Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) is the study of how people use technology, with relation to hardware and software, to work together in shared time and space. Mobile office environments are becoming commonplace. Workers form virtual online communities on a global scale and use groupware to collaborate and complete a common goal. We tend to be mobile, yet need to be available to collaborate. This thesis investigates a protocol for our decentralized artifact control system, Nomad. Nomad enables globally dispersed members of small casually connected communities to share artifacts which are gathered on a best effort approach. The Nomad protocol takes into consideration the work habits of users and their variety of devices. The major contribution of this thesis is a simulator of the Nomad protocol, which serves as a proof-of-concept for its design. Specifically, we look at how such a protocol handles casually connected small communities. We consider high level aspects such as setting up the community, the overhead of nodes, availability, scalability and connectivity. We demonstrate scenarios that the protocol will need to handle. Furthermore, we take a broad look at CSCW, push and pull technologies, peer-to-peer technologies, and enabling technologies such as Microsoft .Net. These form the basis of the Nomad design. In addition, we suggest the integration of mobile agents, which we consider a future addition to Nomad. It was found that the protocol had to compensate for two nodes that were never online at the same time. In the case that a best effort approach is not feasible, we propose alternate approaches at the cost of overhead on a propagation node. The developed concept provided valuable insight into the problem domain, outlined the boundaries of the protocol and provided a possible solution for Nomad. The simulator proved to be a useful tool for determining outcomes from possible scenarios. The results from the simulator will feed directly into the development of Nomad. / Dissertation (MSc (Computer Science))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Computer Science / unrestricted

Orientadores: Mario Fernando de Goes, Luis Roberto Marcondes Martins / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-03T15:59:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Cordeiro_NaraPereirad'Abreu_D.pdf: 3561839 bytes, checksum: 125cbc91719d6a902ce59502debf7873 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2003 / Resumo: o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a resistência ao cisalhamento por extrusão (push out) entre a dentina intra-radicular e pinos de fibra de vidro nas regiões cervical, média e apical de raízes utilizando dois sistemas de cimentação adesiva. Foram selecionados vinte pré-molares inferiores unirradiculares recém extraídos por motivos ortodônticos, hígidos e livres de trincas. As coroas dos dentes foram removidas na altura da junção cemento esmalte. As polpas dentais foram removidas através de limas endodônticas e os condutos radiculares foram preparados com brocas de largo nO 5, com 8,Omm de penetração. As raízes foram divididas em dois grupos de 10: Grupo 1- pino fixados com o sistema adesivo autocondicionante ED Primer e cimento resinoso Panavia F; Grupo 2- pinos fixados com o sistema adesivo de frasco único Single Bond e cimento resinoso Rely X. Após a fixação dos pinos, as raízes foram mantidas em estufa a 37°C, por 24 h. A porção mais apical das raízes foi seccionada até a altura em que a raiz apresentasse 8,Omm de comprimento. Em seguida, as raízes foram seccionadas transversalmente e 3 discos de 2,7mm de altura foram obtidas e classificadas segundo a região cervical, média e apical do pino. O ensaio de resistência de união por extrusão foi realizado em máquina de ensaio universal Instron 4411 onde uma haste metálica com ponta ativa de 1,Omm de diâmetro produziu a carga para efetuar o deslocamento do pino do conduto radicular. Os valores médios de resistência de união por extrusão não apresentaram diferenças estatísticas significantes no terço cervical da raiz entre os dois materiais de fixação avaliados. Nas regiões média e apical do conduto, os valores de resistência de união apresentados pelo Sing/e Bond + Re/y X foram superiores e estatisticamente diferentes em relação aos valores apresentados pelo sistema ED Primer + Panavia F (p< 0,05). Para os dois materiais em estudo, não houve diferença estatística quando comparadas as regiões média e cervical do pino, porém apresentaram diferença estatística em relação à região apical (p< 0,05). Após o ensaio de cisalhamento por extrusão, os espécimes foram seccionados no sentido longitudinal para análise em microscopia eletrônica de varredura. A zona de interdifusão adesivo/dentina produzida pelo adesivo de frasco único Sing/e Bond apresentou-se mais espessa do que a zona de interdifusão apresentada pelo adesivo autocondicionante ED Primer. Houve áreas desmineralizadas com presença de túbulos dentinários abertos porém parcialmente preenchidos pela resina em ambos os grupos. Também foram observadas bolhas que variaram de tamanho e forma na camada de cimento junto à área da interface de união e mais constantes no terço apical das raízes. Palavras-chave: pino de fibra de vidro; cimento resinoso; sistema adesivo; resistência de união; "push out / Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bond strength between fiber posts cemented in root dentin considering different depths of the roots (cervical, median and apical) and two luting materiais, through push out tests and to examine the integration among these components through scanning electron microscopy. Twenty sound bicuspids, tree trom cracks, extracted for orthodontic reasons, were selected. The crowns were removed at the cement enamel junction. The pulps were removed with endodontic reamers and the first 8,Omm of the canais were shaped with number 5 largo burs. The roots were divided into two groups of 10 each. The roots trom group 1 received fiber posts cemented with the self etching primer ED Primer and the composite resin Panavia F., while the roots of Group 2 received fiber posts cemented with the one bottle adhesive Single Bond and the composite resin Rely X. After the posts cementation, the roots were kept in humidity at 3-,0 C for 24 hours. The most apical part of the roots were sectioned until they were 8.0mm long. After that, the roots were sectioned transversally and three 2.7mm thick sections were obtained: cervical, median and apical. The push out test that evaluated bond strength between luting material and root dentin was carried out on an Instron (4411) testing machine. The specimens were positioned on a steel support platform with the post centered over a 2.0mm hole in the platform. A steel probe 1.0mm in diameter was centered over the post and used to apply force to the test specimens. Data from the push out test revealed no statistically significant differences at the cervical portion of the root between the two cementation systems tested. At the median and apical portion of the root, the bond strength values presented by the Sing/e Bond and Re/y X were superior and statistically different from those presented by ED Primer and Panavia F (P<O,05). After the push out test, the specimens were sectioned longitudinally for observation in scanning electron microscope. Afterwards, the specimens were gold sputtered to have their failure mode evaluated. The adhesive/dentin hybrid layer formed by the one bottle adhesive Sing/e Bond was thicker than the one formed by the self etching ED primer. There were zones of demineralization in the root dentin not filled with the adhesive for both groups. Many voids could be observed at the cernent layer close to the bonding area and they seemed to be more frequent at the apical portion of the roots / Doutorado / Dentística / Doutor em Clínica Odontológica

As the growth of Internationalisation of Higher Education shifts from former dominant nations like USA, Canada, England and Australia to other nations in Europe and Asia such as Germany, Sweden, Japan and Singapore, this study seeks to understand the decision-making process of an International Student looking to study at a Swedish University. Borrowing from previous studies, the ‘push and pull factors’ are used as the main theoretical reference as well as in discussion of the findings. Specific factors special to Sweden and the European Union in general such as visa policies and tuition fees are also discussed. For empirical data, international students already undertaking various master’s programmes as well as former master’s students at the Swedish university answer an online questionnaire pertaining to: decision to study abroad, decision to study in Sweden and decision to study at the particular Swedish University. Moreover, empirical data includes an interview with a representative of the university under analysis. In-depth analyses of data using Standard Deviation (SD), calculation of p value, ANOVA and Tukey’s tests are also performed to give clear comparisons of the various data sets such as ‘programme specialisation’ and ‘home country’ and their influence on the decision-making process. Personal satisfaction and better career prospects are identified as the major ‘push factors’. Programme quality and requirements, Sweden’s quality of life and health of environment, safe place to study, and location in the European Union are identified as main ‘pull factors’. It is found out that the home country of international students has a huge influence on their decisions to study abroad/ in Sweden/ at a certain university, although specialization also has influence, it appears to be drastically less. The findings have important implications in helping aspiring students make informed decisions as they consider choice of country and university, as well as implications for Higher Education Institutions as they respond to the demands created by globalisation of higher education, and subsequently endeavour to attract more international students through marketing or curriculum development of their programmes.

In this thesis, the author explores the main factors that may have contributed to the development of human trafficking in terms of sexual exploitation in Sweden. The aim is to identify the background of the main women and young girls exposed to human trafficking and to identify the factors that could potentially decrease the development of human trafficking. The theoretical underpinnings, which incorporated the push and pull model, the postcolonial feminist theory and the routine activity theory, as well as the information provided by the seven semi-structured interviews, provided a necessary framework to analyze and discuss the findings. The knowledgeable and experienced informants of this qualitative thesis consist of relevant authorities and organizations in the field of human trafficking. The findings of this thesis suggested that human trafficking in women and your girls for sexual exploitation is driven by poverty, the experience of war, lack of opportunities, the trafficker’s greed for profit and the demand for prostitution from countries such as Sweden. The findings moreover presented that the women and young girls that generally are exposed to human trafficking in terms of sexual exploitation, usually originate from third world countries and through circular migration within Europe. The results of this thesis furthermore presented various aspects and areas of improvement that are needed for relevant actors, in order for them to jointly work towards their common goal; to combat human trafficking cases in Sweden.

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Inflows of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) into Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) between 2000 and 2014 remained a minute fraction (at only 2% and 1% respectively) of global inflows. This study seeks to explain this phenomenon by examining the push (global) and pull (domestic) factors that may help to explain inflows of FDI and FPI in SSA and the mechanisms through which these factors affect inflows (the how). As ongoing regional integration efforts in Africa through trading blocs, the study also discusses the role of regional trading blocs in explaining capital flows into SSA. In the process, the research challenges some of the established theories and contributes to policy for managing international capital inflows. The study identifies possible explanatory variables from existing theory and empirical studies. Data on possible determinants of FDI and FPI is largely extracted from the World Bank and IMF databases. The determinants considered are macro-economic, infrastructural, institutional, resource endowment and geographical related. These are modeled into econometric model of FDI and FPI. Several hypotheses on the possible determinants are then tested using panel regressions with random effects. The results indicate that SSA's FDI during the period reviewed is mainly pulled by macroeconomic dynamics, infrastructure and human resources factors and pushed by global macroeconomic performance. Likewise, FPI is largely pulled by GDP and infrastructure factors. The results further show that FDI and FPI inflows in regional trading blocs of SADC, COMESA and ECOWAS are affected by different risk, return, macroeconomic, trade and distance factors. The effects of factors such as distance and macroeconomic factors also vary across the regional trading blocs, suggesting their importance of these blocs in capital flows.

Studiens syfte har varit att undersöka professionellas bedömningar av det stöd arbetssökande får genom kommunala arbetsmarknadsinsatser. Studien har åsyftat att lyfta fram de kommunala insatsernas möjliggörande och begränsande effekter, faktorer som påverkar arbetssökanden i sin position på arbetsmarknaden samt förbättringsområden som de professionella ser inom insatserna i stort. För att besvara studiens syfte har vi genomfört semistrukturerade intervjuer med fem professionella som är verksamma inom kommunala arbetsmarknadsinsatser. Intervjupersonerna arbetar inom tre olika enheter i två “mellanstora/större” svenska kommuner. Det insamlade materialet analyserades sedan med hjälp av ett teoretiskt ramverk bestående av perspektiven marginalisering, social exkludering samt push- och pullfaktorer kopplade till arbetsmarknaden. Resultatet visar att arbetsmarknadsinsatserna i sin helhet fyller en betydande funktion avseende att påverka arbetssökandens möjligheter och begränsningar på arbetsmarknaden. De möjligheter som insatserna öppnar upp för deltagarna ansågs i stort påverka positivt samtidigt som det framgår att insatserna i vissa fall kan tendera att ha en stigmatiserande effekt. Det har framkommit att ett flertal faktorer kan ses som centrala och påverka hur väl insatsstödet fungerar för respektive individ. Insatsernas kvalité i form av tidsmässiga resurser och vilken typ av professionellt stöd som erbjuds är exempel på centrala faktorer som anses påverka för insatsernas effektivitet.

In this thesis, a passive exoskeleton spine was designed and evaluated by a series of biomechanics simulations. The design objectives were to reduce the human operator’s back muscle efforts and the intervertebral reaction torques during a full range sagittal plane spine flexion/extension. The biomechanics simulations were performed using the OpenSim modeling environment. To manipulate the simulations, a full body musculoskeletal model was created based on the OpenSim gait2354 and “lumbar spine” models. To support flexion and extension of the torso a “push-pull” strategy was proposed by applying external pushing and pulling forces on different locations on the torso. The external forces were optimized via simulations and then a physical exoskeleton prototype was built to evaluate the “push-pull” strategy in vivo. The prototype was tested on three different subjects where the sEMG and inertial data were collected to estimate the muscle force reduction and intervertebral torque reduction. The prototype assisted the users in sagittal plane flexion/extension and reduced the average muscle force and intervertebral reaction torque by an average of 371 N and 29 Nm, respectively.

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