Web visibility is the appearance of web sites in search engines. Web visibility in search engine is an important factor to improve the e-commerce on the web. If the web site gets high ranking in search engines it will attract more web traffic. Semantic markup is a technique to structure a web site, so it can be understandable by humans and computers. This allows the crawler or spider to understand the content of the web site during the search engine process. Semantically structured web sites increase the web visibility in search engines. RDFa is a semantic markup and supported by the W3C. In this thesis we have focused on the RDFa as a semantic markup technique. This study shows two aspects of RDFa i.e. what are the benefits and barriers of using RDFa in structuring and enhancing the web visibility of web sites in search engines, and how web developers implement RDFa. This study is based on the data that has been collected through literature review and interviewing different web developers from different companies. First result of this study shows the benefits and barriers of using RDFa according to the web developers. Second result is a guideline for helping the companies that are planning to implement the RDFa in structuring their web sites. The guideline is based on the technical steps and the requirements for implementing RDFa that web developers have described during the interviews.

Purpose - Procurement is an integrated part of the supply chain and crucial for the success of manufacturing. Many organisations have already started the digitalisation of their manufacturing processes using Industry 4.0 technologies and consequently trying to understand how this would impact the procurement function. The research purpose is to conceptualize a procurement of 4.0 model for a truly data driven procurement. Two research questions were proposed to address the model from digital capabilities and sustainability preceptive. Design/Methodology/approach - This study is based on a systematic literature review. A method of reviewing the literature and the current research for the propose of conceptualizing a procurement 4.0 model. Findings - The findings from the literature review contributed to the development of a proposed procurement 4.0 model based on Industry 4.0 technologies, applications, mathematical algorithms and procurement processes automation. The model contributes to the research field by addressing the gap in the literature about the lack of visualization and conceptualization of procurement 4.0. Originality/Value - The current literature discusses the advantages, implementation and impact of individual or a group of industry 4.0 technologies and applications on procurement but lacks visualization of the transformation process of combining the technologies to enable a truly data driven procurement. This research supports the creation of knowledge in this area. Practical Implementation /Managerial Implications - The proposed model can support managers and digital consultants to have practical knowledge from an academic perspective in the area of procurement 4.0. The knowledge from the literature and the systematic literature review is used to create knowledge on procurement 4.0 applications and analytics taking in to consideration the importance of visibility, transparency, optimization and the automation of the procurement function and its sustainability. / Syfte - Upphandling är en integrerad del av supply chain och avgörande för tillverkningens framgång. Många organisationer har redan börjat digitalisera sina tillverkningsprocesser med hjälp av Industry 4.0-teknologier och försöker därför förstå hur detta skulle påverka upphandlingsfunktionen. Målet med studien är att konceptualisera en upphandling av 4.0-modellen för en verkligt datadriven upphandling. Två forskningsfrågor föreslogs för att ta itu med modellen från digital kapacitet och hållbarhet. Design / metod / tillvägagångssätt - Denna studie baseras på en systematisk litteraturstudie. En metod för att granska litteraturen och den aktuella forskningen för att föreslå konceptualisering av en upphandlings 4.0-modell. Resultat - Resultaten från litteraturstudien bidrog till utvecklingen av en föreslagen upphandlings 4.0-modell baserad på Industry 4.0-teknologier, applikationer, matematiska algoritmer och automatisering av upphandlingsprocesser. Modellen bidrar till forskningsområdet genom att ta itu med klyftan i litteraturen om bristen på visualisering och konceptualisering av upphandling 4.0. Originalitet / värde - Den nuvarande litteraturen diskuterar fördelarna, implementeringen och effekten av individer eller en grupp av industri 4.0-teknologier och applikationer på upphandling men saknar visualisering av transformationsprocessen för att kombinera teknologierna för att skapa en verklig datadriven upphandling. Denna forskning stöder skapandet av kunskap inom detta område. Praktisk implementering / chefsimplikationer - Den föreslagna modellen kan stödja chefer och digitala konsulter att ha praktisk kunskap ur ett akademiskt perspektiv inom området upphandling 4.0. Kunskapen från litteraturen och den systematiska litteraturstudien används för att skapa kunskap om inköp 4.0 applikationer och analyser med beaktande av vikten av synlighet, transparens, optimering och automatisering av upphandlingsfunktionen och dess hållbarhet.

This research employs qualitative methodology to analyze social change in business news articles of The New York Times. A random sample of 127 articles published between 1970 and 2000, discussing advertising news and containing one or more of the terms "Gay", "Lesbian", " Bisexual", "Transexual", "Transgendered" and "Queer" (GLBTQ), were selected. Feminist, Marxist, Postmodern, and critical theory is used to analyze social representation, cultural norms, stereotypes and levels of visibility. The "meta-theoretical" lens applied is a gendered postmodernism grounded in stratification theory that assuages the cultural-based critique of Marxism, overcomes the essentialist limitations of radical feminism, incorporates the pluralism of socialist feminism and delimits the relativist tendencies of a purer postmodernism. Quantitatively, gay men were found to achieve twice as much business news coverage as lesbians. Bisexuals, transsexuals, transgenders and queers were highly invisible. Overall, a change in the representation and depiction of corporate interest in gays and lesbians was manifested. This socio-historical analysis revealed a shift from deviantization and stigmatization of homosexuality to the commodification, and spectacularization of GLBTQs. GLBTQ invisibility is documented and the misconception of gay and lesbian wealth, created by market research, is addressed. Invisibility of GLBTQs is posited to be both an intentional and actively managed form of politics. Furthermore, business news reporting is argued to be less "objective" and more a political, social cultural and political activity where the media itself is a stage for the cultural contestation of social norms. This sociologically informed reading of business news articles details numerous case-specific instances where The New York Times contributed towards the proliferation of norms, values and beliefs characterizing GLBTQs. The New York Times is argued to be a contributor towards the creation of sexuality as a cultural product. Its representations of GLBTQs are seen as one manifestation of an institutionally created understanding of the "culture of homosexuality". / Ph. D.

This study compared two LED luminaires and their abilities to provide detection distance and color recognition distance of potential roadway hazard. Detection distance is regarded as a metric of visibility. Color recognition distance is a metric for comparing the impact of the (Correlated Color Temperature) CCT of each luminaire and their color contrast impact. Mesopic vision, the mode of vision most commonly used for night driving, was considered in this study. Off-axis objects were presented to participants to assess the peripheral abilities of the luminaires. The impacts of luminance and color contrast were addressed in this study. The experiment was performed on the Virginia Smart Road where standard objects of different colors and pedestrians wearing different colors were detected by drivers of a moving vehicle in a controlled environment. The key difference between the two luminaires was their color temperatures (3500K versus 6000K). The results indicated that neither light source provided a significant benefit over the other although significant interactions were found among object color, age, and lighting level. The results indicate that the luminaires provide similar luminance contrast but their color contrasts depend heavily on the color temperature, the object, and the observer. This study followed the protocol developed by the Mesopic Optimisation of Visual Efficiency (MOVE) consortium developed by the CIE for modeling mesopic visual behavior. / Master of Science

This thesis documents Phase III of a research program undertaken by the Virginia Transportation Research Council and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute in cooperation with the 3M Company and the Virginia Department of Transportation for the evaluation of visual performance of retroreflective signs of various color combinations. Phase I was an off-road field experiment conducted to determine the best sign color combination, letter stroke width, and letter size for the emergency sign. Based upon the results of Phase I, three color combinations were chosen for testing (black on coral, black on light blue, and yellow on purple) against a baseline color combination of black on orange.Phase II was conducted using an instrumented vehicle through a construction zone-related detour. Questionnaire data were also obtained. The independent variables of interest were sign color combination, age, and visibility condition. The findings of Phase II indicated that use of a color combination other than the traditional black on orange sign would improve driver performance and safety when used for trailblazing during critical incidents, especially when the incident route overlaps a work zone detour. A serious limitation of Phases I and II is that the use of fluorescent colors was not evaluated. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the use of fluorescent colors on signs improves their conspicuity. The purpose of Phase III was to evaluate fluorescent sign color combinations for incident management trailblazing purposes. This study consisted of an on-road investigation using an instrumented vehicle over a 12.2-mile route in urban and rural areas of Montgomery County, Virginia. The following conclusions were made:*A non-fluorescent yellow on non-fluorescent purple sign is least preferred by both older and younger drivers when compared to the other sign color combinations employed in this study.*Both younger and older drivers have a preference for a black on fluorescent yellow-green sign.* Fewer late braking maneuvers and fewer turn errors were recorded during daytime conditions than during nighttime conditions. *Older drivers tended to register more late braking maneuvers than did younger drivers. / Master of Science

Real-time rendering of massive 3D models has been recognized as a challenging task due to the limited computational power and memory available in a workstation. Most existing acceleration techniques, such as mesh simplification algorithms with hierarchical data structures, suffer from the nature of sequential executions. As data complexity increases due to the fundamental advances in modeling and simulation technologies, 3D models become complex and require gigabytes in storage. Consequently, visualizing such large datasets becomes a computationally intensive process where sequential solutions are unable to satisfy the demands of real-time rendering. Recently, the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) has been praised as a massively parallel architecture not only for its significant improvements in performance but also because of its programmability for general-purpose computation. Today's GPUs allow researchers to solve problems by delivering fine-grained parallel implementations. In this dissertation, I concentrate on the design of parallel algorithms for real-time rendering of massive 3D polygonal models towards modern GPU architectures. As a result, the delivered rendering system supports high-performance visualization of 3D models composed of hundreds of millions of polygons on a single commodity workstation. / Ph. D.

[pt] O uso das redes sociais vem sendo reportado como uma prática que atravessa o campo profissional, muitas vezes ocasionando prejuízos para seus usuários nesta esfera de suas vidas. Dentre os inúmeros membros que fazem parte delas, estão os psicanalistas, que, em seus pressupostos teóricos e técnicos originais, recebem a instrução para que mantenham partes de suas individualidades reservadas de pacientes, ao mesmo tempo em que fazem parte desta prática social cuja dinâmica de uso envolve uma voluntária exposição de aspectos pessoais em redes de relacionamento on-line. Diante desta realidade, como se posicionam os psicanalistas? Eles publicam dados pessoais? De que tipo? Seus pacientes fazem parte das suas redes de relacionamento on-line? Há alguma consideração clínica no uso que fazem delas? Partindo de tais questionamentos, o presente trabalho procura refletir sobre as questões postas inicialmente, assim como tornar mais clara a dinâmica de uso das redes sociais, por parte destes profissionais. Para alcançar estes objetivos, foram realizadas entrevistas com psicanalistas que usam redes sociais há, no mínimo, três meses. Os dados coletados foram analisados a partir do Método da Explicitação do Discurso Subjacente (MEDS) e os resultados apontaram para um panorama inicial em que três vertentes se destacam: imagem profissional, desejos pessoais e implicações clínicas. / [en] The use of social networks has recently been reported as interfering in the professional field, what may cause some damages for the users in this part of their lifes. Among the users, some are psychoanalysts, who in their s original theorical and technical recomendations, receive instructions to preserve parts of their selves from patients. On the other hand, at the same time, they are part of this social practice, which dynamics includes voluntary revelation of personal information s in on-line social networks. As part of this reality, how do psychoanalysts place theirselves? Do they publish personal informations? Of which kind? Their patients are part of their contacts on social networks? Is there any clinical aspect that is being considerated in their use? From all these questions, the present study intent to discuss these initial issues, as well to clarify how is the dynamics of use of social networks by these professionals. To aim these goals, some interviews were maid with psychoanalysts that use social networks for, at least, tree months. The data were analyzed by the use of MEDS and the results aim at an initial landscape that announces tree dimensions: professional image, personal desires and clinical aspects.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Malgorzata J. Rys / This dissertation is the result of studying different methods of increasing guide sign visibility and legibility to drivers during nighttime, to increase safety on roadways. It also studies intersection lighting to indicate the lighting benefits on nighttime crash frequency reduction. From a survey conducted, practices related to overhead guide sign illumination and retroreflectivity in United States were summarized. A laboratory experiment was conducted to compare light distribution of five light sources: Metal Halide, Mercury Vapor, High Pressure Sodium, induction lighting, and Light Emitting Diode (LED). Cost analysis of the five light sources was performed. Combining results of the laboratory experiment and the cost analysis, induction lighting was recommended for states that want to continue external sign illumination. A retroreflectivity experiment was conducted to compare three types of retroreflective sheeting: Engineering Grade (type I), Diamond Grade (type XI), and High Intensity (type IV), to determine the sheeting that best increases visibility and legibility. Diamond Grade (type XI) was found to be the optimal sheeting that increases visibility and legibility to drivers during nighttime. A glare experiment was conducted to expand the retroreflectivity experiment results. Four sheeting-font combinations of High Intensity (type IV) and Diamond Grade (type XI) materials and Series E (Modified) and Clearview fonts were compared. Results revealed an optimal sheeting-font combination of Diamond Grade (type XI) sheeting and Clearview font which increases the visibility and legibility of guide signs to drivers under presence of oncoming glare source. The Highway Safety Information System (HSIS) database was used to study the effect of intersection lighting on the expected crash frequency. Illuminated intersections showed 3.61% and 6.54% decrease in the expected nighttime crash frequency as compared to dark intersections in Minnesota and California, respectively. In addition, partial lighting at intersections decreases the expected nighttime crash frequency by 4.72% compared to continuous lighting in Minnesota. The recommended sheeting-font combination for Departments of Transportation was Diamond Grade (type XI) and Clearview. This combination will increase signs’ visibility and legibility to drivers, and consequently increase safety on roadways. Adding partial lighting at intersections will reduce the expected nighttime crash frequency, and increase safety on roadways.

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In order to succeed with the Sustainable Development Goals, the mining of minerals will need to not only continue, but increase in the coming years. The extraction of minerals such as gold and cobalt is often associated with human rights violations and the financing of criminal enterprises. This has led to increased pressure on firms to implement effective responsible sourcing practices. While often seen as a major challenge to many firms, if leveraged correctly, responsible sourcing can be turned into significant competitive advantages and increased supply chain visibility. Given the need for more research in this area, the aim of this study is to understand what responsible sourcing practices are used among manufacturing companies so that an approach for responsible sourcing of minerals can be developed. Using a qualitative research design and following a systematic combining approach, interviews with large industrial manufacturers were conducted. Using thematic analysis, this thesis identifies the main drivers, enablers, barriers, and strategies used by manufacturing companies. While the findings show that responsible sourcing is on the agenda for all companies, it is clear that some firms take responsible sourcing more seriously than others. Therefore, it is suggested that firms need to depart from a cost-centric perspective and instead see the benefits and long-term value generated from responsible sourcing. Furthermore, the findings suggest that some companies are becoming increasingly aware of the need to know their supply chain, and how responsible sourcing practices can be beneficial by providing supply chain visibility. However, the current practices are limited because they are an inherently static representation of a dynamic system. The implementation of a supply chain digital twin is therefore presented as a potential way for firms to improve their responsible sourcing practices while at the same time gaining substantial business value. / För att lyckas med målen för hållbar utveckling måste brytningen av mineraler inte bara fortsätta, utan även öka under de kommande åren. Utvinning av mineraler som guld och kobolt är ofta förknippad med kränkningar av mänskliga rättigheter och finansiering av kriminella organisationer. Detta har lett till ett ökat tryck på företag att införa effektiva metoder för ansvarsfullt inköp. Även om det ofta ses som en stor utmaning för många företag kan ansvarsfullt inköp, om det används på rätt sätt, omvandlas till betydande konkurrensfördelar och bidra till ökad synlighet i leveranskedjan. Med tanke på behovet av mer forskning på detta område är syftet med den här studien att förstå vilka metoder för ansvarsfullt inköp som används bland tillverkningsföretag, så att ett tillvägagångssätt för ansvarsfullt inköp av mineraler kan utvecklas. Genom en kvalitativ forskningsdesign och enligt en systematisk kombinationsmetod genomfördes intervjuer med stora tillverkande företag. Med hjälp av tematisk analys identifieras i denna avhandling de viktigaste drivkrafterna, möjliggörarna, hindren och strategierna som används av tillverkningsföretag. Resultaten visar att ansvarsfullt inköp står på agendan för alla företag, men det är tydligt att vissa företag tar ansvarsfullt inköp på större allvar än andra. Därför föreslås det att företag måste avvika från ett kostnadsfokuserat perspektiv och istället se fördelarna och det långsiktiga värdet som genereras av ansvarsfullt inköp. Dessutom tyder resultaten på att vissa företag blir allt mer medvetna om behovet av att känna till sin leverantörskedja och hur ansvarsfulla inköpsmetoder kan vara fördelaktiga genom att ge större synlighet i leverantörskedjan. De nuvarande metoderna är dock begränsade eftersom de är en statisk representation av ett dynamiskt system. Implementeringen av en digital tvilling i försörjningskedjan presenteras därför som ett potentiellt sätt för företag att förbättra sina metoder för ansvarsfulla inköp samtidigt som de får ett betydande affärsvärde.