Nonemergency transportation drivers play a critical role in helping individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) gain access to community integration opportunities. Challenging behaviors can limit access to enrichment opportunities and possibly increase the likelihood that individuals with ID will be isolated from community enrichment activities. The purpose of this study was to determine if positive behavior support training improved nonemergency transportation drivers' perceptions of challenging behaviors displayed by individuals with ID. For purposes of this study, perception was defined as staff (driver) beliefs about the causes of challenging behavior. A convenience sample of 52 nonemergency transportation drivers was chosen from a Logisticare provider list using local zip codes. Data were collected using the Challenging Behavior Attribution Scale (CHABA) before and after training using the Positive Behavior Support Curriculum 2nd Edition. A 2-way ANOVA revealed no statistically significant differences in perception before or after training. Analysis of the data indicated that training had no impact on driver perception of challenging behavior. The drivers who participated in this study appeared to have positive perceptions of challenging behavior, and, as a result, no statistically significant results were found. Perhaps the results of this study might lead community organizations that support individuals with ID to include transportation drivers in team meetings when there are concerns regarding challenging behavior. The drivers' positive perceptions regarding challenging behaviors may be an asset to support teams in developing positive behavior support strategies that improve the quantity of life for persons with ID.

The purpose of this study was to determine how perceived gender roles developed throughout childhood and early adulthood impacted the career decisions of women in science-related career fields. An additional purpose was to determine if my experiences as I analyzed the data and the propositions discovered in the study would become a transformative agent for me. A multicase framework was utilized so that within and between case analyses could be achieved. Four women who showed early promise in science were chosen as the case study participants. The relationship of gender roles to the career decisions made by the four cases were arbitrated through three areas: (a) supports, which came from parents, immediate family members, spouses, teachers, mentors, and collaborators; (b) opportunities, which were separated into family experiences and opportunities, school and community opportunities, and postsecondary/current opportunities; and (c) postmodern feminism, which was the lens that grounded this study and fit well with the lives of the cases. As seen through a postmodern feminist lens, the cases’ social class, their lived experiences tied to their opportunities and supports, and the culture of growing up in a small rural community helped them develop personas for the professions they chose even where those professions did not necessarily follow from the early promise shown for a sciencerelated career. In addition, as related to my transformation as a male researcher, being a male conducting research in a realm most often shared by women, I was able to gain greater empathy and understanding of what it takes for women to be successful in a career and at the same time maintain a fruitful family life.

Reproduction de : Thèse de doctorat : Physique : Reims : 2004. / Titre provenant de l'écran titre. Références bibliogr. en fin de chapitres.

Thesis (MTech (Mech. Eng.))--Peninsula Technikon, 1999. / Word processed copy. Summary in English. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-75). Also available online.

Η παρούσα εργασία πραγματεύεται το πρόβλημα της εξόρυξης γνώσης μέσα από μεγάλες βάσεις δεδομένων. Πιο συγκεκριμένα αναλύονται τεχνικές εύρεσης συχνών συνόλων αντικειμένων και κανόνων συσχέτισης (association rules). Οι τεχνικές αυτές έχουν μεγάλη εφαρμογή σε τομείς της καθημερινής ζωής. Ένα παράδειγμα είναι το σύνολο των αντικειμένων που μπορεί να αγοράσει κάποιος από ένα πολυκατάστημα (market analysis). Η εύρεση συσχετισμού μεταξύ των αντικειμένων που περιέχει το καλάθι των προϊόντων μπορεί να βοηθήσει σε μεγάλο βαθμό την διεύθυνση της επιχείρησης ώστε να αναδιατάξει τη σειρά με την οποία τοποθετεί τα προϊόντα στα ράφια. Οι πιο δημοφιλείς αλγόριθμοι που επιλύουν το πρόβλημα είναι ο apriori και ο fp-growth, χρησιμοποιούν ένα κατώφλι εμπιστοσύνης πάνω από το οποίο πρέπει να είναι ο αριθμός εμφανίσεων των συνόλων αντικειμένων μέσα στην βάση δεδομένων. Αυτό όμως δεν ανταποκρίνεται στην πραγματικότητα γιατί στην καθημερινότητα υπάρχουν προϊόντα (items) τα οποία εμφανίζονται από τη φύση τους αρκετά σπάνια οπότε το όριο της υποστήριξης τους πρέπει να τεθεί αρκετά χαμηλά ώστε να αποκτήσουν σημασία οι λιγοστές εμφανίσεις τους. Αντίστοιχα τα προϊόντα που εμφανίζονται αρκετά συχνά μπορούν να έχουν όριο υποστήριξης σχετικά μεγάλο. Για το λόγο αυτό αναπτύχθηκαν αλγόριθμοι όπου αντί για ένα ενιαίο κατώφλι υποστήριξης, έχουμε πολλαπλά (multiple minimum support) και κάθε item έχει το δικό του. Έτσι υλοποιήθηκε ο αλγόριθμος apriori ενώ η παρούσα εργασία φιλοδοξεί να εφαρμόσει τον αλγόριθμο fp-growth και μάλιστα με δύο εναλλακτικές τεχνικές σε πολλαπλές υποστηρίξεις. Οι δύο τεχνικές διαφέρουν ως προς τον τρόπο κατασκευής της βασικής δομής δηλαδή του δέντρου fp-tree. Το δέντρο αυτό περιέχει τα υποσύνολα αντικειμένων, τα οποία θα διερευνήσουμε αν εμφανίζονται αρκετά συχνά ώστε να θεωρήσουμε ότι τα αντικείμενα τους συσχετίζονται μεταξύ τους. Στη συνέχεια μελετάμε τις τεχνικές εύρεσης αρνητικών κανόνων συσχέτισης (negative association rules). Οι κανόνες αυτοί είναι χρήσιμοι στην ανάλυση αγορών με στόχο να ανακαλυφθούν τα προϊόντα που ‘συγκρούονται’ μεταξύ τους ή αλληλοσυμπληρώνονται. Η μορφή τους είναι X→⌐Y και υποδηλώνει την απουσία κάποιων αντικειμένων (Υ) ως αποτέλεσμα της παρουσίας των συνόλου αντικειμένων Χ. Και σε αυτό τον τομέα έχει αναπτυχθεί ένας αλγόριθμος που εφαρμόζει apriori για την εύρεση των συνόλων από όπου θα προκύψουν τα Χ και Y και εισάγει μια μετρική συσχέτισης των δύο συνόλων αντικειμένων, που επιλέχθηκε να είναι το correlation coefficient . Αυτό που εμείς υλοποιήσαμε είναι η εφαρμογή του ίδιου αλγορίθμου αλλάζοντας όμως τεχνική χρησιμοποιώντας τον fp-growth αντί για apriori. Τέλος ασχοληθήκαμε με το πρόβλημα της εξόρυξης προτύπων με προαπαιτούμενο τη διατήρηση της σειράς των αντικειμένων (order preserving). Αναπτύχθηκε μια νέα τεχνική εξόρυξης η οποία βασίζεται στον υπάρχοντα αλγόριθμο fp-growth αλλά βασισμένη σε μια εναλλακτική μορφή τον λεγόμενο fp γράφο. Συμπερασματικά σε αυτήν την εργασία θα αναπτυχθούν τα παρακάτω: 1. Αλγόριθμος fp-growth σε πολλαπλές υποστηρίξεις όπου η βασική δομή- το δέντρο FP-tree- έχει στα φύλλα αντικείμενα με τις μεγαλύτερες υποστηρίξεις. 2. Αλγόριθμος fp-growth σε πολλαπλές υποστηρίξεις όπου η βασική δομή- το δέντρο FP-tree- έχει στα φύλλα αντικείμενα με τις μικρότερες υποστηρίξεις. 3. Αλγόριθμος fp-growth για την εύρεση αρνητικών κανόνων συσχέτισης. 4. Αλγόριθμος fp-growth για την εξόρυξη προτύπων με διατήρηση σειράς αντικειμένων όπου η βασική δομή είναι ο fp γράφος / The present work deals with the problem of data mining from databases. More specifically we analyze methods for detection of frequent itemsets and association rules. The most popular case study of data mining is the market analysis. The important here is the detection of relation among buying items. These relation could follow to a new different classification of items inside the super market. The most popular algorithms of data mining – apriori and fp growth – use a single support threshold for the number of appearances of items inside the database. This single threshold is not appropriate because of the different kind of items. This conclude to replacement of single threshold with multiple threshold, one for each concrete item. We implement the algorithm fp growth for multiple minimum supports, using two different methods. These two methods differs in the way we build the fp tree. The fp tree contents the itemsets which we must examine if they are frequent or not. Right after that we study methods for detection positive and negative association rules. Negative association rules have the form X→⌐Y. The symbol ⌐ indicate the absence of itemset Y. Our method also use a statistic method for calculate the relation between X and Y called ‘correlation coefficient’. This method leads to an algorithm fp growth for detection of positive and negative rules. Finally we involve with the data mining problem using a semantic requirement: ‘The order of the items in an itemset cannot change’. We develop an fp growth algorithm for detect frequent itemsets with order preserving. This algorithm use a fp graph instead of fp tree.

No description available.

This study examined the experiences of Aboriginal students at a university in Manitoba in terms of what supports kept them registered and what institutional factors contributed to their success. The aim of this research was to inform educators, administrators, and students of the needs of Aboriginal learners at the post-secondary level and what supports and experiences fostered these learners’ success. This research included the gathering of data from eight Aboriginal students who were registered in undergraduate university programs in Manitoba. The findings suggest that Aboriginal students who are assisted with setting clear academic and career goals prior to post-secondary enrollment, are provided with adequate academic preparation before entering post-secondary studies, are able to access the specialized approaches and supports currently available, and are able to form meaningful and reciprocal relationships with faculty and peers at university or college are more likely to succeed. The conclusions of the study are two: (1) that advisement dialogue prior to enrollment and upon registration needs to be expanded; and (2) that Aboriginal students must be provided with increased opportunities to develop self-esteem, confidence, and a sense of belonging.

This study examined the experiences of Aboriginal students at a university in Manitoba in terms of what supports kept them registered and what institutional factors contributed to their success. The aim of this research was to inform educators, administrators, and students of the needs of Aboriginal learners at the post-secondary level and what supports and experiences fostered these learners’ success. This research included the gathering of data from eight Aboriginal students who were registered in undergraduate university programs in Manitoba. The findings suggest that Aboriginal students who are assisted with setting clear academic and career goals prior to post-secondary enrollment, are provided with adequate academic preparation before entering post-secondary studies, are able to access the specialized approaches and supports currently available, and are able to form meaningful and reciprocal relationships with faculty and peers at university or college are more likely to succeed. The conclusions of the study are two: (1) that advisement dialogue prior to enrollment and upon registration needs to be expanded; and (2) that Aboriginal students must be provided with increased opportunities to develop self-esteem, confidence, and a sense of belonging.

Thesis (Ph.D.(Agriculturala Economics))-University of Pretoria, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 289-310).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 61-63). Also available on the Internet.