No description available.

A challenge for the clinical management of Parkinson's disease (PD) is the large within- and between-patient variability in symptom profiles as well as the emergence of motor complications which represent a significant source of disability in patients. This thesis deals with the development and evaluation of methods and systems for supporting the management of PD by using repeated measures, consisting of subjective assessments of symptoms and objective assessments of motor function through fine motor tests (spirography and tapping), collected by means of a telemetry touch screen device. One aim of the thesis was to develop methods for objective quantification and analysis of the severity of motor impairments being represented in spiral drawings and tapping results. This was accomplished by first quantifying the digitized movement data with time series analysis and then using them in data-driven modelling for automating the process of assessment of symptom severity. The objective measures were then analysed with respect to subjective assessments of motor conditions. Another aim was to develop a method for providing comparable information content as clinical rating scales by combining subjective and objective measures into composite scores, using time series analysis and data-driven methods. The scores represent six symptom dimensions and an overall test score for reflecting the global health condition of the patient. In addition, the thesis presents the development of a web-based system for providing a visual representation of symptoms over time allowing clinicians to remotely monitor the symptom profiles of their patients. The quality of the methods was assessed by reporting different metrics of validity, reliability and sensitivity to treatment interventions and natural PD progression over time. Results from two studies demonstrated that the methods developed for the fine motor tests had good metrics indicating that they are appropriate to quantitatively and objectively assess the severity of motor impairments of PD patients. The fine motor tests captured different symptoms; spiral drawing impairment and tapping accuracy related to dyskinesias (involuntary movements) whereas tapping speed related to bradykinesia (slowness of movements). A longitudinal data analysis indicated that the six symptom dimensions and the overall test score contained important elements of information of the clinical scales and can be used to measure effects of PD treatment interventions and disease progression. A usability evaluation of the web-based system showed that the information presented in the system was comparable to qualitative clinical observations and the system was recognized as a tool that will assist in the management of patients.

Disasters are complex events characterized by damage to key infrastructure and population displacements into disaster shelters. Assessing the living environment in shelters during disasters is a crucial health security concern. Until now, jurisdictional knowledge and preparedness on those assessment methods, or deficiencies found in shelters is limited. A cross-sectional survey (STUSA survey) ascertained knowledge and preparedness for those assessments in all 50 states, DC, and 5 US territories. Descriptive analysis of overall knowledge and preparedness was performed. Fisher’s exact statistics analyzed differences between two groups: jurisdiction type and population size. Two logistic regression models analyzed earthquakes and hurricane risks as predictors of knowledge and preparedness. A convenience sample of state shelter assessments records (n=116) was analyzed to describe environmental health deficiencies found during selected events. Overall, 55 (98%) of jurisdictions responded (states and territories) and appeared to be knowledgeable of these assessments (states 92%, territories 100%, p = 1.000), and engaged in disaster planning with shelter partners (states 96%, territories 83%, p = 0.564). Few had shelter assessment procedures (states 53%, territories 50%, p = 1.000); or training in disaster shelter assessments (states 41%, 60% territories, p = 0.638). Knowledge or preparedness was not predicted by disaster risks, population size, and jurisdiction type in neither model. Knowledge: hurricane (Adjusted OR 0.69, 95% C.I. 0.06-7.88); earthquake (OR 0.82, 95% C.I. 0.17-4.06); and both risks (OR 1.44, 95% C.I. 0.24-8.63); preparedness model: hurricane (OR 1.91, 95% C.I. 0.06-20.69); earthquake (OR 0.47, 95% C.I. 0.7-3.17); and both risks (OR 0.50, 95% C.I. 0.06-3.94). Environmental health deficiencies documented in shelter assessments occurred mostly in: sanitation (30%); facility (17%); food (15%); and sleeping areas (12%); and during ice storms and tornadoes. More research is needed in the area of environmental health assessments of disaster shelters, particularly, in those areas that may provide better insight into the living environment of all shelter occupants and potential effects in disaster morbidity and mortality. Also, to evaluate the effectiveness and usefulness of these assessments methods and the data available on environmental health deficiencies in risk management to protect those at greater risk in shelter facilities during disasters.

With this study, our purpose has been to achieve profounded knowledge and understanding regarding the use of discretion among social workers specialized in social allowance issues. The Social Services Act, structured as a framework law in the Swedish context, provides the social worker with a certain degree of discretion, in order to enable accommodated decisions depending on client case specifics. This study problematizes these aspects of legal security, and our intention has been to examine which factors impact the assessments social workers carry out in statutory decisions of social allowance applications. To attain this, we narrowed down our intention into a number of distinct and delimitated research questions: (1) Which elements of the client case impact the social worker’s assessment? (2) Which external aspects influence the social worker’s assessments and decisions? (3) How do social workers decide the client’s credibility?   In order to establish answers to our research questions, we have utilized a qualitative approach of research by exerting qualitative interviews in addition to a vignette study. We have conducted five interviews with social workers specialized in social allowance issues. The empirical material was analyzed and illustrated in the view of Lipsky’s descriptive theory of street-level bureaucracy, and in the light of different theories of authoritarian power, as constituted by Lukes and Foucault.   Within the municipality subject to our research, our vignette study establishes the fact disparities exist among the assessments social workers decide from an application of social allowance. The result of our study exhibit social workers’ grounds of assessment are influenced by a number of aspects. These facets of impact compose internal factors existing within the client case frame. Related to the unique characteristics of a client’s situation, the internal factors also depend on the relation created between social worker and client. Furthermore, the social worker’s assessment is affected by external factors including colleague consultation, supervisor influence and contemporary work load levels. Additionally, our study implies aspects influencing decision-making of social workers occurring on a meta level, which we have opted to denominate semi-external factors. These factors embrace levels of client credibility as well as aspects of power present in the social worker – client relation.

Es wird über die Entwicklung und Erprobung von Instrumenten zur Messung von Ingenieurskreativität und Fachinteresse am Studium der Elektrotechnik berichtet. Im Fall des Fachinteresses wird ein Algorithmus vorgeschlagen um effizient Skalen maßzuschneidern. Für spezifische Kreativität werden die Schwierigkeiten der Erfassung diskutiert und erste Möglichkeit der Lösung dieser Probleme diskutiert. / The development and testing of two scales measuring creativity in engineering and vocational interest is reported. Concerning the scale of vocational interest an algorithm for the efficient tailoring of such scales is proposed. In case of specific creativity the difficulties of the measurement are discussed and first solutions developed.

Das Testen kognitiver Fähigkeiten ist ein Standardproblem in der Leistungsdiagnostik. Typische Anwendungsfelder sind Lernstandsüberprüfungen, Zulassungs- und Auswahlverfahren an Schulen und Hochschulen, aber auch Eignungs- und Einstellungsverfahren im betrieblichen Kontext. Sollen nicht nur einige wenige Personen, sondern größere Kohorten getestet werden, kommen aus testökonomischen Gründen vermehrt computerbasierte Tests (E-Assessments) und Aufgaben mit geschlossenem Antwortformat (Selected-Response, SR) zum Einsatz. Auf diese Weise lassen sich Tests automatisch auswerten, was gegenüber papierbasierten Tests den Testaufwand erheblich reduziert und eine zeitnahe Rückmeldung der Ergebnisse an die getesteten Personen erlaubt (Michel, Goertz, Radomski, Fritsch, & Baschour, 2015). Neben der guten Testökonomie besitzen SR-Tests auch aus psychometrischer Sicht Vorteile. So lassen sie sich nicht nur objektiver auswerten, sondern auch zeitsparender beantworten, wodurch eine größere Zahl an Aufgaben bei gleicher Testdauer gestellt werden kann Lindner, Strobel, & Köller, 2015). Dennoch werden SR-Tests insbesondere an Hochschulen häufig als besonders rigide Prüfungsform wahrgenommen (Kubinger, 2014). Eine wiederkehrend zu beobachtende Strategie scheint deshalb – wohl auch um die Akzeptanz dieser Prüfungsform zu erhöhen – die Ergänzung von E-Assessments um Freitextaufgaben (Constructed-Response, CR) zu sein. Hochschulprüfungen entscheiden über den Zugang zu erstrebenswerten Gütern einer Gesellschaft (Huinink & Schröder, 2014) und ziehen berufliche Auswahlentscheidungen nach sich (Rekrutierungsfunktion; Tsarouha, 2019). Vor dem Hintergrund der grundgesetzlich geregelten Berufswahlfreiheit (Artikel 12, GG) ergibt sich die berechtigte Forderung nach einer hohen diagnostischen Güte der eingesetzten Tests. Gleichzeitig erfordern die institutionellen Rahmenbedingungen an Hochschulen ökonomische Testmethoden. Aktuell fehlt es an Arbeiten, die den Verlust an Testökonomie durch Hinzunahme von CR-Items quantifizieren und den möglichen Gewinn an diagnostischer Güte zueinander ins Verhältnis setzen. Zudem weisen Schulleistungsstudien (Lafontaine & Monseur, 2009; Lissitz, Hou, & Slater, 2012; Reardon, Kalogrides, Fahle, Podolsky, & Zárate, 2018) und Untersuchungen aus dem Hochschulkontext (Arthur & Everaert, 2012) auf geschlechterdifferenzielle Effekte verschiedener Itemformate hin, die zu einem Problem für die Testfairness werden können. Beide Forschungsfragen adressiert der vorliegende Beitrag anhand einer empirischen Analyse von Daten einer E-Klausur, die die Abschlussprüfung eines erziehungswissenschaftlichen Moduls im universitären Lehramtsstudium bildet. [...aus der Einleitung]

Utveckling av infrastruktur är en förutsättning för att hantera, men också för att stimulera, urbanisering och stadsutveckling. År 2012 inleddes vad som kom att kallas stockholmsförhandlingen där staten, Stockholms läns landsting och fyra kommuner skulle besluta om finansiering av nya tunnelbanesträckningar samt bostadsbebyggelse i Stockholms län. Att genomföra stora infrastrukturprojekt är kostsamt och kräver omfattande finansiering och den första april 2017 öppnades nya möjligheter upp för finansiering av sådana projekt. Denna nya möjlighet innebär att kommuner kan ålägga exploatörer att medfinansiera en del av kommunens kostnader för investeringar i transportinfrastruktur, så kallad medfinansieringsersättning. Den nya medfinansieringsersättningen är i sin tur ett verktyg för så kallad värdeåterföring. Under antagandet att infrastruktur ger upphov till stora värdeökningar i närliggande fastigheter används värdeåterföring för att den som har nytta av infrastruktur ska finansiera densamma. Internationellt har värdeåterföring sedan länge använts för att finansiera infrastruktur och således finns det en mängd olika metoder för hur det ska gå till. Syftet med denna uppsats har varit att, med utgångspunkt i hur värdeåterföring implementeras vid utbyggnaden av tunnelbanan i Stockholm, jämföra olika metoder för värdeåterföring. Jämförelsen av tre olika metoder: Development Impact Fees, Tax Increment Financing och Special Assessments, har gjorts i form av fallstudier med utgångspunkt i faktorer så som möjlighet till applicering på svenska förhållanden, grad av värdeåterföring och deltagandegrad. Fallstudier tillsammans med teori om markvärden visar att värdeåterföring är en finansieringsmetod med stor potential att möjliggöra infrastrukturinvesteringar. Utgångspunkten är att en bra metod för värdeåterföring bör kännetecknas av att det värde som återförs står i relation till nyttan samt att deltagandegraden är hög. Det visar sig att samtliga studerade metoder har sina för- och nackdelar och att total rättvisa är svår att åstadkomma. Samtidigt visar det sig att den metod som i störst utsträckning anses uppfylla kriterierna för vad som är en bra metod för värdeåterföring inte lämpar sig bäst i Sverige givet rådande förhållanden. Att Sverige har regioner med olika förutsättningar, framförallt skillnader i markvärden, har bidragit till slutsatsen att ett strikt rikstäckande ramverk kan vara kontraproduktivt i syftet att utnyttja värdeåterföringens fulla potential. / Development of infrastructure is fundamental to manage, but also to stimulate urbanization and development of cities. In 2012, an agreement called stockholmsförhandlingen, was made where the state, Stockholm County Council and four municipalities were to decide how a new subway should be financed and how the supply of housing in the Stockholm region were to be solved. It is not a new finding that infrastructure projects require large investments but in April 2017 a new possibility of financing these kinds of projects occurred. This opportunity makes it possible for municipalities to oblige developers to bear a part of the infrastructure costs. This new possibility is a tool for value capturing. With the assumption that infrastructure cause large increases in values of nearby properties, value capturing is used because property owners who benefit from the infrastructure should contribute to the cost of the investment.  Value capturing has been widely used internationally and therefore there are many ways to accomplish it. The purpose of this thesis is, with starting point in the financing of the new subway in Stockholm, to compare different methods for value capturing. The comparison of the three methods; Development Impact Fees, Tax increment Financing and Special Assessments has been made using case studies to acknowledge the possibilities of implementing each method in current Swedish legislation and conditions.  The case studies, along with theory about property values shows that value capturing is a method of big potential to enable investments in infrastructure. The conclusion is also that a good method should be characterized by the fact that the value captured is in proper relation to the benefits received but also a high level of participation. It has been shown that all three methods have its advantages and disadvantages and that total justice is hard to accomplish. At the same time, it has been shown that the method best meeting these requirements perhaps isn’t the best method for implementation in Sweden. The fact that Sweden has regions with different attributes, especially large variations in property value has led to the conclusion that a strictly nationwide framework could turn out to be counterproductive in the purpose of utilizing the full potential of value capture.

No description available.

The conservation of biodiversity and endemism in South Africa’s freshwater aquatic ecosystems is a high priority, particularly in the Cape Floristic Region. However, the perception that South Africa lacks suitable fish species for recreational angling, aquaculture and biological control, led to the widespread introduction and use of alien fish species. As a result, formal stocking programs have seen the introduction of five of the world’s top 100 invasive species into South Africa (Dudgeon et al. 2006). According to Dudgeon et al. (2006) freshwater ecosystems are the most endangered ecosystem in the world. The threats to freshwater biodiversity, according to Dudgeon et al. (2006), can be grouped into five categories that interact with one another: overexploitation, water pollution, flow modifications, destruction of habitat and invasion by exotic species. This PhD study took place in the Amatola region of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The Amatola region is a rural area with no large-scale mining or industrial developments, only localised settlements. These developments are mainly situated around impoundments, because of the resources such as water and food that they provide. Thus the dams within the Amatola region should theoretically have no major industrial stressors on them. The three impoundments studied were Binfield Park, Sandile and Wriggleswade Dams. Binfield Park Dam is a 260ha impoundment. It impounds the Tyume River and is used by both subsistence anglers from the local communities and occasionally by recreational bass anglers. Sandile Dam is a 146ha impoundment and is the smallest of the three dams in this study. It impounds the Wolf and Keiskamma Rivers. Wriggleswade Dam is a 1000ha impoundment used extensively by recreational bass and carp anglers, and impounds the Kubusi River. There is a paucity of information regarding the health of the indigenous and alien fish species from the study region, as well as on the parasite diversity of these various fish species. In order to fill the gaps in the information the following hypothesis was proposed. That the necropsy based and histology based fish health assessment can be successfully implemented as tools to assess the effects of heavy metal pollution and alien fish parasites in freshwater fish from selected impoundments in the Amatola region, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. In order to achieve this hypothesis the main aim of this study will be to use the necropsy- and histology- based fish health assessment to determine the health status of the fish species in these impoundments as well as to understand the potential threat of water pollution and fish parasites. Fish were sampled with the aid of gill nets, fyke nets and by angling from each of the three impoundments over three surveys in July 2011, and March and August 2012. Following capture fish were transported to a field laboratory in aerated containers. At the field laboratory the fish were examined and dissected using the methods recommended by Adams et al. (1993) for a necropsy-based fish health assessment. Gills, livers, kidneys and gonads samples were also collected for histological analysis. Macroscopic and histology-based fish health assessment index was used, as well the analysis of muscle tissue of Micropterus salmoides and surface water and sediment from Binfield Park, Sandile and Wriggleswade Dams. It was shown that, according to the macroscopic fish health assessment index, M. salmoides in Wriggleswade Dam had a higher FHAI score compared to those in Binfield Park and Sandile Dam, there were no significant differences between the FHAI scores. However, the cause of the higher FHAI in the Wriggleswade Dam was because of the external skin damage caused by the presence of the alien parasite Lernaea cyprinacea. The histology-based fish health assessment index, however, showed that M. salmoides from Binfield Park had significantly higher histology Fish Index (IFISH) scores compared to those in Sandile and Wriggleswade Dams. The main contributors to the high IFISH score of Binfield Park were the significantly high Liver Index (IL) and Kidney Index (IK). The increased severity of the alterations observed in the liver and kidney tissue of the Binfield Park M. salmoides samples may have been as a result of the high concentration of mercury found in the muscle tissue of M. salmoides. The water quality and metals detected in the water of Binfield Park, Sandile and Wriggleswade Dams were all below the target water quality guideline values, as well as below those of previous research into the nutrients and presence of metals in these impoundments. The sediment metal analysis showed that the levels of Co, Mn and Ni were above the target guideline levels for Binfield Park, Sandile and Wriggleswade Dams, Cu was above target guidelines levels for Sandile Dam, and uranium was above the target guideline concentrations for Wriggleswade Dam. Binfield Park Dam had significantly high levels of mercury in the muscle tissue of M. salmoides, while Sandile Dam had significantly high levels of zinc in the muscle tissue of M. salmoides. It was shown that M. salmoides from each of the three impoundments are in a healthy state according to the parameters assessed. However, the presence of heavy metals, particularly mercury, uranium and zinc, do indicate the presence of human activities. The indigenous parasites of Anguilla mossambica have been well documented including the gastrointestinal nematode Paraquimperia africana, and the stomach nematode Heliconema africanum. Indigenous parasites such as the swimbladder nematode Anguillicola papernai had no effect on the condition factor of infected and uninfected eels. However, the damage caused by the alien parasites were evident, including the first documented effects of the alien gill monogenean Pseudodactylogyrus anguillae on indigenous wild populations of the longin fin eel A. mossambica from the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Histological observations indicated that an alien gill monogenean caused hyperplasia, increase in mucous cells, rupture of pillar cells as well as telangiectasia. This alien parasite has invaded the Keiskamma and Kei River systems in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. According to the macroscopic fish health assessment index, A. mossambica from Binfield Park, Sandile and Wriggleswade Dams are in a healthy state. However, the histology-based health assessment highlighted that the effects on P. anguillae have a severe negative impact on the health of A. mossambica. Using the macroscopic and histology-based fish health assessment, a comprehensive investigation into the fish health status of Mugil cephalus and Myxus capensis from Binfield Park Dam revealed that human effects and parasites are not the only threats to freshwater fish. Nephrocalcinosis is a non-infectious kidney disease which is characterised by abnormal calcium deposition in the kidneys of humans and some fish species. According to the macroscopic and histology-based fish health assessment, the M. cephalus and M. capensis are not in a healthy condition. The macroscopic and histology-based fish assessment indices are not stressor-specific, and therefore the cause of the poor health state of these two fish species could not be determined. A possible suggestion for the poor health of these two species is the age of the species. Because the two mullet species were stocked into Binfield Park Dam, Ellender et al. (2012) could successfully age them accurately to ten years of age, which is the upper limit of the life span for these species. Macroscopic and histology-based fish heath assessments were conducted on Labeo umbratus from Sandile Dam in order to determine the health of this species. Macroscopic and histology-based fish health assessment indicated that its L. umbratus are in a healthy state. The March 2012 survey specimens had a significantly higher macroscopic FHAI score than those from the July 2011 survey. The increased FHAI score was because of parasite infections, as well as discoloured livers and increased total blood plasma protein levels, which are indicators of nutritional state. However, the presence of the anchor worm parasite Lernaea barnimiana in low numbers had no significant impact on the health of L. umbratus. The effect of the alien anchor worm parasite Lernaea cyprinacea was shown on the transloacted small mouth yellowfish Labeobarbus aeneus. It was also shown that L. aeneus are, according the macroscopic FHAI and the histology-based fish health assessment index, in a healthy state. However, the high scores observed in the macroscopic fish health assessment index were primarily as a result of the presence of the alien parasite L. cyprinacea and its associated affects on the fish host. Because of the significant impact of this alien parasite species on the translocated host species, it can be assumed that this alien parasite species will have a negative effect on the health of indigenous fish species in the Great Kei River. It is clear from the results presented in this study that the necropsy based and histology based fish health assessment can be successfully implemented as tools to assess the effects of heavy metal pollution and alien fish parasites in freshwater fish from selected impoundments in the Amatola region, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, thus the original hypothesis of this thesis is accepted. Based on work done in this research the gaps in research have been identified. Due to the high levels of mercury indentified in the muscle tissue of M. salmoides from Binfield Park Dam. A human health assessment and edibility should be conducted in order to determine if the fish from Binfield Park Dam is safe for human consumption. In order to conserve South Africa’s Freshwater fish biodiversity, country wide surveys of indigenous fish species must be undertaken so that the health and the parasite diversity can be evaluated. / PhD (Zoology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Public participation is an integral part of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process, as it provides opportunities for interested and affected parties (I&APs) to participate in the decision making process. The objective of public participation is to accomplish social and environmental justice and to promote informed decision making. Concern however exists that public participation is seen and implemented as a rigid “one size fits all” process and that the inputs by I&APs are limited to the pre-authorisation phases i.e. the I&APs are not involved in the environmental management of the full life cycle of the activity. The problem appears to stem from the fact that the implementation of the public participation process is associated with a number of shortcomings and may be seen as a paper exercise to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Management Act. The aim of the research is to determine the effectiveness of public participation in EIA processes, using a group of selected South African case studies. A structured, survey-based research study was conducted with I&APs, environmental assessment practitioners (EAPs) and officials from relevant decision making bodies (competent authorities). The main aim of the research has been achieved and all research objectives answered. The study concludes that public participation in EIA processes is not purely a paper exercise, but does in fact enhance decision making. However, there are widespread concerns regarding the selection of alternatives and the alignment of public participation processes in other environmental assessments. / M (Environmental Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015