This study aimed at investigating the current practices and methods adopted by roads agencies around the world with regard to collection, analysis and utilization of the data elements pertaining to the main pavement condition indicators in pavement management systems (PMS). It also aimed at identifying the main predictors associated with each condition indicator and the factors that govern pavement structural and functional performance. Development of a new performance index that incorporates parameters or measures related to the main condition indicators (surface defects, roughness, deflection and skid resistance) and establishing the weight to be assigned to each indicator based on the relative impact on pavement condition was also one of the main objectives of this study. Thousands of pavement sections were subjected to thorough testing and inspection over the last few years to collect data pertaining to the main condition indicators. The collected data encompass visual distress survey, deflection measurements, roughness and skid resistance measurements. Collection of various condition indicators was accomplished according to well known international standards. The collected data were processed, tabulated and analyzed for the purpose of development of performance models and to prove certain theories or good practices. / Advanced tools and machines were utilized to collect these data with a high degree of accuracy. The Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) was used to collect deflection data for structural analysis. Two Non-contact laser roughness measuring devices mounted on vehicles were heavily used for collecting roughness, texture, and rutting data. Distress data were collected using a manual procedure adopted and standardized at the Pavement Management System Unit of Dubai Emirate. Powerful engineering and statistical softwares were used in the analysis for the purpose of processing the data, back calculating the main parameters pertaining to pavement response, establishing the correlation matrices between various dependent variables and their predictors, and finally, applying linear and non linear regression analysis to develop reliable and predictable deterioration models for the uses of pavement management system. The analysis procedure was supplemented by a vast literature review for the up to date information along within deep investigations and verifications for some of the current practices, theories and models used in pavement design and pavement evaluation with more emphasis on the inherent drawbacks associated to these models and procedures. The study confirmed that pavement condition deterioration and performance can be best predicted and evaluated based on four main condition indicators; First, surface distress to assess the physical condition of the pavements and detect the inherent problems and defects caused by various factors affecting pavement performance. Second; roughness measurements to evaluate the riding quality of the pavement. / Third; deflection to calculate pavement response (stress and strains) and to assess pavement structural capacity and calculating the remaining life, and finally, skid resistance measurement to assess the level of safety and surface texture properties. Thorough study and investigation of the physical condition indicators and the associated parameters, confirmed that pavement distress data are vital elements in each pavement management system. Distress data can be used effectively to identify the main problems associated with pavement performance, causes of deterioration, maintenance measures needed to prevent the acceleration of the distress, the rehabilitation schemes needed to improve the pavement condition and finally to prepare maintenance work programs and to estimate the annual maintenance needs under an open or limited budget. Alligator cracking was found to have the heaviest impact on pavement condition. Distress density, probable causes of deterioration and distress propagation rate are the required parameters in PMS. Roughness was found to have a basic influence on pavement condition and the type of selected treatment. The use of Roughness data in terms of International Roughness Index (IRI) can be optimized in PMS by using this indicator in the following forms: / Roughness, as an objective measure, can be used as a good performance predictor of the current riding quality of pavements in service and reflects the inherent imperfections and built-in irregularities embodied in the road pavement surface. Roughness measurement can be used as a reference to establish construction specifications and provides through the PMS system an organized feedback approach to correct the persistent design deficiencies detected after road construction. Roughness can be used effectively in the planning process for maintenance works and to select the candidate sections through calculating the functional remaining life based on the estimated terminal value using Roughness-Age, Roughness-ESAL, and Roughness-PSI models. Lane–IRI along with the Difference between the left and right wheel IRI values, termed as “ Yaw” are the most suitable forms to be used in PMS to report about roughness characteristics. Yaw term can be used effectively to report or feed back about geometric imperfections that exist on the road surface such as improper cross slope, shoving and the probable drainage problems. The roughness cumulative distribution curves can be used as a planning tool in PMS to report at the network level. These curves indicate the network health and the required funding at different level of risks, so proactive measures can be taken and the required budgets can be made available. / Deflection data were found to form a basic component of the PMS. It was found that these data can be used at both network and project levels. Direct deflection measurements were found Not to be the ideal form to report about structural capacity at the network level. It is rather can be used at project level to detect weak spots and critical pavements layers. At the network level, the back calculated parameters from deflection basin such as Pavement Modulus (Ep), Asphalt and Pavement Curvature (CUR), Cross Sectional Area and the other deflection basin characteristics are much more appropriate for reporting about pavement structural conditions and calculating the structural remaining life in PMS. The design deflection and curvature that characterize the pavement have been found to be calculated based on the mean along with the two times the standard deviation of the measured data. The Effective Structural Number (SNeff) was found to have good correlations with the Total Pavement Thickness (Ht), the value of the deflection measured at the center of the loading plate ( D0 ) and the difference between D0 and the deflection measured at 450mm from the center of the loading plate ( D0 - D450 ). The first two variables were found to account for more than 92% of the structural capacity prediction model. / Traffic variable in terms of the accumulated standard repetitions (ESAL) was found to account for more than 60% of the deflection model predictability. Other variables such as E value, asphalt and base layer thicknesses can improve the predictability of the model if included. The concept of the relative value of effective pavement modulus to the original pavement modulus (Eeff/E0) was found to gives a reliable representation about the exhausted and the remaining life of the in-service pavement structure. The study showed that the pavement is reported to be structurally failed, when the effective asphalt or pavement modulus is about 20 - 35 % of its original design value which is equal to the modulus of the unbound material. It was also found that when the area of the fatigue cracking and the patching distresses exceeds 17% of the total pavement section area, or the depth of rutting is more than 15mm, the pavement is reported to be structurally failed and major rehabilitation or reconstruction should be applied. Skid resistance can be reported in the form of International Friction Index (IFI), as a well defined universal index, along with other two numbers; F60 Friction (Microtexture) related number measured at 60 km/h velocity and Macrotexture related number and Vp, which constitute the IFI index can be used in Pavement management system applications to report about skid resistance characteristics and the network level of safety. These three figures can be used to report about pavement condition, accidents, airports operations, and maintenance management surveys. / In this study, new methods and models were developed and suggested to be used in PMS as an alternative to the current available methods which were found to be impractical in certain cases. Finally, further research efforts are recommended to explore the uses of other parameters in particular those related to deflection basin analysis, cross sectional area, curvature, and pavement moduli. Skid resistance testing and reporting method should be subjected to further research works for the purpose of standardizing reporting methods, identifying the relative impact of main predictors i.e. megatexture, macrotexture and microtexture components and to develop performance models.

Theses (Ph. D.)--Marquette University, 2009. / Marilyn Frenn, Robert Fox, Marge Sebern, Pippa Simpson, Advisors.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / O tema dos resÃduos sÃlidos recebeu uma maior atenÃÃo depois de promulgada a PolÃtica Nacional de ResÃduos SÃlidos, sob a Lei Federal 12.305 de 2010 e pelo Decreto 7404 /2010, a qual transitou no Congresso Nacional durante 19 anos, conseguindo mexer nas antigas estruturas e rever os antigos moldes com os quais o poder pÃblico tratava a questÃo. Antes, as polÃticas tinham carÃter remediativo, com baixa qualidade tÃcnica, altos gastos pÃblicos e de pouco alcance social, dando Ãs cidades brasileiras um modelo de gestÃo ineficiente, com repercussÃo negativa na saÃde pÃblica, no crescente nÃmero de pessoas que vivem informalmente e que tiram sua sobrevivÃncia dos lixos brasileiros como à o caso dos catadores de material reciclÃveis em um mercado informal e ainda pouco lucrativo de materiais reciclÃveis.O presente trabalho tem como objetivo principal avaliar a atual gestÃo, com base em um conjunto de indicadores de sustentabilidade e criar um modelo de aÃÃes voltadas para os gestores municipais, a fim de ser utilizada por estes como ferramenta para a elaboraÃÃo de um plano maior de gestÃo municipal dentro dos novos moldes da LegislaÃÃo brasileira. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que o MunicÃpio de Caucaia possui um bom gerenciamento, tendo a coleta de cerca de 100% de seu territÃrio urbano. No entanto, à sendo tambÃm um grande gerador de resÃduos orgÃnicos, cerca de 57% das amostras extraÃdas na anÃlise gravimÃtrica pelo mÃtodo do quarteamento, nÃo recebem, portanto um tratamento final adequado para esse tipo de resÃduo e com uma anÃlise dos indicadores de sustentabilidade tendendo a ser desfavorÃvel pela ausÃncia de polÃticas sociais que englobam os atores sociais envolvidos na cadeia dos resÃduos, devendo o MunicÃpio refazer suas leis e adotar o uso de outras tecnologias a fim de se adequar Ãs novas exigÃncias da Lei. / The issue of solid waste received greater attention after the enactment of the National Solid Waste under Federal Law 12,305 of 2010 and Decree 7404/2010, which moved in Congress for 19 years, getting messing with old structures and review the old molds with which the government was the question. Earlier policies had remedial character, with low technical quality, high public spending and some social reach, giving Brazilian cities a model of inefficient management, with negative repercussions on public health, the growing number of people living informally and take survival of Brazilian waste such as waste pickers of recyclable materials in an informal market and little lucrative recyclables.The present study aims at evaluating the current management, based on a set of sustainability indicators and create a model of actions for municipal managers in order to be used by them as a tool for the development of a larger plan municipal management within the new mold of Brazilian law.The results showed that the City of Caucaia has good management, and the collection of about 100% of its urban territory. However, it is also a major generator of organic waste, about 57% of the samples in the gravimetric analysis by the method of quartering, not given, so a final treatment suitable for this type of waste and an analysis of sustainability indicators trending to be unfavorable for the absence of social policies that encompass the social actors involved in the chain of waste, the municipality must redo their laws and adopt the use of other technologies in order to adapt to the new demands of the Law.

El presente trabajo tiene como finalidad presentar el trabajo especial para optar al título de “Licenciada en Administración y Gerencia” titulado “Implementación de Indicadores de Gestión para controlar la Tesorería Municipal del distrito de la Victoria”. Los indicadores de gestión, en la actualidad, son muy importantes, ya no solo en el ámbito público, sino también en el empresarial; ya que nos facilitan poder ver si los resultados que estaban previstos son los obtenidos de una forma eficaz. Estos indicadores para que puedan ser efectivos deben de hacerse en determinados periodos de tiempo, previamente establecidos. Para desarrollar indicadores, tenemos que tener muy claros los conceptos de las eficacia, eficiencia, gestión, ya que en base a éstos se utilizan los indicadores de gestión. En cuanto a los beneficios que producen estos indicadores, no solo van dirigidos a las administraciones o las empresas, sino también a los ciudadanos, que pueden ver como se está gestionando su dinero en el caso de la Administración Pública. The purpose of this paper is to present the special work to the title of "Graduate in Administration and Management" entitled "Implementation of Management Indicators to control the Municipal Treasury of the Victory District". Management indicators are now very important, not only in the public sphere, but also in the business sector; since they make it easier for us to see if the results that were predicted are those obtained in an effective way. These indicators to be effective must be done in certain periods of time, previously established. In order to develop indicators, we need to be very clear about the concepts of efficiency, efficiency, and management, since management indicators are used based on them. As for the benefits of these indicators, they are not only targeted at administrations or companies, but also at citizens, who can see how their money is being managed in the case of the Public Administration.

This diploma thesis proposes usage of Business Intelligence tools in the chosen company. It considers the costs for installing, assesses the economic benefits and based on the analysis, it proposes appropriate solutions to the currently unsatisfactory situation in the company.

My thesis deals with evaluation of visits in central parts of Giant Mountains National Park in the summer month through three years of periodic monitoring and unique evaluation survey of visitors of natural protected area of Beskydy. It compares results of this protected areas each other and with other chosen national parks in North America, Australia and Europe. It has been recorded the quantitative load of selected localities in Giant Mountain National Park (Luční bouda, Labská bouda and U čtyř pánů) and natural protected area Beskydy (Pustevny). It were conducted guided interview with visitors at this locations. With this method used was obteined high ratio response (about 92 %). It was recorded a total of 44 281 visitors. The most frequented location was Luční bouda and U čtyř pánů in Giant Mountain National Park. But on the top of the Pustevny, the amount of walkers was twice times bigger. Statistically, it was subsequently found some answers to the dependence of demografic characteristic of population of respondents. From this conclusions were drawn both valid conclusions especially for the population of visitors, compared to other protected areas were also expressed about the conclusions of the participants travel mountain protected areas at all. These conclusions of the thesis will be...

Risk factors for psychological insult following deployment to Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom among veterans: A systematic review: The systematic review aimed to establish more clearly the risk factors for mental health problems in the veteran population. Five databases were searched. Included studies (n = 10) required that veterans served in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and/or Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and included risk factors of mental health problems among the veteran population. Data from included studies were extracted and critically appraised based on critical appraisal tools following a narrative approach to synthesise data. All of the studies reviewed identified risk factors, although due to their heterogeneous nature key findings varied considerably. However, it was consistently reported that combat exposure and deployment experiences were associated with emergence of post operational mental health problems. The current review provides preliminary evidence that there are a number of specific risk factors that may increase susceptibility to mental health problems subsequent to military deployment. It is suggested that interventions are needed in order to mitigate risk factors and bolster protective factors. A cross-sectional study investigating the impact of disease activity and disease related cognitions on adjustment in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: The research journal aimed to investigate the degree to which psychological illness related cognitions will mediate the effect of disease activity on Quality of Life (QoL). In addition, to assess the impact of disease activity, and several psychological factors, in several adjustments outcomes in IBD to see whether the adjustment variables are significant predictors of multiple outcomes. Mediation was used followed by an exploratory cross-sectional correlational design. Three hundred and thirty eight participants were recruited through an IBD charity and invited to respond to a self-report questionnaire online. Measures targeted different aspects of the IBD profile to give an indication of adjustment associated with IBD diagnosis, psychological factors and Quality of Life (QoL). Mediation analysis found support for significant indirect effects on the relationship between disease activity and QoL through Gastrointestinal (GI) anxiety, perceived disability and illness representations. The subsidiary analysis indicated that pain catastrophising, disease activity, stigma, illness representations and GI anxiety were found to be significant predictors of adjustment in IBD. The results indicate that there is an important relationship with the adjustment factors, QoL, and psychological functioning. In addition, stress, depression, anxiety and QoL were found to be predicted by the adjustment factors. The current study has provided insight into psychological factors and adjustment indicators from a multi-faceted perspective, which will facilitate advancement of managing IBD from a biopsychosocial framework with a view to enable more effective disease management.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T14:49:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao cristiane santos.pdf: 344290 bytes, checksum: fb52547e09f930831fa7acf44fd2bae4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-07-13 / Brazil history, with all the social, cultural and political implications, is directly related to agribusiness, which has presented throughout all this years an increasing, becoming more modern and contributing for the income of the country. The agribusiness sector which has instigated this study was the agricultural inputs reselling, which performs an important role on the products, inputs, equipments and service commercialization. Thus, this dissertation has the objective of indicate a control model for strategic management, which presents performance indicators of agricultural inputs reselling on Southwest Goiás, using a tool for aligning the indicators with the strategic objectives of this area. In order to develop the proposed work, it was used a qualitative approach, being the research considered exploratory-descriptive type, with the data collection based on a semi-structured interview with the companies leaders and by a questionnaire containing discursive and objective questions applied on companies collaborators and clients, with the intention of analyzing the agricultural inputs reselling organizational environment and indentifying the main strategies adopted for those companies. The proposal even presents the strategic and performance indicators suggested to the sector in study. The developed indicators have the four perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard: financial, clients/market, internal processes, learning and growth. The study allowed concluding the agricultural inputs reselling management is weak and need to be improved. The lack of controls, definition of goals and organizational strategies let the companies vulnerable and without condition of competing in a market where the clients have a lot of options, becoming them evens more demanding. Therefore, the strategic management for the performance monitoring, using indicators aligned with the objectives, can significantly contribute for the competitiveness increasing of the agricultural inputs reselling points on Southwest Goiás, as presented on this work / A história do Brasil com suas implicações sociais, políticas e culturais, está diretamente ligadas ao agronegócio, que ao longo dos anos vem crescendo, se modernizando, e contribuindo para geração de riqueza e renda do País. O setor do agronegócio que instigou este estudo é o de revendas de insumos agrícolas, que desempenha importante papel na comercialização de produtos, insumos, equipamentos, acessórios, implementos e serviços para o setor agropecuário. Assim, esta dissertação teve por objetivo geral indicar um modelo de controle e acompanhamento para a gestão estratégica, que apresente indicadores de desempenho para as revendas de insumos agrícolas no Sudoeste de Goiás, por meio de um instrumento que alinhe os indicadores aos objetivos estratégicos aplicados a este segmento. Para o desenvolvimento do tema proposto foi utilizada a abordagem qualiquantitativa, sendo a pesquisa do tipo exploratória-descritiva, com a coleta de dados baseada em entrevistas semi-estruturadas com os gestores das empresas e questionários com perguntas abertas e fechadas direcionados aos colaboradores das empresas, no intuito de analisar o ambiente organizacional das revendas de insumos agrícolas e identificar as principais estratégias adotadas por tais empresas. O estudo apresenta ainda as estratégias e indicadores de desempenho sugeridos ao segmento em estudo. Os indicadores desenvolvidos contemplam as quatro perspectivas do Balanced Scorecard: financeira; clientes/mercado; processos internos e aprendizado e crescimento. A pesquisa permitiu concluir que a gestão das revendas de insumos agrícolas é frágil e necessita de aprimoramento. A falta de controles, de definição de objetivos e estratégias organizacionais deixam as organizações vulneráveis e sem condições de competirem num mercado onde o cliente apresenta um crescente nível de exigência, e está cercado de opções. Diante deste contexto, a gestão estratégica voltada para o acompanhamento do desempenho através da utilização de indicadores alinhados com os objetivos estratégicos contribui para o aumento da competitividade das revendas de insumos agrícolas do sudoeste goiano, conforme apresentado nesse trabalho

This thesis aims to identify key performance indicators of private equity. At the beginning of the paper are defined both parts of private equity, criterias of each part and relationships among market participants. It is then outlined the history of the two main parts. In the next step is introduced global development with emphasis on the last 30 years. A larger space is then devoted to Europe, which will subsequently be a pivotal part of the work. Following this section is indicated methodology. In the next section is defined 7 countries, which are subsequently subjected to research. The fourth chapter is an empirical survey of individual States, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Poland, Sweden, Romania, Singapore and France, where are mentioned results of evaluated factors and also the defending of values. The last, fifth, is itself part of the evaluation and comments on results achieved.

This diploma thesis is covering a task of conducting a financial analysis for a certain company. The company which has been chosen is Pleas a.s. and the analysis has been elaborated for a period of time between years 2008 and 2012. The outcome of the theses is to provide some solutions and recommendations to eliminate or decrease the limiting financial factors which have been discovered while analyzing the company. All the findings will enhance financial health of the company Pleas a.s.