In this thesis, we first present a variance estimation technique based on the standardized time series methodology for steady-state simulations. The proposed variance estimator has competitive bias and variance compared to the existing estimators in the literature. We also present the technique of rebatching to further reduce the bias and variance of our variance estimator. Second, we present two fully sequential indifference-zone procedures to select the best system from a number of competing simulated systems when best is defined by the maximum or minimum expected performance. These two procedures have parabola shaped continuation regions rather than the triangular continuation regions employed in several papers. The rocedures we present accommodate unequal and unknown ariances across systems and the use of common random numbers. However, we assume that basic observations are independent and identically normally distributed. Finally, we present procedures for finding a set of feasible or near-feasible systems among a finite number of simulated systems in the presence of multiple stochastic constraints, especially when the number of systems or constraints is large.

Contemporary approach performance based engineering generally relies on the approximate procedures that are based on the use of capacity curve derived from pushover analysis. The most important parameter in the displacement-based approach is the inelastic displacement demand computed under a given seismic effect and the most common procedures employed for this estimation / the Capacity Spectrum Method and the Displacement Coefficient Method are based on bi-linearization of the capacity curve. Although there are some recommendations for this approximation, there is a vital need for rational guidelines towards the selection of the most appropriate method among several alternatives. A comprehensive research has been undertaken to evaluate the influence of several existing alternatives used for approximating the capacity curve on seismic demands. A number of frames were analyzed under a set of 100 ground motions employing OpenSees. In addition, the pushover curves obtained from nonlinear static analyses were approximated using several alternatives and the resulting curves were assigned as the force-deformation relationships of corresponding equivalent single-degree-of-freedom systems. These simplified systems were later analyzed to compute the approximate seismic response parameters. Using the results of the complex and simplified analyses, the performance of each approximation method was evaluated in estimating the &amp / #8216 / exact&amp / #8217 / inelastic deformations of the multi-degree-of-freedom systems at various degrees of inelasticity. Dependency of the errors on ductility, strength reduction factor and period was also investigated. The interpretations made and the conclusions drawn in this study is believed to clarify the rationality and accuracy of selecting the appropriate idealization of the capacity curve.

Modeling and forecasting of the unemployment rate of a country is very important to be able to take precautions on the governmental policies. The available unemployment rate data of Turkey provided by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT) are not in suitable format to have a time series model. The unemployment rate data between 1988 and 2009 create a problem of building a reliable time series model due to the insufficient number and irregular form of observations. The application of disaggregation methods to some parts of the unemployment rate data enables us to fit an appropriate time series model and to have forecasts as a result of the suggested model.

In this study, we consider a resource investment problem with time/resource trade-offs in project environments. We assume each mode of an activity is characterized by its processing time and resource requirement and there is a single renewable resource. Our aim is to minimize the maximum resource usage, hence the total amount invested for the single resource. We formulate the problem as a mixed integer linear model and find optimal solutions for small sized problem instances. We propose several lower bounding procedures to find high quality estimates on the optimal resource investment cost. We use our lower bounds to evaluate the performance of our heuristic procedures. The results of our computational experiments have revealed the satisfactory performances of our lower bounds and heuristic procedures. Projects, Resource Investment Time/Resource Trade-off, Bounding Procedures

<p>INVID Jönköping AB is an IT-consultant company. They are a part of the INVID-group that employ about 140 people and are represented in ten different locations in Sweden. INVIDs business areas include development and customization of web applications. The company has been developing a web publishing tool, INVID Publisher.NET. Small- and medium sized companies are offered hosting of a complete web portal/platform with Content Management System/Customer Relationship Management (CMS/CRM) functionality. Customers can manage the content published on web pages. They can choose among a set of templates were there are modules for example text/html and news. To find the right template for the purpose can be a difficult task for the customer.</p><p>The purpose of our report is to an answer two main questions:</p><p>• How to develop modules for DotNetNuke?</p><p>• What is the foundation for the architecture and structure of DotNetNuke?</p><p>Our goal was to create modules with the programming language VB.NET and server technology ASP.NET. We would take advantage of the DotNetNuke web application framework for developing modules that offer the customer a way to easily and effectively build new web pages with INVID Publisher .NET. The starting point for the module we have developed is based on analysis of former existing module that INVID AB was not comfortable with. We analysed and discussed the problems that the old module constituted. During the development of the module we also received feedback on our work from our tutor on INVID and other members of the development team.</p><p>Our work has lead to a template module were the customer can create new web pages based on templates and also create new templates. INVID and we also consider our module to be graphically well designed.</p><p>In the future it’s possible to further develop our module to a great extent because we have followed the principles of DotNetNuke and have written program code that is object-oriented, reusable, and extensible and is based on good programming principles and prominent design patterns.</p> / <p>INVID Jönköping AB är ett IT-konsult bolag. De ingår i INVID-gruppen som totalt sysselsätter drygt 140 personer och finns representerade på tio orter i Sverige. De är verksamma inom ett flertal IT-områden, däribland utveckling och anpassning av webbapplikationer. Företaget har under en tid arbetat med att utveckla ett webbpubliceringsverktyg, INVID Publisher.NET. Små- och medelstora- företag erbjuds en komplett webbportalplattform med Content Management System/Customer Relationship Management (CMS/CRM) funktionalitet sammankopplat med webbhotelltjänster som företaget erbjuder. Kunder har möjlighet att själva påverka det innehåll som finns publicerat på webbsidor. De kan välja bland ett antal mallar där det finns moduler för bl.a. text/bild och nyheter. Att hitta rätt mall för ändamålet kan dock vara svårt för kunden.</p><p>Vårt examensarbetes frågeställningar var följande:</p><p>• Hur utvecklar man en modul för DotNetNuke?</p><p>• Vad ligger till grund för DotNetNukes arkitektur och uppbyggnad?</p><p>Vårt mål var att skapa en eller flera moduler med programmeringsspråket VB.NET och servertekniken ASP.NET. Vi avsedde också att lära oss webbapplikationsramverket DotNetNuke för att bygga modul(er) som erbjuder kunden att enkelt och effektivt bygga nya sidor i INVID Publisher .NET. Utgångspunkten för den modul som vi utvecklade bygger på analyser av tidigare existerande mallmodul som företaget (INVID AB) inte var nöjda med. Vi analyserade och diskuterade de problem som den gamla modulen medförde. Under utvecklingens gång fick vi feedback på vårt arbete från vår handledare på företaget och andra personer från utvecklingsavdelningen.</p><p>Examensarbetet har resulterat i en fungerande mallmodul där kunden kan med lätthet skapa nya sidor utifrån mallar och även skapa nya mallar. Uppdragsgivaren och vi anser att modulen som utvecklats är mycket grafiskt väldesignad.</p><p>I framtiden kan modulen vidareutvecklas framgångsfullt bl.a. tack vare att vi i vårt utvecklingsarbete har följt DotNetNuke-ramverket och dess principer strikt. Vi har även skrivit kod som bl.a. karakteriseras av att den är objektorienterad, återanvändbar, utbyggbar och bygger på goda programmeringsprinciper och framstående designmönster.</p>

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2010.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 234-239).

Bakgrund: Dagkirurgi, att opereras och gå hem samma dag, är en vårdform som har ökat markant i Sverige senaste åren. Tidigare studier har visat att många patienter som genomgår dagkirurgi upplever oro inför operation, vilket orsakar lidande för individen men också ökat behov av sömnmedel och ökad risk för postoperativ smärta och oro. För att kunna genomföra omvårdnadsåtgärder för att minska oro måste den först identifieras, vilket framförallt är anestesisjuksköterskans uppgift i mötet med patienten. Syfte: Att undersöka patienters skattning av sin oro vid ankomst till operationsavdelningen vid dagkirurgi samt hur väl anestesisjuksköterskans skattning av patientens oro överensstämmer med patientens egen skattning. Metod: En kvantitativ enkätstudie som genomfördes på två operationsavdelningar i Uppsala län under en veckas tid, totalt inkluderades 88 patienter och 60 anestesisjuksköterskebedömningar. Enkäten bestod av en skattningsskala för oro enligt NRS samt grundläggande demografisk information. Resultat: En stor andel patienter skattade ingen eller mild oro (n=52, 59 %) vid ankomst till operationsavdelningen. Hos 70 % av de parvisa jämförelserna bedömdes anestesisjuksköterskans förmåga att bedöma patientens oro som god. Slutsats: Anestesisjuksköterskorna var generellt bra på att bedöma patientens oro, men vid några fall missbedömdes patienter som skattade hög oro. Denna studie visar att det finns ett behov av mer studier för framtagande av rutiner och vetenskapligt beprövade och användbara instrument för att kunna identifiera dessa patienter. / Background: Ambulatory surgery, to receive surgery and go home the same day, is a form of care which has increased markedly in Sweden in recent years. Previous studies have showed that many patients undergoing ambulatory surgery experience anxiety before surgery, which causes suffering for the individual but also increases the need for hypnotics and increases risk of postoperative pain and anxiety. To be able to carry out nursing interventions aimed at reducing anxiety,  it must first be identified, which is mainly the  nurse anesthetist’s role in the encounter with the patient. Objective: To investigate patients' estimation of their anxiety upon arrival at the ambulatory surgery department, and how well the anesthesia nurses' estimation of the patients' anxiety are consistent with the patients' own estimation. Method: A quantitative survey conducted in two ambulatory surgery departments in Uppsala County during one week, a total of 88 patients were enrolled, and a total of 60 anesthesia nurses' assessments. The survey consisted of a scale for estimating anxiety using NRS and basic demographic information. Results: A large proportion of patients estimated no or mild anxiety (n=52, 59 %) on arrival at the surgical department. In 70 % of the pairwise comparisons the anesthesia nurses' ability to assess the patients' anxiety were good. Conclusion: Anesthesia nurses were generally good at assessing the patients’ anxiety, however it was showed that in some cases patients that reported high levels of anxiety were not identified. There is a need for more studies about routines and  useful and scientifically tested instruments for the identification of patients’ anxiety.

This thesis focuses on the evolution and framing of xenotransplantation (XTP) policy debate in New Zealand from 1998 to 2011. Its aim is providing a better understanding of both the science-society interface and the importance of issue framing policy debate in understanding of the scientific debate in New Zealand and its relationship with the public. A qualitative study, this thesis draws upon a variety of public science commentary and debate and poses the research question: How did xenotransplantation’s introduction and explanation to the New Zealand public inform its current status as a Restricted Procedure under New Zealand law; and what ethical implications arise from this public policy debate for public participation in bio-medical research in New Zealand?

Adaptive traffic signal control is the process by which the timing of a traffic signal is continuously adjusted based on the changing arrival patterns of vehicles at an intersection, usually with the goal of optimizing a given measure of effectiveness. Herein, a methodology is developed in which the characteristics of a traffic signal cycle are optimized at the conclusion of every phase based on the arrival times of vehicles to an intersection, using stopped delay as the measure of effectiveness. This optimization is solved using metaheuristic search procedures, namely tabu search, and embedded in an algorithm in which current vehicle arrival times are detected, arrival patterns over a specified horizon are predicted, the traffic signal timing is optimized, and the timings are sent to a traffic signal controller. The methodology is shown to provide improvement in performance for a number of intersection configurations and traffic regimes over traditional forms of traffic signal control, and the metaheuristic search is demonstrated to significantly reduce the computation time for a solution as compared with other search procedures. / text