For fifteen years many studies have used MIMO systems to increase the Shannon capacity of the traditional SISO systems. To this end, a crucial problem is the design of transmitters which are optimal w.r.t. Shannon capacity, by the use of space-time codes or of prior knowledge on the transmission channel. These problems have been addressed by many studies in the case of frequency flat MIMO channels but are really less mature for frequency selective MIMO channels. This thesis focuses in the first part on the optimization, w.r.t. the ergodic capacity, of the covariance of the vector transmitted, via the Random Matrix Theory. Using multiple transmit antennas also gives rise to diversity, which improves the receiving performance. In the second part, we thus focus on the diversity, in the specific case of a MMSE receiver. Unlike the ML receiver, this receiver is suboptimal but very simple to implement. We first study the diversity at high SNR for frequency selective channels. We then focus on a diversity factor, the use of space-time codes in block (STBC), specifically the use of the Alamouti code. Thus, we propose and analyze in the multiuser context a new MMSE receiver robust to interference thanks to its ability to use optimally the degrees of freedom available in the channel

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Technology acceptance research is a constantly developing field. The disciplines that contributed to its development are either beliefs focused or system focused. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) combined both. The current research model proposes an extension to the UTAUT that accounts for online usage behaviour. The proposed research model is tested in two countries (UK and Jordan) to investigate the viability of the unified model of technology acceptance in different boundaries as a model of individuals’ discretionary usage of Internet banking. The study also questions the roles of other determinants and moderators in this context. Results found support for the effect of the proposed extension, website quality perceptions, on usage behaviour in both countries’ models; the total effect of this extension exhibited website quality perceptions the most influential determinant of usage behaviour in both models and performance expectancy construct was second in effect. Social influence had no impact on the usage behaviour in both models, which is consistent with previous research that advocates a declining role of social influence under discretionary usage and increased experience conditions. Furthermore, the moderating role of performance expectancy previously established in TAM’s research was supported in the UTAUT model in both countries’ models. Moreover, both models reported a non-moderating effect of gender, which, is also in line with recent research findings that suggest declining gender differences under voluntary usage conditions and advanced experience. Education and income were moderators only for the UK model. Although the research findings demonstrated that both countries’ models were “configurally” similar with respect to model specifications, the models’ explanatory power for usage behaviour was dissimilar: the UK’s model explanatory power exceeded that of Jordan’s model presenting an opportunity for future research. The current research contributes to knowledge in the field of technology acceptance research. It demonstrated that website quality perceptions, as a multidimensional concept, play an important role in the online usage context. It also demonstrated that the unified model of technology acceptance established in the western culture can be transferred to a non-western culture although with varying degrees of explanation power.

Depuis une quinzaine d'années de nombreux travaux s'attachent à utiliser les systèmes MIMO afin d'augmenter la capacité de Shannon associée aux traditionnels systèmes SISO. Dans ce but, un problème crucial consiste en la conception de l'émetteur optimal au sens de la capacité de Shannon. Cette problématique a fait l'objet de nombreuses études dans le cas où le canal de transmission MIMO est non sélectif en fréquence ; elle est cependant nettement moins mature dans le cadre d'un canal MIMO sélectif en fréquence. Cette thèse s'intéresse ainsi dans une première partie à l'optimisation, au sens de la capacité ergodique, de la covariance du vecteur transmis, via la théorie des matrices aléatoires. L'utilisation de plusieurs antennes d'émission permet également d'augmenter les performances en réception grâce à la diversité induite. Dans une seconde partie, nous nous intéressons ainsi à la diversité liée aux récepteurs MMSE. A l'inverse des récepteurs ML ces récepteur sont sous-optimaux mais très simples à mettre en oeuvre. Dans un premier temps nous étudions la diversité de tels récepteurs à haut SNR pour des canaux sélectifs en fréquence, tandis que nous nous attardons dans un second temps sur un facteur de diversité, l'utilisation des codes spatio-temporels en bloc, plus spécifiquement l'utilisation du code d'Alamouti. Ainsi, nous proposons et analysons en contexte multi-utilisateur un nouveau récepteur MMSE robuste aux interférences car exploitant au mieux les degrés de liberté du canal / For fifteen years many studies have used MIMO systems to increase the Shannon capacity of the traditional SISO systems. To this end, a crucial problem is the design of transmitters which are optimal w.r.t. Shannon capacity, by the use of space-time codes or of prior knowledge on the transmission channel. These problems have been addressed by many studies in the case of frequency flat MIMO channels but are really less mature for frequency selective MIMO channels. This thesis focuses in the first part on the optimization, w.r.t. the ergodic capacity, of the covariance of the vector transmitted, via the Random Matrix Theory. Using multiple transmit antennas also gives rise to diversity, which improves the receiving performance. In the second part, we thus focus on the diversity, in the specific case of a MMSE receiver. Unlike the ML receiver, this receiver is suboptimal but very simple to implement. We first study the diversity at high SNR for frequency selective channels. We then focus on a diversity factor, the use of space-time codes in block (STBC), specifically the use of the Alamouti code. Thus, we propose and analyze in the multiuser context a new MMSE receiver robust to interference thanks to its ability to use optimally the degrees of freedom available in the channel

As NASA prepares to return humans to the moon and establish a long-term presence on the surface, technologies must be developed to access previously unvisited terrain regardless of the condition. Among these technologies is a guidance, navigation and control (GNC) system capable of safely and precisely delivering a spacecraft, whether manned or robotic, to a predetermined landing area. This thesis presents detailed research of both terrain-relative navigation using a terrain-scanning instrument and beacon-relative radiometric navigation using beacons in lunar orbit or on the surface of the moon. The models for these sensors are developed along with a baseline sensor suite that includes an altimeter, IMU, velocimeter, and star camera. Linear covariance analysis is used to rapidly perform the trade studies relevant to this problem and to provide the navigation performance data necessary to determine which navigation method is best suited to support a 100 m 3-σ navigation requirement for landing anytime and anywhere on the moon.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Econometrics))-University of Pretoria, 2005. / Abstract in English. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

A novel trajectory and attitude control and navigation analysis tool for powered ascent is developed. The tool is capable of rapid trade-space analysis and is designed to ultimately reduce turnaround time for launch vehicle design, mission planning, and redesign work. It is streamlined to quickly determine trajectory and attitude control dispersions, propellant dispersions, orbit insertion dispersions, and navigation errors and their sensitivities to sensor errors, actuator execution uncertainties, and random disturbances. The tool is developed by applying both Monte Carlo and linear covariance analysis techniques to a closed-loop, launch vehicle guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) system. The nonlinear dynamics and flight GN&C software models of a closed-loop, six-degree-of-freedom (6-DOF), Monte Carlo simulation are formulated and developed. The nominal reference trajectory (NRT) for the proposed lunar ascent trajectory is defined and generated. The Monte Carlo truth models and GN&C algorithms are linearized about the NRT, the linear covariance equations are formulated, and the linear covariance simulation is developed. The performance of the launch vehicle GN&C system is evaluated using both Monte Carlo and linear covariance techniques and their trajectory and attitude control dispersion, propellant dispersion, orbit insertion dispersion, and navigation error results are validated and compared. Statistical results from linear covariance analysis are generally within 10% of Monte Carlo results, and in most cases the differences are less than 5%. This is an excellent result given the many complex nonlinearities that are embedded in the ascent GN&C problem. Moreover, the real value of this tool lies in its speed, where the linear covariance simulation is 1036.62 times faster than the Monte Carlo simulation. Although the application and results presented are for a lunar, single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO), ascent vehicle, the tools, techniques, and mathematical formulations that are discussed are applicable to ascent on Earth or other planets as well as other rocket-powered systems such as sounding rockets and ballistic missiles.

QC 20100601

Investeringar är grunden i ett företag och därmed är investeringsprocessen ett intressant fenomen att titta närmare på. Efter att ha studerat litteratur och tidigare forskning, som tar upp problematiken i investeringsprocessen, framkom att beslutsfattarens roll är en väsentlig del vid investeringsprocessen. Studien behandlar både beslutfattarens bakgrund och val som påverkar investeringsbeslutfattande i restaurangsbranschen, beslutfattarens bakgrund och val behandlas som påverkande respektive förklarande faktorer. Studien syftar på att ta reda på om och i vilken omfattning belutfattarens bakgrund påverkar sina val i investeringsprocessen. Genom att tillämpa en kvantitativ metod i form av en enkätundersökning lyftes beslutsfattarens bakgrund och investeringsprocess fram. Utifrån enkätundersökningen gjordes en statistisk analys för att hitta eventuella samband mellan de påverkande samt förklarande faktorerna. Resultatet av enkätundersökningen och statistiska analysen visade att det fanns starka samband mellan faktorer såsom kön, ålder, investeringsrutin, kalkylanvändning, utbildningstyp och utbildningsnivå. Detta bekräftar tidigare forskning och teorier om beteendeinriktad investeringsbeslutfattande.

La localisation de dégâts basée sur les mesures de vibrations est devenue un axe de recherche important pour la surveillance de la santé structurale (SHM). En particulier, la Stochastic Dynamic Damage Locating Vector (SDDLV) est une méthode de localisation des dégâts basée sur le couplage entre un modèle aux éléments finis (FE) de la structure et des paramètres modaux estimés à partir des mesures dynamiques en excitation ambiante dans les états structuraux sain et endommagé, interrogeant les changements dans la matrice de transfert. Dans la première contribution, la méthode SDDLV est étendue avec une approche statistique conjointe utilisant plusieurs ensembles de modes, surmontant la limitation théorique sur le nombre minimal de paramètres. Un autre problème traité est la performance de la méthode en fonction du choix de la variable de Laplace où la fonction de transfert est évaluée. Une attention particulière est accordée à ce choix et à son optimisation. Dans la deuxième contribution, l'approche Influence Line Damage Location (ILDL), complémentaire à l’approche SDDLV est étendue avec un cadre statistique. Dans la dernière contribution, une approche de sensibilité pour les petits dommages est développée en fonction de la différence des matrices de transfert, permettant la localisation des dommages par des tests statistiques dans un cadre gaussien, et en plus la quantification des dommages dans une deuxième étape. Enfin, les méthodes proposées sont validées sur des simulations numériques et leurs performances sont testées dans de nombreuses études de cas sur des expériences de laboratoire. / Vibration-based damage localization has become an important issue for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). Particularly, the Stochastic Dynamic Damage Locating Vector (SDDLV) method is an output-only damage localization method based on both a Finite Element (FE) model of the structure and modal parameters estimated from output-only measurements in the reference and damaged states of the system, interrogating changes in the transfer matrix. Firstly, the SDDLV method has been extended with a joint statistical approach for multiple mode sets, overcoming the theoretical limitation on the number of modes in previous works. Another problem is that the performance of the method can change considerably depending on the Laplace variable where the transfer function is evaluated. Particular attention is given to this choice and how to optimize it. Secondly, the Influence Line Damage Location (ILDL) approach which is complementary to the SDDLV approach has been extended with a statistical framework. Thirdly, a sensitivity approach for small damages has been developed based on the transfer matrix difference, allowing damage localization through statistical tests in a Gaussian framework, and in addition the quantification of the damage in a second step. Finally, the proposed methods are validated on numerical simulations and their performances are tested extensively in numerous case studies on lab experiments.