 (has links)
Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus (EEEV) causes a fatal mosquito-borne virus that is vaccine preventable for horses. The conventional serological tests measure antibodies to the structural proteins of EEEV which are also found in the vaccine. This makes it difficult to differentiate infected and vaccinated animals (DIVA). Detection of antibodies to non-structural proteins (NSPs) is a theoretical strategy that would allow you to survey natural infections among vaccinated populations. This test would also allow for more accurate representations of the natural infection rate, vaccination rate, and help identify vaccine failures. The potential uses of the NSPs of Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus as diagnostic antigens were examined in this study. Each of the four NSP encoding genes of EEEV strain FL93-939 was separated into two parts, inserted into expression vector pDEST17, and expressed in Escherichia coli strain BL21-AI. Recombinant forms of the protein were used as an antigen for an indirect IgG ELISA to measure the serological response of horse sera to the NSPs. Serum samples collected from infected, vaccinated, and unvaccinated horses were tested for NSP antibodies. A decrease in the optical densities (ODs) for the vaccinated horse sera was seen when using the NSPs compared to whole EEEV antigen. However, the ODs for the vaccinated horses were lowered to the same level as those infected, leaving no quantitative difference between the two. The use of the IgGa secondary antibody decreased the ODs even more for the vaccinated samples, but it was still impossible to differentiate the infected and vaccinated sera due to the samples' ODs being below the cutoff point. The IgGa ELISA however, was the only ELISA where the infected samples were consistently above the vaccinated samples. Based on the results of the study, it was not possible to accurately differentiate between infected and vaccinated animals. Future research should be conducted in other ways to use the NSP recombinants for the DIVA strategy. This could include the use of an IgM ELISA or microsphere immunoassay (MIA), using different IgG subtypes for the assays, using epitope mapping to develop a new recombinant protein, or the development of a DIVA vaccine.
34

Gênero e poder: Diva Nolf Nazário na luta pelo voto feminino

Silva, Lenina Vernucci da [UNESP] 10 March 2014 (has links) (PDF)
Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-03T11:52:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2014-03-10Bitstream added on 2015-03-03T12:07:01Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000809994.pdf: 1842364 bytes, checksum: 93688df761871e49fb034344b186eac1 (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / A intenção desta dissertação é trazer a história e a luta da sufragista batataense Diva Nolf Nazário, uma jovem acadêmica de Direito que, junto com outras mulheres organizadas na Federação Brasileira para o Progresso Feminino (FBPF) reivindicou o direito ao voto e, de maneira mais ampla, a inclusão da mulher no espaço público da política. Diva Nolf juntou documentos para tirar seu título de eleitora e participar das eleições presidenciáveis de 1922, mas este direito foi negado a ela. A situação que passou a inspirou a publicar um livro em 1923 em que narra seu caso e traz um amplo levantamento sobre a temática do voto feminino. Pretende-se entender o indivíduo Diva Nolf enquanto sujeito singular e coletivo, pensar ela como única e plural, em suas relações com as demais militantes da FBPF. Para compreender a sua luta, foi realizada uma pesquisa de campo que envolveu o levantamento de documentos da FBPF; a análise de seu livro; de seu histórico escolar e uma entrevista com sua prima em Batatais que possibilitou reconstruir sua infância e sua família. A pesquisa bibliográfica trouxe como pano de fundo a formação da República brasileira e os anos 1920, analisados por meio do uso dos Estudos de Gênero e Feminismo e História das Mulheres / The main goal of the following paper is to bring to the lights the history of the suffragist fight of Diva Nolf Nazário. Diva was a young academic of law and- along with other women of the “Federação Brasileira para o Progresso Feminino” (FBPF) - she claimed to women the right to vote and, more widely, claimed the inclusion of women in the political space. Diva Nolf presented all the documents needed to have her permission to vote in the 1922’s general elections for president, but it was denied under the Constitution. The then law student did not agree with the decision and published in a newspaper an article that contested each argument of the judge who denied her permission to vote. Also in this article, Diva argued about the situation of women in Brazil. She claims, based upon her studies at the Largo do São Francisco College, that women are not considered nonvoters by the Brazilian Constitution and, thus, the denial of her permission to vote was against the Constitution. This situation inspired Diva to publish a book, in 1923, in which she brings the feminine vote to discussion. In order to understand her struggle, a field research, which handled carefully documents of the FBPF, was executed, an analysis of her book and of documents of the period she was a law student was done and her cousin from Batatais (Diva’s homeland) was interviewed. This made possible the understanding of her Family and childhood. The bibliographic research brought to this paper the formation of the Republic in Brazil and the 20’. Those elements were analyzed under the scope of Studies of Gender and Feminism and the History of Women. The analysis of Diva’s biography and her book helped understanding the process of struggle for the civil rights for women in the Republic and the role played by young women in achieving the women’s right to vote / FAPESP: 2012/11728-2
35

Segredos da alma: a d?diva da assist?ncia de Enfermagem / Secrets of the soul: the gift on the nursing care

Almeida, Sheyla Gomes Pereira de 26 September 2006 (has links)
Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:46:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 SheylaGPA.pdf: 885724 bytes, checksum: 01c83bfc1c890d43cec54fa13d4ceb1e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-09-26 / The present study is an analysis of interpersonal relationships between the nursing staff and the patients under their care. Its objectives are to analyze ties/links that may possibly exist in such relationships and to describe, based on the experience of the patients, how they are received by the nursing staff, and what is the extent of their reliability on the nursing staff within the hospital. This investigation is analytical in nature and qualitative in approach, having as its leading thought Marcel Mauss s gift-exchange theory. The study involved eighteen in-patients, eight of them from government institutions, at a large hospital school and ten others from a private specialty hospital; both in the city of Natal, state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Data were collected between January and March 2006. Results point to ties being created between the nursing staff and patients irrespective of their social status, involving especially the development of friendship and reliability. We have noticed that in both services the interpersonal relationship is associated with the circulation of the symbolic goods mentioned in the patients discourse, such as attention, loving care and concern, among others, marking the formation of ties during hospital stay. Likewise, reliability is also present in close relationship with the technical competence of the professional. Patient hospitality is associated with the manner in which the patients were treated on being admitted to the hospital, although they also refer to hospitality at later moments, during the course of their treatment. Finally, we are in a position to say that there are ties/links between in-patients and nursing staff, irrespective of the patient s social status and class divide. It is thus evident that the antiutilitarian symbolism of gift to give, receive, give back -, which shapes the setting of social ties also takes place in today s utilitarian, individualistic and competitive societies. Thus, human beings whose existence is dependent on mutual relationships try to save their humanity, especially those who are fragile and dependent as is the case of the hospital in-patient / O presente estudo analisa o relacionamento interpessoal estabelecido entre a equipe de enfermagem e os pacientes, por ela assistidos. Tem como objetivos analisar os poss?veis la?os/v?nculos existentes nestes relacionamentos e descrever, a partir da experi?ncia do paciente, a sua percep??o acerca do acolhimento pela enfermagem, bem como de sua confiabilidade na equipe, no contexto hospitalar. Trata-se de uma investiga??o de natureza anal?tica e abordagem qualitativa, tendo como fio condutor a teoria da d?diva de Marcel Mauss. Para a sua realiza??o, foram entrevistados 18 pacientes, sendo 08 de institui??o p?blica, internados em hospital escola de grande porte, e 10 de um hospital particular, de especialidades, ambos na cidade de Natal/RN. Os dados foram coletados no per?odo de janeiro a mar?o de 2006. Os resultados indicam que os v?nculos se formam entre equipe de enfermagem e pacientes, independentemente de sua condi??o social, existindo o envolvimento de amizade e confian?a, principalmente. Em ambos os servi?os, constatamos que o relacionamento interpessoal est? vinculado ? circula??o dos bens simb?licos referidos nas falas dos pacientes, como aten??o, carinho, dedica??o, entre outros, caracterizando a forma??o de la?os durante o per?odo de interna??o. Aparece, igualmente, a confiabilidade, guardando estreita rela??o com a compet?ncia t?cnica do profissional de enfermagem. O acolhimento hospitalar se prende ? forma como foram atendidos ao ser admitidos, embora se refiram tamb?m a este em momentos subseq?entes, na continuidade do tratamento. Por fim, podemos concluir que h? exist?ncia de la?os/v?nculos entre o paciente hospitalizado e a equipe de enfermagem, independente da condi??o social do paciente ou da clivagem de classe. Evidencia-se, dessa forma, que o simbolismo anti-utilitarista da d?diva dar, receber, retribuir , que configura o estabelecimento de la?os sociais, tamb?m se efetiva em sociedades utilitaristas/individualistas/competitivas da atualidade. Dessa forma, os humanos procuram salvar a sua humanidade, cuja exist?ncia depende das rela??es com outros, mormente quando se trata de algu?m em situa??o de fragilidade e depend?ncia, como ? o caso do paciente hospitalizado
36

D?diva e internet: os art?fices dos tutoriais de software livre

Soares, Ana Eliza Trajano 20 March 2015 (has links)
Submitted by Automa??o e Estat?stica (sst@bczm.ufrn.br) on 2016-06-14T20:36:37Z No. of bitstreams: 1 AnaElizaTrajanoSoares_DISSERT.pdf: 2228696 bytes, checksum: 7c5ba396f0ba1beab0a8bd26a5f5e6cc (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Arlan Eloi Leite Silva (eloihistoriador@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-06-16T00:19:13Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 AnaElizaTrajanoSoares_DISSERT.pdf: 2228696 bytes, checksum: 7c5ba396f0ba1beab0a8bd26a5f5e6cc (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-16T00:19:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 AnaElizaTrajanoSoares_DISSERT.pdf: 2228696 bytes, checksum: 7c5ba396f0ba1beab0a8bd26a5f5e6cc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-20 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior (CAPES) / A pesquisa prop?e-se a uma reflex?o sobre v?deos tutoriais do Youtube, vistos como uma forma de d?diva na sociedade moderna. Nossa reflex?o parte da perspectiva da troca rec?proca, que foge dos padr?es das trocas com fins econ?micos atuais. Apresentamos estes produtores de v?deo como art?fices da cibercultura, pela habilidade e compet?ncia com que transmitem o seu conhecimento. A pesquisa se dar pela observa??o de v?deos tutoriais no YouTube sobre o sistema operacional Linux e suas distribui??es, analisando as intera??es entre os produtores dos v?deos, usu?rios e o site. A an?lise tem como base o cl?ssico Mauss(2003) e as suas releituras com Caille(1998, 2001, 2002, 2006), Godbout(1992, 1998) auxiliados por Aime e Cossetta(2010) e Sennett(2009) para entendermos a ideia do art?fice. A internet como um territ?rio aberto e em expans?o nos possibilita entender que as rela??es tamb?m nesse meio se constituem pelos v?nculos de reciprocidade apontados por Mauss no in?cio do s?culo XX, a circula??o de bens imateriais, no caso o conhecimento al?m dos la?os sociais criados promovem a dimens?o colaborativa para a produ??o do comum no ciberespa?o. / The research proposes a reflection on tutorial videos from Youtube, seen as a form of gift in modern society. Our reflection parts form a perspective of mutual exchange, which avoids the patterns of trade with current economic purposes. We present these video producers as craftsmen of cyberculture due to the skill and competence which they transmit their knowledge. The research is consisted by the observation of video tutorials on YouTube over the Linux operating system and its distributions. Analyzing the interactions between video producers, users and the website. The analysis is based on the classic Mauss (2003) and his reinterpretations of Caille (1998, 2001, 2002, 2006), Godbout (1992, 1998) assisted by Aime Cossetta (2010) and Sennett (2009) to help understand the idea of the craftsmen. The Internet as an open territory in expansion ables us to understand that the relationship in this medium also constitutes the reciprocal links pointed out by Mauss in the early twentieth century. The circulation of intangible property, in this case the knowledge beyond the establishment of social links, promotes a collaborative extent to produce the common in cyberspace.
37

Historická biogeografie ryb čeledi Cichlidae v zoogeografické provincii Usumacinta (Mexiko, Guatemala, Belize) / Historical biogeography of cichlid fishes in Usumacinta province (Mexico, Guatemala, Belize)

DRAGOVÁ, Klára January 2011 (has links)
Historical biogeography of cichlid fishes within the Usumacinta province (Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize) is reviewed based on newly collected material specifically for this study. Five areas of endemism within the province were recognized using Parsimony analysis of endemicity. Dispersal-Vicariance analysis implemented in S-DIVA suggests only one of them (the Grijalva-Usumacinta) as the ancestral area for the whole fauna. Other areas of endemism within the Usumacinta province were colonized from this area by dispersals. This biogeographic interpretation suggests a long evolution of the richest cichlid fauna in Middle America in the Grijalva-Usumacinta area of endemism in a sympatric context.
38

En studie av fysiska, organisatoriska och individuella riskfaktorer hos arbetstagare med datorarbete / A Study of the Physical, Organizational and Individual Risk Factors in Employees with Computer Work

Groth, Anna, Uddholm, Stefan January 2012 (has links)
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are common in individuals with computer based work. The currently known risk factors for these disorders is in the literature derived to physical, organizational and individual factors. A recent survey of three working groups at a company in Stockholm explored that more than 50% of the employees had neck and shoulder problems. Aim: The study aims to create a better understanding for the current musculoskeletal problems at the company. Such an understanding is created by examining the physical, organizational and individual risk factors in the workplace and the result can provide a good basis for intervention proposals. Method: In order to answer the aim of the study the authors chosed to use both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection through interviews and questionnaire survey. The interview and questionnaire was designed to create both a specific and comprehensive picture of the physical, organizational and individual risk factors having a bearing effect on the existing MSD problem. Result: Seven categories were compiled from interviews, which largely deals with the fact that high demands can lead to behaviors that may pose a significant risk for the occurrence of MSD. Behaviours such as taking fewer breaks and having a hard time letting go of work during breaks and free time. In addition it was found that workers believe that the ventilation is a major cause of the problem. A widespread dissatisfaction with ventilation, temperature and noise were also seen in the responses from the survey. A correlation analysis showed that an exposure of multiple physical risk factors correlate with the prevalence of MSD among workers. Conclusion: The result of this study exemplifies how the interaction between organizational and individual factors may cause MSD in the neck and shoulder. However, it seems that the workers themselves often relate the MSD problem to physical risk factors in the working environment such as poor ventilation. A dissatisfaction with physical factors in the work environment seems to have a moderate correlation with the prevalence of MSD among the workers. Keywords: Musculoskeletal disorders, Neck, Shoulder, Computer work, VDU, Risk factors, Organization
39

Förbättrande av Punktlighet – ur ett Lean-perspektiv : Avgångspunktlighet för SJ AB Hagalund / Increasing Punctuality - from a Lean Management Perspective : Punctuality study at SJ’s train depot in Hagalund

Anderberg, My January 2016 (has links)
I denna rapport har avgångspunktligheten på SJ:s tågdepå i Hagalund undersökts, med som syfte att hitta bakomliggande mönster och orsaker till förseningar. Det teoretiska ramverk som använts är en kombination av Lean och Six Sigma, där managementverktyget Lean har sin grund i optimering av resursutnyttjande och minskande av slöseri. De Lean-begrepp som främst tagits fasta på är Visualisering och Standardisering, då SJ har haft stora problem inom just dessa områden.   Det praktiska arbetet i rapporten har i sin tur följt Six Sigma-metoden DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control), där stor tyngdpunkt har lagts vid Mätning och Analysering.   Den kvantitativa data som använts kommer direkt från SJ:s egna förseningsrapporter, där tåg som avgår fem minuter eller mer efter planerad avgångstid anses försenade. Denna försening avläses maskinellt, och den planerade avgångstiden kallas Rättidighet (RT). Alla RT > 5 avgångar noteras automatiskt, och för dessa förseningar rapporteras även förseningsorsak. Förseningsorsakerna sätts manuellt av personal på Depå Hagalund utifrån en begränsad lista med valbara förseningstyper (JDE-koder).   Arbetet i denna rapport gjordes under en sexmånadersperiod hösten/vintern 2012/2013. Arbetet tittade främst på data från perioden för Tidtabell 2012 (T12), vilken sträckte sig från den 11e december 2011 till den 8e december 2012. Extra punktmarkering lades på november 2012, under vilken ett experiment i punktlighetsrapportering utfördes.   Stor vikt lades vid visualisering och standardisering av processer, där tidtabellen är en naturligt styrande process vilken resursfördelat ger arbetsprocesser.   En dataminering av förseningsstatistiken för T12 visade under arbetets gång på stora brister i den manuella förseningsrapporteringen, där inkonsekvent användning av JDE-koderna gjorde det omöjligt att med säkerhet få fram bakomliggande förseningsorsaksmönster.   För att komma runt bristerna i grunddatan gjordes därför ett ovan nämnt experiment i november 2012 där all förseningsorsaksrapportering under månaden övervakades så att JDE-kodsättningen blev korrekt gjord. Resultatet visade på ett stort mörkertal i inrapporterade förseningar av typen ”Handhavandefel”, förseningar som tidigare dolts i slaktratskoden ”Övrigt”.   En visualisering av den maskinellt inrapporterade avgångspunktligheten, RT-datan, kunde i sin tur visa på brister vid skiftesbyten, samt fastställa 13:00-18:00 som en generellt tungt förseningsdrabbad tid på dygnet. Dygnsvisualiseringen av förseningar jämfördes även med en dygnsvisualisering av tågens tid på bangården, den så kallade vändtiden, där tåg som spenderar mindre än tre timmar på Depå Hagalund kunde påvisas påverka den allmänna punktligheten i högre grad än andra avgångar. Med hjälp av regressionsanalys kunde även dokumenteras att sent ankomande tåg med kort vändtid i högre utsträckning även avgår försenade, meden sent ankommande tåg med längre vändtid ej statistiskt påverkades vad gäller avgångspunktlighet. / This report is a study of departure punctuality at the SJ train depot in Hagalund. The purpose of the report has been to find underlying patterns and reasons behind late departures.   The theoretical framework that has been used is a combination of Lean and Six Sigma, where the management tool Lean has its basis in optimal resource utilization and minimizing of waste. The Lean concepts that have primarily been used are Visualization and Standardization, this since those are areas in which SJ have been lacking.   The practical work behind the report has been done using the Six Sigma method DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control), where a large focus has been put on Measuring and Analyzing.   The quantitative data that’s been used has come directly from SJ’s own late departure reports, where trains departing 5 minutes or more past the scheduled time are considered to be late. This lateness is automatically registered, where the scheduled departure time is called Right Time (RT) and RT > 5 hence indicated a late departure.   The reason behind the lateness is also noted for all departures, but this data is entered manually and the reason is chosen from a limited, predefined list of lateness codes (JDE codes).   A data mining of the late departure statistics for the Timetable period 2012 (December 11th 2011 to December 8th 2012) revealed large flaws with the manual lateness reporting, where inconsistent usage of the JDE codes made it impossible to discern any underlying patterns in lateness factors.    To circumvent the data flaws an experiment was mad during November 2012, where all late departure reporting during the month was monitored to ensure proper JDE code usage. The result revealed a large previously unknown source of delay, “Human error”, which had hitherto been hidden in the catch-all code “Miscellaneous”.    A visualization of the automatically collected departure data, the RT data, in turn revealed clear issues during personal shift changes, and also concluded 1pm-6pm CET to be a late departure heavy time of the day. The visualization of departure data was also compared to the visualization of trains’ time spent at the depot, the so called turn time, where trains spending less than three hours at Depot Hagalund could be shown to affect the general departure punctuality to a higher degree than other trains. Through use of regression analysis it could also be shown that trains arriving late with a short turn time, to a higher degree also departed late, whilst trains with a longer turn time were seemingly statistically unaffected by delays in arrival.
40

Understanding environmental factors influencing invasion of Lilium formosanum in Mpumalanga Province and models of its potential distribution in South Africa

Bereng, Mosiuoa Walter 07 1900 (has links)
Alien invasive plants are of concern in the world because of their potential to spread into the natural environment. Invasion patterns observed in plant species can be attributed among other things to favourable environmental conditions. Understanding invasion dynamics of alien invasive plants can help in timely intervention initiatives. In Mpumalanga, Lilium formosanum (Liliaceae) appears to be an emerging plant invader and is spreading in the natural environment. The study investigated the invasion extent and predictor variables which could explain abundance patterns of L. formosanum in the invasive range in Mpumalanga province in South Africa and further predict regions of the world that could be climatically suitable. Lilium formosanum was surveyed along 11 major routes leading into the towns of Sabie and Graskop in Mpumalanga from a slow moving vehicle. A total of 241 kilometres was surveyed. Lilium formosanum was found to be invasive from the towns of Sabie and Graskop. Climatically suitable areas were predicted using DIVA-GIS and climate data was obtained from WORLDCLIM database while occurrence records were obtained from the Southern African Plant Invaders Atlas, Australia’s virtual herbarium and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. In conclusion, distance, altitude and route were found to have an influence on the abundance of L. formosanum in Mpumalanga Province. Climatically suitable areas included the eastern coastal belt, northern provinces and the interior parts of South Africa including major parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / Plant Production and Soil Science / MSc / Unrestricted

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