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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
341

Tecnologia e materialidades da comunicação no documentário: atores humanos e não humanos na obra de Eduardo Coutinho / Technology and materialities of communication in documentar: human and non-human actors in the work of Eduardo Coutinho

Daniela Muzi 15 August 2011 (has links)
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / O cinema é uma expressão artística mediada pela tecnologia desde o seu surgimento no século XIX. A partir dessa constatação, investigam-se neste trabalho as relações entre tecnologia e documentário e de que forma elas impactam as linguagens midiáticas, tomando como aplicação a obra de Eduardo Coutinho - mais especificamente o uso do vídeo pelo cineasta. Para desenvolver este estudo, foi usado como referenciais teóricos a Teoria Ator-Rede e a Teoria das Materialidades da Comunicação, que têm em comum a análise de atores humanos (homem) e não humanos (técnica), além de permitir a justaposição de descrições histórica, biográfica, analítica e empírica a cerca do objeto do estudo. Essas análises mostram que há uma influência mútua e simultânea entre tecnologia e documentário, onde tecnologia influencia a linguagem documental, ao mesmo tempo em que o documentário, ao buscar novas maneiras de se expressar, acossa e afeta os aparatos técnicos, demandando aprimoramentos e transformações nos mesmos. No cinema documental, a tecnologia permitiu diversas contribuições estéticas que vinham sendo requeridas pela prática, como a necessidade de um cinema mais ágil e sonoro que foi viabilizado pelo advento de câmeras menores e do som direto. Esse encontro entre técnica e estética foi visto de perto na obra de Eduardo Coutinho. / The film is an artistic expression mediated by technology since its emergence in the nineteenth century. From this observation, this work investigates the relationship between documentary and technology and how they impact the media languages, taking as applying Eduardo Coutinho's films - specifically the use of video by filmmaker. To develop this study, was used as the theoretical references Actor-Network Theory and the Theory of Materialities of Communication, which have in common the analysis of human (man) and nonhuman (technical) actors, besides allowing the juxtaposition of historical descriptions, biographical, analytical and empirical about the object of study. These analyzes show that there is a simultaneous and mutual influence between documentary and technology, where technology influences language documentary, while the documentary, to seek new ways to express themselves, affects and harasses the technical apparatus, demanding improvements and changes in themselves. In the documentary film, technology has allowed various aesthetic contributions that had been required by the practice, as the need for a more agile and sonorous cinema that was made possible by the advent of smaller cameras and direct sound. This encounter between technical and aesthetic was seen closely with the analysis of Eduardo Coutinho's films.
342

Aplicação da teoria de redes no contexto de uma rede de médicos com vínculos profissionais em unidades de saúde públicas e privadas / Application of network theory in the context of a physician network with professional linkages in public and private healthcare units

Simone Cristina de Oliveira Gobbo 03 August 2016 (has links)
Estudos de redes de médicos com vínculos profissionais no setor público e privado de saúde são praticamente inexistentes na literatura de saúde. Este trabalho objetiva desenvolver uma análise da rede de médicos com vínculos profissionais em unidades de saúde públicas e privadas. Adicionalmente, busca-se identificar os principais Hubs nas unidades de saúde no Município de Bauru e propor um esquema conceitual para análise da rede em estudo. A delimitação desse estudo foi feita a partir de unidades de saúde vinculadas ao Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) no município sede de um Departamento Regional de Saúde (DRS) do Estado de São Paulo. A principal fonte de dados utilizados nesse trabalho foi o sistema de Cadastro Nacional dos Estabelecimentos de Saúde (CNES). O mapeamento dessa rede envolveu três níveis de análise: Unidades de Saúde (organização); Médicos (pessoas) e Ocupações (cargos). Desenvolveu-se uma pesquisa empírica, de cunho quantitativo, por meio do mapeamento da rede com o auxílio do software de análise de redes organizacionais. Adaptou-se a fórmula do modelo Hub and Spoke, proposta originalmente para a área de logística por Derudder et al. (2007), para avaliar o grau de Hubiness das unidades de saúde. Adicionalmente, foi proposto um esquema conceitual de análise da rede de médicos no SUS que auxiliou no entendimento dessa rede e ilustra os atores tipicamente encontrados nos diferentes níveis de atendimento do SUS. Os Hubs tipicamente encontrados foram atores que atuam nos níveis de Alta Complexidade (AC) e, usualmente compostos pelos hospitais gerais. Os médicos que declaram as ocupações Médico da Estratégia de Saúde da Família, Ginecologista e Pediatra são aqueles atores típicos que atendem no nível Atenção Básica (AB). Portanto, este trabalho contribui tanto para a teoria, com o estabelecimento de questões de pesquisa descritivas para serem refinadas na forma de hipóteses, passíveis de serem testadas em estudos futuros, quanto para a prática, com a proposição de um esquema conceitual de análise da rede de médicos no SUS, pela adaptação da fórmula do modelo Hub- and-Spoke para identificação das as unidades de saúde que atuam como Hub e, finalmente, pela identificação da necessidade de políticas para a gestão dos vínculos profissionais médicos no SUS. As principais limitações do estudo envolvem, a delimitação da pesquisa em um município e do fato dos médicos vinculados ao Programa Mais Médicos não serem registrados nesse sistema. / Studies of physicians\' networks with professional ties in the public and private healthcare sector are virtually non-existent in the healthcare literature. This study aims to develop a physician network analysis with professional links with public and private healthcare facilities. In addition, it seeks to identify the main \"Hubs\" in the healthcare sector in Bauru (Brazil), and to propose a conceptual framework for analysis of this network. The delimitation of this study was made from healthcare units linked to the Brazilian Unified Healthcare System (Sistema Único de Saúde - SUS) in a municipality that headquarters a Regional Healthcare Department (DRS).The main data source used in this work was the DATASUS/CNES system. The mapping of the network involved three levels of analysis: Healthcare Units (organization); Physicians (people) and Occupations (positions). An empirical research of quantitative nature was developed, through the healthcare network mapping with organizational networks analysis software. The Hubiness degree formula, originally proposed for the Hub-and-Spoke model of logistics sector for Derudder et al. (2007), was adapted to assess the degree of Hubiness of healthcare units. In addition, it was proposed a conceptual framework for the analysis of physician network in SUS that supported the understanding of that network, and illustrated the actors typically found in different SUS service levels. Hubs are typically composed by actors who act in the levels of High Complexity (AC) and usually consist of the general hospitals. Physicians that declare Medical occupations of the Family Healthcare Strategy, Gynaecologists and Paediatricians are those typical actors that meet the Primary level (AB). Therefore, this study contributes to both, theory, with the proposition of descriptive research questions to be refined in the form of hypotheses that can be tested in future research, and practice, with the proposition of a conceptual framework of the physicians network in SUS, the adaptation of the Hubiness degree formula for identification of healthcare units that act as Hubs and, finally by identifying the need for public policies for the management of physicians professional linkages in SUS. The main limitations of the study involve the delimitation of research in a municipality and the fact that physicians linked to the Program \"More Physicians\" are not registered in the system.
343

Exploration, Mapping and Scalar Field Estimation using a Swarm of Resource-Constrained Robots

January 2018 (has links)
abstract: Robotic swarms can potentially perform complicated tasks such as exploration and mapping at large space and time scales in a parallel and robust fashion. This thesis presents strategies for mapping environmental features of interest – specifically obstacles, collision-free paths, generating a metric map and estimating scalar density fields– in an unknown domain using data obtained by a swarm of resource-constrained robots. First, an approach was developed for mapping a single obstacle using a swarm of point-mass robots with both directed and random motion. The swarm population dynamics are modeled by a set of advection-diffusion-reaction partial differential equations (PDEs) in which a spatially-dependent indicator function marks the presence or absence of the obstacle in the domain. The indicator function is estimated by solving an optimization problem with PDEs as constraints. Second, a methodology for constructing a topological map of an unknown environment was proposed, which indicates collision-free paths for navigation, from data collected by a swarm of finite-sized robots. As an initial step, the number of topological features in the domain was quantified by applying tools from algebraic topology, to a probability function over the explored region that indicates the presence of obstacles. A topological map of the domain is then generated using a graph-based wave propagation algorithm. This approach is further extended, enabling the technique to construct a metric map of an unknown domain with obstacles using uncertain position data collected by a swarm of resource-constrained robots, filtered using intensity measurements of an external signal. Next, a distributed method was developed to construct the occupancy grid map of an unknown environment using a swarm of inexpensive robots or mobile sensors with limited communication. In addition to this, an exploration strategy which combines information theoretic ideas with Levy walks was also proposed. Finally, the problem of reconstructing a two-dimensional scalar field using observations from a subset of a sensor network in which each node communicates its local measurements to its neighboring nodes was addressed. This problem reduces to estimating the initial condition of a large interconnected system with first-order linear dynamics, which can be solved as an optimization problem. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Mechanical Engineering 2018
344

Strategies to Manage Enterprise Information Technology Projects

West, Mario 01 January 2017 (has links)
Since 2005, most midsize company information technology (IT) projects had a 62.4% failure rate because of wrong project team communication skills or cost overruns. IT leaders expect negative IT project outcomes will cost over $2 billion by 2020. Using the actor-network theory, the purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies used by IT leaders from a midsize IT company in Washington, D.C. to plan and execute projects under budget and on time. Using purposeful sampling, 5 IT leaders were selected for this study because of their experience in implementing successful strategies for projects. Data were collected using face-to-face semistructured interviews, company documentation, and internal organizational risk reports. Yin's 5-step process was used for data analysis to compile, disassemble, reassemble, interpret, and conclude the data. The interpretation of data, subjected to methodological triangulation and member checking to strengthen the dependability and credibility of the findings, yielded 3 themes of IT leader communication skills: IT leader strategy, IT leader knowledge, and implementation of cost savings. The findings indicated that IT leaders serve as the key actors in the IT project network, and leader communication skills are essential for implementing strategies for IT project completion and cost savings. With this knowledge, IT leaders can implement strategies to plan and execute projects under budget and on time. The implications for a positive social change includes the potential for IT leaders to reduce project production waste and contribute to economic expansion.
345

The emergence of simple business models on the World Wide Web

Featherstone, Michael Unknown Date (has links)
This research project began with the objective of obtaining a deeper understanding of the conduct of business on the Internet. Research regarding the overall performance of business on the Web has been limited due to several constraining factors. Firstly, the shear size, volume, and perceived complexity of business on the Web made it an imposing target for research. Secondly, the interdisciplinary nature of the field had an initial dampening effect on research activity. Kuhn (1962) describes this phenomenon as the insufficiency of methodological directives. He writes (p. 3) ‘Instructed to examine electrical or chemical phenomena, the man who is ignorant of these fields but who knows what it is to be scientific may legitimately reach any one of a number of incompatible conclusions. Among those legitimate possibilities, the particular conclusions he does arrive at are probably determined by his prior experience in the other fields’. Thirdly, academic interest in Web businesses was somewhat diminished by the bursting of the dot com bubble during 2000-2001 as evidenced by the fact that many academic programs in electronic commerce have been discontinued or significantly reduced (Featherstone, Ellis & Borstorff 2004). Lastly, methodological issues arose which limited the application of previously available sampling methods. The impact of this meant that drawing representative samples of websites in order to examine business behaviour became a more complex endeavour. As a result, many fundamental questions regarding business on the Web have remained unanswered. For example, there has been no clear answer to the question of what new business models, if any, are evolving within the Web environment. What is the role of entrepreneurship employing the Web? What are the key elements or mechanisms driving business expansion in the Web? Some have suggested that Web use necessitates greater business cooperation than may be necessary in the non-virtual world. Is there evidence that this is so? This thesis addresses these questions. It accomplishes this by reducing the function of business on the Internet to its simplest element, the domain name, and by employing innovative methodologies to explore the business environment of the Web. Using Complexity and Network Theories as a contextual framework , and based upon a review of existing literature, this thesis develops a series of propositions regarding both the conduct and attributes of Web business, and proceeds to present evidence of confirmation or refutation of these propositions.
346

Sustainable development for tomorrow : Enabling local implementations of global issuesin Swedish schools

Holmsten, Dag January 2009 (has links)
<p>This study investigates forces and organizational structures that facilitate or hinder sustainabledevelopment to be introduced and integrated in the core activities of public institutions.Specifically, the way global national sustainable development goals find their way into thelocal curriculum and overall-encompassing strategy of a few Swedish high-schools isidentified.To facilitate the search, the study is assisted by actor-network theory to find human and nonhuman―power-brokers‖ that can ensure the adoption and continuous application of newconcepts in a school. A pre-study of several schools, consisting of explorative interviews,located and classified factors and processes of potential importance for the implementation ofactivities related to sustainable development. At the same time, the large variety ofdefinitions of sustainable development encountered was recorded.The main study expanded on the findings from the pre-study and provided a more detailedanalysis of one senior high-school (upper secondary school). Several examples oforganizational structures and other factors– macro-actors in the theoretical model - werelocated with the potential to influence the furthering of the cause of sustainable developmentin that particular school. The possibility is discussed that the school would profit fromdeveloping a common mode of communication based on exploring experiences from applyingthe many issues that can be related to sustainable development. Such an endeavor could resultin organizational change typical of a learning organization. In that case, the resilience andcapacity of the organization to handle abrupt changes in national policy would be increased aswell as the preparedness of its students – our future – to handle rapidly changing situations intomorrow‗s society.The study further suggest that a similar ―tool-box‖ of theoretical models could be applied tothe local implementation of other national issues in an institutional setting.</p>
347

The process of defining and developing Corporate Social Responsibility: A case study of Indiska Magasinet

Grotkowski, Lisa, Thammakun, Ekarit January 2008 (has links)
<p>This study uses Actor – Network Theory as a lens to present a case study of the process by which Indiska Magasinet, a large Swedish retailer, has defined and developed its conceptualization of Corporate Social Responsibility. Actor – Network Theory offers a valuable tool to examine the inter-actor negotiations that precede a conceptualization of Corporate Social Responsibility. The study results are primarily based on interviews with two prominent Indiska personnel in decision-making positions. At the instigation of the writers, the Indiska personnel told stories about the company’s way of working with Corporate Social Responsibility. In doing so, they described four principle examples of how inter-actor negotiations resulted in significant developments in Indiska’s approach to Corporate Social Responsibility. Their stories also highlighted shared values and legitimacy as the main reasons that Indiska allows other actors to influence its conceptualization of Corporate Social Responsibility.</p>
348

Eco-efficiency of waste management : A case study of the Norwegian deposit and recycling system for PET bottles

Eik, Arne January 2005 (has links)
<p>The Norwegian system for depositing and recycling of PET bottles (Resirk/PET system)started in May 2000, and is based on Norsk Resirk's mission of improving cost- and environmental efficiency of this system. Has this been achieved? What can explain the changes that occurred in the system during recent years? I have found that the eco-efficiency of the Resirk/PET system increased considerably every year between 2000 and 2003. The net greenhouse gas (GHG emission was improved from -562 kg CO2e (562 kg CO2 equivalents avoided generated) for waste management of one tonne consumed bottles in 2000 to -1442 kg CO2e per tonne in 2003, while the net cost was reduced from 4062 €/tonne in 2000 to 2683 €/tonne in 2003. This eco-efficiency improvement was very much driven by the increased volume and return rate of PET bottles during this period. The environmental performance of the Resirk/PET system was high compared to other waste management systems for PET bottles, while the economical performance was considerably lower. The interactive development of the bottled non-carbonated mineral water Imsdal contributed significantly to the increase of the Resirk/PET system’s volume and return rate and hence the system’s improved eco-efficiency. A white spirit sabotage on Imsdal in August 2002 contributed to the development of Imsdal as well as the Resirk/PET system’s change of the design and material specification for participating PET bottles. By combining the quantitative eco efficiency framework with the qualitative framework of interactive resourced development, information about how much eco-efficiency of a defined system has changed, as well as an understanding of reasons for changes within the system, has been acquired. Such a combination should be possible to apply for analysis of other systems as well, and may be a valuable contribution to the field of industrial ecology since the methods complement each other in a fruitful way. The eco-efficiency of the Resirk/PET system can be improved further by:</p><p>- Regarding used PET bottles as a resource to be applied for production</p><p>- Reducing packaging tax for PET bottles</p><p>- Increasing the bottle deposit</p><p>- Keeping the PET specification updated</p><p>- Improving collection efficiency</p><p>- Improving cost efficiency of marketing and information</p><p>- Increasing compaction and filling degree of reverse vending machines</p><p>- Considering automatic sorting</p><p>- Keeping focus on producing high quality PET flakes.</p><p>In addition to having showed that the approaches of eco-efficiency and interactive resource development can be combined, this thesis may have implications on how ecoefficiency can be quantified in waste management systems, and how the concepts of adaptation and friction in resource structures are dealt with.</p>
349

Look beyond the bin! : Solid Waste Management and recycling at the Asian Institute of Tecnology

Pietikäinen, Vivi January 2008 (has links)
<p> </p><p>The generation of domestic waste is at present less than 1 kg/day per person in Thailand, but generated amounts keeps steadily growing. This trend is closely connected to an increasing population and economic growth, something that is creating waste management issues. The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) outside Bangkok has the potential of being a leader in sustainable development in the Southeast Asian region, however a substantial opportunity is being missed – best environmental practices are currently not prioritized. Only 4 % of the total waste generated on campus is recycled at AIT, 3 % is composted and 93 % is taken to the municipal waste disposal site. Fluorescent light bulbs and other hazardous household waste are disposed on the campus dumpsite. Some measures have been undertaken in order to improve the solid waste management (SWM) at AIT, e.g. a new waste collection facility has been built in the outskirts of campus, where more space is provided in order to facilitate waste separation.</p><p>The field research for this study was carried out at AIT and the goal was to examine the SWM network, the problems and to analyse the recycling habits on campus. To investigate and visualize the actors involved in the SWM at AIT, the Actor-Network theory (ANT) was applied as an analytical framework. The generation of waste is the macro actor i.e. the reason for the existence of SWM. Other actors are the AIT students and staff (produce waste), the new Campus Environment and Development Committee – CEDC (the controlling part), environmental awareness (attitude towards recycling), and waste collectors.</p><p>The results from the survey witness of that people have a positive but somewhat cautious attitude towards the sustainability of source separation. Separating waste at source is a key mechanism for solving the SWM problem but people are uncertain of how to separate each waste fraction. There is a strong need to designate a coordinator of the SWM at AIT and as long as there is a lack of leadership, a goal of environmentally sustainable practices cannot be reached. The new CEDC is currently not performing any actions towards an integrated SWM.</p><p> </p> / <p> </p><p>Idag produceras mindre än ett kilo hushållsavfall per dag och person i Thailand men mängden växer stadigt med ökad befolkning och bättre ekonomiska förutsättningar vilket leder till sophanteringsproblem. Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) i Thailand har  potential att vara en ledstjärna inom hållbar utveckling i Sydostasien men en stor möjlighet går om intet – den bästa miljömässiga tillämpningen i sophanteringsfrågan prioriteras inte. Endast 4 % av soporna återvinns på AIT, 3 % komposteras och 93 % hamnar på den kommunala soptippen. Lysrör och annat farligt hushållsavfall dumpas på universitetets soptipp. Vissa åtgärder har vidtagits för att förbättra sophanteringen på AIT, t.ex. har en ny sopanläggning byggts i utkanten av campus med ökad kapacitet för sopsortering.</p><p>Fältarbetet för uppsatsen genomfördes på AIT och målet var att kartlägga sophanteringen, nätverket kring den, problemen runtom, samt att analysera återvinningsbeteendet på detta universitetscampus. För att gestalta och utreda aktörerna som är involverade i sophanteringen på AIT, använde jag Actor-Network theory som ett analytiskt verktyg. Själva produceringen av hushållssopor är makroaktören, dvs. skälet till sophanteringens existens. Andra aktörer är studenterna och de anställda på universitetet (skapar sopor), den nya kommittén för Miljö och Utveckling på campus (den kontrollerande delen), miljömedvetenhe (inställningen till återvinning) och sophämtarna.</p><p>Resultaten från enkätunderökningen vittnar om att människorna har en positiv men försiktig inställning gentemot hållbarheten i källsortering. Källsortering är grunden för att lösa sophanteringsproblematiken men folk är osäkra på hur de ska sortera avfallet. Det finns ett stort behov av en avfallshandläggare för sophanteringen på AIT och så länge bristen på ledarskap kvarstår, kan inte målet om miljömässig hållbarhet nås. Den nya kommittén för Miljö och Utveckling på campus genomför för tillfället inga handlingar i riktning mot en integrerad sophantering.</p><p> </p>
350

Assembly required: self-employed workers' informal work-learning in online communities

Thompson, Terrie Lynn 11 1900 (has links)
It seems that for many people, spaces on the web are an integral part of their lives. This may include seeking out learning opportunities in online communities. There is plenty of buzz about these cyberspaces whether they are part of new social media configurations or commercialized product-related spaces cultivated by enterprises. It is important to explore how online spaces mayor may notcreate new locations of educational possibilities for workers. The subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, fusion of these technologies into work-learning practices warrants attention. This research project focuses on online communities as sites of learning, with an over-arching question of: How do self-employed workers experience informal work-related learning in an online community? Community can describe a gathering of people online that is organic and driven by a shared interest. These online spaces may also be purposefully nurtured by professional associations, workplaces, or businesses. This research project focuses on these spacesoutside the auspices of formal online courses. I draw on Actor Network Theory (ANT) to explore how work-learning is enacted in online communities and the implications of the intertwining of people and objects in multiple, fluid and distributed actor-networks. I also use the notion of legitimate peripheral participation from Situated Learning theory to explore how different possibilities for learning are shaped by locations and trajectories within a work practice and larger community of practitioners. Data was collected by interviewing 11 self-employed workers and then following the actors as objects of interest surfaced. This dissertation is a collection of five papers as well as introduction and conclusion chapters and a background chapter on ANT. Findings explore notions of online collectives shifting to more networked configurations, the complexity of work-learning practices unfolding in multiple spaces, contradictions between Web2.0 rhetoric and practices as different associations with knowledge and novel ways of knowing are enacted, and questions about the politics of technology that emerge from uncertainties around delegation, invisible practices, and necessary literacies. Given the need to pull objects out of the background and into critical inquiry, I also explored how a researcher interviews technology objects as participants in a study. / Adult Education

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