Since their introduction to the 2009 Edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, flashing yellow arrows (FYA) have had significant success in communicating the permissive turn message. While widely used for the permissive left turn maneuver, agencies recently have been utilizing flashing yellow arrows for the use with right turn applications as drivers interact with crossing pedestrians. As pedestrian conflicts are a concern during the permissive green phase, there is additional worry for the potential interaction between a pedestrian and vehicle turning right on red. This research explores the existing driver comprehension of permissive right turns during both green and red phases through static evaluation and microsimulation. Proposed traffic devices including the FYA and the Dynamic No Turn on Red sign were evaluated in relation to the existing signal and sign conditions implemented in the field. In comparing the proposed FYA to the existing circular green signal, the survey evaluation determined a statistically significant increase in drivers’ yielding responses when interacting with the FYA as opposed to the circular green. Through application of the VISSIM program, it was determined that right turning speeds with the FYA present were significantly lower than when interacting with solely the circular green. Both the static evaluation and microsimulation determined a strong similarity between the existing circular red and R10-11 sign and the proposed dynamic no turn on red sign which verifies the strong understanding drivers have of the message and the sign itself.

The movement of people and the fluxes of the world create complex topographies and destabilise the location of our homes. In this practice-based PhD, I explore the shifting sense of home that this manifests. The dramatic transformation of the boundaries of home that demarcates the borders between ‘here’ and ‘there’, “us” and ‘them’ is examined through an autoethnographically informed approach, which takes the researcher’s self as a medium as well as a source of research. Based on personal experience, the changing nature of ‘home’ is studied as it is anchored into the self, adopting an approach that studies the cultural through the personal. In this research, the methods of research are: strategies of observing, attending to the unsettling forces of the unfamiliar, documenting my personal responses on a daily basis, and unpacking some of the existing forms and practices that sustain ideas of belonging and proposing new forms of expression to this unhomely feeling. In this study, the objective is the study of the field (including the dissolving of the ground one is standing on) and the proposing new forms, new visions. This being the case, my methods come from the disciplines of autoethnography and art practice. Throughout my PhD, I aimed to negotiate the different means these two approaches work through their field that challenges the issues of representation, documentation and presentation in cultural inquiry. This thesis explores the transformation of the sense of home and my own sense of belonging based on personal experience. It is also a contribution to the discourse that has flourished between ethnography and contemporary art over the last two decades. The project is situated at the transdisciplinary site between artistic and ethnographic disciplines and reconsiders their mutual interest in the work of cultural inquiry. With a particular focus on the moment that inquiry meets its public, I explored other possibilities of “graphy” (writing) that conventionally translates as a descriptive, textual representation in ethnography. I strived to suggest alternative forms through the ways artistic inquiry work on its field that takes this moment of encounter as a crucial part of its process. Thus, the thesis is an account of these negotiations that complements the experiments in my art practice, through which I have explored the dialogue between the two distinctive approaches to inquiry.

Magister Artium (Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science) - MA(SRES) / Swimming, as a sport, is constantly developing, both through the resources employed in training and assessment, and through the technological development of the fundamental aspects of swimming. In the freestyle events, swimmers spend between 38% and 50% of their competition time executing turns in short pool competitions over distances that vary from 50 m to 1500 m. The importance of the turn has been noted and analyzed for several decades, where it was found that the final turn velocity was second only to mid-pool swimming velocity for determining a medal finish in the men’s race. Due to the impact that the tumble turn has on swimming performance, the present study investigated the importance of the tuck index, foot-plant index and wall-contact time (WCT) on swimming performance. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of the tuck index, foot-plant index, and WCT on the round trip time (RTT) in the tumble turn performance in level 3 swimmers in the freestyle swimming stroke. A quantitative cross-sectional and descriptive design was used in this study. A convenient sample of ten (10) swimmers were tested, five male and five female, all being level 3 swimmers affiliated to the high performance team of Swimming South Africa (SSA). Video analyses of the turns were recorded. Each subject performed thirty (30) trials, each consisting of a 50 m freestyle swim with flip turns at race pace. Descriptive statistics and multiple stepwise regression analyses were used to analyse the data. A p-value of below 0.05 indicated statistical significance. The mean tuck index was 0.57 ± 0.14°. The mean foot-plant index was 0.45 ± 0.10 cm. The mean WCT was 74.31 ± 11.57 %. The mean RTT was 2.47 ± 0.40 s. A significant negative correlation was found between tuck index and RTT (r = -0.41; p < 0.05). No significant relationship was found between foot-plant and WCT. Further regression analysis showed that the tuck index was a significant predictor of RTT (F = 21.745, p < 0.001). Following the freestyle tumble turn, the flutter kick technique remained the superior method of exiting the wall, based on the 5 m RTT. Therefore, the introduction of optimal turning practice for age-group swimmers is likely to result in significant reductions in turning times and should be noted by coaches and swimmers alike.

Riboswitches are cis-acting gene regulatory RNAs, which function without involvement of proteins. They have been implicated as drug targets and are attractive systems for the study of RNA-ligand binding and RNA folding. The purine riboswitch was used as a model system for RNA-ligand docking. Published binding data was successfully reproduced in silico and compounds predicted to bind the riboswitch in a virtual screening were tested experimentally. Structural data confirming the predicted binding mode for several cases was obtained. The problems encountered were not specific to RNA-ligand docking but known from the far more explored field of protein-ligand docking.The SAM-I riboswitch was also subjected to virtual ligand screening. This receptor is a system of greater complexity than the purine riboswitch and consequently posed a harder challenge to the docking protocol. After initial validation of the docking setup based on previously published data, a set of compounds selected from the in-house database of commercially available compounds was screened. One compound identfied in silico was cofirmed to bind experimentally.The k-turn motif found in the SAM-I riboswitch was investigated with respect to its folding. The k-turn motif was found to be foldable in context of the SAMI riboswitch as well as in isolation as was expected. Furthermore, mutations disrupting key interactions within the k-turn motif were found to be prohibitive of k-turn folding in isolation as well as in context of the riboswitch, leading to a loss of ligand binding. Interestingly, two sequences were identfied which fold in context of the riboswitch but do not fold in isolation. This confirms the contribution of tertiary interactions to k-turn folding. This conclusion was backed up with structural data is a system of greater complexity than the purine riboswitch and consequently posed a harder challenge to the docking protocol. After initial validation of the to its folding. The k-turn motif was found to be foldable in context of the SAMI riboswitch as well as in isolation as was expected. Furthermore, mutations disrupting key interactions within the k-turn motif were found to be prohibitive of k-turn folding in isolation as well as in context of the riboswitch, leading to a loss of ligand binding. Interestingly, two sequences were identi ed which fold in context of the riboswitch but do not fold in isolation. This con rms the contribution of tertiary interactions to k-turn folding. This conclusion was backed

Traffic platoons created by traffic signals may have impacts on the operations of downstream intersections because they change the arrival pattern and gap distribution of upstream traffic. There’s been a lot of research dealing with platoon effects on operations at signalized intersections, while very limited research has been done for that of unsignalized intersections. This research aims to develop a methodology for analyzing the platoon impacts on major-street left-turn (MSLT) delay at two-way stop-controlled (TWSC) intersections. The main idea is using a microscopic simulation tool to simulate different platoon scenarios in opposing through traffic, then applying regression models to capture the impacts of platoons on the delay of MSLT. Two platoon variables were adopted as a simplification of the complex platoon scenarios, making it practical to analyze the platoon effects on MSLT delay. The first two steps were to build simulation models for real-world unsignalized intersections and simulate scenarios with a combination of various factors related to platoons in VISSIM simulation. Calibrations of these simulation models based on field data were performed before simulation started. The next step was to define, derive and calibrate two platoon variables for describing the duration and intensity of platoon arrivals in the opposing through traffic, which effectively simplified the large combination of various factors. At last, the two platoon variables and their relationship with MSLT delay change factor were modeled with regression tools. A relationship between the two variables and the delay change factor was established, which indicated a positive effect by upstream platoons on MSLT delay and made it possible to quantify the impacts. The findings in this research could also be used for future research on left turn treatment regarding platoon or signal impacts.

In past researches about the related factors of employee turn-over tendency, they paid most attention on employee satisfaction and available new jobs. Nevertheless, not only organization but also mental condition will influence the job satisfaction. Mental condition, including individualized psychological behavior and target, demarcate the life style of employee in organization ¡] 1988, Ansbacher ¡^. In addition, employee life style were evaluated quantitatively by Plummer¡] 1974 ¡^in three directions, activities, interest, and opinion. We combine both theories mentioned above to reveal the relationship of employee life style between inside and outside organization. Questionnaire and statistics are used to calculate and analysis the data collected from four companies of domestic airline in Taiwan in the research. Our study result shows that the background of employee has the influence on life style both inside and outside of organization, which leads to different tendency of employee turn-over. This is the first attempt to define the employee life style, both inside and outside of organization, and compare their turn-over tendency. Conclusively, the relation between employee life style and turn-over tendency is remarkable, which can be the reference of further researches about employee turn-over tendency related with life style.

Service interchange ramp terminals provide access from the local highway or urban street system to the freeway. In urban areas, the ramp terminals at the arterial road are usually signalized for separation of all high-volume conflicting movements. If right-turn or other movements exiting from the ramp terminals are high, a free right-turn lane, which improves operations for right-turn and through exiting traffic, is sometimes provided at the ramp terminals with an exclusive lane for right-turn vehicles on a departure leg. If the ramp terminal is closely followed by the next downstream intersection, weaving maneuvers will occur since some vehicles make a right turn at the ramp terminal and make a left turn at the downstream intersection. These weaving vehicles usually slow down or stop on the free right-turn lane in order to find an acceptable gap in the arterial road traffic. These slowing or stopping vehicles may cause safety and operational problems. This research evaluates the effect of these weaving maneuvers on the operations of a free right-turn lane at the ramp terminals. To provide a means for evaluating free right-turn lane operations, a linear regression model was developed to predict the delay on the free right-turn lane caused by stopped or slowed vehicles planning on making a weaving maneuver. The variables for this model were arterial through volumes, weaving volumes, number of lanes, and ramp spacing within the interchange. The regression model was based upon the results of the CORSIM traffic simulation model that was calibrated using field data obtained from the study site in College Station, Texas. Once the predicted model was developed, the model validation was performed using the field data to check the accuracy of its prediction. A statistical measure was performed for quantifying the difference between the observed and predicted delay on the free right turn lane. From the research results, it was concluded that the weaving maneuvers influence the operation of a free right-turn lane and cause delay on the free right-turn lane.

Zugl.: Linz, Univ., Diss.

Zugl.: Sankt Gallen, Univ., Diss., 2006 u.d.T.: Buschmann, Holger: Turnaround-Management

University, Diss.--St. Gallen, 2004.