Food Security is a situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life (FAO, 1996). 17% of Kentuckians are food insecure (Kentucky Department of Agriculture, 2016). This study explored the quality of life (QoL) impact of the Bluegrass Double Dollars (BGDD) program on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants through secondary data analysis. Utilizing the categories of quality of life indicators established by The Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress (CMEPSP) the results from this study concluded that participating in the BGDD program provides some level of quality of life benefits.

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / The enlisted personnel assignment process is a major part in the United States Navy's Personnel Distribution system. It ensures warfighters and supporting activities receive the right sailor with the right training to the right billet at the right time (R4) and is a critical element in meeting the challenges of Seapower 21 and Global CONOPS. In order to attain these optimal goals the ways-to-do-it need to be customer-centered and should optimize both, the Navy's needs and the sailor's interests. Recent studies and a detailing pilot in 2002 used a web-based marketplace with two-sided matching mechanisms to accomplish this vision. This research examines the introduction of an Assignment Incentive Pay (AIP) as part of the U.S. Navy's enlisted personnel assignment process in a simulation environment. It uses a previously developed simulation tool, including the Deferred Acceptance (DA) and the Linear Programming (LP) matching algorithm to simulate the assignment process. The results of the sensitivity analysis suggested that the Navy should mainly emphasize sailor quality rather than saving AIP funds in order to maximize utility and the possible matches. When adopting such an introduction policy also the percentage of unstable matches under the LP as the matching algorithm was reduced. / Commander, German Navy

To meet global competition many companies have reorganized work process systems, eliminated management levels, formed employee work groups and implemented variable compensation systems. This study investigated the effect of group incentives on individual sales performance in two specialty shops located in a large metropolitan hotel. Two questions were addressed: What effect would adding a group bonus plan have on individual employee's sales performance who had previously received hourly wages in one shop; and, what effect would changing an individual incentive plan to a group plan have on the individual employee's sales performance in the other shop. In one shop 5 of 7 employees' productivity increased: in the other, 1 of 3 subjects' productivity increased. Contingencies in both shops are analyzed and suggestions offered for future research.

L’objectif de cette thèse est d’analyser l’apport des énergies renouvelables à la transitionénergétique dans les pays en développement (PED). L’apport des énergies renouvelables à latransition énergétique dans les pays en développement se justifie à deux niveaux. Dans unpremier temps il vise à étudier les conditions, moyens et conséquences de la modification desstructures de production énergétique existantes basées sur les technologies fossiles vers cellesintégrant les technologies propres qui sont plus respectueuses de la qualité de l’environnement.Dans un second temps, l’analyse de la transition énergétique propose une architectureinstitutionnelle, technologique, sociologique, réglementaire et managériale favorisant laconvergence vers un système socio-technique soutenable à travers la diffusion et l’adoption destechnologies renouvelables. Partant des approches existantes, l’idée fondatrice de cette thèse estd’insister sur la nécessité d’une mise en place d’une approche mixte de transition énergétiquedans les pays en développement en combinant une approche décentralisée (permettant de prendreen compte les caractéristiques spatiales des zones rurales enclavées) et centralisées (permettantd’insérer les PED dans un paradigme énergétique soutenable). A partir de cette orientation, nous!6proposons une approche interdisciplinaire empiriquement basée sur l’Afrique du Sud et leSénégal afin d’analyser l’apport des énergies renouvelables à la transition énergétique. Les outilsméthodologiques ont combiné la modélisation du type bottom-up et les techniques d’optimisationà travers les algorithmes de programmation linéaire. / The objective of this doctorate thesis is to investigate the contribution of renewable technologiesto energy transition in developing nations. In the theoretical framework such a contribution couldbe justified in two points. First, it analyses conditions, means and consequences of a modificationof a fuel-based energy production scheme to a new structure based on a more sustainableorientedpathway. Second, the analysis of energy transition provides institutional, technological,sociological and managerial frameworks strengthening the convergence toward a sustainableoriented energy paradigm through a diffusion and adoption of renewable technologies. From theexisting approaches, the core of this thesis is to assume a requirement to consider a mixedapproach of energy transition in developing nations through a combination of both decentralizedand centralized options. The decentralized energy transition approach allows an insertion ofspatial and geographical characteristics of remote locations in developing nations while thecentralized approach strengthens an inclusion of developing nations in a sustainable energyparadigm. From this orientation, we propose an interdisciplinary methodology, empirically basedon South Africa and Senegal in order to investigate the possible contribution of renewabletechnologies to energy transition. To investigate these questions, we combine a bottom-up energymodeling approach with optimization techniques through a linear programming algorithm.

Background: Recently, health plans have initiated pay-for-performance (P4P) programs to incentivize pharmacies to focus on medication-related quality measures. Little research exists as to what attributes help a pharmacy to perform well in a P4P program. Objectives: This study aimed to: (1) propose a conceptual framework evolved from theories pertaining to economic, psychology, and organizational behavior disciplines that may contribute to a pharmacy's performance in a financial incentive program; (2) develop theoretically-derived questionnaires designed to elicit from pharmacists and pharmacy management pharmacy characteristics and pharmacy personnel factors thought to be associated with achieving quality measures specified for a pharmacy P4P program; (3) psychometrically assess these two newly developed questionnaires designed to collect information from community pharmacies eligible to participate in a pharmacy P4P program; (4) assess the magnitude of the relationship between pharmacy-related and construct redundancy of latent variables identified in objective 3; and (5) examine pharmacy factors' association with community pharmacies achieving quality measures in a pharmacy P4P program. Methods: Two survey instruments were created from a theoretically-derived conceptual framework to measure pertinent pharmacy characteristics and pharmacy personnel factors using a multi-step, mixed-methods process. Questionnaire development entailed semi-structured interviews, item generation, expert content validation, and cognitive debriefings. Developed questionnaires were evaluated in a non-experimental, cross-sectional survey of pharmacists and pharmacy management. Pharmacy personnel surveyed for this study were affiliated with pharmacies in Inland Empire Health Plan's (IEHP's) community pharmacy network. Using items measured in each questionnaire, specified groups of items were hypothesized to have a certain underlying latent variable. Latent variables hypothesized for items measured in the pharmacist questionnaire included: (1)"adherence management -services," (2)"adherence management-counseling," (3) "asthma management," (4) "pharmacist-prescriber relationship," (5) "chronic disease management," (6) "non-dispensing ability," and (7) "workload impact". For items measured in the pharmacy management questionnaire, eight latent variables were hypothesized: (1) "program understanding," (2) "program financial salience," (3) "program involvement," (4) "organization's adaptability," (5) "organization's innovativeness," (6) "organization's proactiveness," (7) "organization's risk-taking." and (8) "organization's focal emphasis." For hypothesized latent variables with four or more items, the value thresholds of three assessment indexes were employed as criteria to evaluate each measurement model's goodness-of-fit. Indexes included: (1) 2 test statistic (i.e.,>0.05), (2) root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) (i.e., 0.05), and (3) comparative fit index (CFI) (i.e.,>0.95). The statistical significance of item factor loadings was assessed for latent variables with (1) four or more items deemed to have adequate model fit per index criteria and (2) only three items, for which goodness-of-fit may not be assessed. Structural modeling was used to explore associations between (1) pairs of latent variables with adequate model fit and/or statistically significant factor loadings; and (2) latent variables with medication-related quality measures. The strength of associations among latent variable pairs was measured with correlation coefficients. Latent variable pairs with significant correlations greater than 0.50 were evaluated for construct redundancy, for which a change in CFI was used as the comparison criteria to determine whether the latent variables are better represented as one (i.e., (CFI<-0.01) or two constructs (i.e., (CFI ≥ -0.01). Mediation-related quality measures specified as dependent variables in structural models included: diabetes medication adherence, hypertension medication adherence, hypercholesterolemia medication adherence, absence of controller therapy in patients with asthma, use of high-risk medications in elderly, and generic dispensing rate. Results: The empirically derived conceptual framework outlined four major domains proposed for consideration when evaluating pharmacy P4P programs: (1) incentive; (2) pharmacy; (3) other influencing factors; and (4) P4P program measures. From this framework, two questionnaires were developed with the aim of measuring pharmacists' and pharmacy management's pharmacy attitudes and perspectives of a community pharmacy P4P program. The pharmacist survey instrument consisted of five sections: (i) community pharmacy P4P program; (ii) pharmacy services; (iii) pharmacist workload; (iv) pharmacy practice site; and (v) pharmacist's background. The pharmacy management questionnaire consisted of four sections: (i) pharmacy P4P program; (ii) pharmacy organization's characteristics; (iii) pharmacy practice site; and (iv) respondent's background information. Among the 604 pharmacies invited to participate, pharmacists from 114 unique pharmacies (19%) and pharmacy management from 100 unique pharmacies (17%) participated in the survey. This study identified psychometrically validated measurement models for latent constructs with items measured in the pharmacist ("adherence management-counseling," "asthma management," "workload impact" ) and pharmacy management ("program involvement," "organization's innovativeness," "organization's proactiveness," "organization's risk-taking" ) questionnaires). With the exception of "program involvement," the latent constructs measured in the pharmacy management questionnaire were identified to be significantly correlated (𝛹>0.50, p<0.001) and more parsimoniously represented as one factor rather than two (∆CFI<-0.01). No significant associations were identified in exploratory analyses of validated measurement models from the pharmacist questionnaire with targeted medication-related quality measures in IEHP's community pharmacy P4P program. Conclusion: This study collected data for two questionnaires evaluating (1) pharmaceutical care services conceptualized to be associated with targeting medication-related quality measures and (2) pharmacy management's attitudes toward a pharmacy P4P program. Furthermore, psychometric assessment of each questionnaire supplied initial validity evidence for three constructs for the pharmacist questionnaire ("adherence management-counseling," "asthma management," and "workload impact" ) and four constructs for the pharmacy management questionnaire ("program involvement," "organization's innovativeness," "organization's proactiveness," and "organization's risk-taking" ). Subsequent validation of these latent constructs in larger sample sizes is required. Continued study of pharmacy factors and their association with medication-related quality measures is needed to improve our understanding of pharmacies' performance in financial incentive programs. As pharmacy organizations are increasingly integrated into more financial incentive programs aimed at targeting process- and outcomes-related quality measures, it is essential to be able to measure pharmacy and management factors in order to determine which factor(s) impact pharmacy performance.

Electrodermal responding (EDR) and heart rate (HR) were assessed for seven subjects participating in a reaction time task consequated with monetary bonuses (250, 100, and 10), monetary penalties (250,100, and 10), and a monetary neutral value (00). Unlike previous research employing group designs and a tonic measure (i.e., mean over long periods of time), this study utilized a single-subject design and a phasic measure (i.e., mean over 2-s intervals). Heart rate data was too variable for meaningful analysis. EDR data showed that the peak levels of EDR were higher for penalties than for the corresponding values of bonuses (e.g., -250 vs. +250) for most subjects. Similarly, peak levels of EDR were generally higher during sessions in which consequences were presented than in sessions during which consequences were absent.

Using international data (15,786 obs.) from industrial companies from 28 countries over an 11-year period (2003–2014), this research contributes to the area of institutional heterogeneity, CEO compensation and investment opportunities. More precisely, we use three perspectives in order to investigate whether investment opportunities explain CEO compensation structures. We compare (i) U.S. and non-U.S. firms, (ii) Common law and Civil law firms, and (iii) firms operating with similar cultural characteristics. Overall, after controlling for firm governance and board characteristics, we find that investment and growth opportunities in terms of book-to-market ratio, research and development (R&amp;D), and capital expenditures (CAPEX) explain the percentage equity and non-salary CEO compensation. These findings suggest that firms with higher information asymmetries associated with their growth opportunities pay CEOs higher incentive-based compensation.

In order to achieve the UK Government’s legally bound framework of greenhouse gas reduction targets, the transport sector is undergoing drastic changes. The key action taken by the Department of Transport in addressing the issue was the introduction of Ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV) concept. Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) was introduced to support early market for ULEV and development of efficient recharging network through Plugged-in Places programme. The massive deployment of EV charging stations across GB will have direct impact on GB power system as they require electricity supply for their operation. It is therefore deemed necessary to carry out investigations on the capacity of the network assets to handle this load and to develop policies to manage the future EV charging infrastructure efficiently. This thesis provides an overview of the EV technology introducing various technicalities behind EVs and the associated charging stations. The extended theory about interoperability between EVs and power networks is also presented. Investigation of an 11kV networked site and 66/11 kV networked area is performed to determine their potential in accommodating future EV charging infrastructure. A methodology has been proposed to carry out investigations in 11kV networked site. For analysis purpose both the real networks are modelled in detail using power system analysis software Electrical Transient Analyzer Programme (ETAP). Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and Northern Power Grid (NPG) are the owners of the distribution networks respectively. Collaboration with DNOs has taken place to collect the existing network data. Finally, a university based EV charging bays management policy has been proposed.

Cloud computing has changed how services are provided and supported through the computing infrastructure. It has the advantages such as flexibility , scalability , compatibility and availability . However, the current architecture design also brings in some troublesome problems, like the balance of cooperation benefits and privacy concerns between the cloud provider and the cloud users, and the balance of cooperation benefits and free-rider concerns between different cloud users. Theses two problems together form the incentive problem in cloud environment. The first conflict lies between the reliance of services and the concerns of secrets of cloud users. To solve it, we proposes a novel architecture, NeuCloud, to enable partially, trusted, transparently, accountably privacy manipulation and revelation. With the help of this architecture, the privacy-sensitive users can be more confident to move to public clouds. A trusted computing base is not enough, in order to stimulate incentive-compatible privacy trading, we present a theoretical framework and provide the guidelines for cloud provider to compensate the cloud user's privacy-risk-aversion. We implement the NeuCloud and evaluate it. Moreover, a improved model of NeuCloud is discussed. The second part of this thesis strives to solve the free-rider problem in cloud environment. For example, the VM-colocation attacks have become serious threats to cloud environment. We propose to construct an incentive-compatible moving-target-defense by periodically migrating VMs, making it much harder for adversaries to locate the target VMs. We developed theories about whether the migration of VMs is worthy and how the optimal migration interval can be determined. To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first effort to develop a formal and quantified model to guide the migration strategy of clouds to improve security. Our analysis shows that our placement based defense can significantly improve the security level of the cloud with acceptable costs. In summary, the main objective of this study is to provide an incentive-compatible to eliminate the cloud user's privacy or cooperative concerns. The proposed methodology can directly be applied in commercial cloud and help this new computing fashion go further in the history. The theoretical part of this work can be extended to other fields where privacy and free-rider concerns exist.

The effectiveness of drug abuse treatment for clients coerced into care remains controversial. Some studies find clients with legal pressure do better than those without legal pressure, while others report the exact opposite. Opposing views are often fueled by the wide-ranging models that guide delivery of addiction treatment. The present study examined how participants with and without legal pressure to attend treatment responded to a motivational (MET) vs. traditional (TAU) form of addiction treatment. Additionally, the predictive value of the Readiness to Change (RTC) score, from the URICA, was assessed across days of substance use and treatment retention. Legal status was shown to have a significant effect on days of primary substance use per week and treatment retention, regardless of intervention condition. The RTC score was shown not to be predictive of days of primary substance use or treatment retention. Research and clinical implications and future directions are discussed.