Watersheds in Canada are under increasing threats due to the cumulative environmental effects from natural and anthropogenic sources. Cumulative effect assessment (CEA), however, if done at all is typically done on a project-by-project basis. This project-based approach to CEA is not sufficient to address the cumulative effects of multiple stressors in a watershed or a region. As a result, there is now a general consensus that CEA must extend from the project to the more regional scale. The problem, however, is that while the science of how to do watershed CEA (W-CEA) is progressing, the appropriate institutional arrangements to sustain W-CEA have not been addressed. Based on a case study of the South Saskatchewan Watershed (SSW), this research is aimed to identify the institutional requirements necessary to support and sustain W-CEA.<p> The research methods include document reviews and semi-structured interviews with regulators, administrators, watershed coordinators, practitioners, and academics knowledgeable on cumulative effect assessment and project-based environmental assessments (EAs). The findings from this research are presented thematically. First, participants perspectives on cumulative effects, the current state of CEA practice, and general challenges to project-based approaches to CEA are presented. The concept of WCEA is then examined, with a discussion on the need for linking project-based CEA and W-CEA. This is followed by the institutional requirements for W-CEA. The Chapter concludes with foreseeable challenges to implementing W-CEA, as identified by research participants.<p> The key findings include that cumulative effect assessments under project-based EAs are rarely undertaken in the SSW, and the project-based EA approach is faced with considerable challenges. The project-based EA challenges suggested by interview participants are similar to the ones discussed in the literature, and are primarily related to the lack of guidance to proponents regarding boundaries of assessments and thresholds, the lack of data from other project EAs, and the lack of capacity of both proponents and regulators to achieve a good CEA under project EA. These challenges could be addressed by establishing regional objectives at a broader scale, which could provide better context to project-based approaches. Further, interview results revealed several opportunities for the government to take the lead in implementing and sustaining W-CEA, but a multistakeholder approach is essential to W-CEA success. The results also suggest that the establishments of thresholds and data management are necessary components of W-CEA, but that the need for legislation concerning such thresholds and W-CEA initiatives is not agreed upon. At the same time, research results emphasize that the coordination and education among various stakeholders will be difficult to achieve. The lack of financial commitment, political will, and difficulties in establishing cause-effect relationships currently impede the implementation of W-CEA.

This is a study of the national test in 3rd grade. The national test is obligatory and is conducted in 5th and 9th grade, but since the spring of 2009 the tests also become mandatory in 3rd grade. The case study of this research is to find out how children in 3rd grade perceive the purpose of the national test. The survey should also clarify how students think and feel about the national test, and how they feel before the national test and after they have finished writing the test. Has the test positive or negative influence on children? The survey will also show how much teachers clarify what the significance of the national test is for the students. The study was conducted as a qualitative survey. The testing was performed at two different schools. In each school the survey was conducted in two classes in which questionnaires were adapted to students from 3rd and 4th grade. Why I use two different questionnaires adapted to these two grades is to find out different aspects of the time before and after the national test. What appears to be obvious is in this study is that these particular students who have completed the survey have no knowledge of the purpose of the national test.

Syftet med studien är att belysa sjuksköterskors bedömningssituationer inom prehospital vård. Metod: I studien medverkar fyra män och fyra kvinnor med olika lång arbetslivserfarenhet inom prehospital vård. Alla arbetar i en region i mellan Sverige. Datainsamlingen genomfördes med hjälp av intervjuer. Intervjuerna analyserades med hjälp av kvalitativ innehålls analys. Resultat: Resultatet visar att bedöma sker utifrån tecken och symtom (vad sjuksköterskan ser, vad sjuksköterskan lyssnar till, vad erfarenheten säger, vad beslutstödet anger) och genom att skapa en god relation (förklara och informera, lugn skapar trygghet, delaktighet och samförstånd). Sammanfattning: Sjuksköterskan som är arbetsverksam inom ambulanssjukvården har så ofta som det är möjligt ett öppet sinne för att kunna göra rätt bedömning och beslut. Sjuksköterskan söker stöd från riktlinjer, och ibland även hos läkare. Men mest av allt söker de stöd från sin arbetslivserfarenhet. / Aim: The aim of this study was to enlighten nurses assessment situations in prehospital care.Method: Four men and four women participated in the study, all with a various length of experience from prehospital emergency care. All the interviewed participants are working in a region in the middle of Sweden. Interview data was analyzed with content analysis. Result: The results show that the assessments are based on signs and symptoms (what the nurse sees, what the nurse listens to, what experience tells, what decision support sets) and by creating a good relationship (explain and inform, calm creates confidence, participation and consensus) Summary: The nurse in the prehospital field performs assessments independently and uses an open mind to make correct assessments and decisions. They use their lived experiences to evaluate and to improve their ability to perform assessments. The nurse seeks support from guidelines, sometimes even physicians but most importantly they seek support from their lived experiences. They also try to improve the assessment capability of patients as often as possible.

A Formulation of Multidimensional Growth Models for the Assessment and Forecast of Technology Attributes Travis W. Danner 229 Pages Directed by Dr. Dimitri Mavris This research proposes the formulation of multidimensional growth models as an approach to simulating the advancement of multi-objective technologies towards their upper limits. These multidimensional growth models are formulated by noticing and exploiting the correlation between technology growth models and technology frontiers. Both are frontiers in actuality. The technology growth curve is a frontier between capability levels of a single attribute and time, while a technology frontier is a frontier between the capability levels of two or more attributes. Multidimensional growth models are formulated by exploiting the mathematical significance of this correlation. The result is a model that can capture both the interaction between multiple system attributes and their expected rates of improvement over time. The fundamental nature of technology development is maintained and interdependent growth curves are generated for each system metric with minimal data requirements. Being founded on the basic nature of technology advancement, relative to physical limits, the availability for further improvement can be determined for a single metric relative to other system measures of merit. A byproduct of this modeling approach is a single n-dimensional technology frontier linking all n system attributes with time. This provides an environment capable of forecasting future system capability in the form of advancing technology frontiers. In addition to formulating the multidimensional growth model, this research provides a systematic procedure for applying it to specific technology architectures. Researchers and decision-makers are able to investigate the potential for additional improvement within that technology architecture and estimate the expected cost of each incremental improvement relative to the cost of past improvements. In this manner, multidimensional growth models provide the necessary information to set reasonable program goals for the further development of a particular technological approach or to establish the need for new technological approaches in light of the constraining limits of conventional approaches.

Cruise missile mission planning is a key activity of cruise missile operations. Ground planning activities aim at low observable missions that have high probability of success. These activities include end game planning, route planning and launch planning. While end game planning tries to optimize end game parameters for maximum effectiveness, route planning tries to maximize survivability and enable navigational supports by determining the waypoints to from launch zone to target through a defended area. And lastly, planner tries to find the appropriate launch parameters that will prohibit platform to contact enemy agents. Mission rehearsal is the execution of the planned mission in a virtual environment that will be constructed with the data that drives the planning process. Mission rehearsal will support planners by providing possible results of the planned mission. Stochastic processes of the execution of the planned mission will be incorporated in the simulation of the combat. Along with platform, cruise missile and target, other players like SAM Sites or Search Radars (Early Warning Radars) will be incorporated in the rehearsal process.

Detta examensarbete redovisar processen att utveckla en webbplats vars syfte är att marknadsföra en frilansande översättare. Syftet med rapporten är att undersöka vilka delar och komponenter av en sådan webbplats som är viktiga att presentera för eventuella beställare.  Vidare undersöks teorier gällande bedömning av översättningskvalité genom kvalitetsindikatorer, samt hur dessa grafiskt kan appliceras på en webbplats för påvisa god översättningskvalité i marknadsföringssyfte. Genom att använda metoder i användbarhet i form av en enkätundersökning och användartester undersöks hur deltagarna uppfattade webbplatsens navigation, gränssnitt och grafiska utseende. Resultatet av detta arbete visar på att besökare av sådan webbplats tydligt vill se vilka tjänster företaget erbjuder, en tydlig arbetsbakgrund samt vilken utbildning översättaren har. Studien visade även på att en grafisk bedömning av översättningskvalité måste göras först när en ansvarig bedömare kan bli presenterad för betraktaren. Gällande design, navigation och gränssnitt är det viktigt att webbplatsen inte har för mycket innehåll och blir för stor, samt att färgvalet för webbplatsen inte är för stark och kontrastfylld. / This paper describes the process of developing a web page with the purpose of marketing a freelancing translator. The purpose of this paper is to examine which parts and components that are relevant for clients visiting the web page. The paper also examines theories and methods regarding evaluations of translation quality through Translation Quality Assessments. These Translation Quality Assessments are later applied graphically in order to investigate how these could ease the process of determining translation quality for clients. By using methods in Usability, such as an online survey and usability testing, the navigation, interface and graphical appearance of the web page is examined.  The result of this study shows that clients visiting such a website wants to see a clear description of what services the translator offers, what work the translator has done earlier and what educational background the translator has got. The studie also showed that a graphical evaluation of Translation Quality Assessments must be done first when a liable evaluator can be presented for the viewer. Regarding the design, navigation and interface of such a web page, it is important that there is not too much content. It is also important that the color scheme of the web page is not too colorful and contains too much contrasts.

Detta examensarbete redovisar processen att utveckla en webbplats vars syfte är att marknadsföra en frilansande översättare. Syftet med rapporten är att undersöka vilka delar och komponenter av en sådan webbplats som är viktiga att presentera för eventuella beställare. Vidare undersöks teorier gällande bedömning av översättningskvalité genom kvalitetsindikatorer, samt hur dessa grafiskt kan appliceras på en webbplats för påvisa god översättningskvalité i marknadsföringssyfte. Genom att använda metoder i användbarhet i form av en enkätundersökning och användartester undersöks hur deltagarna uppfattade webbplatsens navigation, gränssnitt och grafiska utseende. Resultatet av detta arbete visar på att besökare av sådan webbplats tydligt vill se vilka tjänster företaget erbjuder, en tydlig arbetsbakgrund samt vilken utbildning översättaren har. Studien visade även på att en grafisk bedömning av översättningskvalité måste göras först när en ansvarig bedömare kan bli presenterad för betraktaren. Gällande design, navigation och gränssnitt är det viktigt att webbplatsen inte har för mycket innehåll och blir för stor, samt att färgvalet för webbplatsen inte är för stark och kontrastfylld. / This paper describes the process of developing a web page with the purpose of marketing a freelancing translator. The purpose of this paper is to examine which parts and components that are relevant for clients visiting the web page. The paper also examines theories and methods regarding evaluations of translation quality through Translation Quality Assessments. These Translation Quality Assessments are later applied graphically in order to investigate how these could ease the process of determining translation quality for clients. By using methods in Usability, such as an online survey and usability testing, the navigation, interface and graphical appearance of the web page is examined. The result of this study shows that clients visiting such a website wants to see a clear description of what services the translator offers, what work the translator has done earlier and what educational background the translator has got. The studie also showed that a graphical evaluation of Translation Quality Assessments must be done first when a liable evaluator can be presented for the viewer. Regarding the design, navigation and interface of such a web page, it is important that there is not too much content. It is also important that the color scheme of the web page is not too colorful and contains too much contrasts.

This study examined the long-term predictive validity of four reading fluency measures on a statewide reading assessment. The reading fluency measures were administered to a group of first and second grade students and their utility for predicting outcomes on a state's reading assessment in third grade was examined. Specifically, the amount of variance accounted for on the outcome assessment by Curriculum-Based Measurement - Reading (R-CBM) probes from two sources, a list fluency measure, and a group measure of fluency was investigated. The extent to which each is an accurate predictor of long-term performance when considered individually and in combination with the other measures was included in the analyses, along with an examination of whether a difference exists in the obtained prediction between grade levels.

The development of effective personnel assignment methodologies has been the focus of research to academicians and practitioners for many years. The common theory among researchers is that improvements to the effectiveness of personnel assignment decisions are directly associated with favorable outcomes to organizations. Today, companies continue to struggle to develop high quality products in a timely fashion. This elevates the necessity to further explore and improve the decision-making science of personnel assignments. The central goal of this research is to develop a novel framework for human resource assignments in skill-based environments. An extensive literature review resulted in the identification of the following three areas of the general personnel assignment problem as potential improvement opportunities: determining assignment criteria, properly evaluating personnel capabilities, and effectively assigning resources to tasks. Thus, developing new approaches to improve each of these areas constitute the objectives of this dissertation work. The main contributions of this research are threefold. First, this research presents an effective two-stage methodology to determine assignment criteria based on data envelopment analysis (DEA) and Tobit regression. Second, this research develops a novel fuzzy expert system for resource capability assessments in skill-based scenarios. The expert system properly evaluates the capabilities of resources in particular skills as a function of imprecise relationships that may exist between different skills. Third, this research develops an assignment model based on the fuzzy goal programming (FGP) technique. The model defines capabilities of resources, tasks requirements, and other important parameters as imprecise/fuzzy variables. The novelty of the research presented in this dissertation stems from the fact that it advances the science of personnel assignments by combining concepts from the fields of statistics, economics, artificial intelligence, and mathematical programming to develop a solution approach with an expected high practical value.

This dissertation presents a clear and systematic method for conducting cumulative effects assessments in the United States in a manner consistent with the 1997 guidelines of the President's Council on Environmental Quality and the 1999 guidance of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Federal Activities. This method has been developed in a collaborative process with federal and State of Alaska regulatory agency scrutiny during the renewal of the federal and state right-of-way leases for the Trans Alaska Pipeline System in 2004 and in the June 2004 Alaska Groundfish Fisheries Final Programmatic Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement prepared for the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Region. The dissertation describes the process through which the cumulative effects assessment method presented here was developed and presents this approach as a predictive tool with the potential to improve the implementation of sustainable development in the United States. In this context, the dissertation presents an overview of sustainability theory, distinguishing and reviewing representative examples from two major sectors of the sustainable development literature, called here the intergenerational equity strand and the human development strand. It identifies weaknesses in three key areas of the intergenerational equity strand -- lack of theorectical cohesion, insufficient tools for implementation, and an imbalance between normative goals and practical feasibility -- and argues that the human development strand, with its empirical emphasis on metrics and institutional frameworks, offers a model that can serve as a basis for unifying the two strands by providing a theoretical core, implementation tools, and practicable goals. Finally, the dissertation argues that sustainable development is implemented most effectively when it is enabled by institutions that facilitate public involvement, particularly participation by the broadest feasible representation of the affected stakeholders, and that such institutional mobilization can provide a stable and enduring basis to foster the intergenerational equity that is the central, distinguishing feature of sustainability. / text