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Each day, the need for as well as the amount of network-based applications grows and with it the implementation of RESTful APIs. For all these APIs there is a need for documentation of the API's behavior, its benefits, how it interacts with other APIs, and its expected result. To solve this; An API specification is constructed. This is a document containing the design philosophy of the APIs and can act as a guideline for how they should be constructed. When designing API specifications it is often difficult to understand what objective quality the API document upholds. To understand the objective quality of an API specification it must first be understood what a good objective quality is in this regard. We used static code tests (linter rules) that are mapped to three quality attributes that fit the industry's consensus of the most important quality attributes that need to be complacent for a good quality API. We then implemented an automatic process of splitting API specifications into positive and negative training data using the linter results of the rules. The resulting data is used to train our BERT model.The model will then be able to give an objective score to unseen API specifications. We then used a saliency map (textual heatmap) in order to understand BERT's decisions, which added the potential to generate new linter rules from the given results. After testing unseen API specifications on our BERT model, we saw that it was able to generate a reasonable quality score. Although, when inserting smaller features to generate a textual heatmap, the predictions of our model were not correct, hence not making it possible to understand BERT's decisions through our implementation. This also meant that new rules could not be acquired from reviewing the BERT's result.

Seediness and other differences between rabbiteye-RB (Vaccinium ashei), southern highbush-SHB (Vaccinium darrowii), and commercial market equivalent, highbush-HB (Vaccinium corymbosum) varieties/lines were determined. Forty six selections of rabbiteye and southern highbush blueberries, and three highbush varieties, were analyzed for seediness (seeds per berry volume, SPV). There were no differences (p > 0.05) in SPV between SHB and RB selections, but differences (p < 0.05) existed within species. Berries were assigned to 8 groups based on SPV to conduct sensory panels and chemical analysis. Consumers perceived RB more different than SHB from HB blueberries. In the descriptive panel, differences (p < 0.05) were found in shriveling, skin intactness, grittiness, seediness, and tartness. The soluble solids to acid ratio of HB, SHB, and RB averaged 16.05, 9.60, and 11.05%, respectively. Some consumers and trained panelists can discern differences due to seediness and other traits between blueberry species.

This study employed a stated choice experiment survey to identify southeastern U.S. farmers’ preferences for contracts to produce Giant Miscanthus. We developed a more theoretically consistent framework which takes into account risk preference and perception information and also accounts for heterogeneous status-quo alternatives. Results from our Random Parameter Logit model indicated that price per ton of harvested Giant Miscanthus, biorefinery harvest, and establishment cost-share all had significant positive effects on the probability of a producer accepting a contract to produce Giant Miscanthus, whereas contract length had a significant negative effect. Our analysis also found evidence of significant preference heterogeneity in producers’ preferences for biorefinery harvest, yield insurance, and contract length. We also found that incorporating risk perception and risk preference information, as well as accounting for heterogeneous status-quo alternatives in the decision framework improved overall model performance even though the respective individual coefficients for these variables were not statistically significant.

Thesis (M. Com. (Accountancy)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / This study investigated the effect of mayoral attributes on the financial performance of selected municipalities for improved service delivery in South Africa. The study adopted the quantitative research method to examine the relationship between mayoral attributes (age, administrative experience, and educational background) and financial performance. This study used data from 30 municipalities based in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The study used data collected from selected municipal annual reports available on their websites using purposive sampling and panel data analysis to analyse the data. The results showed a positive relationship between administrative experience and financial performance, a negative relationship between age and financial performance, and a negative relationship between educational background and financial performance. Therefore, the study recommends that to improve financial performance in municipalities for improved service delivery the appointment of a municipal mayor should be based on administrative experience. Furthermore, the study suggests that in consideration of the need to interpret constantly emerging new financial regulations to promote financial stability in municipalities, the educational qualifications of mayoral candidates should be prioritised. However, the study did not examine other mayoral attributes that can affect financial performance, such as independence, race, and allowance because they are challenging to estimate. Keywords: Financial performance; age; Administrative experience; Educational background; municipalities; mayoral attributes.

Tennessee's registered nurse vacancy rate is the highest in five years and the nursing shortage has dramatically impacted all portions of the state. The purpose of this study was to describe organizational attributes of exemplar Tennessee hospitals, as perceived by Chief Nurse Executives, which may influence the recruitment and retention of registered nurses. In this study, 52 Tennessee hospitals were identified as exemplars of quality patient care, organizational policy, and administration. Their Chief Nurse Executive's were surveyed utilizing a Hospital Characteristics Questionnaire and the Organizational Support Subscale from the Nursing Workforce Index Revised (NWI-R). The hospital characteristics and organizational attributes were then compared with those found in American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) magnet hospitals, which have a reputation for retaining and recruiting nurses. The study demonstrated that the exemplar Tennessee hospitals were not comparable with the ANCC magnet hospitals and the findings suggest that Tennessee hospitals must develop strategies related to staffing, professional autonomy, respect for nursing, and positive work environments in order to recruit and retain nurses to preserve a nursing workforce now, and in the future.

This study examines how wineries in Skåne market themselves as a visitor business. What their work on marketing strategies looks like and what attractiveness wineries have. It is a qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with winery owners and winemakers from four different wineries in Skåne. The vineyards that were selected are Flädie Mat &amp; Vingård, Hällåkra Vingård, Kullabergs Vingård and Skepparps Vingård. The results show that wineries have become an attraction for foreign visitors and that there has been an increase in Swedish visitors to the wineries in recent years. People are curious and find vineyards as a new attraction in Sweden. Social media was considered as the most used marketing channels to market the vineyards and their offerings. Another strategy has been word-of-mouth to spread the word to friends and family. Many of the wineries see opportunities to further develop their business, partly their winery, but also to attract more visitors. Challenges for the vineyards are partly the climate but have mainly been the ban on farm trade, which prevents wine tourism from being fully experienced. The ban means that they cannot sell their wine directly to the consumer but need to either sell it at Systembolaget or have a restaurant business with full rights to serve wine to their visitors. The conclusion that can be drawn is that it showed that the pandemic has had an impact in that wineries have had more Swedish visitors in the past year as people have not been able to travel abroad during the summer due to the restrictions of the Covid-19 virus, several people from Sweden choose to spend their holiday in Sweden, hence a higher pressure on visits to vineyards. The marketing of wineries to be a niche attraction has also made more people visit the business by marketing it via social media, which is considered a powerful tool to reach out to people.

Although cycling becomes more and more popular, many people are still deterred from cycling by various aspects including a lack of perceived safety [1 ]. To o:ffer preferable infrastructure and, hence, to better promote cycling. it is therefore crucial to examine how cyclists evahmte their routes, and to figure out what makes an infrastructure seem unsafe or unattractive. Some studies have already identified i.mportant route criteria 1ike safety or comfort, and have connected them to certain route attributes. High traffic volumes and cycling on no or poor cycling facilities are experienced as stressful by cyclists [2], [3], and they try to avoid these routes in order to reduce possible interactions with motor vehicles [4]. In contrast, a separated cycling facility, low speed, and low traflic volumes are evaluated as safe and stress-ftee [2], [5]. Furthennore, cyclists prefer oomfortable routes, that is, routes with low gradient and few stops and traffic lights as weil as attractive routes with a green and pleasant su:rrounding [6], [7]. Most ofthe studies investigated those criteria deductively, that is, the researchers analyzed the results theorydriven and in terms of predetermined criteria. In a previous study, we examined them in an inductive and qualitative approach that allowed us to collect criteria with the participants' individual wording and content [8]. We found that cyclists evaluate their route attributes in terms of Mental Comfort, possible interactions with other road users, Physical Comfort, the Base of Use of the infrastructure, and the pleasanlness of the surrounding. Safety and stress were found to be sub-aspects of Mental Comfort, whereas Interaction was associated with attention and concentration due to other road users. The term comfort, however, was mentioned by participants only in terms of physical comfort. The aim of the present study is to validate these evaluation criteria found in our previous study, and to connect them to certain route attributes using the experimental approach of a bicycle simulator in combination with qualitative surveys.

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) Traffic and Safety Division continues to advance the safety of roadway sections throughout the state. In an effort to aid UDOT in meeting their goal, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Brigham Young University (BYU) has worked with the Statistics Department in developing analysis tools for safety. The most recent of these tools has been the development of a hierarchical Bayesian Poisson Mixture Model (PMM) of traffic crashes known as the Utah Crash Prediction Model (UCPM), a hierarchical Bayesian Binomial statistical model known as the Utah Crash Severity Model (UCSM), and a Bayesian Horseshoe selection method. The UCPM and UCSM models helped with the analysis of safety on UDOT roadways statewide and the integration of the results of these models was applied to Geographic Information System (GIS) framework. This research focuses on the addition of roadway attributes in the selection and analysis of “hot spots.” This is in conjunction with the framework for highway safety mitigation migration in Utah with its six primary steps: network screening, diagnosis, countermeasure selection, economic appraisal, project prioritization, and effectiveness evaluation. The addition of roadway attributes was included as part of the network screening, diagnosis, and countermeasure selection, which are included in the methodology titled “Hot Spot Identification and Analysis.” Included in this research was the documentation of the steps and process for data preparation and model use for the step of network screening and the creation of one of the report forms for the steps of diagnosis and countermeasure selection. The addition of roadway attributes is required at numerous points in the process. Methods were developed to locate and evaluate the usefulness of available data. Procedures and systemization were created to convert raw data into new roadway attributes, such as grade and sag/crest curve location. For the roadway attributes to be useful in selection and analysis, methods were developed to combine and associate the attributes to crashes on problem segments and problem spots. The methodology for “Hot Spot Identification and Analysis” was enhanced to include steps for the inclusion and defining of the roadway attributes. These methods and procedures were used to help in the identification of safety hot spots so that they can be analyzed and countermeasures selected. Examples of how the methods are to function are given with sites from Utah’s state roadway network.

Objectives Although the lack of perceived safety is an important deterrent to cycling, available knowledge is not comprehensive enough. The aim of this research is to contribute to academic knowledge by exploring the role of road section attributes in perceived safety of cyclists and to develop a method to use the theoretical results in practice. Methods A stated choice survey is carried out to estimate the effects of selected infrastructure attributes on perceived safety. A multinomial logit (MNL) model is used to estimate the effects. Results are used to develop an infrastructure assessment tool by counting aggregate perceived safety utility values of road sections. Results Cyclists perceive the presence of dedicated cycling facilities and physical separation similarly important, while other attributes (traffic volume, speed reduction and adjacent car parking) turned out to be less important. The Subjective Safety Score can be consciously used to evaluate existing and planned road sections and compare different design alternatives. Conclusions The results give a strong support for using physically separated cycling facilities (cycle tracks for example) to engage people to cycling. Further research is recommended to explore the effects of intersection attributes and to include interaction effects of attributes as well.