The investigation of semiosis calls for an interdisciplinary approach. A realist logical framework emphasising the triadic nature of semiosis is the optimal foundation for critically examining and integrating aspects of quantitative psychology, the interpretative-qualitative tradition in the social sciences, structuralist semiotics, and functional-contextual semiotics. While several aspects of each of these fields can be successfully integrated into a psychosemiotic model, each also suffers from key conceptual flaws which need to be addressed as a prerequisite to an interdisciplinary approach. The structuralist school of semiotics—and the functionalist approaches that have evolved from it—show problematic tendencies to reduce the triadic relationship of semiosis to relationships within systems of signifiers. On the other hand, mainstream schools of psychology, with their narrow commitment to the operationalisation and quantification of variables, leave little room for the qualitative concept of semiosis. Moreover, the phenomenon of intentional action, which is crucial in understanding semiosis, is ignored or marginalised in both mainstream psychology and the qualitative-interpretative traditions of the social sciences. Mainstream psychology marginalises intentional action in favour of observable behaviour. The qualitative-interpretative tradition marginalises intentional action in favour of situational conventions governing action. In the psychosemiotic model that emerges from an engagement with these problems, semiosis is an intentional action that can be investigated in a scientific framework where the contextual factors of culture, social structure and social situation are taken into account. The descriptive and explanatory powers of the psychosemiotic model can be illustrated with analyses of specific cases of semiotic action in social and cultural contexts. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD (Philosophy))

This thesis investigates ideas of interiority and thought in relation to the building of self identity. I express them through the visual means of text and photography, resulting in a conceptual self-portrait by way of installation. Concerned with what thought terrain might look like and the way information perceived though the senses is stored, I explore the overdetermined evidence provoked by the unconscious. By the study of my own inner monologue in response to everyday rituals, I bring attention to the fragmented and overwhelming anxieties, fears, associations and fabrications of the mind - moments that often go unnoticed, but help concretize my experience of being in the world. The thesis is made up of 80% practice and 20% written exegesis.

Modern product design projects are often challenged by their interdisciplinary nature, increasing product complexity and time pressure. The challenge for product designers is to recall all relevant design aspects that are potentially applicable and important for the product to be designed at the right time. The negligence of certain design aspects may result in increased development costs and in inferior products. A recommended way to handle complexity in the design process is to work systematically, with checklists and guidelines offering a possibility to support product designers in this task. However, design guidelines that provide a comprehensive and generically content that support product designers holistically in their design projects are not readily available. Moreover, in-depth evaluations of the role, use, usefulness and usability of design guidelines are quite rare in the current literature. Therefore, the research study presented in this thesis sought to accomplish two tasks: the generation of a comprehensive set of generic and practically aimed product design guidelines in a paper-copy format that holistically supports product designers in their often complex design projects; and the evaluation of these generated design guidelines with the purpose of determining their role, use, usefulness and usability for product designers. A comprehensive and generically applicable set of product design guidelines in a ready-to-use paper-copy format that holistically provides in-depth information for the product design aspects that need to be considered during a design process was generated. Besides, a research study, using questionnaires and interviews, with product design students and professional product designers in New Zealand was carried out with the purpose of determining the role, use, usefulness and usability of the generated design guidelines for designers. As a consequence, valuable insights into the role of the guidelines as practitioners� design tool for professional designers and noteworthy findings about the role of the guidelines as educational tool for novice designers were obtained. The findings suggested that the use of guidelines as a tool in the design process is generally not very prevalent due to the designers� lack of knowledge about the benefits, location and accessibility of useful product design guidelines. Furthermore, it has been found that the designers used the generated guidelines sporadically and driven by their interest or demand in the design aspects applicable to their projects. In terms of the guidelines� usefulness it has been identified that the guidelines evaluated were generically applicable to different projects and provided a specific in-depth content. The guidelines have also been found to be quite useful as educational, planning, management and evaluation tool for novice and professional designers. However, in terms of the guidelines� usability, several problems were determined that made the generated guidelines too inefficient to be beneficial for the participants, especially for the professional designers. Accordingly, it has been concluded that a change of the guidelines� format into a digital interactive format, is likely to solve most of the identified problems and provide a useful and usable tool for product designers respectively.

The HERG gene encodes for the delayed rectifier K+ channel in human cardiac tissue and contributes to the repolarization phase of the ventricular action potential. Defects in its activity underlies a cardiac disorders linked to a prolongation in the QT interval known as acquired long QT syndrome. The channel has structural properties that lead to its unintentional inhibition by various classes of drugs and is a source of drug induced cardiac toxicity. To date, no assay has been set as a standard due to variability across laboratories and the use of animals providing variable results due to differences in the ion channels involved in repolarisation. This thesis focuses on the development of testing assays for HERG using animal-free methodology. In Chapter 2, a human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cell line was cultured and transfected with the human HERG gene using animal-free methodologies. The success of the transfection was confirmed using PCR, patch clamp electrophysiology and a non-radioactive rubidium assay. Using a non-radioactive rubidium assay, drug inhibition on the transfected cell line was measured. The IC50 values obtained for a range of drugs were compared to those obtained using electrophysiological studies in the literature and there was a high correlation (r2 = 0.76). In Chapter 3, a human neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y) was tested for its validity for testing the effect of drugs on the endogenously expressed HERG K+ channel. The drug IC50 values obtained using the Rb+ assay were well correlated (r2= 0.82) with patch clamp studies in HERG transfected HEK293 cells in the literature. Clomipramine a clinically used antidepressant causes prolongation in the QT interval, however its mechanism of action on cardiac cells leading to this cardiotoxic effect is unclear. In this study, clomipramine was tested using HERG transfected HEK293 cells and the neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y) using a rubidium assay and whole cell patch clamp. Clomipramine inhibited HERG with an IC50 value of 8.35 µM and 2.18 µM in HERG transfected HEK293 cells and the neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y) using the rubidium assay respectively. Clomipramine inhibited HERG currents with an IC50 value of 0.50 µM using the patch clamp technique in HEK293 cells. The results indicate that the prolongation in the QT interval caused by clomipramine may involve HERG inhibition. The HERG K+ channel is regulated by several protein kinases including protein kinase A and protein kinase B. In Chapter 5, the specific PKC activator and phorbol ester PDA was used to study HERG regulation by PKC in HERG transfected HEK293 cells. PDA caused a reduction in HERG currents in HEK293 cells. The PKC pseudo substrate inhibitor PKC [19-36] did not inhibit the effect of PDA on HERG currents. The results of the study suggest that (1) PDA could be acting directly on the channel and inhibiting its function or (2) PDA is activating other proteins which are affecting HERG currents in the HERG transfected HEK293 cells.

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Business. / The discourse on knowledge management (KM) has emerged relatively recently in the field of management. Organisational and strategic theories have been developed which seek to explain the existence, boundaries, structure, management and competitive advantage of organisations based on knowledge. These theories are consistent with one thread from the overall discourse which argues that the management of knowledge within an organisation is an important activity required for maintaining competitive advantage in a hypercompetitive external environment. Despite the extensive interest in this area, there is sti11limited agreement even about some of its fundamental principles. This plurality of perspectives is due to the diversity of disciplines, theories and objectives with which the area is enriched by both academics and practitioners alike. Many independent KM initiatives have also been proposed for managerial use under the KM umbrella. Such activities include meetings, mentoring schemes, training, job rotation, site visits, conferences and exhibitions, and internal and external collaborations. Many of these initiatives are relatively autonomous and independent concepts. Generally these concepts have been first identified in the practitioner literature and it is unclear where they fit within academic frameworks. In particular, the relationship between KM initiatives and important related academic concepts such as knowledge transfer, organisationalleaming, knowledge creation and innovation is not clear. This lack of agreement, clarity and cohesion in the KM discourse naturally suggests the following research problem: What is the relationship between KM initiatives, organisationalleaming, knowledge transfer, knowledge creation innovation? Taking an organisation and strategic management theory perspective, an exploratory framework for understanding and explaining KM is developed within this thesis. Theoretically, this framework draws together perspectives from the resource-based view of the firm, organisational learning and innovation literatures to propose that the two fundamental KM processes are knowledge transfer and creation. Knowledge transfer supports learning and the utilisation of available internal and external knowledge resources within an organisation. Through knowledge transfer and learning, new knowledge can be created and organisational innovation takes place. These two processes are then integrated into Whittington, Pettigrew et al.'s (1999) framework for organisational change. Various disparate KM initiatives are also positioned within the developed framework based on whether they facilitate knowledge transfer by altering organisational boundaries, processes or structures. The essence of the developed framework is represented pictorially by a research model. This research model depicts the framework's key concepts and the relationships between them. It also begins to represent some of the complex dimensionality inherent in the framework. The research model is explored empirically using data from the Business Longitudinal Survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Responses from 3014 Australian businesses surveyed yearly from 1994 to 1998 are analysed using chi-squared and logistical regression statistical techniques. This sample consists of 1344 small and 1670 medium businesses across eleven industries. In empirically exploring the research model, some of the dimensionality of the framework is explored. However, the process also provides a confirmatory function by providing empirical support for many of the aspects of the framework. Statistical support was found for all elements of the research model. Odds ratios for the various KM initiatives examined ranged from 1.292 to 3.554. These results confirm the value of these initiatives for facilitating the transfer of knowledge. They also suggest that the dimensionality of these constructs represented in the model should be explored further. Of all the KM initiatives, research and development emerged as the most effective initiative for facilitating knowledge transfer and creation. This finding suggests that research and development should be the very first initiative considered by managers looking to implement a KM program. It also suggests that future research on knowledge transfer and creation should pay particular attention to this particular initiative. The logistical regression analysis demonstrated that changing organisational boundaries, processes and structures all contribute to facilitating knowledge transfer which lead to knowledge creation. These results provided support for the most important contribution of the thesis. This contribution was the development of an integrated and exploratory conceptual framework which can serve as a foundation stone for the field of KM.

Degree awarded (2003): EdDHRD, Counseling, Human and Organizational Studies, George Washington University / Abstract of Dissertation<p>Re-shuffling of employees is a popular method of balancing current mission requirements in fluid organizations. Employee knowledge is a valuable resource lost to downtime as employees make sense after involuntary reassignment. This study served to address the paucity of research on the sensemaking of employees who are involuntarily reassigned within their organizations. This study used meaning making theory to explore the mental models employed by eight Department of Defense employees as they made sense of being involuntarily reassigned. It identifies and describes the content of the mental schemes used by these employees to navigate their environment after the event. The Self-Q interview methodology proposed by Bougon, Baird, Komocar, and Ross, (1990) is used to elicit the constructs of tacit mental models.<p>The major constructs of sensemaking after involuntary reassignment were Identity, Performance, Management, Others (i.e. co-workers, family, supervisors, etc.) and Emotions. Contributions to sensemaking (Weick, 1979; 1995) and adult learning theory (Mezirow, 1991; 2000) are suggested. Five implications for HRD practitioners and organizational leaders are discussed. Five recommendations for future research in theory and practice are offered. / Advisory Committee: Dr. David Schwandt, Dr. Michael Marquardt (Chair), Dr. John Ferriter, Dr. Andrea Casey, Dr. Stephen King

Graduation date: 1998

Product development efforts are extremely important to a company's success in today's global competitive business environment. Yet, these highly consequential efforts are terribly nebulous to a point that past experiences are inherently underutilized. This thesis demonstrates a methodology to quantify past product development efforts in an attempt to better utilize past experiences. The methodology is centered around conducting an observational study, using regression analysis to expose relationships between various aspects of past product development efforts. In the study, products developed in the past serve as observational units, various cost and time variables serve as dependent variables, and a variety of variables characterizing product development efforts serve as independent variables. The nominal group technique is employed, along with formal personal interviewing, to identify the many different variables targeted for data collection. Regression analysis is used to test and identify relationships between the multitude of combinations of dependent and independent variables. Three simple model forms are used to 'capture' any potential relationship: a straight line model, an exponential model, and a natural-logarithmic model. Dependent-independent variable combinations that have met a given statistical criteria, in one of these three model forms, are labeled statistically notable, and later classified as practically relevant. The applicability of the methodology is demonstrated by presenting 'generic' results obtained by making use of information and historical data from a well established electronics company who wishes to be referred to as Company X. These results show that cost and/or time increase with the increase in: the number of parts in a product, the number of assembly processes, quality/utility of the product, or a product performance enabling specification. Furthermore, product shape is found to be associated with cost and time. Interestingly though, only a relatively few variables were found to be associated with time as compared to cost. The statistical models that were identified can serve as a quantitative historical record and perhaps a prediction tool for Company X, giving them a competitive advantage in their future product development efforts. / Graduation date: 1997

We illustrate how the liberal use of high-order procedural abstractions and infinite streams helps us to express some of the vocabulary and methods of numerical analysis. We develop a software toolbox encapsulating the technique of Richardson extrapolation, and we apply these tools to the problems of numerical integration and differentiation. By separating the idea of Richardson extrapolation from its use in particular circumstances, we indicate how numerical programs can be written that exhibit the structure of the ideas from which they are formed.

Thesis (M.Com. (Computer Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.