Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis describes the design and implementation of a data storage service. Many clients can be served simultaneously in an environment where processes execute on different physical machines and communicate via message passing primitives. The service is provided by two separate servers: one that functions at the disk block level and another that maintains files. A prototype system was developed first in the form of a simple file store. The prototype served two purposes: (1) it extended the single-user Oberon system to create a multiuser system suitable to support group work in laboratories, and (2) it provided a system that could be measured to obtain useful data to design the final system. Clients access the service from Oberon workstations. The Oberon file system (known as the Ceres file system) normally stores files on a local disk. This system was modified to store files on a remote Unix machine. Heavily used files are cached to improve the efficiency of the system. In the final version of the system disk blocks are cached, not entire files. In this way the disks used to store the data are unified and presented as a separate virtual block service to be used by file systems running on client workstations. The virtual block server runs on a separate machine and is accessed via a network. The simplicity of the block server is appealing and should in itself improve reliability. The main concern is efficiency and the goal of the project was to determine whether such a design can be made efficient enough to serve its purpose. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING:Hierdie tesis omskryf die ontwerp en implementasie van 'n data stoor diens. Verskeie gebruikers word bedien deur die diens wat funksioneer in 'n verspreide omgewing: 'n omgewing waar prosesse uitvoer op verskillende masjiene en met mekaar kommunikeer met behulp van boodskappe wat rondgestuur word. Die diens word verskaf deur twee bedieners: die eerste wat funksioneer op 'n blok vlak en die ander wat lers onderhou. 'n Prototipe leer diens is ontwikkel deur middel van 'n basiese leer stoor. Die prototipe het twee funksies verrig: (1) die enkel gebruiker Oberon stelsel is uitgebrei na 'n veelvoudige gebruiker stelsel bruikbaar vir groepwerk in 'n laboratorium omgewing, en (2) 'n stelsel is verskaf wat betroubare en akkurate data kon verskaf vir die ontwerp van die finale stelsel. Oberon werkstasies word gebruik met die leer diens. Die Oberon leer stelsel (ook bekend as die Ceres leer stelsel) stoor normaalweg leers op 'n lokale skyf. Hierdie bestaande stelsel is verander om leers te stoor op 'n eksterne Unix masjien. Leers wat die meeste in gebruik is word in geheue aangehou vir effektiwiteits redes. Die finale weergawe van die stelsel berg skyf blokke in geheue, nie leers nie. Hierdie metode laat dit toe om data te stoor op 'n standaard metode, bruikbaar deur verskillende tipes leer stelsels wat uitvoer op verskeie gebruikers se werkstasies. Die virtuele blok stoor voer uit op 'n aparte masjien en is bereikbaar via 'n netwerk. Die eenvoudige ontwerp van die diens is opsigself aanloklik en behoort betroubaarheid te verbeter. Die hoof bekommernis is effektiwiteit en die hoofdoel van die projek was om te bepaal of hierdie ontwerp effektief genoeg gemaak kon word.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University , 1993. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Reactive systems are event driven state machines which usually do not terminate, but remain in perpetual interaction with their environment. Such systems usually interact 'With devices which introduce a high degree of concurrency and some real time constraints to the system. Because of the concurrent nature of reactive systems they are commonly implemented as communicating concurrent processes on one or more processors. Jeffay introduces a design paradigm which requires consumer processes to consume messages faster than they are produced by producer processes. If this is guaranteed, the real time constraints of such .. system are always met, and the correctness of the process interaction is guaranteed in terms of the message passing semantics. I developed the ESE kernel, which supports Jeffay systems by providing lightweight processes which communicate over asynchronous channels. Processes are scheduled non-preemptively according to the earliest deadline first policy when they have messages pending on their input channels. The Jeffay design method and the ESE kernel have been found to be highly suitable to implement embedded reactive systems. The general requirements of embedded reactive systems, and kernel support required by such systems, are discussed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Reaktiewe stelsels is toeatandsoutomate wat aangedryf word deur gebeure in hul omgewins. So 'n stelsel termineer gewoonlik nie, maar bly in 'n voortdurende wisselwerking met toestelle in sy omgewing. Toestelle in die omgewing van 'n reaktiewe stelsel veroorsaak in die algemeen 'n hoë mate van gelyklopendheid in die stelsel, en plaas gewoonlik sekere intydse beperkings op die stelsel. Gelyklopende stelsels word gewoonlik as stelsel. van kommunikerende prosesse geïmplementeer op een of meer prosessors. Jeffay beskryf 'n ontwerpsmetodologie waarvolgens die ontvanger van boodskappe hulle vinniger moet verwerk as wat die sender hulle kan stuur. Indien hierdie gedrag tussen alle pare kommunikerende prosesse gewaarborg kan word, sal die stelsel altyd sy intydse beperkings gehoorsaam, en word die korrektheid van interaksies tussen prosesse deur die semantiek van die boodskapwisseling gewaarborg. Die "ESE" bedryfstelselkern wat ek ontwikkel het, ondersteun stelsels wat ontwerp en geïmplementeer word volgens Jeffay se metode. Prosesse kommunikeer oor asinkrone kanale, en die ontvanger van die boodskap met die vroegste keertyd word altyd eerste geskeduleer. Jeffay se ontwerpsmetode en die "ESE" kern blyk in die praktyk baie geskik te wees vir reaktiewe stelsels wat as substelsels van groter stelsels uitvoer. Die vereistes van reaktiewe substelsels, en die kemondersteuning wat daarvoor nodig is, word bespreek.

This thesis examines the performance of the support vector machine and the random forest models in the context of binary classification. The two techniques are compared and the outstanding one is used to construct a final parsimonious model. The data set consists of 33 observations and 89 biomarkers as features with no known dependent variable. The dependent variable is generated through k-means clustering, with a predefined final solution of two clusters. The training of the algorithms is performed using five-fold cross-validation repeated twenty times. The outcome of the training process reveals that the best performing versions of the models are a linear support vector machine and a random forest with six randomly selected features at each split. The final results of the comparison on the test set of these optimally tuned algorithms show that the random forest outperforms the linear kernel support vector machine. The former classifies all observations in the test set correctly whilst the latter classifies all but one correctly. Hence, a parsimonious random forest model using the top five features is constructed, which, to conclude, performs equally well on the test set compared to the original random forest model using all features.

Företag kan finansiera verksamheten på olika sätt. Ett alternativ för finansiering vid nyanskaffning är leasing. Det innebär att man låter ett annat bolag köpa tillgången och hyr det sedan av bolaget. Den nya standarden, IFRS 16, som ges ut av IASB och som ska tas i bruk från och med januari 2019, har ändrat kriterierna för klassificeringen av leasingavtal. Vilket har gjort att många tidigare operationella leasingavtal med en avtalstid längre än 12 månader kommer med den nya standarden att klassas som finansiella leasingavtal och därmed föras in på balansräkningen som skulder och tillgångar. Denna studie undersöker effekterna en kapitalisering ger på svenska börsnoterade bolag. För dessa bolag används en kapitaliseringsmodell för att få fram effekten av en kapitalisering av nuvarande operationella leasingavtal på balans- och resultaträkningen för år 2014. Resultaten visar på att balansräkningen kommer påverkas mer än resultaträkningen, då det tillkommer i vissa fall stora skulder och tillgångar. Detta ger genomslag till nyckeltalen, där nyckeltal såsom intensitet av investeringar, soliditet och skuldsättningsgrad får markant större förändringar än andra nyckeltal i studien. / Companies can use different ways to finance their businesses. One of the options is to leas the assets they want. This means that another company purchase an asset then you leas said asset from the purchasing company. IASB have made a new standard, IFRS 16, which will become active in January 2019. This new standard have change the criteria of how to classify leases. With IFRS 16 many of the operating leases that are longer than 12 months, now have to be classified as financial leases. Because of that they have to go from off balance sheet to be a part of the balance sheet. With this study we want to look at the effects that a capitalization of leases have on selected financial ratios in Swedish companies traded on the OMX Nasdaq stock exchange. We use a constructive capitalizations model to see the effects of current operating leases on the balance- and income-sheet for the year 2014. Our results indicate that most effect will be seen on the balance-sheet, because of the way capitalization works, it is intended to bring the leases onto the balance-sheet. We also see some effects on financial ratios, where balance focused ratios gets effected more than others, example intensity of investment, equity/assets and debt/equity.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / November 04-07, 1991 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / In this paper we describe the design of the REAL/STAR 2000 system, a highperformance real-time computer for telemetry applications. The REAL/STAR 2000 is a symmetric, tightly-coupled multiprocessor, optimized for real-time processing. The system provides a high level of scalability and flexibility by supporting three configurations: single, dual, and quad processor configurations, based on Motorola 88100 RISC processors. The system runs the multiprocessor REAL/IX operating system, a real-time implementation of the AT&T UNIX System V. It compiles with BCS and OCS standards, meets the POSIX 1003.1 standard, and has the current functionality of the emerging POSIX 1003.4 real-time standard. The REAL/STAR 2000 promotes an open system approach to real-time computing by supporting major industry standards. Benchmark results are also presented in the paper.

The drive train components and the machine control system significantly influence the fuel consumption of mobile machinery. The demonstrator vehicle “Green Wheel Loader” developed within the joint research project “TEAM” combines the most promising drive concepts currently available for mobile machines with an innovative operating strategy. The developed drive and control system proved its functionality and performance under realistic operation conditions in a gravel pit. Reference test showed 10 – 15 % fuel savings of the prototype vehicle compared to a state-of-the-art series machine.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 25-28, 1999 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / Increasingly, military managers are requiring better and more efficient use of Special Use Airspace (SUA) and Military Operating Areas (MOA). To date, there has been no automated method for determining airspace utilization within the R-2508 Complex. This paper describes the development of a computer based airspace management tool called Airspace Utilization Reporting System (AURS). AURS receives aircraft beacon radar data from an air traffic control automation system used within the R-2508 Complex. The system processes this data in a customized Oracle database format and responds to query requests, making any information about aircraft activities and airspace utilization available to the user. AURS operates continuously 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The system provides a tool for near complete analysis of all transponder equipped aircraft activities and utilization information within the 20,000 square miles R-2508 airspace Complex. In this paper we also provide detailed AURS reports and examples of military and civilian aircraft activities obtained with AURS.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 17-20, 1994 / Town & Country Hotel and Conference Center, San Diego, California / The Advanced Telemetry Processing System (ATPS) is the result of a joint development project between Harris Corporation and Veda Systems, Incorporated. The mission of the development team was to produce a high-performance, cost-effective, supportable telemetry system; one that would utilize commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software, thereby eliminating costly customization typically required for range and telemetry applications. A critical element in the 'cost-effective, supportable' equation was the ability to easily incorporate system performance upgrades as well as future hardware and software technology advancements. The ATPS combines advanced hardware and software technology that includes a high-speed, top-down data management environment; a mature man-machine interface; a B1-level Trusted operating system and network; and stringent real-time multiprocessing capabilities into a single, fully integrated, 'open' platform. In addition, the system incorporates a unique direct memory transfer feature that allows incoming data to pass directly into local memory space where it can be displayed and analyzed, thereby reducing I/O bottleneck and freeing processors for other specialized tasks.

Thesis (MCur (Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Nursing Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Patient safety remains one of the biggest challenges to healthcare organizations. With the escalation in health care costs due to medical errors, many organizations are adopting a number of strategies like the keeping of electronic medical records, the use of medication bar coding, instituting protocol for common procedures and checklists. Although each of these interventions has had a positive impact, problems of preventable medical errors still persist in many health care organizations throughout the world. In order to combat this, a small but increasing number of organizations are trying out basic technology as a low cost solution for patient safety in order to adopt this culture. Approval was given to the researcher to conduct an assessment of the safety culture in a specialized obstetric and gynecology operating room setting in Abu Dhabi. The aim of the study was to explore the patient safety culture and the contributing factors influencing patient safety in the operating room, as part of the preparations for accreditation by the Joint Commission International. A quantitative descriptive survey as research design was implemented for this purpose. In May 2010 the researcher surveyed the entire population of operating room staff, i.e. 250 participants, following a pilot study consisting of 10% of the total sample. The popular hospital wide survey questionnaire of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) was adjusted and used to assess the safety culture among the operating room staff. The survey measured four common dimensions of patient safety, namely an overall perception and grade of patient safety, and the frequency and number of events reported. Further sub-dimensions were also measured in terms of leadership support, team work, and communication. A total of 118 completed questionnaires were received, which represents a 52% response rate. All of the participants had direct interaction or contact with patients. The composite overall score for the perception of safety was 48%. Although findings of the survey indicate that the operating room has patient safety problems, the findings also show much positive strength in the operating room and the organization as a whole. The positive composite scores are reflected in the findings of 74% for hospital management support for patient safety, 70% for teamwork within the units, and 61% for teamwork across hospital units, and 60% for feedback and communication regarding medical errors. The implications of the survey findings were taken into consideration in order for the organization to comply with the requirements for the Joint Commission International’s recertification with the focus on staff education and improving safety standards. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING:Pasiëntbeveiliging bly een van de grootste uitdagings vir gesondheidsorganisasies. Met die toename in onkoste vir gesondheidsorg vanweë mediese misstappe, pas baie organisasies ’n aantal strategieë toe, soos die byhou van elektroniese mediese rekords, die aanbring van strepieskodes op medisyne, die daarstelling van protokolle vir algemene prosedures en kontrolelyste. Alhoewel elkeen van hierdie intervensies ’n positiewe impak gehad het, bestaan probleme vanweë mediese misstappe nog steeds in vele gesondheidsorg organisasies dwarsoor die wêreld. Om dit te voorkom, probeer ’n klein, maar toenemende aantal organisasies om ‚n kultuur van basiese tegnologie as ’n lae-koste oplossing vir pasiëntbeveiliging te kweek. Toestemming is aan die navorser gegee om ’n assessering te doen van die veiligheidskultuur in ’n gespesialiseerde verloskundige en ginekologiese operasiesaal in Abu Dhabi. Die doel van hierdie studie is om die pasiëntveiligheidskultuur te ondersoek, asook die bydraende faktore wat pasiëntbeveiliging in die operasiesaal beïnvloed as deel van die voorbereiding vir akkreditasie deur die Gesamentlike Kommissie Internasionaal (GKI). ’n Kwantitatiewe, beskrywende opname as navorsingsontwerp is toegepas vir hierdie doel. Gedurende Mei 2010 het die navorser ’n opname van die totale populasie van die operasiesaalpersoneel gedoen, naamlik 250 deelnemers, na ’n loodsondersoek wat 10% van die totale steekproef uitgemaak het. Die bekende Agentskap vir Gesondheidsnavorsing en Kwaliteit (AGNK) se hospitaalwye opnamevraelys is aangepas en gebruik om die veiligheidskultuur in die operasiesaal te assesseer. Die opname het vier algemene dimensies van pasiëntveiligheid gemeet, naamlik ’n algemene persepsie en gradering van pasiëntveiligheid, as ook die frekwensie en die aantal ongunstige gebeure wat plaasvind. ’n Totaal van 118 voltooide vraelyste is ontvang wat ’n 52% responskoers verteenwoordig. Al die deelnemers het direkte interaksie of kontak met pasiënte. Die samegestelde algehele telling van persepsie van veiligheid is 48%. Alhoewel bevindinge van die opname aandui dat die operasiesaal pasiëntveiligheidsprobleme het, wys bevindinge ook baie positiewe aspekte in die operasiesaal en die organisasie as ’n geheel uit. Die positiewe samegestelde telling word gereflekteer in die bevindinge van 74% vir ondersteuning vanaf die hospitaalbestuur vir pasiëntbeveiliging, 70% vir spanwerk binne die eenhede, 61% vir spanwerk dwarsoor die hospitaaleenhede en 60% vir terugvoering en kommunikasie ten opsigte van mediese misstappe. Die implikasies van die opname se bevindinge is in ag geneem ten einde die organisasie in staat te stel om te voldoen aan die Gesamentlike Kommissie Internasionaal se hersertifisering met die fokus op personeelopleiding en verbetering van veiligheidstandaarde.

OBJECTIVE: Hospital systems and regulating agencies enforce strict guidelines barring personal items from entering the operating room (OR) - touting surgical site infections (SSIs) and patient safety as the rationale. We sought to determine whether or not evidence supporting this recommendation exists by reviewing available literature. BACKGROUND DATA: Rules and guidelines that are not evidence based may lead to increased hospital expenses and limitations on healthcare provider autonomy. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and CINAHL were searched in order to find articles that correlated personal items in the OR to documented SSIs. Articles that satisfied the following criteria were included: (1) studies looking at personal items in the OR, such as handbags, purses, badges, pagers, backpacks, jewelry phones, and eyeglasses, but not just OR equipment; and (2) the primary outcome measure was infection at the surgical site. RESULTS: Seventeen articles met inclusion criteria and were evaluated. Of the 17, the majority did not determine if personal items increased risk for SSIs. Only one article examined the correlation between a personal item near the operative site and SSI, concluding that wedding rings worn in the OR had no impact on SSIs. Most studies examined colonization rates on personal items as potential infection risk; however, no personal items were causally linked to SSI in any of these studies. CONCLUSION: There is no objective evidence to suggest that personal items in the OR increase risk for SSIs.