E-government initiatives have large potentials in developing better services for citizens and a potential to transform government structures. However e-government initiatives face a number of challenges of complexity and risk - it is not an easy matter to realize its potentials. A key research issue for the e-government field, as well as the information systems field in general, is to understand why some projects progress to success while others end in failure. The main objective in this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of the progress and the success vs. failure in e-government development based on case studies of two inter-organizational e-service projects. The analysis in the paper is made from a) an e-government systems development life cycle perspective and b) a challenge and success factors perspective. The main result in this paper is that crucial success factors of an inter-organizational e-government project include project manager skills and position in the agency organization as well as when and how systems maintenance issues are introduced in the project. Criticism is presented concerning the life cycle model used in the analysis regarding this last matter.

I denna rapport redogörs för en implementering av fusion mellan kortdistanssensorer. Syftet med denna implementering är att erhålla Stop & Go-funktionalitet till den adaptiva farthållaren som idag finns som tillval i Scanias lastbilar. Adaptiv farthållning, ACC, är en funktion som automatiskt anpassar fordonets hastighet ifall detta kommer ikapp ett annat fordon som färdas långsammare än den inställda hastigheten. Scanias system använder sig idag av en långdistanssensor som ser långt men har smalt synfält. Genom att komplettera denna med kortdistanssensorer, som ser kort men brett, kan önskvärt synfält i närområdet för att säkert kunna implementera Stop & Go-funktionen uppnås. Sensorfusion bygger på principen att två eller fler sensorer som ser samma sak ger en mer korrekt bild av verkligheten än en enskild. Fusionen kan genomföras på många olika sätt. I rapporten beskrivs tre metoder övergripligt; Bayesiska nätverk, auktionsalgoritmen samt Gating. I implementeringen används gatingmetoden. Initialt implementeras en målspårningsalgoritm med kalmanfilter. Efter uppdatering av sensormjukvaran väljs dock denna bort eftersom sensorernas interna målspårning då anses som tillräcklig. En modell med sensorfusionen och målselekteringen byggs i Simulink och programmeras sedan in i en hårdvaruenhet. Syftet med detta är att kunna utvärdera funktionen i ett prototypfordon. Inledningsvis rapporteras enbart korrelerade mål från modellen. För mer kontinuerlig målföljning, främst i kurvor, implementeras därefter en algoritm som även tar hänsyn till enskilda sensorers observationer. Dessa accpeteras dock först efter en viss valideringstid eftersom denna information har lägre konfidens än korrelerade mål. Provkörningar visar att målföljningen fungerar väl. En stor svårighet har varit att sålla bort stillastående mål från rörliga, främst i låga farter. Detta eftersom sensorernas hastighetsangivelse har låg precision vilket medför att ett stillastående mål kan rapporteras som ett långsamt rörligt. / In this thesis report an implementation of fusion between short range radars is described. The purpose of this implementation is to obtain Stop & Go functionality for the adaptive cruise control which is offered as an option in today’s Scania trucks. Adaptive cruise control, ACC, is a feature that automatically adapts the vehicle speed if it should catch up to another vehicle moving slower than the desired set speed. For this application Scania today use a long range sensor that has a long but narrow field of view. By complementing this sensor with short range sensors, which have short but wide fields of view, the desired field of view in the short range area can be obtained. This is necessary in order to be able to safely implement the Stop & Go functionality. Sensor fusion is based on the principle that two or more sensors overlooking the same area give a more accurate impression of reality than a single one. The fusion can be conducted in several ways. In the report three different methods are briefly described; Bayesian Networks, the Auction Algorithm and Gating. In the implementation the gating method is applied. Initially a target tracking algorithm using Kalman filter is implemented. However, after software updates in the short range sensors this algorithm is no longer used. This is because the improved tracking made internally by the sensors is considered to be sufficient, hence making an external tracking algorithm redundant. The sensor fusion and the target selection are implemented in a Simulink model which is later programmed into a hardware unit. The purpose of the latter is to be able to evaluate the functionality in a prototype vehicle. Initially, only associated targets are reported from the model. In order to obtain a more continuous target tracking, mainly while driving in curves, observations made only by single sensors are also considered. However, these measurements have lower level of confidence than the associated targets. Therefore these measurements first have to be validated for a certain period of time before they are approved. Test runs indicate that the target tracking works as intended. One major difficulty has been to separate stationary targets from slow moving ones, especially in low speeds. This is due to the fact that the sensors’ speed measurements are fairly inaccurate. Therefore a stationary target could be reported as a slow moving one.

¡@¡@With high liquidity and operating flexibility, futures can not be held for long term and must be restricted by margin requirement. This makes many futures traders prefer day trading to avoid the risk of the price gap of the next trading day. ¡@¡@Day traders tend to operate a trend-following strategy based on technical analysis and actively manage their holding positions. They take stop-loss strategy in the wrong direction to limit the damage, while take raise-stake strategy in the right direction to increase profits. A program trading system can even be utilized to carry out the strategy immediately and mechanically. ¡@¡@This study use Taiwan Stock Exchange Capitalization Weighted Stock Index Futures as our sample. It simulates the performance of trend-following strategy of day traders by using moving average as basic signals, combined with the trading volume and Bollinger Band. ¡@¡@We found that, in medium-term and long-term time frame (30-60 minutes), active management of stop-loss and overweight strategy can still change the distribution of performance and earn positive returns, even if moving average technical analysis is not as effective as expected.

The objective of this thesis is to explore how human beings manipulate their dexterous operation skills to produce follow shot, stop shot, and draw shot while playing billiard. According to basic mechanics, the forces exerted on a billiard ball are analyzed in three different conditions. They include the cue stick hitting the cue ball, collision between the cue ball and the object ball, and the interaction between the ball and the surface. Mathematical models for those three fundamental techniques: the follow shot, the stop shot, and the draw shot, are developed by incorporating the rolling resistance. The friction between the surface and the ball, and the dent on the surface due to the mass of the ball are considered. Furthermore, reverse derivations are also implemented to solve initial hitting conditions between the cue stick and the cue ball for certain final states for the cue ball and the object ball. Computer simulations in virtual reality are conducted using the 3D Studio Max 8 software tool. Opinions from billiard experts are also collected for the purpose of verification. Based on simulation results, reversed derivation can accurately predict final states of the cue ball and the object ball for both stop shot and draw shot. However, for the case of follow shots, final position of the object ball cannot be fully determined. Besides, no unique solution exists for the hitting condition in all three types of shot.

Abstract Banking industry which contributes significant annual economic growth rate is one of the most important industries in Taiwan. Since the trend that many countries give up the cash-based monetary system, the financial environment grows toward liberalization and globalization. Banking industry has shown more and more influence on the stability of economy. The financial Commissioner of MOU which signed on November 16, 2009 and effected on January 16, 2010 has taken the financial cooperation between Taiwan and China to a new stage. Under the framework of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), Mainland China will become an important part of Taiwan banking industry¡¦s future global distribution. With the impact of global financial tsunami and European sovereign debt crisis, the overall economic environment of Taiwan banking industry has been more difficult. On the other side, the number of competitor of the same nature increases since 16 new banks are approved to be set up from 1991 to 1992. According to the statistic of Financial Supervisory Commission, Executive Yuan, there is a total of 38 domestic banks with 3,398 branches and a total of 28 foreign banks with 53 branches over Taiwan. The business volume and profitability of traditional banks has been reduced, and wallet share ratio has been declined too. Thus, it is a must that bank adjust their traditional role from borrowing funds to a assist of asset management as quickly as possible to support customers a omni-bearing service provider. After the implement of Financial Holding Company Act in July 2001, the financial legislation has been lifted. It allow not only the establishment of financial holding companies but also the cross-industry operation of banking, insurance, securities, venture capital, investment trust business that providing customers on stop shopping service. Moreover, based on the principle of equity, the financial authority allow non-financial holding companies including banking, insurance, securities could development cross-industry service. Thus, non-financial holding companies should review their future development strategies and opportunities. The study is based on the simplified financial and insurance market structure which includes a bank and three insurance companies. When a individual bank cooperates with certain insurance company, there are two cooperation models¡Xthe establishment of financial holding company and cross-industry strategic alliance. The establishment of financial holding company adopts ¡§joint marketing¡¨ mode which vertical and horizontal integrates the flow of business, cash, logistic, information and talent to create a synergy of business profit. However, if there are differences of business culture and philosophy, the benefit may not be shown and may even adversely affect the alliance. The strength of ¡§strategic alliance¡¨ lies in the flexibility of operation of business and organization. With the cross-industry operation mode, managers could develop business strategy according to the difference structure and property thus not only retains original business idea and thinking but also capture unique niche of cross-industry then achieve the goal progressively. Through literature review and analysis of banking and insurance strategies, the study develops the research framework, questionnaire and dimensions in the background and motivation of cross-industry alliance, the condition and term of alliance partner selection strategy and interactive communication in the process of strategic alliance and cooperation to discuss the factors that influence the channel strategies of bank-insurance companies and the critical factors that make successful business expansion. The study hope to provide a reference for future development of bank ¡Vinsurance business to enhance the competitiveness of bank insurance industry in Taiwan.

<p>I denna rapport redogörs för en implementering av fusion mellan kortdistanssensorer. Syftet med denna implementering är att erhålla Stop & Go-funktionalitet till den adaptiva farthållaren som idag finns som tillval i Scanias lastbilar. Adaptiv farthållning, ACC, är en funktion som automatiskt anpassar fordonets hastighet ifall detta kommer ikapp ett annat fordon som färdas långsammare än den inställda hastigheten. Scanias system använder sig idag av en långdistanssensor som ser långt men har smalt synfält. Genom att komplettera denna med kortdistanssensorer, som ser kort men brett, kan önskvärt synfält i närområdet för att säkert kunna implementera Stop & Go-funktionen uppnås. Sensorfusion bygger på principen att två eller fler sensorer som ser samma sak ger en mer korrekt bild av verkligheten än en enskild. Fusionen kan genomföras på många olika sätt. I rapporten beskrivs tre metoder övergripligt; Bayesiska nätverk, auktionsalgoritmen samt Gating. I implementeringen används gatingmetoden.</p><p>Initialt implementeras en målspårningsalgoritm med kalmanfilter. Efter uppdatering av sensormjukvaran väljs dock denna bort eftersom sensorernas interna målspårning då anses som tillräcklig. En modell med sensorfusionen och målselekteringen byggs i Simulink och programmeras sedan in i en hårdvaruenhet. Syftet med detta är att kunna utvärdera funktionen i ett prototypfordon. Inledningsvis rapporteras enbart korrelerade mål från modellen. För mer kontinuerlig målföljning, främst i kurvor, implementeras därefter en algoritm som även tar hänsyn till enskilda sensorers observationer. Dessa accpeteras dock först efter en viss valideringstid eftersom denna information har lägre konfidens än korrelerade mål.</p><p>Provkörningar visar att målföljningen fungerar väl. En stor svårighet har varit att sålla bort stillastående mål från rörliga, främst i låga farter. Detta eftersom sensorernas hastighetsangivelse har låg precision vilket medför att ett stillastående mål kan rapporteras som ett långsamt rörligt.</p> / <p>In this thesis report an implementation of fusion between short range radars is described. The purpose of this implementation is to obtain Stop & Go functionality for the adaptive cruise control which is offered as an option in today’s Scania trucks. Adaptive cruise control, ACC, is a feature that automatically adapts the vehicle speed if it should catch up to another vehicle moving slower than the desired set speed. For this application Scania today use a long range sensor that has a long but narrow field of view. By complementing this sensor with short range sensors, which have short but wide fields of view, the desired field of view in the short range area can be obtained. This is necessary in order to be able to safely implement the Stop & Go functionality. Sensor fusion is based on the principle that two or more sensors overlooking the same area give a more accurate impression of reality than a single one. The fusion can be conducted in several ways. In the report three different methods are briefly described; Bayesian Networks, the Auction Algorithm and Gating. In the implementation the gating method is applied.</p><p>Initially a target tracking algorithm using Kalman filter is implemented. However, after software updates in the short range sensors this algorithm is no longer used. This is because the improved tracking made internally by the sensors is considered to be sufficient, hence making an external tracking algorithm redundant. The sensor fusion and the target selection are implemented in a Simulink model which is later programmed into a hardware unit. The purpose of the latter is to be able to evaluate the functionality in a prototype vehicle. Initially, only associated targets are reported from the model. In order to obtain a more continuous target tracking, mainly while driving in curves, observations made only by single sensors are also considered. However, these measurements have lower level of confidence than the associated targets. Therefore these measurements first have to be validated for a certain period of time before they are approved.</p><p>Test runs indicate that the target tracking works as intended. One major difficulty has been to separate stationary targets from slow moving ones, especially in low speeds. This is due to the fact that the sensors’ speed measurements are fairly inaccurate. Therefore a stationary target could be reported as a slow moving one.</p>

It is imperative the public be made aware of major media policy decisions to help take part in and shape the industry that they rely on to be an informed citizenry in a democracy. However, in an increasingly concentrated media landscape where fewer owners control our channels of information and reign over a vast array of holdings, the system is firmly positioned to conceal or marginalize policy stories that negatively affect its business interests. This study explores mainstream TV news coverage of the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act or SOPA– legislation proposed to reduce counterfeit purchases online that came under fire from critics for potentially threatening the fabric of free expression on the Internet. By asking, “How much attention did major television news networks whose parent companies supported SOPA devote to the bill during their nightly broadcasts?” and “How much attention did major television news networks whose parent companies supported SOPA devote to the bill during their nightly broadcasts after the Internet Blackout protesting the Act?” it finds those networks whose parent companies sought to benefit from the Act’s passage failed to report on the legislation at crucial times before and after the SOPA debate. The results largely fall in line with the mainstream media– namely the broadcast industry’s– historical self-censorship of significant media policy stories. / text

This professional report examines the degree to which the perception of safety shapes travel behavior in Austin, Texas, using Huston Tillotson University (HT) students as our case study. Focus groups are used to explore and identify what elements of the public transit experience are considered safe and unsafe. The report explores what “frightens” HT participants away from using the bus. A quantitative study is then used to measure environmental variables and their relation to bus stops and perceptions of safety. Austin crime data are used to locate bus stop crimes and develop a real context for bus riders’ perceptions of crime. After describing the conditions of bus stops based on physical, environmental, and criminal attributes, the study develops scenarios for the study areas. This report closes by summarizing the empirical findings and gives design and policy recommendations for transportation planners, agencies, and policy makers. / text

In 2010, the government of British Columbia (B.C.) dedicated $48 million to stop the spread of HIV. The STOP HIV/AIDS pilot project promotes the uptake of HIV testing in the general population, and the use of antiretroviral therapy amongst those living with HIV/AIDS. This project operates with the rationale of ‘treatment as prevention’ (TasP), meaning that antiretroviral therapy is beneficial for the person living with HIV/AIDS, and has the secondary benefit of reducing the spread of HIV in the general population. Public health discourses are constructed via particular worldviews and involve the creation and delineation of societal problems. Undertaking a discourse analysis, I identify eight dominant discourses of TasP and STOP HIV/AIDS that include: provincial and international support for TasP and lack of federal leadership in HIV/AIDS; TasP, a ‘paradigm shift’ and a ‘game changer;’ TasP as beneficial to the individual and society; human rights and harm reduction; proof and certainty; failure of current prevention efforts; risk discourses; and, finally, universal treatment. I also identify five alternative discourses: holistic understanding/social determinants of health; stigma and discrimination; rights discourse: GIPA, informed consent and self-determination; coercion/criminalization and alternative risk discourse. Through a lens of governmentality, I explicate two overarching and simultaneous discursive strategies in realizing the objective of decreasing the spread of HIV in B.C. The first strategy acts on individuals living with HIV/AIDS, encouraging individuals to take up antiretroviral therapy. The second strategy acts on the general population, informing the population that HIV is a problem, and that treating people living with HIV/AIDS is the best way to protect society as a whole. There are various techniques within these two strategies. These discursive events have immense consequences for the uptake of health policies and programs by the public. The dominant and alternative discourses of TasP impact HIV policy and practice and specifically the individuals living with HIV and AIDS who are the subjects and targets of these initiatives. / Graduate

Zugl.: Darmstadt, Techn. Univ., Diss., 2009