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Technicalities of ageing in place : a case study of the integration of residential care services through the use of information technology (IT) in the changing context of careIbrahim, Rahimah January 2006 (has links)
Through a case study about the impact of IT adoption in a residential aged care organisation, this thesis examines the increasing pressure for service integration as mainstreamed through reform policies. Specifically, the research investigates the role of IT in facilitating the 1997 aged care reform agenda of 'ageing in place' focusing on the levels of transformation from the policy context to the organisational/management context, and to the context of service provision by care staff. A single embedded case study (Yin, 1993) is used in order to meet the general objective to capture the dynamics of the impact of ageing in place in the three social contexts. The research is informed by social constructionism, a theoretical framework that emphasises the significance and effects of language in shaping social realities (Ainsworth, 2001; Hosking, 1999). The framework, therefore, justifies the qualitative analysis of both written (i.e., policy documents) and spoken (i.e., interviews with staff) texts to address meaning in relation to context. Changing technologies can result in altered societal structures (Betz, 2003) at all levels, from the very complex to the very basic. As such, it is important to understand a few basic premises of technology. First, technology is a human invention to improve the well-being of society (Ayres, 1996). Consequently, technological inventions that improve the quality of life are seen by people as a necessity for modern living. In the case of ageing, modernisation and technological advances effectively resulted in people becoming healthier and living longer (Department of Health and Aged Care [DHAC], 2000). Second, technology is a human means to control nature (Betz, 2003). As such, technological advances can be seen as a modernising process of predicting and regulating the effects of the trends existing in the environment, such as ageing. Ageing in the twenty first century presents a challenge to government's development policies because ageing is depicted as a steady force with a long-term economic impact (Johnson, 1999). Third, a technology becomes powerful when it is sponsored by the market (Betz, 2003; Hughes, 1983). Unless a technology is backed by business, it lacks the influence on a large scale. Fourth, technology is used to enable change. By using IT, governments, business and the community are co-operating through a paradigm similar to the business sector. As a result, the service environment is shifting towards more business-like approaches. To sustain the changes brought by a different paradigm and modes of operation, the rhetoric of technology is employed. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to investigate the use of IT in processes of organisational adaptations to reform, which requires the examination of: a) specific meaning of IT as used in long-term care policies for older people since the last structural reform, b) the rationale behind the introduction of a new IT system into a residential care organisation, and c) the meaning of IT as articulated by care staff who have experienced a change in technology. The first paper represents a rhetorical analysis at the macro or policy level. There is a significant influence of a global political actor in developing proactive strategies on ageing, which results in a new, multi-organisational approach in delivering government-subsidised services, such as residential care. Three key institutional texts were selected to represent international to local policy development since the time ageing became a global concern. Since then, ageing is also viewed as a human rights issue. Using Burke's pentad, an analytic framework to analyse rhetoric in texts (Stillar, 1998), these institutional texts are seen to employ the rhetoric of 'technology for sustainability' to justify changes to policy approaches that seek long-term viability. Technology, in the name of sustainable development ensures support for economic growth, which balances the long-term effects of population ageing. The existence of a global force, such as population ageing, allows the intervening powers of the UN in mainstreaming ageing into development policies. Accordingly, it initiates corresponding actions at national (Australian Commonwealth Government) and state (Queensland Government) levels. IT is a medium of communication, knowledge transfer, and standard practice at these levels of actions. The second paper represents a qualitative analysis at the meso or organisational level. This paper explores the cogent rationale in the introduction of a computer-based, care documentation system in a large residential aged care organisation. Twenty two staff, from every level of the organisation, were interviewed to get an insight into the role of IT in substantive changes to organisational structure and modes of service provision. Responses from staff indicate external and internal influence that pressured the organisation to change. In the bid to sustain the future of aged care, the industry is changing through the introduction of new structure of service delivery. The Aged Care Structural Reform instigated a shift towards sustainable service provision that is consumer-driven, with a fixed cost compliance mechanism and performance criteria that are tied to funding. Facing the requirement for evidence to corroborate funding, a residential care organisation changed its structure of service delivery by introducing a new strategic direction. IT is part of this new strategic direction, planning, and operations of a changed service environment. The third paper represents a qualitative analysis at the micro or individual level to examine the impact of IT at frontline service delivery. This study is also based on interviews with twenty-two staff, across the organisational structure; however, this time the focus is more on staff who are involved in providing direct care to older residents at the organisation. The reason behind this is that IT has always been a management tool which handles management priorities such as financial planning and performance monitoring. The themes arising from the interviews indicate discord at the level of service delivery from the introduction of a new technical system. It also points to the idea that staff generally refer to ethical ideas and future promise of the new system. In summary, these three papers attached to this thesis support the notion that the meaning of technology is socially constructed. First, technology in the aged care sector has particular reference to improving or enhancing the well-being of older people, and in this case, the provision of high quality services that fulfil the needs of older people. Second, IT has an important role in meeting the evidence-based requirement, such as in the use of information in manipulating the use of resources required for the ageing population. Third, the meaning of IT is conceived from the context requiring its use such as the need to use resource efficiently to ensure long-term sustainability, which were emphasised in the last reform. Fourth, IT is used to enable structural changes in organisations to implement generic practices originated from the business sector, requiring the use of strong rhetoric such as balance and future. The limit of this case study is that these dimensions of technology can only be applied to the specific context of aged care and is not generalisable to other political contexts. However, the strength of the study rests on the macro-, meso- and micro-analysis of the meaning of technology. Therefore, future studies should investigate and compare the dimensions of technology in other contexts.
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INTERVENÇÕES CURRICULARES NA PERSPECTIVA DA ABORDAGEM TEMÁTICA: AVANÇOS ALCANÇADOS POR PROFESSORES DE UMA ESCOLA PÚBLICA ESTADUAL DO RS / CURRICULUM INTERVENTION IN PERSPECTIVE OF THE THEMATIC APPROACH: ADVANCES MADE BY TEACHERS OF A PUBLIC STATE SCHOOL OF RSGiacomini, Alexandre 27 February 2014 (has links)
Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul / This research, predominantly qualitative and ethnographic in school life, has as its theme the
curriculum and teacher training in teaching. This research is relevant for the importance and need for
new curricular settings, based on the critical perspective and social context, have to trigger a process
of profound transformation, shaking the linear style and curricular current thinking and for that a
continuous and permanent training of teachers is required. The problem of investigation of this
research is: What would be the possible progress made by the teachers of a public high school in the
city of Restinga Sêca/RS when implementing curricular interventions from the perspective of thematic
approach in regular and adult education groups of high school? Based on this question, the following
objectives were outlined: to contribute through a formative and collective process with the teachers of
Érico Veríssimo School for building curricular interventions guided by the thematic approach; to check
with the teachers of this school if they adopt and how they adopt in their daily practice curricular
interventions guided by the thematic approach; to analyze the opinions and perceptions of teachers at
this school about the progress made when implementing curricular interventions guided by the
thematic approach. The research was implemented in a public high school in the city of Restinga
Sêca/RS during the year of 2012 and the sample consisted of teachers from the regular high school
and adult education (EJA). The theoretical referential that guides the research is grounded in the
assumptions of the educator Paulo Freire and in ideals of the educational implications of the
movement Science-Technology-Society (STS). The instruments used for data collection were:
questionnaire, participant observation (through notes and logbooks/field), document analysis and
semistructured interview. Regarding the methodology of data analysis, it was used the Textual
Discourse Analysis. The results were presented in the form of categories of advances achieved by
teachers in implementing the thematic approach in the daily routine of that school entitled as: the
importance of the training course, the theme worked from the reality, from the student(s)' context, the
teachers' engagement in collective and interdisciplinary work, the change in concept of curriculum
and the dialogue between teacher-student and student-student. By way of conclusion, it is important to
emphasize that all these categories contribute to the change of the new style of curriculum thinking,
since they are in agreement with the profound process of curricular reconfigurations buoyed in critical
perspective and social context. It also highlights a new school space/time provided to the research by
the new proposed restructuring of the polytechnic high school state system of Rio Grande do Sul, as
well as their convergences and divergences in relation to the Reorientation Curriculum Movement in
the city of São Paulo. / A presente pesquisa, de caráter predominantemente qualitativo e do tipo etnográfico no cotidiano
escolar, tem como tema o currículo e a formação de professores no âmbito do ensino. Essa pesquisa
torna-se relevante pela importância e necessidade que novas configurações curriculares, baseadas
na perspectiva crítica e no contexto social, têm de deflagrar um processo de transformações
profundas, abalando o estilo de pensamento curricular linear vigente e, para tal, é necessária uma
formação contínua e permanente dos professores. O problema de investigação dessa pesquisa é:
Quais seriam os possíveis avanços alcançados por professores de uma escola pública de ensino
médio do município de Restinga Sêca/RS quando implementam intervenções curriculares na
perspectiva da abordagem temática em turmas do ensino médio regular e EJA? A partir dessa
questão, delinearam-se os objetivos da mesma: contribuir através de um processo formativo e
coletivo com os professores da EEEM Érico Veríssimo para a construção de intervenções curriculares
pautadas pela abordagem temática; verificar com os professores desta escola se adotam e como
adotam, na sua prática cotidiana, intervenções curriculares pautadas pela abordagem temática;
analisar as opiniões e percepções dos professores desta escola a respeito dos avanços alcançados
quando se implementam intervenções curriculares pautadas pela abordagem temática. A pesquisa
foi implementada em uma escola pública de ensino médio do município de Restinga Sêca/RS durante
o ano de 2012 e a amostra foi constituída por professores do ensino médio regular e da EJA. O
referencial teórico que baliza a pesquisa está alicerçado nos pressupostos do educador Paulo Freire
e em ideais das repercussões educacionais do movimento Ciência-Tecnologia-Sociedade (CTS). Os
instrumentos utilizados para a coleta dos dados foram: o questionário, a observação participante
(através de registros e diários de bordo/campo), a análise documental e a entrevista semiestruturada.
Quanto à metodologia de análise de dados, utilizou-se a Análise Textual Discursiva. Os resultados
foram apresentados sob forma de categorias de avanços, alcançadas pelos professores na
implementação da abordagem temática no cotidiano escolar da referida escola, intituladas de: a
importância do curso de formação; o tema trabalhado a partir da realidade, do contexto do(s)
aluno(s); o engajamento dos professores no trabalho coletivo e interdisciplinar; a mudança na
concepção de currículo, e; o diálogo entre professor-aluno e aluno-aluno. À guisa de conclusões, é
importante frisar que todas essas categorias contribuem para a mudança do novo estilo de
pensamento curricular, uma vez que estão em comum acordo com o profundo processo de
reconfigurações curriculares balizadas na perspectiva crítica e no contexto social. Também se
destaca um novo espaço/tempo escolar proporcionado à pesquisa pela nova proposta de
reestruturação do ensino médio politécnico da rede estadual gaúcha, bem como suas convergências
e divergências em relação ao Movimento de Reorientação Curricular no município de São Paulo.
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A pilot study on the influence of educational interventions on domestic electricity consumersBukula, Thembani 11 1900 (has links)
This pilot study consists of two parts. The first part investigates the extent to which the domestic electricity consumers intend to use and use energy efficiently using the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The second part investigates the extent to which the Energy @ Home educational intervention changed the domestic electricity consumers’ behaviour. For the first part of the study an advertisement was published and a convenience stratified sample of 61 domestic electricity consumers were selected from the 290 respondents. Data was collected from the domestic electricity consumers via a questionnaire and a telephone response log. The co-relational research design was used to investigate the relationship between the predictor variables the independent variables in the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Simple linear regression analysis resulted in F statistic for the predicted behavioural intention was 29.74 with a p value less than 0.0001 which indicates significant statistical evidence of a linear relation between the predictor variables and the independent variables. The r2 of 0.87 implies that data points that fall closely along the best fit line. Therefore the predictor variables were good predictors of the response variable. All the participants that intended to use electricity efficiently confirmed via the telephone that they were using electricity efficiently. In the second part of the study 11 out of the 61 participants were chosen to participate in the Energy @ Home educational intervention and television program. Data was collected via the Energy audit log and the electricity consumption log. The participants intended to save between 2% and 35% of their electricity consumption and the actual electricity consumption savings were between 2% and 30%. / Science and Technology Education / M. Sc. (Mathematics, Physics & Technology Education (Physics Education))
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Avaliação da função global e regional pela ressonância magnética com a técnica dos marcadores miocárdicos em pacientes na fase tardia do infarto da parede anterior do ventrículo esquerdo em acompanhamento clínico / Evaluation by magnetic resonance with myocardial tagging technique of global and regional function of left ventricle in patients with chronic anterior myocardial infarction during clinical follow-upFlorenzano, Sérgio Domingos 05 July 2004 (has links)
O infarto agudo do miocárdio (IAM) é definido como uma necrose do miocárdio resultante de um comprometimento agudo de sua irrigação sang?ínea. As manifestações de insuficiência cardíaca (ICC) são comuns em pacientes com doença arterial coronariana (DAC) aguda ou crônica, acarretando significativa morbidade e mortalidade. O objetivo foi avaliar a função global e regional do ventrículo esquerdo (VE), através da Ressonância Magnética (IRM) com a técnica dos marcadores miocárdicos na evolução clínica dos pacientes na fase tardia do infarto da parede anterior do VE. Foi realizado seguimento longitudinal prospectivo da evolução da função da parede do ventrículo esquerdo. Foram avaliadas e comparadas entre si as várias etapas evolutivas de pacientes encaminhados pela Unidade Clínica de Coronariopatia Crônica e Unidade de Cirurgia Torácica e Cardiovascular do Incor-FMUSP. Entre dezembro de 2000 e fevereiro de 2003, estudamos 24 pacientes (19 homens e cinco mulheres), idade média de 54,33 ± 10,11 anos. Os estudos foram realizados na inclusão do paciente no protocolo, após 4 meses e 10 meses de seguimento. Os estudos foram realizados em repouso (rep) e durante o estímulo inotrópico com baixa dose de dobutamina (dob) (10 mcg/kg/ml). Nenhum paciente desenvolveu sintomas durante a infusão de dobutamina. Foram estudados os volumes diastólico (VDF) e sistólico (VSF) finais e a fração de ejeção (FE) com a técnica de cine ressonância, utilizando-se o método de Simpson para a análise. A função global e regional foi analisada com a técnica dos marcadores miocárdicos através da análise do encurtamento circunferencial (EC) global e regional nas áreas remotas, adjacentes e com infarto. Os resultados mostraram estabilidade nos valores encontrados (VDF,VSF e FE), tanto em repouso como durante a infusão de dobutamina (p=NS). A análise da função do VE com a técnica dos marcadores miocárdicos no grupo clínico mostrou melhora significante nos exames de controle, após 4 meses e 10 meses de seguimento na comparação das médias globais (p<0,001). Na comparação entre o repouso e a infusão de dobutamina do exame 1 (p=0,01), no exame 2 (p<0,001), no exame 3 (p<0,001). Nas regiões com infarto não houve diferença significante entre o grupo 1, 2 e 3 (comprometimento mural <=75%), o que pode ser evidenciado entre os grupos 1, 2 e 3 vs. grupo 4 ( comprometimento mural >75%)(p<0,001). Em conclusão, este estudo mostra a manutenção das variáveis da função ventricular esquerda (volumes e fração de ejeção) durante a evolução clínica. Os pacientes em acompanhamento clínico avaliados com a técnica dos marcadores miocárdicos mostraram melhora quantitativa da função global e regional na área com infarto, o que indica que este índice pode ser mais sensível na avaliação evolutiva da função ventricular esquerda. / Acute myocardial infarction is defined as a myocardial necrosis resultant from an acute comitment of blood irrigation. Manifestations of cardiac failure are common in patients with acute or cronic coronary artery disease, with significant morbidity and mortality. Our goal was to valuate clinic evolution in patients with chronic myocardial infarction on the global and regional left ventricle (LV) systolic function by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with myocardial tagging technique. A longitudinal follow-up of LV function was done in patients on clinical treatment. Patients were referred from the Coronary Unit or Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery of the Heart Institute (InCor) - University of São Paulo Medical School. From December 2000 to February 2003, we studied 24 patients (19 men), mean age 54.33 + 10.11 years. Medical group was evaluated and compared among each follow-up steps (at protocol inclusion (E1), after 4 months (E2) and 10 months (E3) follow-up. The studies were performed at rest (R) and during inotropical stimulus with low dose of dobutamine (D) (10 mcg/kg/ml). The end diastolic (EDV) and systolic (ESV) volumes were studied and ejection fraction (EF) with the cine resonance technique using Simpson method. Global and regional function was also analized with the myocardial tagging technique. The variables studied were the global and segmental circumferencial shortening (CS) in remote, adjacent and infarcted areas. Medical group showed no differences in EDV, ESV and EF (p=NS). LV function analysis with the myocardial tagging techniques showed an significant improvement in the exams performed at E1, E2 and E3 follow-up on global average (p<0,001), in E1 at R vs. D (p=0,023), E2 R vs. D (p=0,001), E3 R vs. D (p=0,008). CS in infarcted areas showed no significant differences between group 1 , 2 and 3 (infarcted area <=75%) but differences were seen between group 1 , 2 and 3 vs. group 4 (infarcted area >75%)(p=0,006). In conclusion, this study showed no differences in LV volumes and ejection fraction. The patients in clinical follow up showed quantitative improvement at global and regional function at infarcted areas with the myocardial tagging techniques, which seen a better index for LV function follow-up
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Avaliação da função global e regional pela ressonância magnética com a técnica dos marcadores miocárdicos em pacientes na fase tardia do infarto da parede anterior do ventrículo esquerdo em acompanhamento clínico / Evaluation by magnetic resonance with myocardial tagging technique of global and regional function of left ventricle in patients with chronic anterior myocardial infarction during clinical follow-upSérgio Domingos Florenzano 05 July 2004 (has links)
O infarto agudo do miocárdio (IAM) é definido como uma necrose do miocárdio resultante de um comprometimento agudo de sua irrigação sang?ínea. As manifestações de insuficiência cardíaca (ICC) são comuns em pacientes com doença arterial coronariana (DAC) aguda ou crônica, acarretando significativa morbidade e mortalidade. O objetivo foi avaliar a função global e regional do ventrículo esquerdo (VE), através da Ressonância Magnética (IRM) com a técnica dos marcadores miocárdicos na evolução clínica dos pacientes na fase tardia do infarto da parede anterior do VE. Foi realizado seguimento longitudinal prospectivo da evolução da função da parede do ventrículo esquerdo. Foram avaliadas e comparadas entre si as várias etapas evolutivas de pacientes encaminhados pela Unidade Clínica de Coronariopatia Crônica e Unidade de Cirurgia Torácica e Cardiovascular do Incor-FMUSP. Entre dezembro de 2000 e fevereiro de 2003, estudamos 24 pacientes (19 homens e cinco mulheres), idade média de 54,33 ± 10,11 anos. Os estudos foram realizados na inclusão do paciente no protocolo, após 4 meses e 10 meses de seguimento. Os estudos foram realizados em repouso (rep) e durante o estímulo inotrópico com baixa dose de dobutamina (dob) (10 mcg/kg/ml). Nenhum paciente desenvolveu sintomas durante a infusão de dobutamina. Foram estudados os volumes diastólico (VDF) e sistólico (VSF) finais e a fração de ejeção (FE) com a técnica de cine ressonância, utilizando-se o método de Simpson para a análise. A função global e regional foi analisada com a técnica dos marcadores miocárdicos através da análise do encurtamento circunferencial (EC) global e regional nas áreas remotas, adjacentes e com infarto. Os resultados mostraram estabilidade nos valores encontrados (VDF,VSF e FE), tanto em repouso como durante a infusão de dobutamina (p=NS). A análise da função do VE com a técnica dos marcadores miocárdicos no grupo clínico mostrou melhora significante nos exames de controle, após 4 meses e 10 meses de seguimento na comparação das médias globais (p<0,001). Na comparação entre o repouso e a infusão de dobutamina do exame 1 (p=0,01), no exame 2 (p<0,001), no exame 3 (p<0,001). Nas regiões com infarto não houve diferença significante entre o grupo 1, 2 e 3 (comprometimento mural <=75%), o que pode ser evidenciado entre os grupos 1, 2 e 3 vs. grupo 4 ( comprometimento mural >75%)(p<0,001). Em conclusão, este estudo mostra a manutenção das variáveis da função ventricular esquerda (volumes e fração de ejeção) durante a evolução clínica. Os pacientes em acompanhamento clínico avaliados com a técnica dos marcadores miocárdicos mostraram melhora quantitativa da função global e regional na área com infarto, o que indica que este índice pode ser mais sensível na avaliação evolutiva da função ventricular esquerda. / Acute myocardial infarction is defined as a myocardial necrosis resultant from an acute comitment of blood irrigation. Manifestations of cardiac failure are common in patients with acute or cronic coronary artery disease, with significant morbidity and mortality. Our goal was to valuate clinic evolution in patients with chronic myocardial infarction on the global and regional left ventricle (LV) systolic function by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with myocardial tagging technique. A longitudinal follow-up of LV function was done in patients on clinical treatment. Patients were referred from the Coronary Unit or Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery of the Heart Institute (InCor) - University of São Paulo Medical School. From December 2000 to February 2003, we studied 24 patients (19 men), mean age 54.33 + 10.11 years. Medical group was evaluated and compared among each follow-up steps (at protocol inclusion (E1), after 4 months (E2) and 10 months (E3) follow-up. The studies were performed at rest (R) and during inotropical stimulus with low dose of dobutamine (D) (10 mcg/kg/ml). The end diastolic (EDV) and systolic (ESV) volumes were studied and ejection fraction (EF) with the cine resonance technique using Simpson method. Global and regional function was also analized with the myocardial tagging technique. The variables studied were the global and segmental circumferencial shortening (CS) in remote, adjacent and infarcted areas. Medical group showed no differences in EDV, ESV and EF (p=NS). LV function analysis with the myocardial tagging techniques showed an significant improvement in the exams performed at E1, E2 and E3 follow-up on global average (p<0,001), in E1 at R vs. D (p=0,023), E2 R vs. D (p=0,001), E3 R vs. D (p=0,008). CS in infarcted areas showed no significant differences between group 1 , 2 and 3 (infarcted area <=75%) but differences were seen between group 1 , 2 and 3 vs. group 4 (infarcted area >75%)(p=0,006). In conclusion, this study showed no differences in LV volumes and ejection fraction. The patients in clinical follow up showed quantitative improvement at global and regional function at infarcted areas with the myocardial tagging techniques, which seen a better index for LV function follow-up
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A pilot study on the influence of educational interventions on domestic electricity consumersBukula, Thembani 11 1900 (has links)
This pilot study consists of two parts. The first part investigates the extent to which the domestic electricity consumers intend to use and use energy efficiently using the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The second part investigates the extent to which the Energy @ Home educational intervention changed the domestic electricity consumers’ behaviour. For the first part of the study an advertisement was published and a convenience stratified sample of 61 domestic electricity consumers were selected from the 290 respondents. Data was collected from the domestic electricity consumers via a questionnaire and a telephone response log. The co-relational research design was used to investigate the relationship between the predictor variables the independent variables in the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Simple linear regression analysis resulted in F statistic for the predicted behavioural intention was 29.74 with a p value less than 0.0001 which indicates significant statistical evidence of a linear relation between the predictor variables and the independent variables. The r2 of 0.87 implies that data points that fall closely along the best fit line. Therefore the predictor variables were good predictors of the response variable. All the participants that intended to use electricity efficiently confirmed via the telephone that they were using electricity efficiently. In the second part of the study 11 out of the 61 participants were chosen to participate in the Energy @ Home educational intervention and television program. Data was collected via the Energy audit log and the electricity consumption log. The participants intended to save between 2% and 35% of their electricity consumption and the actual electricity consumption savings were between 2% and 30%. / Science and Technology Education / M. Sc. (Mathematics, Physics & Technology Education (Physics Education))
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AUTOMATING BIG VISUAL DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYTICS TOWARD LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT OF ENGINEERING SYSTEMSJongseong Choi (9011111) 09 September 2022 (has links)
Images have become a ubiquitous and efficient data form to record information. Use of this option for data capture has largely increased due to the widespread availability of image sensors and sensor platforms (e.g., smartphones and drones), the simplicity of this approach for broad groups of users, and our pervasive access to the internet as one class of infrastructure in itself. Such data contains abundant visual information that can be exploited to automate asset assessment and management tasks that traditionally are manually conducted for engineering systems. Automation of the data collection, extraction and analytics is however, key to realizing the use of these data for decision-making. Despite recent advances in computer vision and machine learning techniques extracting information from an image, automation of these real-world tasks has been limited thus far. This is partly due to the variety of data and the fundamental challenges associated with each domain. Due to the societal demands for access to and steady operation of our infrastructure systems, this class of systems represents an ideal application where automation can have high impact. Extensive human involvement is required at this time to perform everyday procedures such as organizing, filtering, and ranking of the data before executing analysis techniques, consequently, discouraging engineers from even collecting large volumes of data. To break down these barriers, methods must be developed and validated to speed up the analysis and management of data over the lifecycle of infrastructure systems. In this dissertation, big visual data collection and analysis methods are developed with the goal of reducing the burden associated with human manual procedures. The automated capabilities developed herein are focused on applications in lifecycle visual assessment and are intended to exploit large volumes of data collected periodically over time. To demonstrate the methods, various classes of infrastructure, commonly located in our communities, are chosen for validating this work because they: (i) provide commodities and service essential to enable, sustain, or enhance our lives; and (ii) require a lifecycle structural assessment in a high priority. To validate those capabilities, applications of infrastructure assessment are developed to achieve multiple approaches of big visual data such as region-of-interest extraction, orthophoto generation, image localization, object detection, and image organization using convolution neural networks (CNNs), depending on the domain of lifecycle assessment needed in the target infrastructure. However, this research can be adapted to many other applications where monitoring and maintenance are required over their lifecycle.
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Vybrané otázky právní úpravy ochrany akcionářů v obchodním zákoníku / Selected matters covered by statutory provisions on shareholders protection as set out in the commercial codePokorná, Veronika January 2014 (has links)
This dissertation looks at selected matters covered by the statutory provisions on the shareholders protection as set out in the Commercial Code. It focuses mainly on the matters contained in Section 196a of the Commercial Code, Section 193 (2) of the Commercial Code, and on the issue of financial assistance. In addition, this dissertation deals with the legal protection of shareholders under the Business Corporations Act which is to take effect on 1 January 2014, and provides a brief outline of how these matters are regulated under certain foreign laws. As well, it provides a comparison with the legal regulations of the European Union. This dissertation is comprised of three sections, each having several parts. The parts are further divided into articles. Section 1 analyses the statutory provisions on the protection of shareholders as given in the Commercial Code, and is divided into four parts. The introduction, given in Part I, focuses on the protection of shareholders under the Commercial Code in the general sense. The remaining three parts concentrate on the above said selected statutory provisions. In each of those three parts, I attempt to discuss the key purpose of the provisions, describe how they developed including respective amendment (novelizations) of the Commercial Code and, in this context,...
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Disruptive Transformations in Health Care: Technological Innovation and the Acute Care General HospitalLucas, D. Pulane 24 April 2013 (has links)
Advances in medical technology have altered the need for certain types of surgery to be performed in traditional inpatient hospital settings. Less invasive surgical procedures allow a growing number of medical treatments to take place on an outpatient basis. Hospitals face growing competition from ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). The competitive threats posed by ASCs are important, given that inpatient surgery has been the cornerstone of hospital services for over a century. Additional research is needed to understand how surgical volume shifts between and within acute care general hospitals (ACGHs) and ASCs. This study investigates how medical technology within the hospital industry is changing medical services delivery. The main purposes of this study are to (1) test Clayton M. Christensen’s theory of disruptive innovation in health care, and (2) examine the effects of disruptive innovation on appendectomy, cholecystectomy, and bariatric surgery (ACBS) utilization. Disruptive innovation theory contends that advanced technology combined with innovative business models—located outside of traditional product markets or delivery systems—will produce simplified, quality products and services at lower costs with broader accessibility. Consequently, new markets will emerge, and conventional industry leaders will experience a loss of market share to “non-traditional” new entrants into the marketplace. The underlying assumption of this work is that ASCs (innovative business models) have adopted laparoscopy (innovative technology) and their unification has initiated disruptive innovation within the hospital industry. The disruptive effects have spawned shifts in surgical volumes from open to laparoscopic procedures, from inpatient to ambulatory settings, and from hospitals to ASCs. The research hypothesizes that: (1) there will be larger increases in the percentage of laparoscopic ACBS performed than open ACBS procedures; (2) ambulatory ACBS will experience larger percent increases than inpatient ACBS procedures; and (3) ASCs will experience larger percent increases than ACGHs. The study tracks the utilization of open, laparoscopic, inpatient and ambulatory ACBS. The research questions that guide the inquiry are: 1. How has ACBS utilization changed over this time? 2. Do ACGHs and ASCs differ in the utilization of ACBS? 3. How do states differ in the utilization of ACBS? 4. Do study findings support disruptive innovation theory in the hospital industry? The quantitative study employs a panel design using hospital discharge data from 2004 and 2009. The unit of analysis is the facility. The sampling frame is comprised of ACGHs and ASCs in Florida and Wisconsin. The study employs exploratory and confirmatory data analysis. This work finds that disruptive innovation theory is an effective model for assessing the hospital industry. The model provides a useful framework for analyzing the interplay between ACGHs and ASCs. While study findings did not support the stated hypotheses, the impact of government interventions into the competitive marketplace supports the claims of disruptive innovation theory. Regulations that intervened in the hospital industry facilitated interactions between ASCs and ACGHs, reducing the number of ASCs performing ACBS and altering the trajectory of ACBS volume by shifting surgeries from ASCs to ACGHs.
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