We are rapidly entering a world with an immense amount of services and devices available to humans and machines. This is a promising future, however there are at least two major challenges for using these services and devices: (1) they have to be found and (2) after being found, they have to be selected amongst. A significant difficulty lies in not only finding most available services, but presenting the most useful ones. In most cases, there may be too many found services and devices to select from. Service discovery needs to become more aimed towards humans and less towards machines. The service discovery challenge is especially prevalent in ubiquitous computing. In particular, service and device flux, human overloading, and service relevance are crucial. This thesis addresses the quality of use of services and devices, by introducing a sophisticated discovery model through the use of new layers in service discovery. This model allows use of services and devices when current automated service discovery and selection would be impractical by providing service suggestions based on user activities, domain knowledge, and world knowledge. To explore what happens when such a system is in place, a wizard of oz study was conducted in a command and control setting. To address service discovery in ubiquitous computing new layers and a test platform were developed together with a method for developing and evaluating service discovery systems. The first layer, which we call the Enhanced Traditional Layer (ETL), was studied by developing the ODEN system and including the ETL within it. ODEN extends the traditional, technical service discovery layer by introducing ontology-based semantics and reasoning engines. The second layer, the Relevant Service Discovery Layer, was explored by incorporating it into the MAGUBI system. MAGUBI addresses the human aspects in the challenge of relevant service discovery by employing common-sense models of user activities, domain knowledge, and world knowledge in combination with rule engines.  The RESPONSORIA system provides a web-based evaluation platform with a desktop look and feel. This system explores service discovery in a service-oriented architecture setting. RESPONSORIA addresses a command and control scenario for rescue services where multiple actors and organizations work together at a municipal level. RESPONSORIA was the basis for the wizard of oz evaluation employing rescue services professionals. The result highlighted the importance of service naming and presentation to the user. Furthermore, there is disagreement among users regarding the optimal service recommendation, but the results indicated that good recommendations are valuable and the system can be seen as a partner. / Vi rör oss snabbt in i en värld med en enorm mängd tjänster och enheter som finns tillgängliga för människor och maskiner. Detta är en lovande framtid, men det finns åtminstone två stora utmaningar för att använda dessa tjänster och enheter: (1) de måste hittas och (2) rätt tjänst/enhet måste väljas. En betydande svårighet ligger i att, inte bara finna de mest lättillgängliga tjänsterna och enheterna, men också att presentera de mest användbara sådana. I de flesta fall kan det vara för många tjänster och enheter som hittas för att kunna välja mellan. Upptäckten av tjänster och enheter behöver bli mer anpassad till människor och mindre till maskiner. Denna utmaning är särskilt framträdande i desktopmetaforens efterföljare Ubiquitous Computing. (Det vill säga en form av interaktion med datorer som blivit integrerad i aktiviteter och objekt i omgivningen.) Framförallt tjänster och enheters uppdykande och försvinnande, mänsklig överbelastning och tjänstens relevans är avgörande utmaningar. Denna avhandling behandlar kvaliteten på användningen av tjänster och enheter, genom att införa en sofistikerad upptäcktsmodell med hjälp av nya lager i tjänsteupptäcktsprocessen. Denna modell tillåter användning av tjänster och enheter när nuvarande upptäcktsprocess och urval av dessa skulle vara opraktiskt, genom att ge förslag baserat på användarnas aktiviteter, domänkunskap och omvärldskunskap. För att utforska vad som händer när ett sådant system är på plats, gjordes ett så kallat Wizard of Oz experiment i ledningscentralen på en brandstation. (Ett Wizard Of Oz experiment är ett experiment där användaren tror att de interagerar med en dator, men i själva verket är det en människa som agerar dator.) För att hantera tjänste- och enhetsupptäckt i Ubiquitous Computing utvecklades nya lager och en testplattform tillsammans med en metod för att utveckla och utvärdera system för tjänste- och enhetsupptäckt. Det första lagret, som vi kallar Förbättrat Traditionellt Lager (FTL), studerades genom att utveckla ODEN och inkludera FTL i den. ODEN utökar det traditionella, datororienterade tjänste- och enhetsupptäcktslagret genom att införa en ontologibaserad semantik och en logisk regelmotor. Det andra skiktet, som vi kallar Relevant Tjänst Lager, undersöktes genom att införliva det i systemet MAGUBI. MAGUBI tar sig an de mänskliga aspekterna i den utmaning som vi benämner relevant tjänste- och enhetsupptäckt, genom att använda modeller av användarnas aktiviteter, domänkunskap och kunskap om världen i kombination med regelmotorer. RESPONSORIA är en webbaserad plattform med desktoputseende och desktopkänsla, och är ett system för utvärdering av ovanstående utmaning tillsammans med de tidigare systemen. Detta system utforskar tjänste- och enhetsupptäckt i ett tjänsteorienterat scenario. RESPONSORIA tar ett ledningsscenario för räddningstjänst där flera aktörer och organisationer arbetar tillsammans på en kommunal nivå. RESPONSORIA låg till grund för ett Wizard of Oz experiment där experimentdeltagarna var professionella räddningsledare. Resultatet underströk vikten av namngivning av tjänster och enheter samt hur dessa presenteras för användaren. Dessutom finns det oenighet bland användare om vad som är den optimala service-/enhets-rekommendationen, men resultaten visar att goda rekommendationer är värdefulla och systemet kan ses som en partner.

Thesis (M.A. in Church History)--Cincinnati Christian University, 2007. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 106-108).

Bibliography: l. 106-108. Thesis (M.A. in Church History)--Cincinnati Christian University, 2007.

Thesis (M. Div.)--Regent College, 1996. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 157-161).

Background: Antibiotics are prescribed frequently for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) despite the fact that most of them do not require antibiotics. This over-prescription contributes to antibiotic resistance which is a major health problem. Physicians perceive that patients’ expectations influence their antibiotic prescribing practice. Methods: As the first phase of the thesis, we conducted a systematic review to determine the effectiveness of patient-oriented interventions to reduce unnecessary use of antibiotics for URTIs. As the second phase, we conducted a qualitative descriptive study to explore patients’ views about URTIs and identify ways they manage them by using semi-structured interviews based on Common Sense-Self-Regulation Model (CS-SRM). Results: Our systematic review included 14 studies which based on their interventions were classified into two major categories: delayed prescriptions and patient/public information and education interventions. Our meta-analysis revealed that almost all studies with delayed prescription significantly reduced use of antibiotics for URTIs. Our subgroup analysis showed that prescriptions that were given at a later time and prescriptions that were given at the index consultation had similar effects regarding antibiotic use. The small number of included studies in the patient/public information and education group did not allow us to make a definite conclusion on their effectiveness. For the qualitative study, 15 individuals were interviewed. almost all participants mentioned that they only visited their doctor if their symptoms got progressively worse and they could no longer self-manage URTI symptoms. When visiting a doctor, most participants reported that they expected to receive an examination and an explanation for their symptoms. Discussion: Patient-oriented interventions (especially delayed prescriptions) may be effective in reducing antibiotic use or prescription for URTIs in patients. Further research is needed to investigate the costs and feasibilities of implementing these interventions as part of routine clinical practice. Our participants reported good knowledge regarding the likely lack of benefit from antibiotics for URTIs. The results suggest a discrepancy between our participants’ reported reasons for visiting doctors and doctors’ perceptions about patients’ reason for their visit identified in previous studies. Focusing on interventions that facilitate the communication between patients and doctors, instead of providing more education to public may help in reducing the use of unnecessary antibiotics.

Objectives: Psoriasis is a long-term inflammatory condition associated with considerable psychological and social morbidity. There are multiple psoriasis treatment modalities and regimens making medication adherence particularly demanding. The Self-Regulatory Framework has not been widely applied to investigate adherence by people with psoriasis. This thesis reports research into psychological factors associated with medication adherence in psoriasis. Methods: A systematic review of adherence to treatments (Phase 1) was followed by a qualitative investigation of measures of adherence and treatment beliefs (Phase 2). A large-scale multisite quantitative survey of levels and determinants of adherence to systemic psoriasis treatments was carried out by linking new psychological measures with data from a national treatment registry (Phase 3). Finally a mixed-methods investigation into self- regulatory approaches to the understanding of adherence was undertaken (Phase 4). Findings: i) Adherence difficulties are prevalent in psoriasis, however poor methodology quality of previous studies limited conclusions of the systematic review ii) Patients using topical preparations described significant day-to-day variations in medication use as well as complex treatment decision-making processes; however, key behaviours and cognitions were not accurately reflected by corresponding scores of the standardised scales iii) Patients using systemic treatments reported high levels of adherence which were associated with: biologic rather than a traditional systemic; fewer concerns about systemic treatments; and lower PASI and DLQI scores. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours were also prevalent iv) Effective treatment usage in psoriasis conflicted with the management of the physical and psychological demands of living with psoriasis. For patients using topical preparations, non-adherence was a strategic decision to reduce distress and gain control. Patients using systemic treatments expressed strong beliefs in the necessity of their treatment, yet reported high levels of anxiety and depression. Systemic treatment usage conflicted with the management of illness controllability and psychological adjustment. A more negative illness belief profile and greater appearance concerns accounted for the most variance in both anxiety and depression, even after controlling for disease severity. These findings have major implications for the measurement of adherence and treatment beliefs, as well as researchers’ ability to determine clinical outcomes and treatment response. Conclusions: Psoriasis treatment adherence can be practically challenging as well as emotionally charged. The construct of self-regulatory failure proved to be illuminating and improves understanding of the psychological processes that underpin medicines adherence and other aspects of self- management in people with psoriasis.

A universalidade do juízo de gosto não tem um princípio objetivo porque não pretende determinar nenhum objeto. Mas para assegurar sua necessidade e escapar da contingência da experiência, ela se ampara no princípio exemplar do senso comum (Gemeinsinn), ou seja, num princípio subjetivo que determina apenas por sentimento, e não por conceito, aquilo que apraz ou não apraz. No entanto, sob a pressuposição de um assentimento universal a respeito do que é belo, a necessidade neste juízo adquire uma representação objetiva baseada no fundamento de nosso sentimento. É na dedução deste fundamento do sensus communis que se concentra nosso esforço nesta dissertação, pois tentaremos mostrar que ela percorre toda a Crítica da Faculdade de Julgar Estética. / The universality of judgement of taste has none objective principle because does not intend to determine any object. Nevertheless, in order to assure its necessity and to escape from the experience\'s contingency, this universality supports itself in exemplary principle of common sense (Gemeinsinn), in other words, in a subjective principle which determines what is pleasure or not, only by feeling and not by concept. Although, under the presupposition of a universal agreement regarding what is beautiful, the necessity in this judgement acquires an objective representation based on our feeling\'s ground. It is in this deduction of this ground of sensus communis that concentrates our effort in this dissertation, because we will try to demonstrate that it courses through the entire Critique of Aesthetic Judgement.

This thesis is based on thirteen qualitative interviews with civil servants and politicians. The purpose of the study is to research these informants’ attitudes towards integration and their reflections about immigrants’ lower chances in an ethnically segregated housing and labour market. The theoretical frame of references is based on social constructionism and focuses on including and excluding power structures. The empirical material provides both structural and cultural explanations to immigrants’ problems as regards inclusion in Swedish society. The informants talk about integration as a mutual process and emphasise everybody’s responsibility. Despite this interpretation, comprehensions based on imagined differences between immigrants and natives appear, as well as immigrants’ losses in language, educational background and unequal gender structures. These common sense understandings may conceal unequal structures and discriminating practices in Swedish society.

Orientador: Jocimar Daolio / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação Fisica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-10T17:23:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 RodriguesJunior_JoseCarlos_M.pdf: 1021157 bytes, checksum: 34d020992da9812397f5533a35ea8acd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Resumo: A pesquisa buscou as compreensões de uma professora de Educação Física sobre os saberes cotidianos de seus alunos em relação à cultura corporal de movimento, procurando entender a forma como a docente lidava e acessava estes saberes no contexto das aulas para, com isso, chegar aos motivos da configuração de sua prática pedagógica. Optou-se por um estudo de cunho qualitativo de perspectiva etnográfica, ancorado nos pressupostos da ¿descrição densa¿. Foram observadas quarenta aulas no ensino fundamental, vinte delas realizadas com uma primeira série e a outra metade com uma segunda série. A pesquisa etnográfica foi desenvolvida durante três meses, entre abril e junho de 2007 em uma escola pública da Rede Estadual de São Paulo, na cidade de Campinas. Posteriormente à observação das aulas, foram realizadas duas entrevistas semi-estruturadas com a professora, ambas no próprio ambiente em que foi desenvolvida a pesquisa. A primeira buscou chegar às compreensões da professora sobre a especificidade da Educação Física, sobre os alunos, sobre as aulas e seus conteúdos e sobre os saberes cotidianos dos alunos. A segunda abordou o percurso biográfico da professora, vislumbrando traçar um breve perfil do seu processo de formação pessoal e profissional. Dentre os aspectos mais expressivos alcançados, destacou-se a compreensão da docente de que os saberes cotidianos dos alunos desencadeariam situações conflituosas, tendo, por isso, um caráter negativo ao contexto da aula. Agregados a esse entendimento, a ausência de planejamento, a falta de direcionamento pedagógico e a dificuldade de compreensão da especificidade da Educação Física na escola também se mostraram como fatores determinantes para o não acesso aos saberes cotidianos dos alunos. Apesar disso, os diferentes saberes, conceitos e entendimentos das crianças, ao longo das observações, foram constantemente revelados. A não apropriação dos saberes cotidianos mostrou-se um dos principais fatores influenciadores da resistência de um grupo de alunos à participação nas atividades propostas. Destacou-se também a compreensão da professora de que os diversos saberes gerariam relações desiguais por causa dos variados níveis de habilidades entre as crianças. Tal compreensão desmobilizava a professora no sentido de tentar práticas pedagógicas que problematizassem as situações conflituosas geradas nas brincadeiras e jogos por ela propostos, levando ao abandono de tais atividades no contexto das aulas. A partir da pesquisa, chegou-se à consideração de que o acesso aos saberes cotidianos, ancorados nas transgressões e comparações realizadas constantemente nas aulas pelos alunos, pode ser uma estratégia didático-pedagógica profícua para se transformar o contexto da aula de Educação Física, tornando-o mais atrativo e motivador de aprendizagens sobre as diferentes práticas corporais que compõem a cultura corporal de movimento / Abstract: The research has sought the understandings of a Physical Education teacher on the daily knowledge of her students concerning a bodily culture of movement, aiming to comprehend the ways how the professional dealt with and gained access to such knowledge in her class context; that in order to reach the reasons governing the configuration of her pedagogic practice. A study of qualitative character, of ethnographic perspective based on the presupposition of 'dense description¿, was chosen. Forty classes were observed, twenty of which taught to a first-grade group, and the other half to second-graders. The ethnographic research was carried on during three months, between April and June 2007, in a São Paulo State public school in the city of Campinas. Following the observation of the classes, two semi-structured interviews with the teacher were made ¿ both in the same environment where the research was carried on. The first sought to reach the understandings of the teacher on the specificity of Physical Education; on the students, the classes and its contents, as well as the students¿ daily knowledge. The second was focused on the biographic route of the teacher, aiming to trace a brief profile of her process of personal and professional training. Among the more expressive aspects which were achieved, it was specially noted the understanding, by the teacher, that the students¿ daily knowledge would trigger conflictive situations, thus bearing a negative character to the class context. Added to such an understanding, a lack of planning, a lack of pedagogical orientation and a difficulty to comprehend the specificity of Physical Education at school were also decisive factors for not gaining access to the students¿ daily knowledge. Nevertheless, the various types of knowledge, the several conceptions and understandings by the children were constantly revealed during the observations. The non-appropriation of the daily knowledge appeared as one of the main factors to influence the resistance of a group of students towards participating on the proposed activities. It was also highlighted the understanding, by the teacher, that such several types of knowledge would generate unequal relations due to the existence of many different levels of ability among the children. Such an understanding would hamper the teacher¿s progress concerning the attempt to use pedagogical practices to problematise the conflictive situations generated during the plays and games proposed by her, which lead to the abandonment of such activities in the class context. From the research, it was considered that access to the daily knowledge, harboured in the transgressions and comparisons that are constantly made by the students in class, may be a profitable didactical-pedagogic strategy to transform the context of Physical Education class, making it more attractive and a motivator for learning on the different bodily practices which compose the bodily culture of movement / Mestrado / Educação Fisica e Sociedade / Mestre em Educação Física

Os estudos situados no campo de intersecção entre a psicologia e a política têm contribuído de forma significativa para a investigação de diversos fenômenos ligados ao comportamento político. Entre os principais temas abordados nesse campo interdisciplinar, está presente a participação política. Os referenciais que abordam tal temática, via de regra, têm privilegiado os processos e os fatores implicados na participação política. A presente pesquisa teve como foco de interesse compreender esse fenômeno partindo das perspectivas dos sujeitos e das tensões por eles vivenciadas. A partir do referencial vigotskiano, em articulação com a teoria gramsciana, objetivou-se estudar os sentidos e os significados atribuídos à participação política por sujeitos do setor de educação de um assentamento rural vinculado ao MST. A práxis política, ação intencional que visa a intervenção no homem enquanto ser social, é a categoria central do trabalho. Ela é entendida aqui como imersa em uma realidade social e política gramsciana e orientada a partir de uma subjetividade vigotskiana. Segundo o referencial aqui adotado, a constituição do sujeito é perpassada a todo o momento pelas relações sociais nas quais ele está inserido, ou seja, as tensões presentes no campo social e econômico também se manifestam no campo da subjetividade, na organização do seu drama subjetivo. Participaram da pesquisa quatro sujeitos adultos. Foram priorizados como participantes os envolvidos com as atividades de educação de crianças e jovens no assentamento. O corpus empírico foi construído por meio de duas entrevistas individuais com cada participante e observações de atividades que envolviam o setor de educação do assentamento. As informações obtidas por esses dois instrumentos foram articuladas durante a análise. A análise foi elaborada a partir da construção de categorias baseadas nas entrevistas e nos referenciais teóricos. Foram realizadas análises individuais e uma análise transversal com o intuito de abordar elementos comuns aos quatro sujeitos. Os principais conceitos que orientaram o olhar para o corpus empírico foram: práxis política, sentido, drama e senso comum. Evidencia-se que a práxis política deve ser entendida como um processo em constante movimento e transformação, relacionado a dimensões diversas: gerais e específicas; objetivas e subjetivas; cognitivas e afetivas. Além disso, o entendimento da práxis política não pode se limitar somente à participação no movimento social, mas deve abranger vivências nos diferentes campos da vida dos sujeitos: família, religião, trabalho, etc. Os papéis desempenhados nesses diferentes campos se entrelaçam com o papel de militante. Os sujeitos demonstram passar por contínuos processos de mudança relacionados à práxis política. Destacam-se aqui mudanças ligadas aos seus sentidos, aos seus dramas subjetivos e ao senso comum. Tais mudanças são apenas possíveis a partir das contradições e potenciais críticos presentes na própria subjetividade dos participantes. Por fim, defende-se a importância de se entender a práxis política dos sujeitos enquanto processo concreto sempre manifestado a partir de um contexto específico e um projeto/objetivo determinado. / Studies located in the field of intersection between psychology and politics have contributed significantly to the investigation of various phenomena related to political behavior. Among the main topics discussed in this interdisciplinary field, political participation is present. As a rule, the references that deal with this theme have privileged the processes and factors involved in political participation. This research focused on understanding the phenomenon starting from the perspective of the subjects and the tensions they experienced. From the Vigotskyan point of view, in conjunction with the Gramscian theory, the research aimed at studying the senses and significances attributed to political participation by individuals of the education sector of a rural settlement linked to the MST. The political praxis, which is an intentional action aimed at the intervention in men as a social being, is the central category of this work. It is understood here as immersed in a social reality and in a Gramscian-oriented politics from a Vygotskian subjectivity. According to the framework adopted, the constitution of the subject is constantly permeated by the social relations in which the subject is embedded, i.e., the tensions that are present in the social and economic fields are also manifested in the field of subjectivity, in the organization of their subjective drama. The participants of this research were four adult subjects. Those involved with educational activities for children and young people in the settlement were prioritized as participants. The empirical corpus was constructed through two interviews with each participant and observations of activities involving the education sector of the settlement. The information obtained by these two instruments were articulated during the analysis. The analysis was performed from the construction of categories based on the interviews and on the theoretical framework. Individual and across-sectional analyses were performed in order to approach common elements to the four subjects. The main concepts that guided the look for the empirical corpus were political praxis, sense, drama and common sense. It is evident that the political praxis must be understood as a process in constant motion and transformation, related to different dimensions: general and specific, objective and subjective, cognitive and affective. Furthermore, understanding the political praxis can not be limited only to the participation in the social movement, but it must cover experiences in different fields of the subjects life: family, religion, work, etc. The roles played in these different fields intertwine with the role of being an activist. The subjects demonstrate they undergo continuous change processes related to political praxis. Changes linked to their senses, to their subjective dramas and to common sense stand out from the analyses. These changes are only possible from the contradictions and critic potential present in the participants\' own subjectivity. Finally, we advocate the importance of understanding the political praxis of the subjects as a concrete process that is always manifested from a specific context and a determined project / goal.