The meaning of and motivations behind self-identification is a contentious topic within “the Black community.” The thesis examines the articulation of “Black” and/or “African” identities as means of gaining access to Nova Scotia’s Black Business Initiative (BBI), a state-funded organization mandated with “fostering a dynamic and vibrant Black presence” in the Nova Scotian business community. It is based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Halifax in 2013, including interviews with a diverse representation of 36 participants who self-identified as either "Black" or "African." Viewed as a rare redress effort directed toward and run by Blacks, the BBI is a highly visible site of contestation and competition between “indigenous Blacks” and more recently arrived “African Nova Scotians” from the African continent and Caribbean islands over the boundaries of native and foreign Blackness. The thesis argues that a group historically positioned as “Black” (i.e. Other) within a lasting narrative of displacement – both in the Americas in general, and academic diaspora discourse specifically – can be seen as adopting and adapting a discourse of indigeniety as an act of political and economic empowerment. Stuart Hall’s theoretical understanding of the articulation and positioning of Black identities is used to frame a discussion on the coupling of a distinct group’s lived experiences of subjugation and marginalization in place (i.e. Blackness) with a political and juridical ideology of belonging and entitlement to state recognition and resources (i.e. indigeniety) as a means of securing racially directed resources. It therefore challenges Paula Madden’s (2009) overly simplistic critique of this community as creating a hierarchy of Blackness and performing an erasure of Mi’kma’ki through its claims of Black indigeniety.

This work has been given the title "The Search for Female Identity" because its core question is: what constitutes female self-identification? This search is carried out by searching literary traces, since self-identification can be deconstructed by analyzing the texts. Texts by an Austrian and a Soviet-Russian writer were chosen as the basis for this deconstruction. In a comparison of their two writings, the difference between the two socio-political systems in terms of their possible influence on self-identification could also be crystallized. The theories used (mainly poststructuralist) together with the interpretations help to extract the pre-discursive nature of the texts and to decipher the image of femininity. The analysis carried out showed that in both societies this picture is full of myths, however, they were developed and implemented differently. In the course of this development the individualistic Western culture encounters the limits of its individuality, which also affects women and influences their unity in themselves. Meanwhile, the post-Soviet society striving for all-round collectivism fails to control the construction of identity, since it does not offer enough playground for self-determination and overwhelms especially women with the imposed standards. Key words: female...

Thesis "Basque in the daily communication of young people," discusses the factors that have an impact on an use of Basque in common life. This work describes briefly the Basque region of geographic and historic perspective. The work also outlines nationalist theory and language planning. The main objective is to get as close to the practical influence on today's generation of young people who could choose education in Basque and whether there is a link with the ability to speak Basque and identity designing Basque / Euskalduna.

In the context of the Internet of Things (IoT), commissioning is the process of securely adding a new device to a network. It covers many different tasks, including the physical deployment of devices and configuration of parameters. It is network installers who need to manually commission each device one by one with the help of commissioning tools. In practice, the first task for a network installer is to identify each device correctly before configuring it with proper parameters. Individually identifying each device, especially in a large network, is a very time-consuming process. This is also known as the identification problem. This project is going to address the problem.A novel device identification approach is presented in the thesis, and there is no human intervention involved in the identification process. Devices are trying to identify themselves based on predefined rules and given information. The approach is therefore called device self-identification, and it is implemented in two different algorithms. One is the centralized device selfidentification, and the other is the distributed device self-identification. In short, only one device participates in the device identification process in the centralized approach, and in the distributed counterpart, every device is part of the identification process.The results of the implementations show the potential of the new way to identify devices in IoT. Devices in both the centralized approach and the distributed approach are able to identify themselves given necessary information about the network. A detailed discussion regarding the two proposed algorithms and the network information is presented in the thesis. / I samband med Internet of Things (IoT) är igångkörning processen att säkert lägga till en ny enhet i ett nätverk. Den täcker många olika uppgifter, inklusive fysisk distribution av enheter och konfigurering av parametrar. Det är nätverksinstallatörer som måste manuellt beställa varje enhet en efter en med hjälp av installationsverktyg. I praktiken är den första uppgiften för en nätverksinstallatör att korrekt identifiera varje enhet innan den konfigureras med lämpliga parametrar. Att identifiera varje enhet speciellt i ett stort nätverk är en mycket tidskrävande process. Detta är också känt som identifieringsproblemet. Detta projekt kommer att ta itu med problemet.En nyhetsidentifieringsmetod presenteras i avhandlingen och det finns ingen mänsklig intervention involverad i identifieringsprocessen. Enheter försöker identifiera sig baserat på fördefinierade regler och information. Tillvägagångssättet kallas därför enhetens självidentifiering och det implementeras i två olika algoritmer, en är centraliserad enhetens självidentifiering och den andra är distribuerad enhetens självidentifiering. Kort sagt, endast en enhet deltar i enhetsidentifieringsprocessen i centraliserat tillvägagångssätt, och i distribuerad motsvarighet är varje enhet en del av identifieringsprocessen.Resultaten av implementationerna visar potentialen för det nya sättet att identifiera enheter i IoT. Enheter i både centraliserat tillvägagångssätt och distribuerat tillvägagångssätt kan identifiera sig med den information som krävs för nätverket. En detaljerad diskussion om de två föreslagna algoritmerna och nätverksinformationen presenteras i avhandlingen.

This dissertation examines Breyten Breytenbach‟s memoir Dog Heart, and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong‟o‟s novel Matigari, with particular attention to the use of a mother tongue or another language in the texts, and whether these reflect or impact on the writers‟ sense of personal, cultural and political identity. It compares and contrasts the authors‟ views on, and experiences of, culture, language, translation and exile, and whether these aspects appear in the two primary works. Dilemmas associated with the authors‟ choice of language in their creative works, preferred audiences, and affiliations to their mother tongue speech communities are also explored. By drawing on Breytenbach‟s and Ngũgĩ‟s diverse stances on these issues, and following their respective publishing decisions, it is hoped an interesting conversation is created between these significant political activists and their writing. / English Studies / M.A. (English literature)

Vibrações são intrínsecas às máquinas rotativas e, embora não possam ser completamente eliminadas, devem ser controladas de modo a se evitar fadiga e até mesmo falha da máquina. Neste contexto, devido à sua capacidade de alterar as características dinâmicas destas máquinas, os mancais ativos são uma solução efetiva a fim de se reduzir vibrações em rotores, permitindo não só maior ciclo de vida, mas também aumento de confiabilidade e desempenho. Frequentemente, o projeto do sistema de controle destes mancais baseia-se em um modelo matemático da planta, o qual pode ser de difícil obtenção e, devido à adoção de hipóteses simplificadoras (inerentes ao processo de modelagem), pode ser impreciso. Com base nestes conceitos, propõe-se a utilização de uma técnica de controle do tipo proporcional-derivativa baseada em medições de resposta em frequência (livre de modelos matemáticos) aplicada ao controle de vibrações em sistemas rotativos, contornando dificuldades de modelagem. Esta técnica é testada experimentalmente em uma bancada de testes cujos elementos de atuação são os eletromagnetos de um mancal ativo, e um algoritmo para a identificação automática das FRFs do sistema (algoritmo de autoidentificação) é desenvolvido e implementado, permitindo, de forma autônoma, o cálculo dos ganhos ótimos do controlador PD visando atenuação de vibrações. Com base nos resultados obtidos, tem-se que este trabalho é um estudo preliminar que pode viabilizar o desenvolvimento de um mancal ativo inteligente, o qual, a partir de medições do deslocamento do eixo, seria capaz de obter a resposta em frequência do sistema e determinar, de forma automática, os ganhos ótimos do controlador, possibilitando o controle autônomo de vibrações em sistemas rotativos, a partir de um algoritmo de autoidentificação e de uma metodologia de controle livre de modelos. / Vibrations are intrinsic to rotating machinery and, although they cannot be completely eliminated, it is important to control this kind of motion with the objective of avoiding fatigue and even failure of the machine. In this context, due to their capacity of changing the dynamic characteristics of these machines, active bearings are an effective solution to reduce vibration in rotors, allowing not only longer lifecycle, but also higher performance. Frequently, the design of the control system of these bearings is based on a mathematical model of the plant, whose obtainment can be hard and, due to the adoption of simplifying hypotheses (inherent to the modeling process), it may be imprecise. Keeping in mind these concepts, this dissertation proposes the use of a proportional-derivative control technique based on frequency response measurements (free of mathematical models) applied to the vibration control of rotating systems, overcoming modeling difficulties. This technique is experimentally tested in a test rig whose actuation elements are the electromagnets of an active bearing, and an algorithm for automatic identification of the system\'s FRFs (self-identification algorithm) is developed and implemented, allowing, in an autonomous way, the calculation of the optimum gains of the PD controller aiming at controlling vibrations. Based on the obtained results, this work consists in a preliminary study that may enable the development of a smart active bearing, which, from measurements of the shaft\'s displacement, would be capable of obtaining the frequency response of the system and determine, automatically, the optimum gains of the controller, making it possible the autonomous vibration control in rotating systems, from a self-identification algorithm and a model-free control methodology.

This dissertation examines Breyten Breytenbach‟s memoir Dog Heart, and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong‟o‟s novel Matigari, with particular attention to the use of a mother tongue or another language in the texts, and whether these reflect or impact on the writers‟ sense of personal, cultural and political identity. It compares and contrasts the authors‟ views on, and experiences of, culture, language, translation and exile, and whether these aspects appear in the two primary works. Dilemmas associated with the authors‟ choice of language in their creative works, preferred audiences, and affiliations to their mother tongue speech communities are also explored. By drawing on Breytenbach‟s and Ngũgĩ‟s diverse stances on these issues, and following their respective publishing decisions, it is hoped an interesting conversation is created between these significant political activists and their writing. / English Studies / M.A. (English literature)

Vibrações são intrínsecas às máquinas rotativas e, embora não possam ser completamente eliminadas, devem ser controladas de modo a se evitar fadiga e até mesmo falha da máquina. Neste contexto, devido à sua capacidade de alterar as características dinâmicas destas máquinas, os mancais ativos são uma solução efetiva a fim de se reduzir vibrações em rotores, permitindo não só maior ciclo de vida, mas também aumento de confiabilidade e desempenho. Frequentemente, o projeto do sistema de controle destes mancais baseia-se em um modelo matemático da planta, o qual pode ser de difícil obtenção e, devido à adoção de hipóteses simplificadoras (inerentes ao processo de modelagem), pode ser impreciso. Com base nestes conceitos, propõe-se a utilização de uma técnica de controle do tipo proporcional-derivativa baseada em medições de resposta em frequência (livre de modelos matemáticos) aplicada ao controle de vibrações em sistemas rotativos, contornando dificuldades de modelagem. Esta técnica é testada experimentalmente em uma bancada de testes cujos elementos de atuação são os eletromagnetos de um mancal ativo, e um algoritmo para a identificação automática das FRFs do sistema (algoritmo de autoidentificação) é desenvolvido e implementado, permitindo, de forma autônoma, o cálculo dos ganhos ótimos do controlador PD visando atenuação de vibrações. Com base nos resultados obtidos, tem-se que este trabalho é um estudo preliminar que pode viabilizar o desenvolvimento de um mancal ativo inteligente, o qual, a partir de medições do deslocamento do eixo, seria capaz de obter a resposta em frequência do sistema e determinar, de forma automática, os ganhos ótimos do controlador, possibilitando o controle autônomo de vibrações em sistemas rotativos, a partir de um algoritmo de autoidentificação e de uma metodologia de controle livre de modelos. / Vibrations are intrinsic to rotating machinery and, although they cannot be completely eliminated, it is important to control this kind of motion with the objective of avoiding fatigue and even failure of the machine. In this context, due to their capacity of changing the dynamic characteristics of these machines, active bearings are an effective solution to reduce vibration in rotors, allowing not only longer lifecycle, but also higher performance. Frequently, the design of the control system of these bearings is based on a mathematical model of the plant, whose obtainment can be hard and, due to the adoption of simplifying hypotheses (inherent to the modeling process), it may be imprecise. Keeping in mind these concepts, this dissertation proposes the use of a proportional-derivative control technique based on frequency response measurements (free of mathematical models) applied to the vibration control of rotating systems, overcoming modeling difficulties. This technique is experimentally tested in a test rig whose actuation elements are the electromagnets of an active bearing, and an algorithm for automatic identification of the system\'s FRFs (self-identification algorithm) is developed and implemented, allowing, in an autonomous way, the calculation of the optimum gains of the PD controller aiming at controlling vibrations. Based on the obtained results, this work consists in a preliminary study that may enable the development of a smart active bearing, which, from measurements of the shaft\'s displacement, would be capable of obtaining the frequency response of the system and determine, automatically, the optimum gains of the controller, making it possible the autonomous vibration control in rotating systems, from a self-identification algorithm and a model-free control methodology.

La religiosità e i processi di auto-identificazione di giovani con background musulmano in Occidente soggiacciono a una doppia dinamica: da un lato, essi devono misurarsi con una narrazione negativa che dipinge l’Islam come “altro” e “diverso”; dall’altro, la loro religione subisce un processo di deculturazione (Roy 2004), ovvero lo scollegamento tra cultura e Islam in contesto di emigrazione. Sulla base di uno studio qualitativo, (60 interviste biografiche e osservazione partecipante) condotto in due città italiane (Milano e Torino), la tesi indaga come giovani con background musulmano articolino la loro appartenenza religiosa attraverso le loro pratiche quotidiane (Ammerman 2007), comparando in particolare giovani attivi nel mondo associativo religioso (impegnati in particolare come volontari o staff del ramo italiano dell’organizzazione umanitaria Islamic Relief) e giovani non interessati al coinvolgimento in organizzazioni religiose. La ricerca esamina così le pratiche religiose, nonché le risorse impiegate per la costruzione della propria identità, tra giovani musulmani “iper-visibili” (pubblicamente attivi e devoti - Jeldtoft 2013) e “non-visibili” (i cui sentimenti di appartenenza alla comunità di riferimento sono meno ovvi) sviluppando una tipologia di “riflessività religiosa” ed esplorando forme di visibilizzazione e invisibilizzazione della religiosità. / In Western countries, the religiosity and self-identification of youths with a Muslim background is shaped by a double dynamic: on one hand, they face negative discourses that cast Islam as “Different” and “Other”; on the other, their religion undergoes a process of deculturation (Roy 2004) - that is, the disconnection between culture and Islam in contexts of emigration. On the basis of a qualitative study (60 in-depth interviews and participant observation) carried out in two Italian cities (Milan and Turin), this thesis investigates how Italian descendants of Muslim migrants articulate and live their religious belonging, by analysing the “everyday lived religion” (Ammerman 2007) of youths acting as volunteers or staff members in the Italian branch of Islamic Relief (the largest Sunni international humanitarian NGOs) and of youths who are not active or involved in any religious or ethnic/national organisation. Hence, the study examines how feelings of religiosity and resources mobilized for identity-building differ between “hyper-visible” young Muslims - i.e. publicly active, vocal and devout (Jeldtoft 2013) - and “non-visible” ones - who have less of an obvious group bound. The study develops a typology of different forms of “religious reflexivity” and explores forms of visible and invisible religiosity.