The implementation of SM is considered an important criterion that influences the accomplishment of business performance and achieves competitive advantage. However, there is a limitation in SM research concerning the implementation of SM strategy and the selection of suitable SM platform for business. Therefore, the investigation and analysis conducted in this study provide an understanding of the application of SM in business by examining the implementation process and the selection of SM platform. Accordingly, a SM strategy framework was developed for a practical implementation of business which includes three stage-process. This empirical research context includes two field investigations in relations to the views and experience of the SM personnel who participated in this study. Both investigation phases were analysed using thematic analysis with respect to the interpretive qualitative analysis approach. The research revealed that companies do follow directly or indirectly some base guidelines in employing SM but do not have a strategic implementation process in carrying out this activity as described in the framework presented. Also, companies are required to consider selecting a suitable SM platform for business which leads to added value to the holistic strategically implemented process. The analysis of the SM strategy framework revealed that an alignment of SM strategy and business strategy could be established through strategic implementation. The implementation process of SM strategy would require company's readiness as described in the framework to ensure successful SM integration to support in achieving business goals. This research provides in-depth knowledge of how the implementation process can be conducted in stages and the application of this technological innovation. The results of the analysis of the framework indicated that companies establish a presence on platforms where their customers are located. Leading to further investigation in the second phase where Practice theory is employed. Revealing an in-depth understanding on how platform evaluation can be carried out by examining the actual act of enacting the selection process, understanding the routine and considering the individuals involved in shaping and implementing platform evaluation in the company. Therefore, the findings can be used by managers or key SM personnel to implement SM strategy efficiently to improve business performance and applied by researchers for further evaluation and analysis of this process.

Social networking platforms (SNPs) are complex distributed software applications exhibiting many challenges related to data portability. Since existing platforms are propriety in design, users cannot easily share their data with other SNPs, however decentralisation of social networking platforms can provide a solution to this problem. There is a difference of opinion, the way the research and developer communities have pursued this issue. Existing approaches used in decentralisation provide limited structural detail and lack in providing a systematic framework of design activities. There is a need for an architectural framework based on standardised software architectural principles and technologies to guide the design and development of decentralised social networking platforms in order to improve the level of both data portability and interoperability. The main aim of this research is to develop an architectural solution to achieve data portability among SNPs via decentralisation. Existing proposed decentralised platforms are based on a distributed structure and are mainly for a specific aspect such as access control or security and privacy. In addition to this, existing approaches lack in practicality due to underdeveloped and non-standardised design. To solve these issues a new architectural framework is needed, which can provide design and development guidelines for the decentralised social networking platform. The goal of this thesis is to study, design and develop an architectural framework for social networking platforms that can incorporate the requirements of the decentralisation, to make portability possible. The synergies between the software engineering principles and social web technologies are investigated to create a standard approach. The proposed architecture is based on component-based software development (CBSD) and aspect-oriented software development (AOSD), a unified approach known as CAM (Component Aspect Model). The foundations of the proposed architecture are based on decentralised social networking architecture (DSNA), architectural style which is derived from CAM. Components and aspects are the building blocks of the proposed decentralised social networking platform architecture. From a development perspective, each component represents a social network functionality and aspects represent the properties and preferences that are used to decentralise the functionality. The model for the component composition is a major challenge because the use of CAM for social networks has not been attempted before. The proposed architecture comprehensively integrates the DSNA architectural style into each architectural component. Portability among SNPs by means of decentralisation can be summarised into three steps. (1) Definition of the architectural style, (2) implementation of the architectural style into components and (3) integration of the component composition. To date component composition approaches have not been used for social networks as a way to develop social network functionality. The concept of middleware has been adapted to achieve the composition feature of the architecture. In the architecture Social Network Support Layer (SNSL) functions as middleware to facilitate component composition. Existing middleware solutions still lack integration of CBSD and AOSD concepts. This limitation is characterised by, a lack of explicit guidelines for composition, a lack of declarative specification and definition model to express component composition and a lack of support for role allocation. This research overcome these limitations. The application of the architecture is based on the W3C SWAT (Social Web Acid Test) scenario. A Messaging application is developed to evaluate the scenario based on the Design Science Research Methodology. The architectural style is defined in the first stage of design followed by the component-based architecture. The architectural style is defined to guide the architecture and the component composition model. In the second stage, the design and implementation of composition technology (that is SNSL) are developed with architectural style and the rules defined in the first stage. The refined version of the architecture is evaluated in the third stage, according to WC3 SWAT test. The definitive version of the proposed architecture with the benchmarked result can be used to design and build social networking platforms, allowing users to share and collaborate information across the different social networking platforms.

Plantar foot stress causing foot ulceration is a diabetic complication causing major economic burden throughout the world. It has long been thought that shear stresses on the plantar surface of the foot are a major contributing factor to the formation of these ulcers. Although there are many instruments available that measure the vertical foot pressure (vertical forces), there are currently no commercially available instruments to measure the horizontal or shear forces. It is the aim of this project to develop a platform instrument capable of measuring the three dimensional forces (i.e. vertical pressure and shear forces) across the plantar surface of the foot.

Background: Self-assessment is widely used across the health professions for a variety of purposes, including appraisal, CPD and revalidation. Despite numerous reported short-comings, the use of self-assessment is increasing, frequently on the requirements of regulatory bodies. Traditionally it has been a paper exercise, but in recent years self-assessment has appeared in electronic portfolios – a medium often used to collate assessments and other educational requirements. This thesis evaluates the effectiveness of self-assessment, in particular delivered via an e-portfolio, to determine if it: ? Improves the accuracy of perception of learning needs ? Promotes appropriate change in learner activity ? Improves clinical practice Methods: This thesis is comprised of two systematic reviews and a case study. The first of two systematic reviews examines the evidence for effectiveness of self-assessment in the three research questions. The second evaluates the effectiveness of portfolios as a medium for postgraduate healthcare education. Both reviews are notable in that they employ systematic review methodology on non-clinical questions and amalgamate quantitative and qualitative data. The final research component is an exploratory case study that tests the questions against a large data set (an entire training year of Scottish Foundation doctors) collated by the NHS ePortfolio. The case study provided the opportunity to separate groups of self-assessors identified by the literature, and compare the groups’ self-scores against those of their supervisors and peers in the first and final post rotations; additionally, the groups’ behaviour was matched against the literature for related educational activities recorded by the ePortfolio such as personal development planning. The case study also allowed the medium of e-portfolios to be itself evaluated in practice as an educational infrastructure. Through the comprehensive and iterative examination of the large dataset it became apparent that quantitative analysis was of limited value and qualitative analysis of elicited the richness on the data in context. Results: With both reviews, the original research questions were unable to be fully answered due to the paucity of evidence of sufficient quality; however, both did discover relevant related evidence. The self-assessment review found competent practitioners are the best able to self-assess whilst the least competent are the least able to self-assess. Peer assessment was found to be more accurate than self and better aligns with faculty/supervisor assessment. Feedback and benchmarking can improve self-assessment accuracy, especially for the most competent, and video can be seen to enhance this. There is no conclusive evidence that gender or culture effect self-assessment ability. Practical skills are better self-assessed than knowledge-based or “soft” skills. The portfolio review found summative assessment reliability improved with multiple raters and discussion between the raters. Evidence on whether portfolio use aided reflection was mixed, possibly because it was dependent on individual conditions. The engagement and support of supervisors is key to portfolios being used properly, and there is some evidence portfolio learners are less passive then non-users. The time required to effectively use a portfolio is rarely considered. Although many of the literature’s findings were born out by the case study, the data also revealed (often by omission) many flaws in the use of self-assessment and related activities, many of which can be ascribed to the training year examined Much of the qualitative examination of text corresponded with the wider literature with low self-raters being over-critical of their often superior skills and high self-raters being over confident. However, there was some dissonance with the literature in the final component in that supervisor scoring conflicted with expectations whilst there text comments continued to match the literature. Conclusions: Assessment in post-graduate health care is high stakes and resource-intensive. Self-assessment, and its use within an electronic portfolio, is demonstrated to have enormous potential if properly implemented.

The purposes of this dissertation were to examine the phase characteristics of the countermovement jump force-time curve between athletes based on jumping ability, examine the influence of maximal muscular strength on the countermovement jump force-time curve phase characteristics of athletes, and to examine the behavior of the countermovement jump force-time curve phase characteristics over the course of a training process in athletes of varying strength levels. The following are the major findings of these dissertations. The analysis of athletes by jumping ability suggested that proficient jumpers are associated with greater relative phase magnitude and phase impulse throughout the phases contained in the positive impulse of the countermovement jump force-time curve. Additionally, phase duration was not found to differ between athletes based on jumping ability or between male and female athletes. The analysis of athletes based on maximal muscular strength suggested that only unweighted phase duration differs between strong and less-strong athletes. Interestingly, in both investigations based on jumping ability and maximal strength indicated the relative shape of the stretching phase representing the rise in positive force was related to an athlete’s jumping ability (jump height). The results of the longitudinal analysis of countermovement jump force-time phase characteristics identified that these variables can be frequently assessed throughout a training process to provide information of regarding an athlete performance state. Furthermore, based on the contrasting behaviors of many of the countermovement jump force-time curve phase characteristics over time, an athlete’s level of muscular strength may influence how these characteristics are expressed in the context of a training process.

The use of wearable sensors in consumer health and medicine is a rapidly developing topic of interest. The main purpose of the series of studies in this thesis is to identify novel uses of technology that can provide clinicians and scientists clinically feasible, low cost approaches to obtain meaningful information about functional limb symmetry in patients with knee injuries. In Study 1, individuals undergoing knee surgery were evaluated as they walked and stepped down onto a force platform in a manner similar to how one would step off a curb to cross a street. When subjects stepped onto their uninvolved leg, peak vertical ground reaction force was greater and occurred earlier than when stepping onto their involved leg. Asymmetries were greater in those with higher quadriceps neuromuscular impairment. In Study 2, the reliability and validity of using wearable accelerometer sensors was evaluated for estimating single leg vertical hop height in healthy people and individuals after ACL reconstruction surgery. The reliability and concurrent validity of using accelerometers to estimate single leg hop height were excellent, and were similar for healthy and ACL-reconstructed subjects. Error for this method was low, in particular when the accelerometer was worn at the lower leg. Asymmetry in hop height was greater in those with higher quadriceps neuromuscular impairment. In Study 3, wearable accelerometers were compared to a system of motion capture cameras and force platform as a method to assess functional movement asymmetry in healthy people and individuals after ACL reconstruction. While walking and stepping down, accelerometers worn at the waist were able to detect underlying movement asymmetry when it exists in people after ACL reconstruction. Acceleration at the waist was strongly associated with vertical ground reaction force and moderately associated with knee extension moments. Collectively, these studies provide evidence that functional movement symmetry can be measured with simple, inexpensive methods that can be used in a variety of clinical or field-based settings.

This study investigates the multisided platform business model this implies that there is a requirement for several stakeholders to be active dependently on each other to obtain value from such a business model. The study uses qualitative interviews to investigate some of a company’s stakeholders and these interviews are coded and analyzed using Osterwalder’s Value Proposition Canvas. The company that is the basis for the interview is called Tillögur AB and the product evaluated was their application named Epic Eats. There is an underlying problem for fast expanding, start-up companies to properly evaluate their potential market and thereby they may try to focus on a market segment which sees no direct value in the offerings of the goods and services of the company and as such are unwilling to pay for such a product. Using the tool of Value Proposition Canvas, each stakeholders' pains, gains, and jobs are evaluated against the pain relievers, gain creators and products and services that Epic Eats hopes to deliver. The result of the study shows that the VPC helps analyze a stakeholder’s interests but yields no conclusive evidence for a company’s business model to be valid or not. Furthermore, the results show that we should recommend to Epic Eats to focus on their consumer market to be their paying customer for their specific business model as they derive most value from their product. This conclusion is done using deductive reasoning on the part of the analysts.

En estos últimos años se está experimentando en el mundo el crecimiento de la era digital, por el cual las organizaciones empresariales optan por la implementación de tecnología en sus actividades diarias y poder estar a la vanguardia que este mundo globalizado requiere. En la actualidad la mayoría de las personas tienen mayor tendencia por las compras en línea desde la comodidad de sus hogares, centros de estudios y laborales. Por ello, se lanzará al mercado peruano un modelo de negocio que se basa en el servicio tecnológico entre establecimientos de canchas deportivas sintéticas y usuario a través de un aplicativo. Por lo tanto, el presente trabajo se elaboró con el objetivo de orientar adecuadamente a inversionistas interesados y exponer a lo largo del documento las estadísticas y cuadros financieros que les permitan evaluar los resultados del presente proyecto de investigación. Por este motivo el proyecto “Tu CanchApp” cuenta con el estudio de mercado y económico donde la tasa TIR del inversionista es de 92% superando el COK del inversionista 53%, por último, el periodo de recuperación de la inversión del flujo de caja neto del inversionista es de 1.79 años. “Tu CanchApp” es una aplicación virtual que permite reservar, separar, contactar equipos deportivos y realizar apuestas al usuario en línea a traves del aplicativo, que ofrece un servicio diferenciado que le permitirá posicionarse en el mercado a corto plazo. / In recent years, the digital age has increased in the world, because of that, business organizations choose to implement technology in their daily activities to be at the forefront that this globalized world requires. Currently most people are more likely to shop online from the comfort of their homes, university and work. Therefore, a business model based on the technological service between synthetic sports facilities and users through an application will be launched on the Peruvian market. The present work was developed with the objective of adequately orienting interested investors and exposing throughout the document the statistics and financial tables that allow them to evaluate the results of this project. For this reason, the "Tu CanchApp" project has a market and economic study where the IRR rate of the investor is 92%, surpassing the COK of the investor 53%, finally, the period of recovery of the investment of the investor's net cash flow is 1.79 years. "Tu CanchApp" is a virtual application that allows you to reserve, separate, contact sports teams and place bets to the user online through the application, which offers a differentiated service that will allow you to position yourself in the market in the short term. / Trabajo de investigación

Measuring the shore platform width might be an effective way to measure the rate of coastal retreat. The processes controlling shore platforms are a highly debated topic throughout the coastal science community. Some researchers believe that marine processes control them and other researchers believe that physical weathering is responsible. This study determined the relationship between rock mass classification systems and shore platform widths as a diagnostic tool to predict the rate of recession. Testing took place along the Mahia Peninsula and Tatapouri on the East Coast of New Zealand. A Garmin eTrex hand-held GPS unit was used to map both the cliff base position and the edge boundary of the shore platform. Data analysis for Mahia Peninsula showed a linear relationship with a r2 value of 68% with a negative regression line. The data for Tatapouri showed that there was no linear relationship, but has an r2 value of 68% when a polynomial fit to the 2nd order was apply to the data (appendix). The estimated rate of erosion, ranges from 0.61 to 17.8 0.06 mm y-1 for Mahia Peninsula and 1.32 to 16.45 0.08 mm y-1 for Tatapouri.

Master of Engineering (Research) / This thesis, by developing a Miniature Aerial Vehicle (MAV) hovering platform, presents a practical solution to allow researchers and students to implement their theoretical methods for guidance and navigation in the real world. The thesis is not concerned with the development of guidance and navigation algorithms, nor is it concerned with the development of external sensors. There have been some recent advances in guidance and navigation towards developing algorithms and simple sensors for MAVs. The task of developing a platform to test such advancements is the subject of this thesis. It is considered a difficult and time consuming process due to the complexities of autonomous flight control and the strict size, weight and computational requirements of this type of system. It would be highly beneficial to be able to buy a platform specifically designed for this task that already possesses autonomous hovering capability and the expansion connectivity for interfacing your own custom developed sensors and algorithms. Many biological and computer scientists would jump at the opportunity to maximize their research by real world implementation. The development of such a system is not a trivial task. It requires a great deal of understanding in a broad range of fields including; Aeronautical, Microelectronic, Mechanical, Computer and Embedded Software Engineering in order to create a successful prototype. The challenge of this thesis was to design a research platform to enable easy implementation of external sensors and guidance algorithms, in a real world environment for research and education. The system is designed so it could be used for a broad range of testing experiments. After extensive research in current MAV and avionics design it became obvious in several areas the best available products were not sufficient to meet the needs of the proposed platform. Therefore it was necessary to custom design and build; sensors, a data acquisition system and a servo controller. The latter two products are available for sale by Jimonics (www.jimonics.com). It was then necessary to develop a complete flight control system with integrated sensors, processor and wireless communications network which is called ‘The MicroBrain’. ‘The MicroBrain’ board measures only 45mm x 35mm x 11mm and weighs ~11 grams. The coaxial contra-rotating MAV platform design provides a high level of mechanical stability to help minimise the control system complexity. The platform was highly modified from a commercially available remotely controlled helicopter. The system incorporates a novel collision protection system that was designed to also double as a mounting place for external sensors around its perimeter. The platform equipped with ‘The MicroBrain’ is capable of fully autonomous hover. This provides a great base for testing guidance and navigational sensors and algorithms by decoupling the difficult task of platform design and low-level stability control. By developing a platform with these capabilities the researcher can now focus on the guidance and navigation task, as the difficulties in developing a custom platform have been taken care of. This therefore promotes a faster evolution of guidance and navigational control algorithms for MAVs.