Approximately 65% of all surgeries are conducted in the outpatient surgery setting involving more than 35 million patients. Thirty-five to fifty percent of these outpatients will experience post discharge nausea and vomiting (PDNV), nausea and vomiting that occurs after discharge from the health care facility after surgery. A dearth of literature details the problems associated with nausea and vomiting experienced by patients after discharge home from outpatient surgery. The purposes of this dissertation were to (1) review the current knowledge in the area of post discharge nausea and vomiting; (2) present results of an integrative review of the research literature to determine best evidence for prevention of PDNV in adults or rescue of patients who suffer from post discharge nausea and vomiting (PDNV); (3) present a critical review and analysis of measurement of nausea and vomiting after discharge from outpatient surgery, and (4) present findings of a prospective research study. The purposes of the research study were to: 1) describe the incidence and severity of PDNV over a 7-day period in a sample of adult surgical patients undergoing outpatient surgeries under general anesthesia, 2) describe the pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic modalities of care used by patients with PDNV to manage it, 3) compare the incidence and severity of PDNV between those who do and do not use pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic modalities, and 4) determine outcomes associated with PDNV. This study was part of a multi-site study that had as a primary objective development of a simplified risk model for predicting patients most likely to suffer PDNV. In this research study we described the incidence and severity of PDNV in adult outpatients after ambulatory surgery, described the pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic modalities of care used by patients with PDNV to manage it, compared the incidence and severity of PDNV between those who do and do not use pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic modalities, and determined outcomes associated with PDNV.

高等教育在全世界任何國家中都是備受關注的重要議題，對於深度學術研究和未來的就業市場皆有牽一髮而動全身之影響力，而大學生素質及教授教學品質正面臨急需改善的轉折點。當近年大學生人數呈倍數大幅增加時，如何強化大學的營運績效成為炙手可熱的議題。隨著出生率的降低，年增的大學間數削弱了高教的品質，依賴學生收入較重的私立大學之經營情形更是岌岌可危。 本文特別針對二十四家私立大專院校作出實證結果，利用各校84年到94年的財務報表以及有關經營面的數字，以當期餘絀作為應變數，包含流動比率、固定資產比率、平均每單位學生支出、生師比、平均每學生數之學費等變數作為自變數，採用財務及非財務比率分析法進行營運資產面、收益面、支出面、教學品質面的實證分析，探討此統計結果與私立大專院校的營運績效之相依性。 結論顯示出，當期餘絀與固定資產比率、固定資產年增率、總資產、捐贈佔總收入比率、平均每單位學生支出、大學部學生比率有顯著正相關關係；且長庚大學與慈濟大學對學費收入的依賴性最小。利用營運績效之評比建立未來私校的退場機制，提供給相關單位作為日後的參考依據。 / Higher education system has developed for a long time all round the world. It is the most factors for fostering talents for employment and advanced research. The quality of teaching and student at universities are facing challenges that needed to improve urgently. While the enrollment population of students in higher education grows rapidly, it is very necessary urgently to clarify the mounting controversy: how to improve the operating performance of a university according to its financial statement, quantity data, and the information related to the operating performance. With the decreasing birth rate in recent years, the quantity of universities and colleges has enlarged rapidly, added to the other factors, private universities will be in a terrible situation that no sufficient students to stand their business sooner or later. We intend in the thesis to find out ways to enhance the quality of higher education by integrating educational resources and testifying the statistical methods. This paper emphasize on the magnitude of operating those private universities with efficient performance. Chapter 1 is the introduction including the background, motives, and objectives of the research. Chapter 2 deals with the review of literature, whereby related the literatures overseas were be discussed. Chapter 3 focuses on the research methods adopted. Chapter 4 is the analysis of the empirical results, and conducted for the establishment of the model. Chapter 5 presents the conclusion and suggestions for further research. The study based on the disclosed financial information of the 24 private universities. The conducted variables used to test the relation can be divided into four categories: the operating assets approach, the revenue approach, the expenditure approach, the teaching-quality approach. There are financial ratio and non financial independent variables selected for consideration in this field. There are 19 explained variables in details, and current surplus (SUR) is the only dependent variable as a whole. This study yielded limited information about the operating performances of higher education. The objective of this research is to seek and find out the explanatory power of the independent variables for financial performance indicators. To the conclusion, the roads to improve the operating performance of these private universities still have taken time. It is better to eliminate the lower-quality universities from the assessment of operating performance

在台灣現金增資已成為企業集資主要手段之一，尤以電子業之現金增資案例居各產業之首。關於現金增資與營運績效之議題，不論是學術界或實務領域皆受到相當程度關注。本研究以台灣上市公司現金增資為例，探討1995年1月1日至2003年12月31日共九年資料，分析現金增資後過度投資(overinvestment)對於營運績效之影響。本研究結論及實證結果如下： (1)使用營運資產報酬率、資產報酬率、每股盈餘、股票報酬率等績效衡量指標衡量現金增資前後之營運績效表現，發現增資後營運績效顯著下降。 (2)現金增資後現金收益(proceeds)主要用於投資。 (3)過度投資造成營運績效下降，而電子業之適度投資將使得營運績效上升，投資機會低且過度投資將使得營運績效嚴重下降。 / In Taiwan, Seasoned Equity Offerings (SEOs) has become an important source of corporate financing. It is especially the case for the semiconductor and electronic industries. Previous studies have documented that firms’ operating performance deteriorates after SEOs. In this research, the emphasis is on how overinvesting affects firms’ operating performances after SEOs. The sample of this research consists of SEOs of listed companies during 1995 through 2003 in the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE). The results and conclusions of this research are as followings: (1)The performance indicators, such as operating ROA, ROA, EPS, and stock return performance indexes, decline after SEOs. (2)The primary purpose of SEO proceeds is for investment. (3)Firms’ performance improves with optimal investment in the electronic industry while onverinvestment explains poor firms’ performance after SEOs. The adverse effect of overinvestment on performance is more severe in firms with fewer investment opportunities.

In this thesis, we explore the hidden risks in a firm’s real operating process and the financial adjustments made as the risk changes. We investigate the risks associated with a firm’s vertical channel (chapter 2 and 3) and geographic location (chapter 4), and analyze what financial consequences these risks bring. We firstly show strong evidence that a firm’s cost of equity decreases as supplier immobility translates into a decrease in operating leverage and systematic risk. Next, we show that as the specificity of customers induces more cash flow instability, the firm’s idiosyncratic risk increases with customer specificity. As a result, firms with more specific customers choose more conservative dividend payout policies to adjust for the risk changes. In the third essay, we examine the information risk from firm’s geographic location. We find that this information risk affects a firm’s capital structure choice and that centrally located firms have lower leverage ratios than do remotely located ones. / Thesis (Ph.D, Management) -- Queen's University, 2013-04-29 22:12:43.675

Dans cette thèse, nous proposons d'étudier le débogage interactif d'applications pour les systèmes embarqués MPSoC (Multi-Processor System on Chip). Une étude de l'art a montrée que la conception et le développement de ces applications reposent de plus en plus souvent sur des modèles de programmation et des frameworks de développement. Ces environnements définissent les bonnes pratiques, tant au niveau algorithmique qu'au niveau des techniques de programmation. Ils améliorent ainsi le cycle de développement des applications destinées aux processeurs MPSoC. L'utilisation de modèles de programmation ne garantit cependant pas que les codes pourront etre exécutés sans erreur, en particulier dans le cas de la programmation dynamique, oú ils offrent très peu d'aide à la vérification. Notre contribution pour résoudre ces challenges consiste en une nouvelle approche pour le débogage interactif, appelée Programming Model-Centric Debugging, ainsi qu'une implémentation d'un prototype de débogueur. Le débogage centré sur les modèles rapproche le débogage interactif du niveau d'abstraction fourni par les modèles de programmation, en capturant et interprétant les événements générés pendant l'exécution de l'application. Nous avons appliqué cette approche sur trois modèles de programmation, basés sur les composants logiciels, le dataflow et la programmation d'accélérateur par kernels. Ensuite, nous détaillons comment nous avons développé notre prototype de débogueur, basé sur GDB, pour la programmation de la plate-forme STHORM de STMicroelectronics. Nous montrons aussi comment aborder le débogage basé sur les modèles avec quatre études de cas~: un code de réalité augmentée construit à l'aide de composants, une implémentation dataflow d'un décodeur vidéo H.264 and deux applications de calcul scientifique.

Growing demand for electricity forces suppliers to expand their generation capacity. Financing these expansion programmes results in electricity cost increases above inflation rates. By reducing electricity consumption, additional supply capacity is created at lower costs than the building of conventional power stations. Therefore, there is strong justification to reduce electricity consumption on the supplier and consumer side. The mining and industrial sectors of South Africa consumed approximately 43% of the total electricity supplied by Eskom during 2012. Approximately 10% of this electricity was used to produce compressed air. By reducing the electricity consumption of compressed air systems, operating costs are reduced. In turn this reduces the strain on the South African electricity network. Previous energy saving projects on mine compressed air systems realised savings that were not always sustainable. Savings deteriorated due to, amongst others, rapid employee turnover, improper training, lack of maintenance and system changes. There is therefore a need to improve projects that have already been implemented on mine compressed air systems. The continuous improvement of equipment (such as improved control valves) and the availability of newer technologies can be used to improve existing energy saving strategies. This study provides a solution to reduce the electricity consumption and operating costs of a deep level mine compressed air system. This was achieved by modernising and improving an existing underground compressed air saving strategy. This improvement resulted in a power saving of 1.15 MW; a saving equivalent to an annual cost saving of R4.16 million. It was found that the improved underground compressed air DSM project realised significant additional electrical energy savings. This resulted in ample cost savings to justify the implementation of the project improvements. It is recommended that opportunities to improve existing electrical energy saving projects on surface compressed air systems are investigated. / MIng (Mechanical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Bakgrund: Att arbeta i en miljö där hälsofarlig rök och risk för smitta förekommer innebär en risk för operationssjuksköterskans hälsa. På universitetssjukhuset finns riktlinjer om när mun- och andningsskydd ska användas. Syfte: Att undersöka om operationssjuksköterskorna på universitetssjukhuset har fullgoda kunskaper om sjukhusets riktlinjer angående mun- och andningsskydd. Att undersöka förutsättningarna för operationssjuksköterskorna att kunna följa riktlinjerna, deras upplevelse av riktlinjernas tillgänglighet samt vilka faktorer som avgör operationssjuksköterskornas val av mun- och andningsskydd. Metod: Studien är en deskriptiv enkätstudie med tvärsnittsdesign och kvantitativ ansats. Enkäter delades ut till operationssjuksköterskor på universitetssjukhuset vilka är verksamma på operationssal. För att bli godkänd i sin kunskap krävdes att respondenten hade 100 % rätta svar på kunskapsfrågorna. Data från enkäterna hanterades deskriptivt och analyserades med Mann Whitney u-test och Chi-två-test. Resultat: Hos 62 % fanns inte fullständiga kunskaper om universitetssjukhuset riktlinjer angående mun- och andningsskydd. Vidare upplevde 60 % att riktlinjerna inte är lättillgängliga. Resultatet visade att 24 % ansåg sig alltid kunna följa riktlinjerna. Slutsats: Resultatet visar att kunskapen gällande riktlinjerna är ofullständig vilket innebär att en stor del av operationssjuksköterskorna i studien riskerar sin hälsa i sitt arbete. För att operationssjuksköterskorna ska kunna uppdatera sina kunskaper bör universitetssjukhuset utforma tydligare riktlinjer angående mun- och andningsskydd i ett samlat dokument. / Background: OR nurses work in a place where there is hazardous smoke and contagion. This represents a risk to their health. The teaching hospital has guidelines for when to use facial protective devices. Aim: To see if the OR nurses at the teaching hospital have complete knowledge about the hospital guidelines regarding facial protective devices, and to study the OR nurses’ ability to follow the guidelines. The study will also determine the nurses’ perception of the availability of the guidelines and which factors determine the OR nurses’ choice of facial protective devices. Method: This is a descriptive questionnaire study with a cross-sectional design and a quantitative approach. The questionnaires were distributed to OR nurses who work in the operating room. In order to pass the test about the guidelines the respondent had to get 100 % correct answers. Data from the questionnaire were described and analyzed using Mann Whitney U test and Chi-square test. Result: Of the OR nurses, 62 % were lacking complete knowledge about the guidelines regarding facial protective devices. Furthermore, 60 % perceived the guidelines as not easily accessible. The result showed that 24 % always considered themselves to be able to follow the guidelines. Conclusion: The result shows a lack of knowledge regarding the guidelines. This means that a big part of the OR nurses in this study risk their health at work. To enable the OR nurses to update their knowledge, the teaching hospital should develop clearer guidelines on facial protective devices in one single document.

In 1996, a concept was proposed by the UK Ministry of Defence with the intention of making the field of reliability more useful to the end user, particularly within the field of military aerospace. This idea was the Maintenance Free Operating Period (MFOP), a duration of time in which the overall system can complete all of its required missions without the need to undergo emergency repairs or maintenance, with a defined probability of success. The system can encounter component or subsystem failures, but these must be carried with no effect to the overall mission, until such time as repair takes place. It is thought that advanced technologies such as redundant systems, prognostics and diagnostics will play a major role in the successful use of MFOP in practical applications. Many types of system operate missions that are made up of several sequential phases. For a mission to be successful, the system must satisfactorily complete each of the objectives in each of the phases. If the system fails or cannot complete its goals in any one phase, the mission has failed. Each phase will require the system to use different items, and so the failure logic changes from phase to phase. Mission unreliability is defined as the probability that the system fails to function successfully during at least one phase of the mission. An important problem is the efficient calculation of the value of mission unreliability. This thesis investigates the creation of a modelling method to consider as many features of systems undergoing both MFOPs and phased missions as possible. This uses Petri nets, a type of digraph allowing storage and transit of tokens which represent system states. A simple model is presented, following which, a more complex model is developed and explained, encompassing those ideas which are believed to be important in delivering a long MFOP with a high degree of confidence. A demonstration of the process by which the modelling method could be used to improve the reliability performance of a large system is then shown. The complex model is employed in the form of a Monte-Carlo simulation program, which is applied to a life-size system such as may be encountered in the real world. Improvements are suggested and results from their implementation analysed.

Time series forecasting and modeling are challenging problems during the past decades, because of its plenty of properties and underlying correlated relationships. As a result, researchers proposed a lot of models to deal with the time series. However, the proposed models such as Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and artificial neural networks (ANNs) only describe part of the properties of time series. In this thesis, we introduce a new hybrid model integrated filter structure to improve the prediction accuracy. Case studies with real data from University of Kentucky HealthCare are carried out to examine the superiority of our model. Also, we applied our model to operating room (OR) to reduce the inefficiency cost. The experiment results indicate that our model always outperforms compared with other models in different conditions.

M.Cur. (Nursing Science) / Please refer to full text to view abstract