Climate change and urbanization causes the increasing challenges of flooding in urban watersheds. Even the rivers identified as non-vulnerable are causing catastrophic damage due to heavy flooding. So, several satellite and radar-based precipitation data are considered to study the watersheds with no gauge station or need recent precipitation data. Weather Radar (NEXRAD)arch, the accuracy of satellite-based precipitation data, Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks - Climate Data Record (PERSIANN-CDR), and radar-based precipitation data, Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD), is evaluated in rainfall-runoff simulation considering Hydrological Engineering Centre-Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) and Personal Computer Storm Water Management Model (PCSWMM), respectively.The primary research proposes a framework for modeling the rainfall-runoff process using PERSIANN-CDR and a floodplain map in an ungauged urban watershed. The one-dimensional Hydrologic Engineering Centre-River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) model generates a flood inundation map for the pertinent flooding occurrences from the acquired peak hydrograph, providing a quantifiable display of the inundation extent percentage. The second research uses the PCSWMMs to show the extent of flooding. It also employs the compromise programming method (CPM) to rank the most critical sub-catchments based on three parameters: slope, surface area, and impervious area. Three low-impact development (LID) strategies over the watershed determine the best flood management option. Therefore, the overall study presents a comprehensive framework for flood management in urban watersheds that integrates satellite precipitation data, hydrologic modeling, and LID strategies. The framework can provide an accurate flood-prone zone and help prioritize critical sub-catchments for flood management options. The study proposes using HEC-HMS and PCSWMM models to simulate and analyze interactions between rainfall, runoff, and the extent of the flood zone. Furthermore, LID can be applied to reduce flooding in urban watersheds. Overall, the framework can be helpful for policymakers and system managers to build the watershed's resilience during catastrophic flooding events caused by climate change and urbanization.

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This research is about evaluating vision in the periphery. Peripheral vision is of fundamental importance in the performance of our everyday activities. The aim of this thesis is to develop methods suitable for the evaluation of peripheral vision and to assess how different visual functions vary across the visual field. The results have application both within the field of visual rehabilitation of people with central visual field loss (CFL)and as well as in myopia research. All methods for assessing peripheral vision were implemented with adaptive psychophysical algorithms based on Bayesian statistics. A routine for time-efficient evaluation of peripheral contrast sensitivity was implemented and verified for measurements out to 30° in the visual field. Peripheral vision was evaluated for different properties of the stimuli: sharpness, motion, orientation, and extent. Optical quality was controlled using adaptive optics and/or corrective spectacles specially adapted for the peripheral viewing angle. We found that many peripheral visual functions improved with optical correction, especially in people with CFL. We also found improvements in peripheral contrast sensitivity for low spatial frequencies when stimuli drifted at 5 to 10 Hz; this applies both for people with normal vision and those with CFL. In the periphery, it is easier to see lines that are oriented parallel with respect to the visual field meridian. We have shown that this directional bias is present for both resolution and detection tasks in the periphery, even when the asymmetric optical errors are minimized. For accurate evaluation of peripheral vision, we therefore recommend using gratings that are oriented oblique to the visual  field meridian. The directional bias may have implications in how peripheral image quality affects myopia progression. Another proof that peripheral vision can influence central visual function is the fact that, when the stimulus extent was increased beyond the fovea, the blur in the stimulus was less noticeable. / Denna forskning handlar om att utvärdera synen i periferin. Vår perifera syn är ovärderlig i det dagliga livet. Målsättningen med denna avhandling är dels att utveckla metoder speciellt lämpade för perifer synutvärdering och dels att mäta hur olika synfunktioner varierar över synfältet. Resultaten har tillämpning både inom synrehabilitering för personer med centraltsynfältsbortfall och inom närsynthetsforskning. Adaptiv psykofysisk metodologi baserad på Bayesiansk statistik användes vid all utvärdering av det perifera seendet. Vi implementerade en rutin för tidseffektiv mätning av perifer kontrastkänslighet och verifierade den ut till 30° i synfältet. Den perifera synen utvärderades för olika egenskaper hos objektet: skärpa, rörelse, riktning och utbredning. Skärpan kontrollerades med hjälp av adaptiv optik och/eller glasögonkorrektion speciellt anpassad för den perifera synvinkeln. Vi fann att många periferasynfunktioner förbättras av optisk korrektion, särskilt för personer med centralt synfältsbortfall. Vi hittade även förbättringar i periferkontrastkänslighet för låga ortsfrekvenser när objektet modulerades med hastigheter mellan 5 och 10 Hz, vilket gäller både normalseende och personer med centralt synfältsbortfall. I periferin är det lättare att se linjer som är orienterade parallellt med synfältsmeridianen. Vi har visat att denna riktningsbias gäller både för upplösning och detektion i periferin, även när de asymmetriska optiska felen minimeras. För bästa mätnoggrannhet rekommenderar vi därför att använda randmönster som ligger snett relativt synfältsmeridianen. Denna riktningsbias skulle även kunna påverka hur den perifera bildkvalitén inverkar på utvecklingen av närsynthet. Ytterligare ett bevis för att perifer syn kan påverka den centrala synfunktionen är att, när objektets utbredning ökades, uppfattade personen det som mindre suddigt. / <p>QC 20160826</p>

in English This diploma thesis deals with the manner and extent of compensation for damage in civil law, which is systematically included in the fourth part of the Civil Code, entitled Relative property rights and in section named Obligations arising from torts. Specifically, the manner and extent of compensation for damage is defined in articles from 2951 to 2971. The thesis contains basic comparison of the conceptions of the manner and extent of compensation in the former Civil Code and in the new one, with emphasis on the most important reforms. It clarifies new terminology and describes the background of the newly established rules of law. It contains an analysis of the Czech legislation and its comparison with legislation of the neighboring states. It also mentions the European conception of the manner and extent of compensation for damage. The system of the thesis follows the organisation of the provisions on the manner and extent of compensation in the new Civil Code and is also divided into three chapters. The first one deals with compensation for material damage. Its main issue is the manner and extent of the material compensation and the conditions for its reduction. It also contains a provision on compensation for damage caused by an intentional criminal offence and rules for determining...

The goal of this thesis is to outline the situation of private supplementary tutoring in the first years of primary school in the Czech Republic, as this topic has not been investigated properly so far. A questionnaire for young pupil's parents was chosen as an appropriate method to collect the data needed. Although the research sample was not large, the research has brought valuable information about the children who have supplementary tutoring, about the reasons they (their parents) have for it, and also the tutors chosen to teach the pupils. The thesis builds on foreign sources and compares the situation in the Czech Republic with the situation in other countries in the world. Despite its limited extent this work could be used as a first groundwork for subsequent more extensive research in this field.

"Brownfields" are real estate property with subsurface or surface contamination. The redevelopment of Brownfields is required to clean, improve and protect the environment. Piles foundations are often used in Brownfields to support structures. Regulators are concerned about the environmental safety of pile foundations in Brownfields sites. Piling in Brownfields may lead to transport of contaminants from the contaminated region to the underground aquifers. The purpose of this investigation is to determine the potential for contaminant transport due to pile foundation in Brownfields. This investigation is an extension of previous research conducted at the University of New Orleans and ascertains the potential for contaminant transport from concrete piles of different shape, depth of penetration and method of installation. The results of large scale model tests and Finite Element studies are presented. The investigation indicates the possibility of contamination only in selected cases of piles.

Emotional disengagement of employees may cause poor organizational performance, while emotional commitment of employees may enhance organizational performance. Informed by the theory of psychological ownership in organizations, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore how employee emotional interactions in the workplace related to organizational performance within 3 multinational companies in Nigeria. The 3 selected companies represented the 3 industrial sectors in Nigeria were financial, construction, and oil and gas. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 24 participants with a minimum of 5 years' experience in their respective organizations. Data analysis included transcription, coding, and querying, which produced 5 themes: positive emotions, negative emotions, organizational success, organizational failure, and contextual excellence, cumulating into a fundamental notion of emotional extent effects. Positive emotions contributed to the organizational success, and negative emotions encouraged organizational failure. Both positive and negative emotions instigated the contextual excellence. The findings have the potential of promoting positive social change because practitioners in leadership and organizational change may use the results of this research to improve the adaptive responses to change. The findings of the study may benefit managers by helping them better lead their employees towards impacting social and economic transformations. Implementing workplace spirituality, learning taxonomy, and sustainable human resources practices may manifest innovative socio-economic performance in organizations.

<p>Bakgrund: Den första januari 1983 infördes revisionsplikt för alla aktiebolag i Sverige. Idag gör EGs fjärde bolagsdirektiv det möjligt att undanta mindre företag från kravet på revision och debatten kring revisionsplikt i små bolag i Sverige är nu intensiv. Sedan årsskiftet 2004 gäller även ett nytt regelverk, Revisionsstandard (RS) i Sverige och detta såväl som ökade krav på oberoende har ytterligare intensifierat debatten. Enligt flertalet studier är ett borttagande av revisionsplikten inte realistiskt, dock anses att små och medelstora företag är i behov av enkla och ändamålsenliga regler. Det är således relevant att undersöka hur en ändamålsenlig revision skulle kunna se ut i mindre aktiebolag.</p><p>Syfte: Syftet med denna uppsats är att tydliggöra vad som kan avses när begreppet ”förenkling” används i debatten kring revision i mindre aktiebolag. Detta genom att undersöka vilka alternativ till förenkling av revisionen för mindre aktiebolag som kan finnas. Vidare är avsikten att, utifrån ett urval insatta personers åsikter kring revision, analysera styrkor och svagheter med dessa eventuella förenklingsmöjligheter.</p><p>Avgränsningar: Studien är avgränsad till att behandla vilka möjligheter som finns till att den lagstadgade externa revisionen skulle kunna förenklas förutsatt att den behålls. Vidare omfattas endast förenklingsmöjligheter i mindre aktiebolag. Mindre företag definieras i likhet med EGs fjärde direktiv som företag med färre än 50 anställda, en omsättning understigande 7,3 miljoner euro och en balansomslutning understigande 3,65 miljoner euro. Vidare är studien avgränsad geografiskt till att endast omfatta möjligheter till förenkling av revision i mindre aktiebolag i Sverige. Dock har en undersökning kring hur revisionen ser ut i England, Tyskland och USA gjorts för att se om Sverige möjligen skulle kunna använda någon strategi för förenkling som dessa länder använt sig av.</p><p>Genomförande: I denna studie har främst en kvalitativ metod använts, detta i form av såväl litteraturstudier som fem stycken semi-strukturerade intervjuer. De respondenter som intervjuades valdes ut på den grund att de ansågs vara väl insatta i det studerade området.</p><p>Resultat: Hur en förenkling skulle kunna se ut skiftar, men utgångspunkten ser ut att vara att minska omfattningen på revisionen och därmed hålla kostnader nere. Ett antal förslag på förenklingsmöjligheter framkom vid vår studie. Ett var det tyska alternativet där antingen revisorn eller en skatterådgivare skulle kunna lämna ett utlåtande om omfattningen på den bokföringskontroll som har skett. Ett annat var förslaget om revisorsintyg, vilket används i England och USA. Vidare gavs förslag om datorstödd revision, införande av ny bolagsform i form av AB-Light, ett slopande av förvaltningsrevisionen och förenkling av revision genom förenkling av redovisningen. Sammanfattningsvis var det i två av dessa förslag, slopad förvaltningsrevision och förenklad revision genom förenklad redovisning, som styrkorna såg ut att överväga svagheterna. I respondenternas diskussion kring de olika alternativen framkom även ett förslag om obligatorisk efterfrågestyrd revision, vilket framstod som det förslag som var mest motiverat att undersöka vidare.</p> / <p>Background: In January 1, 1983 mandatory audit was introduced for all companies in Sweden. It is today, through the fourth EC directive, possible to exempt small companies from the requirement on auditing, and the debate about mandatory auditing in small companies in Sweden is intense. Since the turn of year 2004 there is a new body of regulations in Sweden, Revisionsstandard (RS). This as well as increased requirements on independence has intensified the debate further. According to several papers a removal of the mandatory audit is not realistic. However small- and mediumsized companies are considered to be in need of simple and suitable rules. Thus, it is relevant to examine how a suitable audit could be designed in small companies.</p><p>Aim: The aim with this paper is to explain what can be considered when the concept ”simplification” is used in the debate about auditing in small companies. This is done through an investigation of which alternatives there are of simplification auditing of small companies. The intention is also to, on the basis of opinions from selected persons that is versed in the subject, analyse the strengths and the weaknesses with the possible simplification alternatives.</p><p>Delimitations: This paper is delimited to consider which possibilities there are to simplify the statutory external auditing, provided that it will still be kept. Only possibilities to simplification of the auditing for small companies are considered. Small companies are defined in the fourth EC directive as companies with fewer than 50 employees, a turnover of less than 7,3 million euro and a total balance sheet of less than 3,65 euro. The paper has a geographic delimitation and does only consider the possibilities to simplification of auditing in small companies in Sweden. However there has been an investigation about how auditing is designed in England, Germany and the USA to see if Sweden possibly could use any of the strategies of simplification that these countries have used.</p><p>Realization: In this paper mainly the qualitative method has been used. This as well as in form of a investigation of literature as well as five semi-structured interviews. The respondents that have been interviewed were chosen on the basis that they were considered to be versed in the examined subject.</p><p>Conclusion: How a simplification could be designed is varying, but a reduction of the extent of the auditing seems to be a good start to keep the costs low. Several suggestions on how to simplify auditing were made in the paper. One of them was a German alternative where either the auditor or the tax advisor is supposed to leave an opinion about the extent of the control that has been made of the accounting. Another suggestion was a certificate of auditing, which is used in England and in the USA. Suggestions were also made about a new form of company - AB-Light, a removal of the management audit and a simplification of auditing through a simplification of accounting. In two of these suggestions, a removal of the management audit and a simplification of auditing though a simplification of accounting, were the advantages dominating the weaknesses. The respondents also came up with the proposal that the auditing should be controlled by demand but still mandatory, which appeared as the most motivated suggestion to investigate further.</p>

On the basis of coastal disaster mitigation and protection, a beach must have sufficient width for preventing the destruction to public facilities, as well as protecting the safety of life and private property during storm events. The requirement of such a horizontal extent from the initial shoreline to the probable erosion landward to safeguard against the onslaught of a storm is referred to as ¡¥storm beach buffer width¡¦. Upon neglecting the effects of global warming and sealevel rise on a beach and berm with profile in equilibrium, numerical calculations are conducted first to validate the range of the most important parameters (K »P £` ) in the SBEACH model using the results of profile changes available from the CERC¡¦s large wave tank (LWT) tests in 1960s. These results are then applied to assess the profile changes for a beach with a vertical seawall and the other without sufficient berm, subject to the normal incidence of storm waves over a specific duration. Finally, a total of 48 cases with sufficient beach width are then investigated, from which a multiple linear regression model is proposed to determine the extent of berm retreat, as well as the location and height of a submerged offshore bar, for the benefit of coastal profession on preliminary design of storm buffer. Our modeling results using SBEACH reveal that: (1) A seawall without or with insufficient fronting beach could result in serious scour at its toe and even the total loss of the entire beach berm; (2) A beach with sufficient berm, natural or artificially nourished, is capable of protecting the back beach, despite the temporary erosion in the early hours of a storm action; (3) Under the same conditions of wave height and period, a wide buffer is necessary for a beach with small mean sand grain, and the berm height should be designed at 1.6 times of the designed storm surge level, in order to effectively absorb storm wave energy and maintain the provision of a storm buffer; and (4) The multiple linear regression model proposed in this study can be used to evaluate the scour depth and retreat of the berm, as well as the width of a storm beach buffer, upon the input of wave conditions and mean beach sand grain etc.

Because of the diversity of the society,the contents of the service and production provided by the public department (Government) and the private department (Business) can not fit the present and future needs. Based on the failures of the functions of the society and the government,NPO or NGO is flourishing to make up for the insufficiency of the two departments. There is a vigorous development of NPOs in Taiwan since 921 earthquake,and the numbers of NPOs rise steeply.As to NPOs,it is very critical to understand the donation willingness of the donators on the situation of limited society resources and private donations. The goals of the research are to discuss the donation willingness of the donators of the NPOs including the personalities, motives, religious beliefs of the donators,the fame of NPOs,the extent of expositions of information and the usage of the donation.And then probe the causes of the donation willingness of the donators. The goals of the rsearch are as following: 1.To probe the recognition of the NPOs managers,volunteers and donators to influence the donation willingness of the donators in Kaohsiung district. 2.To analyze the factors that influence the donators of the NPOs in Kaohsiung district. 3.To provide the suggestions to the managers of the NPOs in Kaohsiung district.