The Energy Industry utilizes Energy Management Information Systems (EMIS) smart meters to monitor utility consumers’ energy consumption, communicate energy consumption information to consumers, and to collect a plethora of energy consumption data about consumer usage. The EMIS energy consumption information is typically presented to utility consumers via a smart meter web portal. The hope is that EMIS web portal use will aid utility consumers in managing their energy consumption by helping them make effective decisions regarding their energy usage. However, little research exists that evaluates the effectiveness or success of an EMIS smart meter web portal from a utility consumer perspective. The research goal was to measure EMIS smart meter web portal success based on the DeLone and McLean Information Success Model. The objective of the study was to investigate the success constructs system quality, information quality, service quality, use, and user satisfaction, and determine their contribution to EMIS success, which was measured as net benefits. The research model used in this study employed Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) based on Partial Least Squares (PLS) to determine the validity and reliability of the measurement model and to evaluate the hypothetical relationships in the structural model. The significant validity and reliability measures obtained in this study indicate that the DeLone and McLean Information Success Model (2003) has the potential for use in future EMIS studies. The determinants responsible for explaining the variance in net benefits were EMIS use and user satisfaction. Based on the research findings, several implications and future research are stated and proposed.

The pollution by heavy metals in the roadside soil alteration tendency was thoroughly investigated by applying the complex experimental and statistical environmental analysis and means for pollution by heavy metals and petroleum products reduction by natural zeolite and vermiculite were evaluated and developed. To reach the novelty it was: • The roadside soil pollution by heavy metals, it’s dangerous and pollution variation tendencies were investigated. • The suitability of natural zeolite for heavy metal removal from soil and aquatic solutions was proved. • The suitability of natural zeolite and vermiculite for petroleum products removal from aquatic solutions was proved.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Education Management Information System (EMIS) is the business unit that is responsible for information management and business reporting in the Department of Education. EMIS finds it difficult to provide high quality information to the Department of Education internally and its stakeholders externally and attributes the reduction of the quality of its education information to factors such as the organisational nature of the South African education system, the lack of information management standards and practices, the low level of information technology skills in EMIS, the existence of a multitude of disparate information systems in the Department of Education and Provincial Education Departments, and the apparent discontinuity in the flow of information from education institution level to the national department and back. Most research in information management confirmed the state of EMIS as being typical of most large organisations whose functioning depends on the quality of their information. The factors that influence information quality in EMIS had been identified as accuracy, timeliness, consistency and relevance of the information. A “quick-fix” to the information problem is not possible but research in information systems management indicates that there are trends in the electronic business arena that may provide an acceptable solution to most of the problems encountered by EMIS. This report investigates the nature of EMIS problems in terms of information management and investigates possible solutions to the problems. The investigation is done within the framework of acknowledged information systems planning process and aligned to the process model of information management. An exposition is given on the theory pertaining to information management, information systems and information systems management to give insight into the particular fields of study and their interdependencies. A section on business intelligence is included since business reporting is the primary function of EMIS. Investigations into information systems development indicate an exponential growth in electronic technology development specifically the Internet and the Web. The information systems plan provides the framework or set of guidelines to determine the information systems solution that will be able to solve their problems. The research report included four stages of the information systems plan framework. The first stage pertains to the identification of minimum information required from the education sector and supporting sectors to provide high quality education information for decision-making and planning. The second stage determines and benchmarks the state of EMIS in terms of information management processes. The third stage investigates the trends in electronic business and specifically electronic information systems applications. Current best practices indicate that a possible solution to information management problems in large organisations is the application of a web-based, electronic, enterprise-wide, integrated information system. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: EMIS as ‘n besigheidseenheid in die nasionale Onderwysdepartement is verantwoordelik vir inligtingsbestuur en verslaggewing. EMIS vind dit moeilik om hoë kwaliteit inligting intern aan die onderwysdepartement en ekstern aan sy rolspelers te verskaf. en skryf die verlaging in die kwaliteit van inligting toe aan faktore soos die organisasiestruktuur van die Suid Afrikaanse onderwysstelsel, die gebrek aan standaarde vir inligtingsbestuur en -praktyke, die lae vlak van inligtingstegnologiekennis van die personeel in EMIS, die bestaan van ‘n magdom van ongelyksoortige inligtingstelsels in die nasionale onderwysdepartement en provinsiale onderwysdepartemente en die sigbare diskontinuïteit in die vloei van inligting vanaf die onderwysinrigtings na die nasionale onderwysdepartement en terug. Die meeste navorsing in inligtingsbestuur bevestig dat die toestand waarin EMIS verkeer tipies is van die meeste groot organisasies wie se funksionering van die kwaliteit van hulle inligting afhang. Die faktore wat ‘n rol speel in die kwaliteit van inligting in EMIS word geïdentifiseer as akkuraatheid, tydigheid, uniformiteit en geldigheid. ‘n Vinnige oplossing vir die inligtingsprobleem is nie moontlik nie maar navorsing in inligtingstelselsbestuur dui aan dat daar tendense in die rigting van elektroniese besigheidarena is wat aanvaarbare oplossings bied vir die meeste van EMIS se probleme. Hierdie verslag ondersoek die aard van EMIS se probleme in terme van inligtingsbestuur en ondersoek moontlike oplossings vir die probleme. Die ondersoek word gedoen binne die raamwerk van ‘n aanvaarde inligtingstelsel-beplanningsproses wat opgestel is om binne die prosesmodel vir inligtingsbestuur te val. ‘n Uiteensetting van die teorie ten opsigte van inligtingsbestuur, inligtingstelsels en inligtingstelselbestuur word gegee ten einde insig oor die betrokke studieterreine en hul interafhanklikheid te gee. ‘n Afdeling oor besigheidsintelligensie word ingesluit aangesien besigheidsverslaggewing die primêre funksie van EMIS is. ‘n Ondersoek na inligtingstelselontwikkeling dui op ‘n eksponensiële groei in die ontwikkeling van die elektroniese tegnologiebedryf en spesifiek die Internet en Web. Die inligtingstelselsplan voorsien die raamwerk of riglyne waarbinne die inligtingstelseloplossing gesoek kan word. Die navorsingsverslag sluit vier fases van die raamwerk van die inligtingstelselsplan in. Die eerste fase het te make met die identifisering van die minimum inligting wat nodig is vir besluitneming en beplanning. Die tweede fase stel die toestand van EMIS ten opsigte van inligtingsbestuur vas. Die derde fase ondersoek die neigings in elektroniese besigheidstransaksies en toepassings. Huidige beste praktyke dui aan dat ‘n moontlike oplossing vir die inligtingsbestuurprobleme van groot organisasies die toepassing van ‘n web-gebaseerde, elektroniese, geïntegreerde inligtingstelsel, wat al die komponente van die onderneming insluit, is.

Thesis (MPhil (Information Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Organizations depend on the availability of reliable and credible information to make informed decisions and to plan effectively. The Education Management Information System (EMIS) is used by all provincial education departments including the Free State Department of Education for collecting, verifying, analysing, storing and disseminating reliable and credible data for decision making and planning purposes. Through its efforts to improve information management, the Department of Basic Education introduced the South African School Administration Management System (SA-SAMS) to improve the management of data at school level and allow for the uploading of this data onto provincial databases. This study focuses on an analysis of the Education Management Information System to determine whether this information system, utilised by the Free State Department of Education, is reliable and credible or not. In order to answer the research question under study, the dimensions/constructs of information systems success, such as information quality, system quality, individual and organizational impacts have been used to evaluate the information systems under investigation. Chapter 1 introduces the topic and outlines the background and the accountability chain of the Free State Department of Education. Chapter 2 deals with the theoretical grounding. It discusses the topic of Information Systems, in particular what the criteria used to determine the efficiency and reliability of an education management system in the Free State Province are. Chapter 3 draws on the theoretical base outlined in Chapter 2, focussing on the Free State Province to model the EMIS system and identifying the crucial elements where empirical observations are necessary. In Chapter 3 the focus is on the empirical data collection based on the model as set out in Chapter 4. In this chapter the methodological concerns in respect of the collection of data are dealt with in detail, and the findings are reported. In Chapter 4 the implications of the findings are weighed up against the criteria as identified in Chapter 2 and conclusions are drawn on that basis. Lastly Chapter 5, which draws on earlier findings, presents the lessons learnt in doing this research, conclusions drawn therefrom, as well as the recommendations presented as a way forward to improve the gaps identified in Free State EMIS. The researcher’s informed conclusion is that EMIS, through the use of SA-SAMS, has improved the capturing of data at school level and that this has contributed to an improvement in the quality of data contained in the provincial database. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Organisasies is afhanklik van die beskikbaarheid van betroubare en geloofwaardige inligting ten einde ingeligte besluite te neem en effektief te beplan. Die Onderwysbestuursinligtingstelsel (EMIS) word deur al die provinsiale onderwysdepartemente gebruik, insluitend die Vrystaatse Onderwysdepartement, vir die versameling, verifiëring, analise, berging en disseminasie van betroubare en geloofwaardige data vir die doeleindes van besluitneming en beplanning. Deur sy pogings om inligtingbestuur te verbeter, het die Departement van Basiese Onderwys die Suid-Afrikaanse Skoolbestuurstelsel (SA-SAMS) ingestel om die bestuur van data op skoolvlak te verbeter en om voorsiening te maak vir die oordrag van hierdie data na provinsiale databasisse. Hierdie studie fokus op ‘n analise van die Onderwysbestuursinligtingstelsel om vas te stel of hierdie stelsel, wat deur die Vrystaatse Onderwysdepartement gebruik word, betroubaar en geloofwaardig is, al dan nie. Ten einde die navorsingsvraag van hierdie studie te beantwoord, is die dimensies/konstrukte van die sukses van inligtingstelsels, soos inligtingskwaliteit, stelselkwaliteit, individuele en organisatoriese impak, gebruik om die betrokke inligtingstelsels te evalueer. Hoofstuk 1 lei die onderwerp in en verstrek die agtergrond en aanspreeklikheidsketting van die Vrystaatse Onderwysdepartement. Hoofstuk 2 behandel die teoretiese begronding. Die onderwerp Inligtingstelsels word bespreek, veral die kriteria wat gebruik word om die doeltreffendheid en betroubaarheid van ‘n onderwysbestuurstelsel in die Vrystaatse Provinsie te bepaal. Met die teoretiese basis wat in Hoofstuk 2 uiteengesit is as vertrekpunt, fokus Hoofstuk 3 op die Vrystaatse Provinsie om die EMIS te modelleer en om die deurslaggewende elemente waar empiriese waarnemings nodig is, te identifiseer. In Hoofstuk 3 is die fokus op die versameling van empiriese data, gebaseer op die model wat in Hoofstuk 4 beskryf word. In hierdie hoofstuk word die metodologiese vraagstukke met betrekking tot die versameling van data in besonderhede behandel, en die bevindings word aangebied. In Hoofstuk 4 word die implikasies van die bevindings gestel teenoor die kriteria wat in Hoofstuk 2 geïdentifiseer is, en gevolgtrekkings word gemaak. Laastens word in Hoofstuk 5, gebaseer op vroeëre bevindings, die lesse wat uit hierdie navorsing geleer is, aangebied, gevolgtrekkings word gemaak, en aanbevelings word voorgehou as die pad vorentoe om leemtes wat in die Vrystaatse EMIS geïdentifiseer is, te verbeter. Dit is die navorser se ingeligte gevolgtrekking dat EMIS, deur die gebruik van SASAMS, die vaslegging van data op skoolvlak verbeter het, en dat dit bygedra het tot ’n verbetering van die kwaliteit van data in die provinsiale databasis.

Given the increasing consciousness toward the environmental footprint of mobility, accommodating environmental objectives in existing transport planning strategies is imperative for research and practice. In this paper, we use the link macroscopic fundamental diagram (MFD) model to develop optimal routing strategies that minimize total system emissions (TSE) in multiple origin-destination (OD) networks. Piecewise linear (PWL) functions are used to approximate MFD for individual links, and to define link-level emissions. Dynamic network constraints, non-vehicle holding constraints, and convex formulations of the PWL functions are considered. Thus, the system-optimum dynamic traffic assignment (SO-DTA) problem with environmental objectives is formulated as a mixed integer linear program (MILP). Finally, on a synthetic network, numerical examples demonstrate the performance of the proposed framework.

Zur Charakterisierung der Mikrostruktur wurde die Geometrie des Verbundes aus REM-Aufnahmen ausgewertet, sowie die Verbundwirkung einzelner Filamente aus Filament-Pull-Out-Versuchen abgeleitet. Die gewonnenen Parameter bilden die Grundlage für die Modellierung von Garnauszugs- und Rissüberbrückungsmodellen. Unabhängig davon wurde ein Filament-Matrix-Verbund-Gesetz simuliert. Die Übereinstimmungen zwischen der Simulation und der experimentellen Untersuchung des Ausziehverhaltens werden in dem Artikel diskutiert. / The microstructure is characterized by analysing the bond geometrically and experimentally. The data to evaluate these two ways are from SEMimages and filament-pull-out-tests. Based on these data yarn-pull-out-models and crack-bridging-models are calculated. In addition a filament-matrix-bond-law is simulated independently. The correlation between the simulation and the experimental analysis of the pull-out behaviour is discussed in this paper.

Zur Charakterisierung der Mikrostruktur wurde die Geometrie des Verbundes aus REM-Aufnahmen ausgewertet, sowie die Verbundwirkung einzelner Filamente aus Filament-Pull-Out-Versuchen abgeleitet. Die gewonnenen Parameter bilden die Grundlage für die Modellierung von Garnauszugs- und Rissüberbrückungsmodellen. Unabhängig davon wurde ein Filament-Matrix-Verbund-Gesetz simuliert. Die Übereinstimmungen zwischen der Simulation und der experimentellen Untersuchung des Ausziehverhaltens werden in dem Artikel diskutiert. / The microstructure is characterized by analysing the bond geometrically and experimentally. The data to evaluate these two ways are from SEMimages and filament-pull-out-tests. Based on these data yarn-pull-out-models and crack-bridging-models are calculated. In addition a filament-matrix-bond-law is simulated independently. The correlation between the simulation and the experimental analysis of the pull-out behaviour is discussed in this paper.