We propose novel methods to utilize orthogonal polynomial approximation in higher dimension spaces, which enable us to modify classical differential equation solvers to perform high precision, long-term orbit propagation. These methods have immediate application to efficient propagation of catalogs of Resident Space Objects (RSOs) and improved accounting for the uncertainty in the ephemeris of these objects. More fundamentally, the methodology promises to be of broad utility in solving initial and two point boundary value problems from a wide class of mathematical representations of problems arising in engineering, optimal control, physical sciences and applied mathematics. We unify and extend classical results from function approximation theory and consider their utility in astrodynamics. Least square approximation, using the classical Chebyshev polynomials as basis functions, is reviewed for discrete samples of the to-be-approximated function. We extend the orthogonal approximation ideas to n-dimensions in a novel way, through the use of array algebra and Kronecker operations. Approximation of test functions illustrates the resulting algorithms and provides insight into the errors of approximation, as well as the associated errors arising when the approximations are differentiated or integrated. Two sets of applications are considered that are challenges in astrodynamics. The first application addresses local approximation of high degree and order geopotential models, replacing the global spherical harmonic series by a family of locally precise orthogonal polynomial approximations for efficient computation. A method is introduced which adapts the approximation degree radially, compatible with the truth that the highest degree approximations (to ensure maximum acceleration error < 10^−9ms^−2, globally) are required near the Earths surface, whereas lower degree approximations are required as radius increases. We show that a four order of magnitude speedup is feasible, with both speed and storage efficiency op- timized using radial adaptation. The second class of problems addressed includes orbit propagation and solution of associated boundary value problems. The successive Chebyshev-Picard path approximation method is shown well-suited to solving these problems with over an order of magnitude speedup relative to known methods. Furthermore, the approach is parallel-structured so that it is suited for parallel implementation and further speedups. Used in conjunction with orthogonal Finite Element Model (FEM) gravity approximations, the Chebyshev-Picard path approximation enables truly revolutionary speedups in orbit propagation without accuracy loss.

Hintergrund: Triage und Ersteinschätzung von Patienten in der Krankenhaus-Notaufnahme als Instrument der Prozeßgestaltung. Übersicht: In den vergangenen Jahren zeigte sich deutschlandweit ein Trend. Die Versorgung von Patienten in den Notaufnahmen der Krankenhäuser erlangt eine immer größere Bedeutung. Bedeutendste Ressource in der Notaufnahme ist die ärztliche Arbeit. Diagnosestellung und Festlegung der Therapie sind die wesentlichen Leistungen. Es ist entscheidend, die Prozessqualität am Punkt des Erstkontaktes des Notfallpatienten mit dem Krankenhaus zu verbessern. Das Universitätsklinikum Dresden eröffnete 2012 mit der Konservativen Notaufnahme (KNA-S1) eine neue, interdisziplinäre Funktionsstelle. Organisatorische Intervention war die Entlastung und Steuerung der Ressource „Arbeitszeit Arzt“. Es wurde das Manchester Triage System als Steuerungsinstrument implementiert mit den Zielen: • Optimale Nutzung der Infrastruktur • Neu definierter und verbesserter Ablauf der Integration von Notfallpatienten in den Behandlungsprozeß und den Geschäftsprozeß des UKD. • Entwicklung von Handlungsempfehlungen für das Pflegepersonal für Maßnahmen am Patienten vor Arztkontakt Schlussfolgerungen: Die strukturierte Ersteinschätzung von Patienten ist ein zielführendes Instrument, um den organisatorischen Reifegrad des Workflows in der Notaufnahme zu erhöhen. Auf dieser Grundlage entwickelte Handlungsempfehlungen für das Pflegepersonal schaffen für Patienten, Ärzte und Pflegepersonal ein optimiertes, Risiko-reduziertes Umfeld. / Background: Triage and initial assessment of patients in Emergency Departments as organizational tool for process improvement. Summary: A trend occurred throughout Germany during the past years. Hospital Emergency Departments achieve increasing importance in patient care. Crucial resource in the ED is physician´s work and authority for diagnosis and therapy. It is important to improve process quality at the point of emergency patient´s first contact to hospital. In 2012 University Hospital Dresden established a new interdisciplinary infrastructure in emergency care for medical and neurological patients (KNA-S1). Organizational intervention has been to relieve and control workload and schedule of the physicians. The Manchester Triage System was implemented as instrument for process control aiming: • Optimized utilization of resources • improved workflow of how emergency patients are introduced into treatment and hospital workflow • Development of guidelines for nursing staff to accomplish appropriate procedures on patients before seeing the physician first Conclusion: Operating an initial assessment on emergency patients leads to improvement of quality and proficiency throughout the operating procedures of an Emergency Department. Guidelines for nursing staff on this foundation will create an optimized and risk reduced environment for patients, physicians and all medical professionals in the ED.

Through empirical research, this paper studies the impact of Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) on European football clubs and whether transitioning to public ownership is a desirable path for football clubs to follow. Research was carried out using a unique panel dataset of 19 publicly listed European football clubs from 9 national leagues. The study finds that IPOs do not lead to positive returns for a football club in terms of on-field performance and is not the best path to follow in order to assure the future success of a football club financially.

Information and communication technologies (ICT) are common in schools worldwide in the 21st century, in both developed and developing countries. A number of initiatives have been made in the development of ICT related training in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes. These initiatives aim to develop future teachers’ ability to teach and deliver the school curriculum, including using ICT in the classroom. Sufficient field experience is essential since the process of undergoing such placements would prepare them in creating new ideas and implementing strategic ways as to how they can effectively incorporate the use of ICT in their lesson plan, class management, and in teaching. The key research question in this study is “Do pre-service teachers in a New Zealand and a Malaysian ITE programme use their field experience to develop their potential to integrate ICT in schools and, what are the similarities and differences between these case studies?” Effective use of ICT in teaching and learning requires the teacher to understand how ICT weaves with pedagogy and content. The Technological, Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) theoretical framework introduced by Mishra and Koehler (2006) clarifies the need to understand and develop TPACK to inform integration of ICT in teaching. This research provides two case studies of ICT in ITE in the Asia Pacific region, one in a developed country, New Zealand, and the other in a developing country, namely Malaysia. Both case studies are of ICT in an ITE programme with a particular focus on field experience in secondary schools, within which there are embedded cases of ITE students. This study illustrates how pre-service teachers’ experience and development of ICT knowledge and skill and their understanding of TPACK can support an increase in their teaching competencies. This research provides evidence that field experience is important to support pre-service teachers to develop their teaching competencies with ICT and understanding of TPACK in ways that are transferable into their own practice. This study has also contributed to increased reliability and validity of TPACK instrumentation. The comparative findings of the New Zealand and Malaysian case studies indicate the importance of a range of contextual factors, which suggest that the Initial Teacher Education programme, school curriculum and ICT availability as well as student maturity contribute to the development of TPACK.

During the teeming process of molten steel from a ladle, a bathtub-type vortex may be formed in the ladle. The vortex entrains undesired slag on the surface into the tundish, lowering the quality. The formation of such vortices has been studied using two different scale models. Since the kinematic viscosity of water is similar to that of molten steel, the molten steel was simulated by water in the experiments. The Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique was used to measure water flow patterns. Results show that the initial tangential velocity of water is responsible for the vortex formation. The effects of Reynolds and Froude numbers on the vortex formation were investigated and Froude number was found to be the dominant pi-number. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling was also conducted to simulate the vortex formation with good agreement with the experiments.

Magistro baigiamajame darbe analizuojamas profesinio mokymo kokybės išorinio vertinimo veiksmingumo reiškinys Lietuvos švietimo sistemoje. Tai itin aktualus procesas, orientuotas į kokybiškų paslaugų teikimą ir sėkmės užtikrinimą profesinio mokymo rinkoje. Profesinio mokymo institucijų kokybės vertinimas analizuojamas dviem aspektais: visų pirma, jo sudėtingumas grindžiamas formaliojo švietimo programomis (tai įstaigos, kuriose suteikiamas vidurinis išsilavinimas), kita vertus, lygiagrečiai vykdomas profesinis mokymas (vadovaujamasi Profesinio mokymo įstatymu). Tokiu būdu ryškėja formaliojo švietimo ir profesinio mokymo grandžių dermės klausimas. Išorinis kokybės vertinimas vykdomas pagal vertinimo kriterijus, susietus su Formaliojo švietimo kokybės užtikrinimo koncepcija. Tačiau kyla problema, Lietuvos švietimo sistemos sudedamai daliai – profesiniam mokymui – dėl menko prestižo visuomenėje, švietimo politikų ir visuomenės dėmesio stokos iki šiol nėra Vyriausybės patvirtintų išorinio vertinimo kriterijų, kurie optimizuotų profesinio mokymo kokybės užtikrinimo procesą. Baigiamuoju darbu siekiama – išanalizuoti profesinės mokyklos kokybės išorinio vertinimo sistemą ir įvertinti jos veiksmingumą. Siekiant darbui iškelto tikslo, buvo įgyvendinami šie uždaviniai: 1) išanalizuoti Lietuvos švietimo kokybės ir jos užtikrinimo sampratas; 2) atlikti profesinės mokyklos išorinio kokybės vertinimo sistemos analizę; 3) išnagrinėti bendrojo ugdymo išorinio vertinimo sistemą; 4)... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Master‘s thesis analyses the phenomenon of the effectiveness of vocational training external quality assessment in the Lithuanian educational system. This is a particularly relevant process, which is focused on provision of high-quality services as well as assurance of success in the vocational training market. The quality assessment of the vocational training institutions is analysed in two aspects: first of all, its complexity is substantiated by the formal education programs (these are the institutions which provide secondary education), on the other hand, vocational trading is carried out simultaneously (regulated by the Law on Vocational Training of the Republic of Lithuania). Thus, a question of the harmony between the links of formal education and vocational training emerges. External quality assessment is carried out in accordance with the assessment criteria, which are associated with the concept of assurance of the quality of formal education. However, an issue arises: due to low social prestige, lack of regard from politicians in the education department as well as limited attention of the society, there has not yet been external assessment criteria approved by the government in regards to the vocational training – a part of the Lithuanian educational system – which would optimise the vocational training quality assurance process. The aim of the thesis is to provide an analysis of the vocational school external quality assessment system as well as to evaluate its... [to full text]

South Africa is one of the world's foremost mining nations and mining and its associated industries continue to form the cornerstone of the country's economy. However, the mining industry has, by its very nature, the potential to endanger human health and safety, as well as the physical environment. Consequently, mining will always contend with major environmental challenges and remain under constant public pressure to demonstrate its commitment to responsible environmental management. The key to effective environmental management is the use of a systematic approach to plan, control and improve environmental efforts. An Environmental Management System (EMS) employs such an approach and allows organisations to address environmental concerns in an orderly and consistent manner. Such a system allows organisations to anticipate and meet their environmental objectives and to ensure ongoing compliance with national and/or international requirements. An organisation with no existing EMS should, initially, establish its current position with regard to the environment by means of an initial review process. The aim should be to consider all environmental aspects of the organisation as a basis for establishing the EMS. Although a few gold mines in South Africa have implemented an EMS, the question of which significant environmental aspects need to be managed in such a system at a deep level gold mine shaft, remains largely unanswered. This study endeavoured to provide answers to this question and develop a generic model for the initial review process of a deep level gold mine shaft. The development of such a model should facilitate the development and implementation of an EMS at such shafts, thereby contributing to reduce the environmental impact of gold mines. The research consisted of a literature review of national and international literature on the topic and a comparative empirical study, which evaluated the mining operations of two deep level gold mine shafts. Data collection and analysis was done according to the IS0 14015 guideline on the environmental assessment of sites and organisations. Other techniques used included business process analysis, the use of modified Leopoldt matrices and risk analysis to determine the significance of the environmental impacts and aspects. This study contributed to a generic model for the initial environmental review process that precedes the development of an EMS at deep level gold mine shafts through: developing a generic sub-model that can be used to determine the scope of any deep level gold mine shaft; identifying some of the significant environmental impacts and aspects of deep level gold mine shafts, as well as identifying some generic business activities that are potentially destructive and carry a high risk of causing significant negative environmental impacts. / Thesis (M. Environmental Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

The research done in preparation for this study illustrated that – although a lot of research has been done in terms of the impact of intimacy on marriage, Biblical models for marriage, and the implications of intimacy prior to marriage – few studies have been done regarding researched Scriptural perspectives and pastoral guidelines related to sexual intimacy aimed at religious newlywed couples. The above situation resulted in the main research question: What pastoral guidelines can be given to a newlywed religious couple regarding sexual intimacy in the initial stage of their marriage? Further research questions arose from this research question. This study was aimed at compiling pastoral guidelines regarding the establishment of sexual intimacy in the initial stage of the Christian marriage. The method designed by Zerfass for Practical Theology was used during this study. During basic theoretical research, as designed in chapter 2, it became clear that relevant pastoral guidelines regarding the establishment of sexual intimacy in the Christian marriage can be identified from Scripture. Four guidelines, relevant to this study, were subsequently formulated. The practical theoretical research of the neighbouring sciences Psychology and Sociology in chapter 3 showed that humans are by nature sexual beings and that this is a need that attention should be given to. Sex inside the marriage is necessary, good and an important factor in marital happiness. Seeing as marriage is an intimate and loving relationship, the husband and wife should have each other’s interests and happiness as priority and not deny each other sex and sexual satisfaction. An empirical study to determine religious newlywed couples’ perceptions and attitudes regarding sexual intimacy in the initial stage of the Christian marriage was done in chapter 4. During this qualitative study, seven religious newlywed couples completed questionnaires, after which semi-structured interviews were conducted with each individual. In order to formulate specific practical theoretical pastoral guidelines, the researcher, in chapter 5, addressed the hermeneutical interaction within the context of religious newlywed couples. The basic theoretical perspectives arising from Scripture, practical theoretical perspectives as concluded from neighbouring Sciences, and the results from the empirical study were processed in order to compile possible guidelines for pastoral guidance. The aim of this pastoral guidance is the spiritual growth of both the husband and the wife, and to bring them to a better understanding of God’s will for sexual intimacy. The researcher’s final conclusion – as indicated by the central theoretical argument of this study – is that the compilation of pastoral guidelines regarding the establishment of sexual intimacy in the initial stage of the Christian marriage can indeed contribute to a deeper and more intimate marital relationship. / Thesis (M.A. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011

Klinische Studie zur Überprüfung der Effektivität verschiedener Zahnbürsten im Rahmen der Initialbehandlung parodontal erkrankter Patienten Hintergrund: Parodontitis ist eine entzündliche Erkrankung des gesamten Zahnhalteapparates. Mit einer Prävalenz von ca. 30 Prozent ist sie in der zweiten Lebenshälfte die häufigste Ursache für Zahnverlust. Die Studie hatte das Ziel, die Effektivität und klinische Relevanz unterschiedlicher Zahnbürsten während der Initialbehandlung parodontal erkrankter Patienten zu überprüfen. Methode: 72 an mittelschwerer Parodontitis erkrankte Probanden nahmen an der dreimona-tigen klinischen Studie teil. Durch Randomisierung wurden drei gleichwertige Gruppen ge-bildet, in denen jeweils ein anderes Zahnbürstensystem der Marke Oral B® überprüft wurde. Gruppe 1 nutzte die rotierend-oszillierende Zahnbürste Professional Care 3000, Gruppe 2 das schallaktive System Sonic Complete™ und Gruppe 3 die Handzahnbürste Indicator 35®. Zu Beginn der Untersuchung wurde bei allen Patienten eine supragingivale PZR durchgeführt. In dieser Sitzung, nach vier und weiteren acht Wochen wurden folgende Indizes und Parameter bestimmt: PBI, QHI, Sondierungstiefen, Rezessionen, BOP und eine mikrobiologische Diagnostik durchgeführt. Ergebnisse: An der durchgeführten Studie nahmen 72 Probanden im Alter zwischen 37 und 78 Jahren teil. Dabei handelte es sich jeweils um 36 männliche und weibliche Personen mit einem Durchschnittsalter von 55,7 ± 10,2 Jahren. Nahezu alle klinischen Parameter, mit Ausnahme der Ergebnisse der Mikrobiologischen Diagnostik, zeigten Veränderungen, die vom verwendeten Zahnbürstentyp abhingen. Alle drei Zahnbürstentechnologien führten zu Verbesserungen der klinischen Ausgangssituation. Die Veränderungen des Plaqueindex bestätigen die Annahme, dass schallaktive Bürsten keine Dominanz in der Plaqueentfernung gegenüber den rotierend-oszillierenden Systemen zeigen. Die aufgestellte Hypothese, dass elektrische Zahnbürsten zu besseren klinischen Situationen führen als Handzahnbürsten, kann bewiesen werden. Die Vermutung, schallaktive Bürsten könnten das subgingivale mikrobielle Milieu positiv beeinflussen, wurde widerlegt. Schlussfolgerungen: Die gewonnen Ergebnisse heben hervor, dass sich elektrische Putzsys-teme zur Parodontitisprävention besser eignen als Handzahnbürsten. Eine Unterweisung in den richtigen Umgang mit den jeweiligen Zahnbürsten sollte in Zukunft noch häufiger in den Vordergrund treten.

Using data from the SCUBA Legacy Catalogue (850 µm) and Spitzer (3.6 - 70 µm), we explore dense cores in the Ophiuchus, Taurus, Perseus, Serpens, and Orion molecular clouds. In particular, we focus on identifying which cores host young stars while others remain starless. Understanding the nature of star formation and the influence of local environment will give us insight into several key properties, such as the origin of stellar mass. Here, we present starless and protostellar core mass functions (CMFs) for the five clouds. We develop a new method to discriminate starless from protostellar cores, using Spitzer colours and positions. We found best-fit slopes to the high-mass end of −1.26±0.20, −1.22±0.06, −0.95±0.20, and −1.85±0.53 for Ophiuchus, Taurus, Perseus, and Orion, respectively. We were unable to fit a slope to our fifth cloud, Serpens. Broadly, these slopes are consistent with the −1.35 power-law seen in the Salpeter IMF, but suggest some differences. We examined a variety of trends between these CMF shapes and their parent cloud properties, potentially finding a correlation between the high-mass slope and temperature. We also attempt to predict what future surveys with SCUBA-2 will detect in each of our clouds.