No / Irregular residues of a yellow deposit that was assumed to be seal fat used for waterproofing were observed in the creases of the outer surface of a pair of Inuit boots from Arctic Canada. A sample of this deposit detached from one of these areas on these boots was examined initially by FT-Raman microscopy, from which interesting and rather surprising results demanded further analysis using FT-IR and GC-MS. The non-destructive Raman spectroscopic analysis yielded spectra which indicated the presence of a tree resin from the Pinaceae sp. The Raman spectra were also characteristic of a well-preserved keratotic protein and indicative of adherent skin. Subsequent FT-IR spectroscopic analysis supported the attribution of a Pinaceae resin to the yellow deposit. GC-MS analysis of the same deposits identified the presence of pimaric, sandaracopimaric, dehydroabietic and abietic acids, all indicative of an aged Pinaceae resin. These results confirmed that the Inuit people had access to tree resins which they probably used as a waterproofing agent.

Designing the Unfamiliar is a master thesis project that explores how design practice would be able to adapt towards the necessary changes regarding artefacts and how long of a leap design could take in the notion of unfamiliarity. This is done by focusing on water consumption with connection to the climate and ecological emergency, and artefacts such as water distribution systems, and how the individual interacts with the unfamiliarity in both aesthetics and use. The report contains three parts that go through the different processes of the project. The first part of the report starts with an introduction to the project, the background, and where it began. How we, humans, have become familiar with our way of life as we know it and all the materialistic artefacts surrounding us. By analyzing how design practices would be able to alter the way of working towards a sustainable future, the individual must be able to get used to the unfamiliar changes necessary in the process. This continues as an exploration of design practices that are artefact-aimed combined with how individuals might interact and accept the changes in products. While analyzing the climate and ecological emergency, the result of our impact, and climate change, especially water scarcity, there is an exploration of what kind of water distributive systems are on the market now and how design is currently aimed towards sustainable alterations. By speculating on alternative water systems and comparing what is already on the market there is a way of researching how people would react to radical changes in artefacts, not only the artefact supplying the water but also the use of it. To be able to explore how design practices will adapt toward necessary changes regarding artefacts, there is a need to explore how the individual will react to the unfamiliarity of change. This leads to a deep dive into the unfamiliarity section, where exposure to the unfamiliar disrupts the comfort of the familiar. With speculation, reaching out to individuals, exploring behavior, and with the uncertainty of how it affects humans on a psychological level there is a question on the possible positive or negative impacts on changes that humans experience. The second part of the report is the design process of the project, where the chain reaction towards change is explored by looking at the supply and demand and how individuals would have to become comfortable enough to either purchase something that is to them, unfamiliar, or to change the ways of using artefacts. This means that becoming aware of one's actions and positively altering the interactions would eventually lead the unfamiliar to become familiar. This is done by engaging with people and asking them questions to establish what people think of the unfamiliar and how or why they choose to interact, or not, with it. By alternative approaches, a set of illustrated prototype challenges are explained. Where individuals, both adults and children, pieces of knowledge, choices, and actions are meant to be tested. During the design process, a conceptual intervention is explored where speculative futuristic water distributive systems are displayed for interaction purposes. This combined with the challenges previously mentioned and gathering of perception of behavior, comments, and notes from the chosen target group.  The third part of the report is an interpretation of the whole process, both the evaluation of the project, a description of the process, to critically evaluate, the result, and a discussion of the author’s thoughts.

No description available.

No

Les Artefacts de Tissus Mous (ATM) sont actuellement une des limitations principales pour la mesure du mouvement du membre supérieur avec les techniques actuelles d'analyse du mouvement. L'optimisation multi-segmentaire (OMS) a déjà prouvé son efficacité pour la mesure du mouvement du membre inférieur. Afin d'avoir la meilleure correction possible, il est nécessaire d'utiliser des modèles d'articulation proches de l'anatomie. L'objectif de cette thèse a donc été de développer et de valider un modèle du membre supérieur qui pourrait être utilisé pour la correction des ATM par OMS. De nouveaux modèles en boucle fermée de l'avant-bras et de la ceinture scapulaire ont ainsi été développés accompagnés d'un nouveau modèle de l'articulation scapulo-thoracique imposant à la scapula d'être tangente à un ellipsoïde modélisant le thorax. Ces nouveaux modèles ont été confrontés aux modèles courants de la littérature à travers une étude avec vis intra-corticales sur cadavre et in vivo sur sujets asymptomatiques. Des niveaux d'erreur similaires ont été observés pour tous les modèles quant à leur capacité de corriger les ATM et d'imiter la cinématique osseuse. Les nouveaux modèles semblent cependant beaucoup plus intéressants dans une perspective de développement d'un modèle musculo- squelettique. En effet, le modèle d'avant-bras autorise à la fois d'avoir le mouvement du radius et de l'ulna tandis que le modèle scapulo-thoracique représente mieux la contrainte existant entre le thorax et la scapula. En résumé, cette thèse a permis de développer un modèle complet proche de l'anatomie du membre supérieur permettant de corriger les ATM en utilisant une OMS. Bien que la correction des ATM obtenue n'est pas aussi satisfaisante qu'espérée, l'utilisation de cette approche pour le développement de futurs modèles musculo-squelettique a été validée / Soft Tissue Artefact (STA) is one of the most important limitations when measuring upper limb kinematics through marker-based motion capture techniques, especially for the scapula. Multi Body Optimisation (MBO) has already been proposed to correct STA when measuring lower limb kinematics and can be easily adapted for upper limb. For this purpose, the joint kinematic constraints should be as anatomical as possible. The aim of this thesis was thus to define and validate an anatomical upper limb kinematic model that could be used both to correct STA through the use of MBO and for future musculoskeletal models developments. For this purpose, a model integrating closed loop models of the forearm and of the scapula belt have been developed, including a new anatomical-based model of the scapulothoracic joint. This model constrained the scapula plane to be tangent to an ellipsoid modelling the thorax. All these models were confronted to typical models extracted from the literature through cadaveric and in vivo intracortical pins studies. All models generated similar error when evaluating their ability to mimic the bones kinematics and to correct STA. However, the new forearm and scapulothoracic models were more interesting when considering further musculoskeletal developments: The forearm model allows considering both the ulna and the radius and the scapulothoracic model better represents the constraint existing between the thorax and the scapula. This thesis allowed developing a complete anatomical upper limb kinematic chain. Although the STA correction obtained was not as good as expected, the use of this approach for a future musculoskeletal models has been validated

L’évolution des nouvelles technologies dans les dernières décennies permetd’envisager l’intégration des TICE dans l’enseignement de l’Éducation Physique etSportive et le développement de situations d’apprentissages instrumentées. L’objectifde cette étude vise à analyser l’usage d'un artefact vidéo-informatique aux différentsniveaux d’apprentissage dans des activités physiques contrastées dans leursspécificités. Nous caractérisons et modélisons les conditions d’instrumentation dudispositif avec trois enseignants du premier degré et trois enseignants du seconddegré, leurs appropriations de l’artefact et leurs usages effectifs. Nos observationsmontrent que les usages du feedback vidéo-informatique semblent se différencierselon le niveau effectif d'autonomie des élèves et suivant la formation initiale desenseignants. Par ailleurs, elles soulignent la difficulté des élèves de second degré àtravailler en autonomie selon une modalité pédagogique proposant l’autoscopie ce quiatténue l'efficacité du dispositif vidéo-informatique. / Over past decades the introduction and evolution of new technologies enablesto consider the inclusion of ICT in the teaching of Physical & Sports education and inthe development of instrumented learning processes. The objective of the study aimsat analyzing the use of a computer-video artefact for the different steps of learningwhen practicing physical activities, which can have contrasted specificities. We defineda model for the instrumentation of the package, for their artefact appropriation and theireffective use of it, with three teachers from first degree and three others fromsecondary. We observed that the use of computer-video based feedback differsdepending on the student’s autonomy and on the initial curriculum of the teacher.Besides, this study highlights the difficulty for some secondary students to work inautonomy when faced to an autoscopy based pedagogical method, which reduces theefficiency of computer-video device.

La thèse propose une contribution à une théorie générale de la conception visant à mettre en évidence des concepts communs à une grande variété de domaines.Après une analyse de l’état de la question, la thèse propose un cadre conceptuel ainsi qu'une analyse détaillée des concepts de projet, d’artefact, d’espace de conception, de processus de conception, d’organisation de conception et enfin, des activités cognitives du concepteur. Une étude de cas illustre les différents concepts. Les conclusions mettent en évidence l’apport et les limites de la contribution. / The thesis formulates a contribution to a general theory of design that aims at identifying concepts common to large number of design domains.After the analysis of the state of the art, the thesis formulates a conceptual framework as well as an in-depth analysis of following concepts: project, artefact, design space, design process, design organisation and the cognitive processes at the level of the designer. A case study provides an illustration of the different concepts. The conclusion highlights the added value and the limits of the contribution.

Structured data stores have been the dominating technologies for the past few decades. Although dominating, structured data stores lack the functionality to handle the ‘Big Data’ phenomenon. A new technology has recently emerged which stores unstructured data and can handle the ‘Big Data’ phenomenon. This study describes the development of an artefact to aid in the analysis of NoSQL document data stores in terms of relational database model constructs. Design science research (DSR) is the methodology implemented in the study and it is used to assist in the understanding, design and development of the problem, artefact and solution. This study explores the existing literature on DSR, in addition to structured and unstructured data stores. The literature review formulates the descriptive and prescriptive knowledge used in the development of the artefact. The artefact is developed using a series of six activities derived from two DSR approaches. The problem domain is derived from the existing literature and a real application environment (RAE). The reviewed literature provided a general problem statement. A representative from NFM (the RAE) is interviewed for a situation analysis providing a specific problem statement. An objective is formulated for the development of the artefact and suggestions are made to address the problem domain, assisting the artefact’s objective. The artefact is designed and developed using the descriptive knowledge of structured and unstructured data stores, combined with prescriptive knowledge of algorithms, pseudo code, continuous design and object-oriented design. The artefact evolves through multiple design cycles into a final product that analyses document data stores in terms of relational database model constructs. The artefact is evaluated for acceptability and utility. This provides credibility and rigour to the research in the DSR paradigm. Acceptability is demonstrated through simulation and the utility is evaluated using a real application environment (RAE). A representative from NFM is interviewed for the evaluation of the artefact. Finally, the study is communicated by describing its findings, summarising the artefact and looking into future possibilities for research and application. / MSc (Computer Science), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

Fringe projection is a commonly used optical technique for measuring the shapes of objects with dimensions of up to about 1 m across. There are however many instances in the aerospace and automotive industries where it would be desirable to extend the benefits of the technique (e.g., high temporal and spatial sampling rates, non-contacting measurements) to much larger measurement volumes. This thesis describes a process that has been developed to allow the creation of a large global measurement volume from two or more independent shape measurement systems. A new 3-D large volume calibration artefact, together with a hexapod positioning stage, have been designed and manufactured to allow calibration of volumes of up to 3 x 1 x 1 m3. The artefact was built from carbon fibre composite tubes, chrome steel spheres, and mild steel end caps with rare earth rod magnets. The major advantage over other commonly used artefacts is the dimensionally stable relationship between features spanning multiple individual measurement volumes, thereby allowing calibration of several scanners within a global coordinate system, even when they have non-overlapping fields of view. The calibration artefact is modular, providing the scalability needed to address still larger measurement volumes and volumes of different geometries. Both it and the translation stage are easy to transport and to assemble on site. The artefact also provides traceabitity for calibration through independent measurements on a mechanical CMM. The dimensions of the assembled artefact have been found to be consistent with those of the individual tube lengths, demonstrating that gravitational distortion corrections are not needed for the artefact size considered here. Deformations due to thermal and hygral effects have also been experimentally quantified. The thesis describes the complete calibration procedure: large volume calibration artefact design, manufacture and testing; initial estimation of the sensor geometry parameters; processing of the calibration data from manually selected regions-of-interest (ROI) of the artefact features; artefact pose estimation; automated control point selection, and finally bundle adjustment. An accuracy of one part in 17 000 of the global measurement volume diagonal was achieved and verified.

Syftet med mitt arbete är att belysa på vilket sätt pedagoger i förskolan initierar tecken som alternativ och kompletterande kommunikation även kallad TAKK, i den dagliga verksamheten. Arbetet fokuserar på pedagogers upplevelse av TAKK som kommunikationsmetod och vilka verktyg, exempelvis vilka appar och böcker de använder. Materialinsamlingen skedde med observationer och intervjuer vilket sedan sammanställdes och analyserades utifrån det sociokulturella perspektivet. Sammanfattningsvis anses TAKK vara ett bra fungerande kommunikativt verktyg för alla barn på förskolan. Artefakterna som används är relativt lika på förskolornas avdelningar och används av pedagoger med eller utan barn, av barn med eller utan pedagog och av barn med eller utan andra barn. Det finns ingen manual eller mall att följa vid initieringen men överlag anses att kunskap om TAKK och teckenkunnande är nödvändigt för att TAKK ska kunna användas i förskolan. / The purpose of this work is to illustrate educators approach to initiate augamentative and alternative communication, also known as ACC. This work focuses on educators experiences when inititating ACC as a communicative method  in preschool and which tools, such as the apps and the books they use. The material gathering was conducted with observations and interviews, which were compiled and analyzed based on the socio-cultural perspective. In summary, ACC is considered a good working communicative tool for all children in preschool activities. The artifacts used are relative similar between departments and are used by educators with or without children, by children with or without other children. There is no manual or template to follow regarding the initiative but overall, it is considered that knowledge is necessary in order for ACC to be used in preschool activities.