Thesis (M.A. (Psigologie)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

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The situation when driving in dense traffic and at low speeds is called Stop and Go. A controller for automatic following of the car in front could under these conditions reduce the driver's workload and keep a safety distance to the preceding vehicle through different choices of gear and engine torque. The aim of this thesis is to develop such a controller, with an additional focus on lowering the fuel consumption. With help of GPS, 3D-maps and sensors information about the slope of the road and the preceding vehicle can be obtained. Using this information the controller is able to predict future possible control actions and an optimization algorithm can then find the best inputs with respect to some criteria. The control method used is Model Predictive Control (MPC) and as the name indicate a model of the control object is required for the prediction. To find the optimal sequence of inputs, the optimization method Dynamic Programming choose the one which lead to the lowest fuel consumption and satisfactory following. Simulations have been made using a reference trajectory which was measured in a real traffic jam. The simulations show that it is possible to follow the preceding vehicle in a good way and at the same time reduce the fuel consumption with approximately 3 %.

The department REI/EP at DaimlerChrysler Research and Technology and the Laboratory for Efficient Energy Systems at Trier University of Applied Science, are developing control functions and fuel optimal strategies for low speed conditions. The goal of this thesis project was to further develop the fuel optimal operating strategies, and implement them into a test vehicle equipped with a dSPACE environment. This was accomplished by making optimal reference signals using dynamic programming. Optimal, in this case, means signals that results in low fuel consumption, comfortable driving, and a proper distance to the preceding vehicle. These reference signals for the velocity and distance are used by an MPC controller (Model Predictive Control) to control the car. In every situation a suitable reference path is chosen, depending on the velocities of both vehicles, and the distance. The controller was able to follow another vehicle in a proper way. The distance was kept, the driving was pleasant, and it also seems like it is possible to save fuel. When accepting some deviations in distance to the preceding car, a fuel reduction of 8 % compared to the car in front can be achieved.

In 1978, Deng Xiaoping proposed the "internal reform and opening up policy guidelines, the development strategy as a key turning point for social and economic development. Since then, by "bringing in" strategy, has successfully attracted a large number of foreign investment in China, the Chinese economy to maintain rapid growth of nearly 30 years. After the Chinese government in order to ensure that sufficient resources for economic development and accelerate the speed of industrial upgrading. In 2002, the "going global" strategy, through the assistance of the preferential policies to encourage Chinese enterprises to invest overseas, which large-scale state-owned enterprises is the main body of the Chinese enterprises to invest overseas. Select the large state-owned enterprises as the main body of the overseas investment, because the state-owned enterprises and the Chinese Government had had a close relationship between the overall planning of national development strategies, and able to cope with overseas investment. Therefore, we can find state-owned enterprises in China's overseas investment by the country's development strategy guide. The research based on national development strategies for the study means to illustrate the relationship between Chinese state-owned enterprises overseas investment and national development strategies. Through the analysis of the state-owned enterprises to invest overseas location, industry type and investment options, which implied the national strategic significance. In addition to the Chinese state-owned enterprises overseas investment cases to examine in detail the close relationship of the overseas investment activities with national development strategies of the state-owned enterprises. Through the perspective of national development strategies, analysis of the Chinese state-owned enterprises overseas investment behavior can be found in the state-owned enterprises overseas investment by the country's development strategy guide, behind an important national strategic significance, which includes improving foreign economic relations, the promotion of domestic industry upgrade and strengthen the multi-use of foreign exchange reserves, and promote the internationalization of the RMB, as well as ensuring energy security.

Farming relies on the ecosystem services provided by biodiversity for production. Farming has been, however, responsible for habitat degradation and destruction, and consequently, biodiversity loss. At present, efforts to increase habitat on farmland are largely confined to voluntary programs. The effectiveness of the provincially delivered Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation (ABC) program was measured using a quantitative survey. Follow-up interviews during farm tours further explored qualitatively how farmers value biodiversity and biodiversity conservation on their land. Results from the survey quantitatively link ABC program participation to increased engagement in riparian management and modified harvesting activities. Qualitative results suggest that the motivation for engagement in biodiversity conservation stems from the farmers’ interest in preserving the balance between production and 'nature', thereby preserving what they perceive to be the health of their land. These results have implications for the improvement of the ABC program and of future stewardship program design.

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a Go Make a Difference (Go MAD) training programme on the self-regulation of a group of students at a higher education institution in South Africa. An availability sample of 20 university students took part in a simple pre-test, post-test experimental and control group design. Data were gathered with the Generalised Expectancy for Success Scale (GESS), the Personal Growth Initiative Scale (PGIS), the Problem Solving Inventory (PSI), and a self-compiled open-ended questionnaire to explore participants' subjective experience of the programme. It was found that Go MAD® shows potential as a valid tool to foster self-regulation in students and to help them ultimately to achieve their goals. However, students who chose unrealistic, non-feasible goals and who had to deal with unresolved emotional issues found it difficult to attain their goals. Findings support other impact studies regarding Go MAD. Further research on larger, random samples with presentation of Go MAD over a longer period of time, as well as longer-term follow-up assessments to determine the extent to which improved goal achievement is sustainable, is recommended. / Thesis (M.A. (Psigologie)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a Go Make a Difference (Go MAD) training programme on the self-regulation of a group of students at a higher education institution in South Africa. An availability sample of 20 university students took part in a simple pre-test, post-test experimental and control group design. Data were gathered with the Generalised Expectancy for Success Scale (GESS), the Personal Growth Initiative Scale (PGIS), the Problem Solving Inventory (PSI), and a self-compiled open-ended questionnaire to explore participants' subjective experience of the programme. It was found that Go MAD® shows potential as a valid tool to foster self-regulation in students and to help them ultimately to achieve their goals. However, students who chose unrealistic, non-feasible goals and who had to deal with unresolved emotional issues found it difficult to attain their goals. Findings support other impact studies regarding Go MAD. Further research on larger, random samples with presentation of Go MAD over a longer period of time, as well as longer-term follow-up assessments to determine the extent to which improved goal achievement is sustainable, is recommended. / Thesis (M.A. (Psigologie)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

The Ising model is an important model in statistical physics, with over 10,000 papers published on the topic. This model assumes binary variables and only local pairwise interactions between neighbouring nodes. Inference for the general Ising model is NP-hard; this includes tasks such as calculating the partition function, finding a lowest-energy (ground) state and computing marginal probabilities. Past approaches have proceeded by working with classes of tractable Ising models, such as Ising models defined on a planar graph. For such models, the partition function and ground state can be computed exactly in polynomial time by establishing a correspondence with perfect matchings in a related graph. In this thesis we continue this line of research. In particular we simplify previous inference algorithms for the planar Ising model. The key to our construction is the complementary correspondence between graph cuts of the model graph and perfect matchings of its expanded dual. We show that our exact algorithms are effective and efficient on a number of real-world machine learning problems. We also investigate heuristic methods for approximating ground states of non-planar Ising models. We show that in this setting our approximative algorithms are superior than current state-of-the-art methods.

Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 2004. / Vita. Bibliography: 154-163.