Background: Despite a longstanding debate regarding personal choice towards death and dying, MAiD was legalized in Canada on June 17th, 2016. Since its integration into the healthcare system, there has been a dearth of literature surrounding providers’ experience with the procedure. Healthcare providers are uniquely positioned within the context of the MAiD experience. Aim: To explore the experiences of health care providers (nurses and physicians) caring for patients undergoing MAiD as well as to explore the relationships between the concepts, Moral Distress (MD), Professional Quality of Life (Burnout (BU), Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) and Compassion Satisfaction (CS)), and Intent to Turnover (TO). Design: This explorative and descriptive cross-sectional study consisted of a self-reported survey that uses both scale items and open-ended questions. Setting/ Participants: The target population included all nurses and physicians who were active members of a targeted Regional MAiD Network practicing within a designated geographical location within Canada. Results: N=38 Questionnaires completed. The averages of our measured constructs include Moral Distress (Composite) x= 2.9 (SD 2.03), Moral Distress (Frequency): x= 1,18 (SD .102), Moral Distress (Intensity): x= 1.61 (SD .28) Burnout: x= 2.08 (SD 0.5), Secondary Traumatic Stress x= 2.22 (SD 0.48), Compassion Satisfaction x= 4.18 (SD 0.43) and Turnover Intent: x= 2.22 (SD 0.77). Significant positive correlations were found between inter-scale constructs of Moral Distress (Composite, Frequency, and Intensity), Moral Distress, Burnout, and Secondary Traumatic Stress, and between Burnout and Turnover Intent. Significant negative correlations were also found between Professional Quality of life Inter-Scale constructs of Compassion Satisfaction and Burnout as well as between Compassion Satisfaction and Turnover Intent. Conclusion: MAiD providers in our study expressed feelings of their work being “rewarding” and “deeply satisfying”, further reflective in their below-average rates of Moral Distress, Burnout, Secondary Traumatic Stress, Turnover Intent, and higher-than-average rates of Compassion Satisfaction. Although the procedure remains controversial, these participants expressed enjoying their work. These reported positive aspects of their roles persisted despite the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic presented.

[EN] The existence of a visibility that is appropriate to the actual operating conditions is a sine qua non to achieve a safe geometric design. The sight distances required in driving tasks, such as decision-making, stopping, overtaking or crossing, represent an essential parameter in the geometric design of new roads; and they play a key role in all international design guidelines. Nevertheless, once the road has been built and operating, many other surrounding circumstances do determine the actual sight distance available over time. Moreover, since geometric design guidelines encompass visibility measurements based on the observer and the obstacle located on the roadway, systematic and periodic measurements prove difficult and tedious as well as risky and traffic-disruptive. In engineering practice, it is common to use elevation digital models and geometric design specific programs to establish the visibility conditions on roads; however, the development of new remote sensing technologies expand the possibilities to better estimate the visibility actually available. LiDAR technology has been enjoying a boost internationally in recent years. It is an important source of information that consists of millions of georeferenced points belonging to all kinds of objects, which represent not only the geometry of the road itself, but also its more immediate surroundings. It is precisely this ability to include all sorts of potential obstacles to vision in the analysis that raised our interest. This PhD thesis presents a newly developed and tested methodology for the systematic assessment of visibility available on roads that deploys visuals directly drawn against the LiDAR point cloud. To this purpose the concepts of Visual Prism (VP) and Rectangular Prismatic Unit (RPU) have been defined as key elements in this new way of thinking about vision. They represent an alternative to the traditional straight line drawn between the observer and the object. During the research, the impact on the results of the point cloud density has been analyzed; and this methodology has been compared to the visibility results yielded by known techniques based upon digital terrain models, digital surface models and project profiles in two existing road sections. In general, conventional methods overestimate sight distance compared to the new methodology based on LiDAR data, and in many cases the overestimation is significant.. The development, that displays both visuals and three dimensional point cloud results, also enables to spot the reason for the obstruction of vision. This improvement is practice-ready and could be used while assessing the road and improving the conditions of sight distance and road safety. / [ES] La existencia de una visibilidad adecuada a las condiciones reales de operación, es condición indispensable para alcanzar un diseño geométrico seguro. Las distancias de visibilidad requeridas para tareas inherentes a la conducción, tales como la decisión, la parada, el adelantamiento o el cruce, constituyen un parámetro esencial en el diseño geométrico de nuevas carreteras, formando parte importante de todas las guías de diseño a nivel internacional. Sin embargo, una vez construida la carretera y durante el tiempo en que esta se encuentra en servicio, muchas otras circunstancias de su entorno condicionan la visibilidad realmente disponible a lo largo del tiempo. Por otro lado, dado que las guías de diseño geométrico contemplan las mediciones de visibilidad disponible con el observador y el obstáculo situados sobre la calzada, su medición sistemática y periódica es una complicada y tediosa labor no exenta de riesgos y de perturbaciones al tráfico. En la práctica ingenieril, es habitual el empleo de modelos digitales de elevaciones y de programas específicos de diseño geométrico para establecer las condiciones de visibilidad en carreteras; no obstante, el desarrollo de nuevas tecnologías de teledetección amplían las posibilidades a una mejor estimación de la visibilidad realmente disponible. La tecnología LiDAR está gozando de un importante impulso a nivel internacional en los últimos años y constituye una importante fuente de información consistente en millones de puntos georreferenciados pertenecientes a todo tipo de objetos que representan no solo la geometría de la propia carretera, sino también su entorno más inmediato. Precisamente por su capacidad de incluir en el análisis todo tipo de obstáculos potenciales a la visión, en la presente Tesis Doctoral se ha desarrollado y analizado una nueva metodología de evaluación sistemática de visibilidades disponibles en carreteras a partir de visuales trazadas directamente contra la nube de puntos LiDAR. Para ello se han definido por primera vez los conceptos de Prisma Visual (PV) y de Unidad Prismática Rectangular (UPR) como elementos básicos constitutivos de esta nueva forma de concebir la visión, alternativos a la tradicional línea recta visual trazada entre el observador y el objetivo. Durante la investigación se ha analizado el efecto de la densidad de la nube de puntos en los resultados y se ha sometido esta metodología a comparación con los resultados de visibilidad obtenidos por técnicas conocidas a partir de modelos digitales del terreno, modelos digitales de superficies y perfiles de proyecto en dos tramos de carretera existentes. En general, se obtiene una sobreestimación generalizada y en muchos casos significativa de las visibilidades realmente disponibles si se emplean metodologías convencionales en comparación con las obtenidas a partir de la nueva metodología basada en datos LiDAR. El desarrollo, preparado para la visualización conjunta de resultados de visuales y nube de puntos en tres dimensiones, permite asimismo interpretar el motivo de la obstrucción a la visión, lo que constituye un avance puesto al servicio de los ingenieros en la evaluación de la carretera y en la mejora de sus condiciones de visibilidad y de seguridad vial. / [CA] L'existència d'una visibilitat adequada a les condicions reials d'operació, es condició indispensable per a aconseguir un disseny geomètric segur. Les distàncies de visibilitat requerides per a tasques inherents a la conducció, tals com la decisió, la parada, l'avançament, o l'encreuament, constitueixen un paràmetre essencial en el disseny geomètric de noves carreteres, formant part important de totes les guies de disseny a nivell internacional. No obstant, una volta construïda la carretera i durant el temps en què es troba en servici, moltes altres circumstancies del seu entorn condicionen la visibilitat realment disponible. D'altra banda, donat que les guies de disseny geomètric contemplen les mesures de visibilitat disponible en l'observador i el obstacle situats sobre la calçada, la seua medició es una complicada i tediosa llavor no exempta de riscs i de molèsties al trànsit. En la practica, es habitual l'ús de models digitals d'elevacions i de programes específics de disseny geomètric per a establir les condicions de visibilitat en carreteres; no obstant, el desenvolupament de noves tecnologies de tele-detecció amplien les possibilitats a una millor estima de la visibilitat realment disponible. La tecnologia LIDAR està gojant d'un important impuls a nivell internacional en els ultims anys i constitueix una important font d'informació consistent en milions de punts geo-referenciats de tot tipus d'objectes que representen no nomes la geometria de la pròpia carretera, sinó també el seu entorn mes immediat. Precisament per la seua capacitat d'incloure en l'analisis tot tipus d'obstacles potencials a la visió, en el present tesis doctoral s'ha analitzat una nova metodologia d'avaluació sistemàtica de visibilitats disponibles en carreteres a partir de visuals traçades directament contra el núvol de punts LIDAR. Per tal motiu s'han definit per primera vegada els conceptes de Prisma Visual (PV) i d'Unitat Prismàtica Rectangular (UPR) com a elements bàsics constitutius d'aquesta nova forma de concebre la visió, alternatius a la tradicional línia recta visual traçada entre l'observador i el objectiu. Durant la investigació s'ha analitzat l'efecte de la densitat del núvol de punts en els resultats i s'ha sotmès aquesta metodologia a comparació amb els resultats de visibilitat obtinguts per tècniques conegudes a partir de models digitals del terreny, models digitals de superfícies i perfils de projecte en dos trams de carretera existents. En general, s'obté una sobreestimació generalitzada i en molts casos significativa de les visibilitats realment disponibles si s'empren metodologies convencionals en comparació amb les obtingudes a partir de la nova metodologia basada en dades LiDAR. El desenvolupament, preparat per a la visualització conjunta de resultats de visuals i núvol de punts en tres dimensions, permet així mateix interpretar el motiu de l'obstrucció a la visió, el que constitueix un avanç posat al servei dels enginyers en l'avaluació de la carretera i en la millora de les seves condicions de visibilitat i de seguretat viària. / Campoy Ungria, JM. (2015). Nueva metodología para la obtención de distancias de visibilidad disponibles en carreteras existentes basada en datos LiDAR terrestre [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/59062

Phylogenetics explores the evolutionary relationships among species and one of the main approaches is to construct phylogenetic trees through inference-based methods. Beyond the evolutionary insights these trees provide, the underlying tree structure can also be used to study geographical migration of species. These geographical models, reminiscent of models of DNA sequence evolution, have predominantly been discrete in their nature. However, this poses a multitude of challenges, especially with high-dimensional state-spaces. Previous work has explored the possibility of using continuous diffusion models for geographical migration, however these were not aiming to model non-local migration and large state-spaces. This paper presents and evaluates a scalable continuous phylogenetic migration model which aims to approximate conventional discrete migration models in the case of local and non-local migration.

Šiame darbe nagrinėjami netiesiniai daugdarų atpažinimo metodai ir daugiamačių duomenų projekcijos metodai. Siūloma jais spręsti keliais laisvės laipsniais besisukančio objekto orientacijos radimo problemą. Aprašomi MDS, Trianguliacijos, Sammon, RPM, mRPM, CCA, PCA, LLE, LE, HLLE, LTSA, SMACOF ir Isomap metodai. Su kai kuriais iš jų atliekami web-kamera gautų galvos atvaizdų tyrimai. Isomap algoritmo pagrindu sukuriama programinė įranga ir su ja taipogi atliekami galvos orientacijos tyrimai. / This paper deals with Analysis of non-linear manifold learning methods and multidimensional data projection methods. It is proposed use them in solving problem of detection of orientation of object, moving in few degrees of freedom. Methods described: MDS, triangulation, Sammon, RPM, mRPM, CCA, PCA, LLE, LE, HLLE, LTSA, SMACOF and Isomap. Some of them are used to analyze head images acquired by webcam.. Application is created which is then used to analyze head orientation by implementing Isomap method.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

This thesis deals with the Master Data Management (MDM), specifically its implementation. The main objectives are to analyze and capture the general approaches of MDM implementation including best practices, describe and evaluate the implementation of MDM project using Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Master Data Services (MDS) realized in the Czech environment and on the basis of the above theoretical background, experiences of implemented project and available technical literature create a general procedure for implementation of the MDS tool. To achieve objectives above are used these procedures: exploration of information resources (printed, electronic and personal appointments with consultants of Clever Decision), cooperation on project realized by Clever Decision and analysis of tool Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Master Data Services. Contributions of this work are practically same as its goals. The main contribution is creation of a general procedure for implementation of the MDS tool. The thesis is divided into two parts. The first (theoretically oriented) part deals with basic concepts (including definition against other systems), architecture, implementing styles, market trends and best practices. The second (practically oriented) part deals at first with implementation of realized MDS project and hereafter describes a general procedure for implementation of the MDS tool.

Bakgrund: Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale är ett bedömningsinstrument som är frekvent använt, både i Sverige och internationellt, inom vården för personer med Parkinsons sjukdom. Under 2001 granskades och reviderades instrumentet vilket resulterade i en ny version benämnt Movement Disorder Society Unified Disease Rating Scale. Del III av MDSUPDRS syftar till att undersöka motoriska symtom och anses viktiga i bland annat fysioterapeuters utredning och som utvärdering efter behandling. I dagsläget saknas en svensk validerad översättning av del III. Syfte: Syftet med detta arbete var att översätta del III av bedömningsinstrumentet MDSUPDRS från engelska till svenska och därefter undersöka innehållsvaliditet för den svenska versionen. Metod: Översättningen skedde genom forward translation, backward translation samt analys av innehållsvaliditet genom Content Validity Index (CVI). Översättningen undersöktes med hjälp av fem forskningspersoner, sakkunniga inom området. Validitet analyserades under två skattningsomgångar utifrån följande CVI-delar med tillhörande referensvärden: I-CVI (0,80), S-CVI/AVE (0,90) och S-CVI/UA (0,80). Resultat: Efter två omgångar skattade samtliga forskningspersoner 20 av 24 frågor som relevanta med ett I-CVI-värde på 1,0. Resterande fyra frågor uppnådde ett I-CVI-värde på 0,80. Värdena för S-CVI/AVE och S-CVI/UA var 0,97 respektive 0,83, vilket innebar att dessa översteg de uppsatta referensvärdena. Skalan kan därmed i sin helhet ses som valid, då samtliga CVI-värden uppnådde de uppsatta referensvärdena. Slutsats: Den översatta versionen kan i sin helhet betraktas som valid. / Background: The Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale is a frequently used assessment tool world wide in clinics in care of people with Parkinson’s disease. In 2001, the assessment tool were reviewed and revised, which was titled Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale. Part III of MDS-UPDRS aims to investigate motor symptoms and is considered important in, among other things, physiotherapists' investigation, and as evaluation after treatment. Currently, a Swedish validated translation of Part III is lacking. Aim: The aim of this study is to translate part III of MDS-UPDRS from english to swedish, and then analyze content validity for the swedish version. Method: The translation was done with the use of forward translation, backward translation and the content validity was analyzed with Content Validity Index (CVI). The translation were analyzed in two rounds, with help by five individual proficient to the area. The content validity were set by following domains and reference values: I-CVI (0,80), S-CVI/AVE (0,90) and SCVI/UA (0,80). Results: After two rounds, 20 questions out of 24 reached an I-CVI of 1,0. The remaining four questions reached an I-CVI of 0,80. The values of S-CVI/AVE and S-CVI/UA were 0,97 and 0,83 which meant that it exceeded the set reference values. The integer scale can be considered valid based on the reference values on S-CVI/AVE and S-CVI/UA. Conclusion: The integer translated version of MDS-UPDRS part III can be considered valid.

早在十九世紀，法國社會學家Durkheim就已經指出自殺率是社會上普遍存在之現象。台灣地區在一九七零年代的每十萬人之總體自殺率約在10人左右，到了二十一世紀自殺死亡率已經接近20人，這種趨近於兩倍的成長暗示了自殺行為在台灣似乎並非穩定不變，甚至有更加劇烈之趨勢。因此，本研究旨在探討台灣過去三十五年來，不同年齡別的人口所呈現之自殺死亡率變遷模式，並透過社會網絡分析方法中「結構位置均等性（structural equivalence）」的概念提供一種新的人口分析方法來對年齡別自殺率變化情形進行探討。 本研究嘗試運用「結構位置均等性（structural equivalence）」的概念，先找出具有相似年齡別自殺率結構的年代，並透過集群（cluster）分析方法可以區分出不同年齡別自殺率相似與相異的年代階段。再根據不同的年代階段可以找出每一年各年齡別自殺率是如何變化的，並透過MDS多元尺度分析的空間結構圖形呈現變化情形。 透過分析可以發現歷年男性自殺率雖約高於女性自殺率的兩倍，但兩性年齡別自殺率變遷模式卻相當類似。從年代的角度來看，歷年總體自殺率呈現「先升後降再升」的走勢；然而從年齡的角度觀察，每一年的年齡別自殺率呈現年齡越大，自殺率也越高的趨勢。雖然年齡別自殺率趨勢相似，但變化幅度卻又受到不同年代的影響。因此，根據年與年的結構位置均等性，可以區分出過去三十五年來，兩性年齡別自殺率模式的五種階段類型。因此可以透過不同階段中每一年MDS空間結構圖，來觀察不同年齡別自殺率在不同年代上的「相似性」變化，及歷年各年齡別自殺率在空間上的移動情形。 因此透過結構相似性的分析概念與MDS空間結構圖的距離呈現，可以證明自殺率是同時受到「年代效應」與「年齡效應」的影響。透過不同年代的階段分類，代表著不同的年齡別自殺率組成模式；同一年齡別自殺率又會在不同年代上產生不同程度的距離與移動變化，特別是中壯年人口的年齡別自殺率。所以社會網絡分析方法中結構位置均等性的分析概念，的確是可以用在如年齡別自殺率等人口議題上的探討與應用。

La représentation scalable de l'information s'impose aujourd'hui pour supporter l'hétérogénéité d'un réseau interconnecté tel que l'Internet. Le codage de source adopte, pour ce faire, une approche multi-résolution pouvant délivrer progressivement à un utilisateur le contenu de sa requête. Cependant, en supposant au cours de la transmission une gestion de bout en bout des priorités ainsi établies, ces schémas restent sommairement adaptés aux environnements de pertes de paquets et de qualité de service non garantie.<br />Les codages à description multiple offrent une alternative à la transmission hiérarchisée de l'information en brisant la scalabilité de la source aux abords du canal. Dans cette thèse, nous proposons une méthode originale de description multiple qui réalise une protection différenciée de chaque niveau hiérarchique de la source en fonction des propriétés dynamiques du canal de transmission.<br />La transformation Mojette (transformation de Radon discrète exacte) est une transformation unitaire qui permet de partager un volume de données en un ensemble plus ou moins redondant de projections équivalentes. L'évolution de ce type d'opérateur initialement utilisé dans un espace continu pour la reconstruction tomographique étend le concept de support d'image à celui de mémoire tampon géométrique pour données multimédias. Ce codage à description multiple, généralisé à N canaux, autorise la reconstruction de la mémoire initiale de manière déterministe par des sous-ensembles de projections dont le nombre caractérise le niveau de protection. Ce schéma est particulièrement adapté au mode de transport par paquets sans contrôle d'intégrité extensible du canal de transmission. La hiérarchie de la source est dans ce cas communiquée sous forme transparente pour le canal via des descriptions banalisées.<br />L'évaluation du codage est effectuée en comparant les débits engendrés avec ceux d'un code MDS (Maximum Distance Separable) qui fournissent une solution optimale dans le nombre de symboles nécessaires au décodage. La relaxation des propriétés MDS dans un code (1+ε)MDS avec la transformation Mojette demande une légère augmentation de débit au profit d'une complexité réduite.<br />L'application sur des schémas de compression d'images valide concrètement l'adaptation possible des sources actuelles à un canal de type best-effort. L'utilisation dans un environnement distribué (micro-paiement, stockage distribué de données multimédia) illustre en outre un partage sécurisé de l'information.<br />En perspectives de ce travail, nous avons abordé l'intégration de cette méthode dans un protocole de transmission scalable multimédia et étudié une version probabiliste du système.

<p>This master thesis has been performed at Sectra Communications AB in Linköping where they manufacture electronic encryption devices. In cryptology it is essential that an eavesdropper cannot find the plain text. To assure that a system is safe, all devices are thoroughly examined so that they don’t emit any secret information, so called Compromising Emanations (CE). This is done by comparing the secret signal with measured signals on the screen of an oscilloscope, a process that is very time consuming and furthermore, the risk of missing compromising emanations is high. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the possibilities to let a computer do this job. Two methods for comparing the signals have been suggested and implemented; cross covariance and model estimation. In the cross covariance method, the cross covariance is calculated and its highest value determine how well the signals match. In the model estimation method, a number of ARX models are estimated, and if the best model is successful in explaining the output signal, it is assumed that there exists CE. </p><p>The work shows that both these methods are functional for solving the task, yet with a few limitations. Both methods announce CE for clock signals, which really aren’t compromising. The cross covariance method is limited only to find compromising emanations that look like the secret signal or certain frequently occurring non-linearities of it. The model estimation method is more general and detects CE for all linear systems, along with the known non-linearities. However, this method has a flaw: the time delay in the system must be known approximately. Further, the results show that the model estimation method is considerably more time consuming than the cross covariance method. The measurement is carried out with a computer communicating with oscilloscope and spectrum analyzer via the GPIB interface. The implementation has been done in LabView with calculation modules coded in C++.</p>