The Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life- Direct Weighting measure (SEIQoL-DW, O'Boyle et al., 1995) is increasingly used to assess quality of life (QoL). It involves four stages: participants 1) nominate five cues important to QoL, 2) assign satisfaction ratings, 3) assign relative importance weights; and finally 4) an index score is calculated by combining satisfaction ratings and importance weights.

This study compared traditional, A/B and accelerated block scheduling and its effects on student achievement and attendance by comparing the differences in student outcomes observed before and after the adoption of block/accelerated block schedules. The independent variable was the use of time in a block-scheduling model. The dependent variables were student outcomes measured by nine indicators based on the Academic Excellence Indicator System in Texas: student attendance, graduation rate, dropout rate, percentage of students taking advanced courses, percentage of students passing all Exit-level Texas Assessment of Academic Skills tests, percentage of students taking College Admissions Tests, mean SAT total score of those students who took the SAT, mean ACT total score of those students who took the ACT, and percentage of students who are at or above criterion on the SAT or ACT of those students taking the SAT or ACT. Data from archival files from the Texas Education Agency's Academic Excellence Indicator System for each respective year of the eight-year longitudinal study was collected. Scheduling models (traditional, alternating block and accelerated block) were investigated. The sample was drawn from the student population of a large urban school district in north central Texas, a district serving approximately 77,000 students. The district has twelve regular high schools serving students in grades nine through twelve. All twelve regular high schools were included in this study. The indicators were analyzed using SPSS multivariate and univariate analysis to compare the means, regression line slopes, and regression line intercepts for each type of schedule: traditional only, traditional prior to A/B block change, traditional prior to accelerated block change, A/B block, and accelerated block. The regression line, slopes, and intercepts were based on separate regression analysis where a school year was used to predict the AEIS indicators for each type of schedule. With the exception of graduation rate, significant difference was found for all dependent variables.

M.Phil. (Economics) / The study of certain minerals and their relationship to economic indicators requires not only research to establish the economic significance of these commodities, but also the use of statistical techniques to place the data in context by analogy with cyclical events and changing economic circumstances. It is inevitable that a great deal of information will be generated, and that extensive use must be made of the computer throughout the work. The approach used involves the extensive use of graphical and statistical methods to demonstrate the market relationships with time and with selected economic indicators, of six non-ferrous minerals, lead, nickel, tin, copper, aluminium and zinc. These minerals were selected because they represent a good cross-section of the metals that find wide applications in industry, and are economically important. Comparative analyses are made of South Africa as a major producer and exporter of minerals, and of this country's main trading partners, West Germany, Japan and the USA, the major consumers and importers of minerals in the Western World. The statistical information for this study covers a 30 year period, namely 1953 to 1982, and is examined on the premise that general economic variables are causal factors in determining the cyclical behaviour of the market for minerals. Therefore it is obligatory to first examine and explain the nature of business and market cycles and events in the Republic of South Africa, the USA, West Germany, and Japan, and then to relate these to the supply and consumption of the minerals concerned. The relationships between production of minerals for use as raw materials, the production of refined mineral products and the consumption, prices, and stocks of these commodities are explored, and the behaviour of these parameters is explained by reference to familiar and well-used economic indicators such as the Gross National Product (GNP) and the Consumer Price Index(CPI). Subtleties in the relationships between the selected minerals and economic indicators are presented. Two.. fundamental approaches, graphical and statistical, are used in the formal analysis of the problem of quantifcation of the significance of minerals as economic indicators. Simultaneous enhancement, both graphically and statistically, between the parameters has important implications regarding the conclusions drawn in this thesis. A central issue is the statistical evaluation of all the possible combinations of the selected minerals and economic indicators, based on correlation coefficients. Promising results are classified on the basis of high levels of correlation between the various parameters. The consistency with which a mineral achieves high correlation coefficients is defined by a scoring system, whereby sequences of correlation coefficient values are totalled and averaged. Cause and effect cannot simply be assumed, nor can it be proved by statistics. However, statistical verification procedures provide a great deal of assistance in the interpretation of correlation coefficients. The results obtained from the statistical analysis show that some mineral commodities are more closely linked to overall economic conditions than others. These are aluminium, copper and lead...

Using a multivariate vector autoregression (VAR) approach, this paper investigates the relationships between oil price and macroeconomic indicators of closely interrelated developing economies of oil exporting Azerbaijan and oil importing Georgia based on monthly time series from January 2001 to November 2012. The model is estimated for each country separately and the results are object for comparison. The empirical evidence suggests that oil price has significant effects on macroeconomy in both countries. In particular, these effects are positive for all 3 macroeconomic variables on the example of Azerbaijan. On the example of Georgia, these effects are positive for GDP and inflation rate, and, negative for exchange rate. On the other hand, macroeconomic indicators of Azerbaijan fail to affect oil price level.

This work focuses on regional disparities in the Sphere in the Vysočina Region. This work analyses the offer of tourism in these area, it looks for disparities in microregions Pelhřimovsko and Jihlavsko and it recommends indikators for their measuring. Using this indicators this work assesses the disparities of tourism and recommends some ways to reduce these regional disparities.

Magister Scientiae (Physiotherapy) - MSc(Physio) / Background: A spinal cord injury (SCI) results in a change, either temporary or permanent, in the cord’s normal motor, sensory or autonomic function. In addition, secondary medical complications are common, following an SCI. As such, mortality risk in the spinal cord community remains higher, when compared to the general population. Understanding the complexity of factors related to mortality, remains paramount. Aim: The overarching aim was to assess mortality and secondary medical complications, four years after traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) in the City of Cape Town, South Africa. Secondarily, factors associated with mortality and the development of secondary medical complications were assessed. Methods: A prospective, population-based design was used. The study population consisted of all respondents with TSCI, who were enrolled in an earlier incidence study that was conducted in 2013/2014. For this follow-up study, an inclusive sampling strategy was used. All eligible respondents (N=145), or a family member of the deceased, were initially telephonically contacted and requested to complete a valid and reliable interview-administered questionnaire, to be completed face-to-face, or telephonically. Of those patients who were deceased, a close family member, or former caretaker was asked to participate in this current study. In order to aid the generalisability of the findings to the immediate source population, every non-responder with information available from baseline data collected in 2013/2014, were accounted for. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the cohort and to present the mortality rate, as well as point-prevalence of secondary medical complications. Inferential statistics, namely, bivariate logistic regression analysis, were used to identify factors associated with mortality and the development of secondary medical complications.

Reproduction and milk production are considered to be the main factors influencing the whole economy of cattle breeding. We have been monitoring the worsening reproduction related to cattle breeding for a long time. The introduction of synchronization protocols into reproductive management is a posibility to improve reproduction. The aim of my work was to detect the success rate of insemination after rut synchronization on the basis of the data analysis and to evaluate reproductive indicators. The monitoring was performed from January 2017 to June 2018. There were monitored 310 breeding Holstein cows with the yield level of 10 335 kg of milk. The data were obtained from the zootechnical records and the Farmsoft Program. The breeding reproductive level was poor. Here are following values of reproductive indicators: insemination interval - 63 days, service period - 124 days, intervening time - 407 days, intersemination interval - 35 days, insemination index - 2,63 and pregnancy after the first insemination - 33,23%. That was only the insemination interval to achieve great results because breeding cows were involved into the synchronization protocol Presynch within 31 to 38 days after birth. It was detected that cows after the synchornization program Presynch got pregnant in 36,6% after the first insemination, whereas breeding cows being inseminated for the required rut became pregnant in 28% cases after the first insemination. The percentage of pregnancy in synchronizated cows after the first insemination is almost identical to the average in the Czech Republic (37,1%). Performing hormonal therapy within Presynch increased the reproductive costs in one cow by 211 Czech crowns.

El propósito de la presente investigación es Determinar si la implementación de los Dashboard permitirá mejorar la productividad de la obra “Rehabilitación de la protección del perímetro del Terreno de la Universidad Nacional de Piura colindante con la margen izquierda del Río Piura”. Para ello se ha investigado con respecto a dos variables: Implementación de Dashboards y Productividad. El estudio partió de la hipótesis que la implementación de los Dashboards influye significativamente en la mejora de la productividad de la obra “Rehabilitación de la protección del perímetro del Terreno de la Universidad Nacional de Piura colindante con la margen izquierda del Río Piura. Para probar las hipótesis se utilizó el estadístico de prueba de T de Student. En el estudio se trabajó con una muestra de 85 registros documentales, los cuales fueron obtenidos de la obra en mención, la recolección de datos se realizó mediante la técnica de la observación y análisis documental; con ello se pudo crear los indicadores de rendimiento o Kpi’s para la elaboración de los Dashboards. El diseño investigativo es Cuasi Experimental y longitudinal. Como resultado se demostró que la implementación de los Dashboard influye significativamente en la mejora de la productividad del área de estudio, ello permitió tomar decisiones para mejorar productividad de la obra, como resultado final se redujo en 10% el costo total de la obra. / The purpose of this research is to determine if the implementation of the Dashboard will improve the productivity of the work "Rehabilitation of the perimeter protection of the land of the National University of Piura adjoining the left bank of the Piura River." For this, it has been investigated with respect to two variables: Implementation of Dashboards and Productivity. The study started from the hypothesis that the implementation of the Dashboards significantly influences the improvement of the productivity of the work "Rehabilitation of the protection of the perimeter of the land of the National University of Piura adjoining the left bank of the Piura River. To test the hypotheses we used the Student's T test statistic. In the study we worked with a sample of 85 documentary records, which were obtained from the work in question, the data collection was made through the technique of observation and documentary analysis; with this it was possible to create the performance indicators or Kpi's for the elaboration of the Dashboards. The research design is Quasi Experimental and longitudinal. As a result it was demonstrated that the implementation of the Dashboard significantly influences the improvement of the productivity of the study area, this allowed to make decisions to improve the productivity of the work, as a final result the total cost of the work was reduced by 10%. / Trabajo de investigación

Thesis advisor: Ina V.S. Mullis / As an extension of the effort devoted to updating the questionnaires for TIMSS and PIRLS 2011, this dissertation explored a new reporting strategy for contextual questionnaire data. The study investigated the feasibility of constructing "global indicators" from a large number of diverse background variables, which could provide policy makers and practitioners with meaningful information on effective learning environments. Four broad constructs of effective learning environments were derived from the TIMSS and PIRLS Contextual Frameworks for 2011. These were: 1) effective school environments for learning to read, 2) effective home environments for learning to read, 3) effective classroom environments for learning mathematics, and 4) students' motivation to learn mathematics. Using the TIMSS and PIRLS 2011 Frameworks, the conceptual definitions of the constructs were formulated as constructs maps. Next, relevant questionnaire items were identified that addressed each aspect of the construct maps, capitalizing on the full range of background information in the TIMSS 2007 and PIRLS 2006 International Databases. The questionnaire items were used to create sets of variables for scaling, and subsequent to principal component analysis to confirm scale unidimensionality, the variables were combined into 1-Parameter IRT (Rasch) scales. The idea of conveying the meaning of the broad contextual scales through item mapping was explored, as well as reporting country-by-country results on the global scales. The scaling was successful and it was concluded that contextual information could be reported more globally in future cycles of TIMSS and PIRLS. However, the study also demonstrated that it is extremely complicated to choose background constructs at the right level of aggregation for both analysis and reporting. It is difficult to develop scales that summarize data for educational policy makers without loss of vital information. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation.

In recent times the emergence of the property cycle and the effects that it has on the property market has caused the relevant parties involved in the market to start placing more emphasis on how these cycle works. The overall objective of this study is to try establish if the interpretation of market related data affects at what position these parties are relative to one another on the property curve. The study concentrates on the use of market indicators, indices and variables in trying to determine an individual’s position on the property market curve. It also concentrates on how this market data is retrieved and what effect it has on how they interpret the data. The methodology adopted for this study involves the collecting and interpretation of market related indices and indicators relevant to the property market over a ten year period from 1996 through to 2006. This data was then used to establish the key indicators used. A questionnaire was sent out to the relevant parties involved in the property market to ascertain the extent of what the main sources of market information are and how this data is collected and interpreted. This was limited to individuals in the Gauteng region. The data was examined and collected in the form of line graphs, histograms and pie charts. The data was then examined and presented in four areas: the major sources of information used by parties for market related data, to try and establish where these parties are relative to one another on the property curve, the effect that the different types of sources of information has on each party and finally to try determine by how much these parties lag or lead one another on the curve.