<p>Samverkansarbete har under det senaste decenniet genomgående förändrats bland svenska högskolor på grund av bland annat lagändringar, samhällsförändringar och internationell påverkan. År 1997 instiftades en samverkanslag i högskolelagen vid namn den tredje uppgiften. Den tredje uppgiften är idag en naturlig del bland svenska högskolor och syftar till samverkan av utbildning och forskning med det omgivande samhället. Diskussionen har varit omfattande när det gäller hur samhället och högskolan tjänar på att samverka, på vilket sätt det ska ske och hur man på ett konkret sätt kan påvisa de bästa tillvägagångssätten. </p><p>Samverkan är ett brett och komplext ämne. Vi har i denna uppsats valt att beröra två enheter vid Högskolan i Halmstad. Enheterna är Centrum för Arbetsutveckling, CAU, som är en nerlagd forskningsorganisation och Enheten för Kontakter och Samverkan, EKS, som är en paraplyorganisation för samverkan. Syftet med uppsatsen är att beskriva och analysera olika uppfattningar om samverkansarbetet på Högskolan i Halmstad och att studera tidigare befintliga erfarenheter. Studien baseras på berättelser kring CAU:s och EKS:s arbetssätt och syftar till att beskriva inställningar, erfarenheter och idéer kring samverkan bland personal vid Högskolan. </p><p>Vi har intervjuat personal som arbetar eller har arbetat inom någon av de två organisationerna. Intervjuerna resulterade i berättelser kring olika arbetssätt, inställningar, erfarenheter samt idéer kring hur samverkan kan organiseras och integreras med det omgivande näringslivet. De teoretiska verktygen vi använt oss av är ”Mode 1” & ”Mode 2” samt Trippelhelixmodellen. Resultatet indikerar att CAU var en organisation som i hög grad arbetade i enlighet med Mode 2 medan EKS strävar mot en kombination av både Mode 1 & Mode 2. Trippelhelixmodellen förklarar samtidigt varför det fanns vissa svårigheter att integrera CAU i högskolans verksamhet och hur EKS är uppbyggt och anpassat för att främja ett starkt samverkansorganisatoriskt arbete.</p><p>Slutsatsen är att det finns centrala skillnader mellan CAU och EKS när det gäller på vilket sätt dessa enheter kan beskrivas utifrån tidsperspektiv, acceptans och arbetssätt. I denna uppsats framgår till exempel att ett kortsiktigt samverkansarbete, baserat på projektverksamhet, kan skapa oroligheter och hämma acceptansen bland personal i högskolans övriga verksamheter. Bygger verksamheten, å andra sidan, på en mer långsiktig och hög grad av både intern och extern samverkan så uppfattas den som mer dynamisk och snabb på att svara mot förändrade yttre omständigheter.</p>

Samverkansarbete har under det senaste decenniet genomgående förändrats bland svenska högskolor på grund av bland annat lagändringar, samhällsförändringar och internationell påverkan. År 1997 instiftades en samverkanslag i högskolelagen vid namn den tredje uppgiften. Den tredje uppgiften är idag en naturlig del bland svenska högskolor och syftar till samverkan av utbildning och forskning med det omgivande samhället. Diskussionen har varit omfattande när det gäller hur samhället och högskolan tjänar på att samverka, på vilket sätt det ska ske och hur man på ett konkret sätt kan påvisa de bästa tillvägagångssätten. Samverkan är ett brett och komplext ämne. Vi har i denna uppsats valt att beröra två enheter vid Högskolan i Halmstad. Enheterna är Centrum för Arbetsutveckling, CAU, som är en nerlagd forskningsorganisation och Enheten för Kontakter och Samverkan, EKS, som är en paraplyorganisation för samverkan. Syftet med uppsatsen är att beskriva och analysera olika uppfattningar om samverkansarbetet på Högskolan i Halmstad och att studera tidigare befintliga erfarenheter. Studien baseras på berättelser kring CAU:s och EKS:s arbetssätt och syftar till att beskriva inställningar, erfarenheter och idéer kring samverkan bland personal vid Högskolan. Vi har intervjuat personal som arbetar eller har arbetat inom någon av de två organisationerna. Intervjuerna resulterade i berättelser kring olika arbetssätt, inställningar, erfarenheter samt idéer kring hur samverkan kan organiseras och integreras med det omgivande näringslivet. De teoretiska verktygen vi använt oss av är ”Mode 1” & ”Mode 2” samt Trippelhelixmodellen. Resultatet indikerar att CAU var en organisation som i hög grad arbetade i enlighet med Mode 2 medan EKS strävar mot en kombination av både Mode 1 & Mode 2. Trippelhelixmodellen förklarar samtidigt varför det fanns vissa svårigheter att integrera CAU i högskolans verksamhet och hur EKS är uppbyggt och anpassat för att främja ett starkt samverkansorganisatoriskt arbete. Slutsatsen är att det finns centrala skillnader mellan CAU och EKS när det gäller på vilket sätt dessa enheter kan beskrivas utifrån tidsperspektiv, acceptans och arbetssätt. I denna uppsats framgår till exempel att ett kortsiktigt samverkansarbete, baserat på projektverksamhet, kan skapa oroligheter och hämma acceptansen bland personal i högskolans övriga verksamheter. Bygger verksamheten, å andra sidan, på en mer långsiktig och hög grad av både intern och extern samverkan så uppfattas den som mer dynamisk och snabb på att svara mot förändrade yttre omständigheter.

We describe the use of a tensor mode-1 higher-order singular value decomposition (HOSVD) in the analyses of alignments of 16S and 23S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences, each encoded in a cuboid of frequencies of nucleotides across positions and organisms. This mode-1 HOSVD separates the data cuboids into combinations of patterns of nucleotide frequency variation across the positions and organisms, i.e., "eigenorganisms"' and corresponding nucleotide-specific segments of "eigenpositions," respectively, independent of a-priori knowledge of the taxonomic groups and their relationships, or the rRNA structures. We show that this mode-1 HOSVD provides a mathematical framework for modeling the sequence alignments where the mathematical variables, i.e., the significant eigenpositions and eigenorganisms, are consistent with current biological understanding of the 16S and 23S rRNAs. First, the significant eigenpositions identify multiple relations of similarity and dissimilarity among the taxonomic groups, some known and some previously unknown. Second, the corresponding eigenorganisms identify positions of nucleotides exclusively conserved within the corresponding taxonomic groups, but not among them, that map out entire substructures inserted or deleted within one taxonomic group relative to another. These positions are also enriched in adenosines that are unpaired in the rRNA secondary structure, the majority of which participate in tertiary structure interactions, and some also map to the same substructures. This demonstrates that an organism's evolutionary pathway is correlated and possibly also causally coordinated with insertions or deletions of entire rRNA substructures and unpaired adenosines, i.e., structural motifs which are involved in rRNA folding and function. Third, this mode-1 HOSVD reveals two previously unknown subgenic relationships of convergence and divergence between the Archaea and Microsporidia, that might correspond to two evolutionary pathways, in both the 16S and 23S rRNA alignments. This demonstrates that even on the level of a single rRNA molecule, an organism's evolutionary pathway is composed of different types of changes in structure in reaction to multiple concurrent evolutionary forces. / text

Ce travail présente une analyse des industries du Pléistocène inférieur en Afrique de l’Est et Europe pour questionner les modèles de peuplement de l’Europe. L’étude de la variabilité interne à l’Oldowayen par l’analyse des assemblages de Koobi Fora FxJj-10, Fejej FJ-1 et Olduvai DK montre des choix techniques qui influencent la sélection des matières premières pour réaliser les objectifs de production selon des modalités particulières, qui correspondent à des identités, des traditions techniques qui peuvent avoir une valeur culturelle. La comparaison avec les premiers assemblages européens est réalisée par l’étude des idustries de Barraco León, Fuente Nueva 3, Piroo Nord et Monte Poggiolo. La variabilité interne aux industries européennes est constituée des mêmes ressorts qu’en Afrique de l’Est. Les schèmes opératoires reposent sur des critères techniques précis, et les objectifs de production sont obtenus selon des modalités particulières (un système à volumes utiles indépendant dans lequel les critères techniques sont pensés pour la production d'un unique éclat, dont l'opération peut être répétée sur le nucléus si les critères techniques sont présents ; un système de production par séries d'enlèvements récurrents, dont les volumes utiles sont sélectionnés pour produire une série d'éclats récurrents). Les différentes modalités impliquent pourtant les mêmes objectifs de production, et l'analyse techno-fonctionnelle montre que les groupes d'outils potentiels ne varient pas beaucoup entre les sites. Les diférentes modalités jouent par contre un rôle très important en ce qui concerne la sélection des matières premières, allant du type de matériau aux morphologies des matrices sélectionnées, à l'inverse de l'adaptation contrainte généralement avancée. Nous considérons cet aspect comme marqueur de tradition technique et donc comme un caractère culturel. L’analyse comparée des résultats de chaque ensemble régional montre une similarité troublante, d’autant que le décalage chronologique entre l’apparition des premières industries en Afrique de l’Est et en Europe est proche d’1 Ma. Lorsque ces industries apparaissent en Europe, elles ont été remplacées en Afrique depuis près de 500 ka par une nouvelle tradition technique constituée d’un façonnage de pièces bifaciales (Acheuléen). Ainsi, les hypothèses de migrations des homininés parallèles à des stades techniques évolutifs ne semblent pas pertinentes et l’histoire du peuplement de l’Europe doit être dissociée de l’histoire de son évolution technique. Une convergence technique semble se dégager des comparaisons régionales, et fournit une nouvelle image buissonnante de l’évolution des techniques, contrairement à l’image linéaire communément admise. / This work aims to reconsider the common models for the peopling of Europe during the Lower Pleistocene from a technological point of view. We studied the variability of Oldowan assemblages from Koobi Fora FxJj-10 (East Turkana, Kenya, Fejej FJ-1 (Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia) and Olduvai DK (Tanzania). Then we compared the results with the first evidence of Human presence in Europe, mostly known because of lithic assemblages. In Europe , we studied the lithic matérials from Barranco Leon and Fuente Nueva 3 (Spain), Pirro Nord and Monte Poggiolo (Italy). Each region show the same technological features, based on simple technical criteria applied cautiously on the cores to produce a variety of flakes. Differences appear inside each area depending of the flaking modality : independant flake production (each flake is one operation, that can be repeated on the same core as long as acurate angles are present) or reccurent flake production (continuous series of recurrent flakes). The choice of one modality or the other is playing a very important rôle in raw material selection, that influences the type and shape of raw materials selected. The selection is made on purpose, and not as an adaptation of natural constraints, as shown in most sites environment where all materials are equally available, but clear choices are made.On the other hand, flaking modality does not change the objectives of production and the techno-functional groups are very similar in all sites. We propose that this choice is a cultural trait that changes a lot what was up to now considered as low evolved and simple technology. The European peopling cannot be related to technological features. According to the data studied, there is no argument that enhance the arrival of an African population, and more arguments that sustain the technical convergence and independant development of stone tool technology during the Lower Pleistocene.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Abstract In this thesis a socio-cultural perspective of medical science education is adopted to argue the position that undergraduate medical scientists must be enculturated into the profession as knowledge workers and symbolic analysts who can interact with computers in complex analytical procedures, quality assurance and quality management. The cue for this position is taken from the transformations taking place in the pathology industry due to advances in automation, robotics and informatics. The rise of Evidence-Based Laboratory Medicine (EBLM) is also noted and the observation by higher education researchers, that knowledge systems are transforming in such a way that disciplines can no longer act in isolation. They must now collaborate with disparate fields in transdisciplinary knowledge systems such as EBLM, for which new skills must be cultivated in undergraduate medical scientists. This thesis aims to describe a theoretical basis for knowledge work by taking a semiotic perspective. This is because, semiotics, a theory of signs and representations, can be applied to the structure of transdisciplinary scientific knowledge, the logic of scientific practice and the rhetoric of scientific communications. For this purpose, a semiotic framework is first derived from a wide range of semiotic theories existent in the literature. Then the application of this semiotic framework to clinical chemistry knowledge, context, logic, and rhetoric is demonstrated. This is achieved by interpreting various clinical chemistry data sources, for example, course materials, laboratory spatial arrangements, instruments, printouts, and students' practical reports, collected from a teaching laboratory situation. The results of semiotic analysis indicate that the clinical chemist working in the computerised laboratory environment performs knowledge work, and the term is synonymous with symbolic analysis. It is shown that knowledge work entails the application of a systematic structure for clinical chemistry knowledge derived in terms of the validation procedures applied to laboratory, data, results and tests; the application of logic in the classification and selection of instruments, their rulegoverned- use, and in troubleshooting errors; pragmatic decisions based on availability of space, services and budgets; discrimination among values in laboratory test evaluations in EBLM, for the cost-effectiveness and relevance of pathology services; and the recognition of rhetorical strategies used to communicate laboratory test information in graphs, charts, and statistics. The role of the laboratory context is also explained through semiotics, in terms of its spatial arrangements and designs of laboratory instruments, as a place that constrains the knowledge work experience. This contextual analysis provides insights into the oppositional trend brought to wide attention by analysts of computerised professional work, that more skills are needed, but that there are fewer highly skilled positions available. The curriculum implications of these findings are considered in terms of the need to cultivate knowledge workers for highly complex symbolic analysis in computerised laboratories; and also the need to prepare medical science graduates for the transdisciplinary knowledge system of EBLM, and related venues of employment such as biomedical research and clinical medicine. In meeting the aims to define and demonstrate knowledge work from the semiotic perspective, this thesis makes an original contribution to knowledge by the application of semiotics to a field in which it has probably never been tested. It contributes to the scholarship of teaching in higher education by formulating a structure for transdisciplinary medical science knowledge, which integrates scientific with other forms of knowledge, and with real world practice.

The study explores, through a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, the existence of Mode 2 knowledge and programmes in the South African higher education sector. It begins by theorising about knowledge and takes as a point of departure the propositions about theory-building which state that to explain social phenomena, a system of ideas is required, the conceptual tools of which are able to explain the essential dynamics of such phenomena. It goes on to describe a crisis in a system of ideas that, together with valid critiques, demands to be re-examined as well as the potential for advancing alternative lines of thought. A critical reading and understanding of existing theories leads me to believe that independently, they are all inadequate to explain the relationship between knowledge production and South African higher education in an era of globalisation. This includes the all-encompassing framework of neo-Marxism, the excessive consumerism of academic capitalism, the equation of the worker with modern technology in post-industrialism and the`lax relativity', complacent and, indiscriminate celebration of diversity in post-modernism. By combining the `culturally sensitive' critical post-modernism of William Tierney and George Subotzky with the concept of `late capitalism' as proposed by Frederic Jameson, it is possible to establish a relationship between globalisation and South African higher education on the one hand, and between its' policy and knowledge production on the other. Against the features of the newly proffered theoretical framework of `critical postmodernism in late capitalism', the study examines the new higher education policy and legislation and ensuing discourse, with particular reference to the Gibbons thesis. It then explores, by using an empirical investigation, the extent to which Mode 2 knowledge production exists in South African higher education. This is done through a selected programme from a former technikon in that demonstrates the key assumptions and perceptions about Mode 2 as held by lecturing staff and as embedded in the structure, design and content of the programme. With the results obtained the study finally makes recommendations for the establishment of a paradigm-shift and for new practices in knowledge production in higher education in South Africa. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Comparative Education)

One of the fundamental limitations of mobile radio communications is their time-varying fading channel. This thesis addresses the efficient use of channel state information to improve the communication systems, with a particular emphasis on practical issues such as compatibility with the existing wireless systems and low complexity implementation. The closed-loop transmit diversity technique is used to improve the performance of the downlink channel in MIMO communication systems. For example, the WCDMA standard endorsed by 3GPP adopts a mode of downlink closed-loop scheme based on partial channel state information known as mode 1 of 3GPP. Channel state information is fed back from the mobile unit to the base station through a low-rate uncoded feedback bit stream. In these closed-loop systems, feedback error and feedback delay, as well as the sub-optimum reconstruction of the quantized feedback data, are the usual sources of deficiency. In this thesis, we address the efficient reconstruction of the beamforming weights in the presence of the feedback imperfections, by exploiting the residual redundancies in the feedback stream. We propose a number of algorithms for reconstruction of beamforming weights at the base-station, with the constraint of a constant transmit power. The issue of the decoding at the receiver is also addressed. In one of the proposed algorithms, channel fading prediction is utilized to combat the feedback delay. We introduce the concept of Blind Antenna Verification which can substitute the conventional Antenna Weight Verification process without the need for any training data. The closed-loop mode 1 of 3GPP is used as a benchmark, and the performance is examined within a WCDMA simulation framework. It is demonstrated that the proposed algorithms have substantial gain over the conventional method at all mobile speeds, and are suitable for the implementation in practice. The proposed approach is applicable to other closed-loop schemes as well. The problem of (long-range) prediction of the fading channel is also considered, which is a key element for many fading-compensation techniques. A linear approach, usually used to model the time evolution of the fading process, does not perform well for long-range prediction applications. We propose an adaptive algorithm using a state-space approach for the fading process based on the sum-sinusoidal model. Also to enhance the widely-used linear approach, we propose a tracking method for a multi-step linear predictor. Comparing the two methods in our simulations shows that the proposed algorithm significantly outperforms the linear method, for both stationary and non-stationary fading processes, especially for long-range predictions. The robust structure, as well as the reasonable computational complexity, makes the proposed algorithm appealing for practical applications.

One of the fundamental limitations of mobile radio communications is their time-varying fading channel. This thesis addresses the efficient use of channel state information to improve the communication systems, with a particular emphasis on practical issues such as compatibility with the existing wireless systems and low complexity implementation. The closed-loop transmit diversity technique is used to improve the performance of the downlink channel in MIMO communication systems. For example, the WCDMA standard endorsed by 3GPP adopts a mode of downlink closed-loop scheme based on partial channel state information known as mode 1 of 3GPP. Channel state information is fed back from the mobile unit to the base station through a low-rate uncoded feedback bit stream. In these closed-loop systems, feedback error and feedback delay, as well as the sub-optimum reconstruction of the quantized feedback data, are the usual sources of deficiency. In this thesis, we address the efficient reconstruction of the beamforming weights in the presence of the feedback imperfections, by exploiting the residual redundancies in the feedback stream. We propose a number of algorithms for reconstruction of beamforming weights at the base-station, with the constraint of a constant transmit power. The issue of the decoding at the receiver is also addressed. In one of the proposed algorithms, channel fading prediction is utilized to combat the feedback delay. We introduce the concept of Blind Antenna Verification which can substitute the conventional Antenna Weight Verification process without the need for any training data. The closed-loop mode 1 of 3GPP is used as a benchmark, and the performance is examined within a WCDMA simulation framework. It is demonstrated that the proposed algorithms have substantial gain over the conventional method at all mobile speeds, and are suitable for the implementation in practice. The proposed approach is applicable to other closed-loop schemes as well. The problem of (long-range) prediction of the fading channel is also considered, which is a key element for many fading-compensation techniques. A linear approach, usually used to model the time evolution of the fading process, does not perform well for long-range prediction applications. We propose an adaptive algorithm using a state-space approach for the fading process based on the sum-sinusoidal model. Also to enhance the widely-used linear approach, we propose a tracking method for a multi-step linear predictor. Comparing the two methods in our simulations shows that the proposed algorithm significantly outperforms the linear method, for both stationary and non-stationary fading processes, especially for long-range predictions. The robust structure, as well as the reasonable computational complexity, makes the proposed algorithm appealing for practical applications.