Robustness of a system has been defined in various ways and a lot of work has been done to model the robustness of a system, but quantifying or measuring robustness has always been very difficult. In this research, we develop a framework for robust system architecture. We consider a system of a linear estimator (multiple tap filter) and then attempt to model the system performance and robustness in a graphical manner, which admits an analysis using the differential geometric concepts. We compare two different perturbation models, namely the gradient with biased perturbations (sub-optimal model) of a surface and the gradient with unbiased perturbations (optimal model), and observe the values to see which of them can alternately be used in the process of understanding or measuring robustness. In this process we have worked on different examples and conducted many simulations to find if there is any consistency in the two models. We propose the study of robustness measures for estimation/prediction in stationary and non-stationary environment using differential geometric tools in conjunction with probability density analysis. Our approach shows that the gradient can be viewed as a random variable and therefore used to generate probability densities, allowing one to draw conclusions regarding the robust- ness. As an example, one can apply the geometric methodology to the prediction of time varying deterministic data in imperfectly known non-stationary distribution. We also compare stationary to non-stationary distribution and prove that robustness is reduced by admitting residual non-stationarity. We then research and develop a robust iterative handoff algorithm, relating generally to methods, devices and systems for reselecting and then handing over a mobile communications device from a first cell to a second cell in a cellular wireless communications system (GPRS, W-CDMA or OFDMA). This algorithm results in significant decrease in amount of power and/or result is a decrease of break in communications during an established voice call or other connection, in the field, thereby outperforming prior art.

In this thesis, the researcher observes that one of the most difficult phases in the work of church planting missions is that of the handover stage from pioneer missionaries to indigenous leaders. This is often fraught with suspicions and fightings, and hence tends to delay the work until such issues are finally dealt with. Having observed a different story in the relationship between Olive Doke and Paul Kasonga in the early years of the planting of Baptist work in Zambia, the researcher has argued that the key lay in their mutual respect and admiration. He, therefore, posits that where these two ingredients are nurtured in the early stages of missions there will be a smooth handover process. In order to show that this was not just a philosophical or pragmatic idea, the researcher began his work with a biblical interpretation of missions. Drawing from the way the Lord Jesus Christ and his apostles went about their own handing over process to the next generation of leaders, he identified these same attitudes of mutual respect and admiration. He argues that these played an important role in ensuring a meaningful handover process. The researcher then entered upon finding as much information as he could on the lives of Olive Doke and Paul Kasonga, and about their working relationship. This was through unearthing various archived materials and conducting key interviews in the region where they once laboured. This formed the core of this research and, upon subjecting this to analysis, it proved the thesis that the success of their working relationship and handover process at the Kafulafuta Mission lay in their mutual respect and admiration. Finally, the researcher offers a model or strategy to ensure that what may have happened inadvertently between Olive Doke and Paul Kasonga is nurtured among missionaries and indigenous leaders. The researcher works these principles into all the stages of church planting missions—all the way from the training of the missionaries to the time when the work is totally handed over into the hands of local leaders and the missionaries have withdrawn from the work. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted

The folding mechanism of several β-structures (e.g., β-hairpins and β-sheets) was studied using newly developed enhanced sampling methods along with MD simulations in all implicit solvent environments. The influence of different implicit solvent models on the folding simulation of β-structure was also tested. Through the analysis of the free energy landscape as the function of several suitable reaction coordinates, we observed that the folding of β-hairpins is actually a two-state transition. In addition, the folding free energy landscapes for those related hairpins indicate the apparent sequence dependence, which demonstrates different folding mechanisms of similar β-structures of varied sequence. We also found that the stability of backbone hydrogen bonds is determined by the turn sequence and the composition of hydrophobic core cluster in β-structures. Neither of these findings was reported before. The processive movement of kinesin was also studied at the mesoscopic level. We developed a simple physical model to understand the asymmetric hand-over-hand mechanism of the kinesin walking on the microtubule. The hand-over-hand motion of the conventional kinesin is reproduced in our model and good agreement is achieved between calculated and experimental results. The experimentally observed limping of the truncated kinesin is also perfectly described by our model. The global conformational change of kinesin heads (e.g., the power stroke of neck-linkers which works as lever-arms during the kinesin walking, the transition between open and closed states of the switch region of the nucleotide binding domain in each head induced by the nucleotide binding and release) was studied for both dimeric and monomeric kinesins using a coarse-grained model, anisotropic network model (ANM). At the same time Langevin mode analysis was used to study the solvent influence on the motions of the kinesin head mimicked by ANM. Additionally, the correlation between the neck-linker and the nucleotide binding site was also studied for dimeric and monomeric kinesins. The former shows the apparent correlation between two subdomains whereas the latter does not, which may explain the experimental observation that only the dimeric kinesin is capable of walking processively on the microtubule.

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the research on projectification of public administration. It aims to fill the gap of the previous research on implementation and hand over of project results to operating functions in municipal context by shedding light on project managers’ experiences in the Swedish municipal public administration. To reach this aim one research question has been used; what experiences does project managers have regarding implementation and hand over of project results in the municipal sector? When trying to answer the research question the study uses a definition of experience as someone’s impressions and thoughts, feelings and perception, practises and acts that is generated from a lived through or perceived experience. The study uses semi-structured interviews with ten project managers from different Swedish municipal public administrations and from diverse project types to gather material. The material has been analysed using thematic method and the analysis resulted in five different themes. The results show that project managers’ impressions and thoughts are that more responsibility is needed among actors connected to project and they seem to think that a possible shift in responsibility has occurred. They also think that a higher degree of regard needs to be taken to budget arrangements and that an important aspect is to establish and anchor the project in the main organisation and it is assisted through participation and promotion. The project managers feel and perceive mostly adverse feelings regarding implementation and hand over of project results. They seem satisfied when they can build alliances to succeed with implementation to reach utility realization in the ordinary operations.Finally, the study shows practises and acts that project managers utilizes regarding implementation and hand over of project results. They see great use from establishing, anchoring, and creating structure in the receiving operations. They ensure this by planning the hand over throughout the whole project, identifying and integrating with the receiver, affecting the formulation of goals and plan and produce material that can be handed over. They also use communications to a great extent and identifies that communication skill is an important skill to foster to succeed. They work hard to succeed with their mission and show a lot of flexibility and availability after their projects ended and recognizes that it is useful to stay contactable after the project result has been handed over to aid use of project results in the receiving operations.

Hur skapar man en framtid för en patient som befinner sig i en mycket utsatt situation, medvetslös och uppkopplad till maskiner? Detta är något som iscensätts när anestesiläkare talar med varandra om patienter vid rapporteringen till och från jouren på en intensivvårdsavdelning. Avhandlingen visar hur anestesiläkarna arbetar med att skapa bilder av patienten genom numeriska värden, social information och sin egen kunskap om och erfarenhet av hur andra patienter utvecklats. I överrapporteringssamtalen framkommer anestesiläkarnas arbete med patienters vård och framtid. Dessa samtal analyseras i avhandlingen som rutinmässiga, arbetsinriktade samtal som iscensätter relationer till patienten, till vården, till anestiläkarnas kollegor och till den egna professionella identiteten. Samtalen karaktäriseras av en professionell riktadhet, där patienten handskas med som en representation, ett kunskapsobjekt och ett behandlingsprojekt. Avhandlingen bygger på fältarbete bland anestesiläkare vid ett större sjukhus samt på analys av sjutton bandinspelade överrapporteringssamtal. Studien är tvärvetenskaplig, med inspiration från medicinsk sociologi, kommunikationsstudier och teknik och vetenskapsstudier. I studiens första empiriska del analyseras samtalens inramning som en kommunikativ verksamhet, dess karaktär och relationer till anestesiläkarnas övriga arbete. I den andra delen fokuseras hur läkarna talar om patienterna och vården. Centrala begrepp för att förstå läkarnas samtal kring de svårt sjuka patienternas diagnoser och framtida utveckling är ’mobiliseringsvärde’ och’ livsapparat’. / How does one create a future for severely ill patients, who are in a vulnerable condition, unconscious and connected to machines? This is a situation that is staged when anaesthetists talk to each other about patients when one work shift ends and a new one goes on duty in an intensive care unit. The thesis shows how the anaesthetists create images of the patient by means of numerical values, social information and their own knowledge and experience of other patients and their development. In the study, the talk is analysed as characterized by a professional orientation, where the patient is dealt with as a representation, an object of knowledge, and a project for care. The study is based on field work among anaesthetists in a major hospital and on an analysis of seventeen hand-over talks. It is interdisciplinary, with inspiration from medical sociology, communication studies, and social studies of technology. The first empirical part of the thesis discusses the framing of the talk as a communicative activity, its character and its relationship to the anaesthetists’ work outside of the meeting room. The second empirical part focuses on how anaesthetists construct the patient and their tasks in the talk. Excerpts from different talks are used to analyse how the doctors interpret different aspects of the patients’ past situation and care, present medical status, and possible future developments. Key concepts used are ‘mobilising worth’ and ‘life device’.