The aim of this thesis "Analysis of the project management in practice using project maturity models is to assess the project maturity level of a Czech company providing management consulting, technology and outsourcing services for telecommunication, banking and insurance sector across Central Europe region. Theoretical part is focused on selection and analysis of proper methodology. Practical part applies the chosen methodology Portfolio, Programme and Project Management Maturity Model to Cleverlance Enterprise Solutions Inc. Company. Based on results received during project management maturity evaluation, a set of recommendation is proposed in order to increase the project maturity level.

During a discussion with the head of the software infrastructure team about the need for software architecture practices at Temple-Inland Company, the manager responded by noting since the company is not a software development company “there are no real benefits to implementing software development practices in the company”. This is an approach taken by many companies whose software development activity is primarily undertaken to support business activities such as the case with manufacturing or financial companies. This paper examines the process of implementing software architectural practices into an organization. The information contained here should be useful to small startup software companies who might assume that it is too costly to incorporate software architectural practices into their current development process. This paper should also benefit large organizations who primarily view software as solutions for short term immediate support and not in terms longer term strategic goals. Software development teams with projects that suffer from cost overruns, scheduling problems and user dissatisfaction should also find this information useful. / text

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Hagfish are one of the more lucrative commercial opportunities in the world with fisheries harvesting them specifically for food and for their skin for leather-based products. In 2013 a three year experimental fishery opened off the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia in order to determine the sustainability of a Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii) and Black hagfish (Eptatretus deani) fishery. In this study, I examined the reproductive biology of both species including: length-weight relationships, sex ratios, fecundity, and size-at-gonadal development. This study corroborates previous suggestions that Pacific hagfish are juvenile protogynous hermaphrodites while black hagfish are likely to be dioecious with an unknown juvenile stage. Sexual dimorphism appears in both species of hagfish, which is likely the result of inter- and intraspecific morphological differences. For both species fecundity decreases throughout developmental stages, and the average fecundity is very low (27-32 eggs per female). Additionally, in both species females commence gonadal development prior to males. Furthermore, both species exhibited extreme female: male sex ratios across length-classes, however, in opposite directions. The reproductive biology of Pacific and Black hagfish models that of a k-selected species, which is a species that tends to live long and has a slow growth rate, low fecundity, and late maturity. As a result there are a variety of concerns that should be addressed when developing a sustainable hagfish fishery to prevent collapses observed in previous hagfisheries. / Graduate / 2017-08-23

OBJECTIVE: To compare skeletal maturation of female and male subjects from historic samples to present day subjects by assessing Fishman’s Skeletal Maturity Index (SMI). Present day eating habits and lifestyle have been suggested as factors in accelerating pubertal maturation seen within the last century. Consequently, Body Mass Index (BMI) as well as BMI percentile were evaluated to determine whether it is associated with significant differences in skeletal maturation patterns. METHODS: This pilot study included hand-wrist films from 92 subjects from the Burlington and Forsyth longitudinal growth studies (1959-1970) and 146 patients currently enrolled in the Orthodontic department of the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (BUGSDM). The age of the subjects ranged between 7 and 16 years. SMI stage was determined and BMI and BMI percentile were calculated for each subject. RESULTS: The mean chronologic ages of all the SMI stages were not different in males or females when comparing the historic sample to the present sample except for the mean ages at SMI stage 7 and 11 for females and SMI stage 5 for males. Females in the present sample reached SMI stages 7 and 11 significantly earlier: 11.6 versus 13.3 years for SMI 7 (p<0.001) and 15.6 vs. 16.0 for SMI 11 (p<0.05). Males in the present sample also reached SMI 5 significantly earlier: 12.5 vs 13.8 years (p<0.05). It was also seen that present day females at SMI stage 11 not only matured earlier, but also had significantly higher mean BMI and mean BMI percentile than the females at the same stage in the historic sample. This suggests that BMI may be associated with acceleration of maturation among females at SMI stage 11 (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In both male and female subjects, there are differences between past and present populations at certain SMI stages. This evidence suggests that patterns of skeletal maturation may have changed and BMI may be associated with such changes. The differences in skeletal maturation between the two groups may also be a result of the different distribution of race in each group. In the current study, the historic sample consists of only Caucasian subjects whereas the present sample consists of subjects from many different backgrounds. As a result, effects of racial variations could have additionally played a role in the changes seen in skeletal maturation patterns. Increasing our sample size and controlling for race may help further elucidate these changes and determine if this transition towards earlier maturation is in fact due to increasing BMIs.

Juvenile delinquency continues to be a social ill with parents often being liable for their child's reprehensible behavior. In this nonexperimental, correlational study, the relationship between experienced parenting style and psychosocial maturity was examined in a sample of juvenile offenders receiving intensive in-home services. The General Theory of crime by Gottfredson and Hirshi provided the framework for the study along with parenting style typologies by Baumrind. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 60 11th grade juvenile offenders and their parent/caretakers using questionnaires. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the data. The Psychosocial Maturity Index was used to measure psychosocial maturity, and the Parenting Skills Dimensions Questionnaire Short Version was used to measure experienced parenting style. Results indicated parenting style did not account for the variance in measures of psychosocial maturity. Stakeholders may benefit from an improved understanding of how measures of psychosocial maturity are impacted by parenting practices.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 133 p. : ill. (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 83-90).

El objetivo de esta tesis ha sido abordar un estudio sobre la madurez fenólica de las uvas tintas, su influencia sobre la composición fenólica de los vinos y sus implicaciones sensoriales, así como sobre la aplicación de algunos sistemas para compensar la falta o exceso de madurez de las uvas. Se comparó la eficacia de 3 métodos para determinar la madurez fenólica (Glories, ITV, Cromoenos) y la influencia de la heterogeneidad en la madurez fenólica de la uva en el momento óptimo de cosecha. Una vez obtenidos estos objetivos se estudió la posibilidad de aprovechamiento de uva verde procedente de los aclareos para disminuir simultáneamente el grado alcohólico y pH. Finalmente, se estudió la influencia del pH sobre la eficacia de la micro-oxigenación. Los resultados presentan que la medición correcta de la madurez fenólica es útil para adaptar las técnicas de vinificación a las condiciones que permitan obtener vinos equilibrados. / The objective of this thesis was to study the phenolic maturity of the red grapes, their influence on wine phenolic composition and sensory implications, as well as on the implementation of some winemaking techniques to compensate the lack or excess of grapes maturity. We compared the effectiveness of three methods to determine the phenolic maturity (Glories, ITV, Cromoenos) and the influence of heterogeneity on the phenolic maturity degree of the grapes at the optimum time of harvest. Once we reached those objectives, we studied the possibility of using unripe grapes harvested during cluster thinning to reduce simultaneously both alcohol content and pH. Finally, we studied the influence of pH on the effectiveness of micro-oxygenation. The results show that the correct measurement of phenolic ripeness is useful to adapt winemaking techniques for obtaining well balanced wines.

We examine the financing choices of undiversified large shareholders or owner-managers in a continuous time structural model with rational expectations. The interplay between the objective of the undiversified, self-interested owner-manager who controls the firm and the valuation of the firms marketed claims by well-diversified outside investors, has a major impact on leverage and debt maturity choices as well as credit spreads. The effect of this interplay is particularly significant in a world where the representative investor (who determines asset prices in the economy) is risk-averse leading to nonzero market prices of systematic risk and risk premia of the firms investment opportunities. In a perfect information framework with no taxes or bankruptcy costs, we show that, the owner-manager could, depending on the projects characteristics, finance them exclusively with debt, exclusively with equity, or with a combination of equity and debt. Ceteris paribus, leverage increases with the expected growth rate of firm value under its investment opportunities, and decreases with its volatility. Debt maturity varies non-monotonically in a U-shaped manner with the expected growth rate, and decreases with the volatility. Our results reconcile empirical evidence on the variation of financing choices with firm characteristics that is not completely consistent with previous theories. The significant impact of the expected returns (therefore, risk premia) of firms investment opportunities on their leverage ratios, debt maturities, and credit spreads are important implications of our theory that cannot be obtained in these models or in models in which all agents are risk-neutral so that risk premia are zero. We empirically test the implications of our theory for the relationships among firms financing and debt maturity choices and the expected growth rate and volatility of their asset values. Controlling for all the significant determinants of firms financing and debt maturity choices identified by earlier studies, we show significant empirical support for our predictions.