A numerical analysis of the loop tack test is presented to study the behavior of the strip and the influence of several factors, and the results are compared with experimental ones. The numerical results can be applied to model the performance of a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA). Since the simulation of the loop tack test includes geometrical and material nonlinearities, it is solved numerically by the finite element method. The finite element program ABAQUS is used throughout the research. As the teardrop shaped loop is pushed down onto the adhesive and then pulled up, the variation of the loop behavior is investigated using two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) models. A bilinear elastic-plastic constitutive law is used for the strip. The deformation of the pressure sensitive adhesive is approximated as uniaxial extension of independent adhesive strands. A Winkler-type nonlinear elastic foundation and a viscoelastic foundation are used to model the PSA. A nonlinear elastic spring function is used, which is composed of a compression region for the bonding phase and a tension region for the debonding phase. A debonding failure criterion is assumed, in which an adhesive strand will debond when it reaches a certain length. During the bonding phase, it is assumed that the loop is perfectly bonded, and the contact time is not included. Curves of the pulling force versus the top displacement (i.e., tack curves) are obtained throughout the simulation. A parametric study is made with respect to the nonlinear spring function parameters, experimental uncertainties, and strip thickness. Anticlastic bending behavior is shown in the 3D analysis, and the contact patterns are presented. The effects of the elasticity modulus of the PSA for the elastic foundation and the displacement rate for the viscoelastic model are investigated. / Ph. D.

How might computer scientists work with communities in facilitating meaningful social change? In this project, we make a case for an approach that builds upon what the individuals and community already have---their assets---rather than emphasizing "user's needs" as typically postulated by human-centered design. We present details of our four-year-long assets-based engagement with an anti-trafficking organization in Nepal and the sex trafficking survivors supported by the organization. We explored the potential role that socio-technical systems and technology designers can play in assisting the survivors to build on their existing assets towards their vision of "dignified reintegration". The research involves three fieldwork and a remote study, each one leveraging carefully tailored socio-technical systems to investigate a design proposition. We present an operationalizable definition of assets and a framework of action to leverage assets in realizing change at an individual and institutional level. We describe the conditions that influenced the possibilities for our interventions and the factors that guided the design of the socio-technical systems. We further highlight how we adapted our methods to the local resources and practices in order to foster a space that promoted comfort and control to the study participants. The detailed account of our approach aims to provide a justification for undertaking slow, incremental steps with the community. / Doctor of Philosophy / Human trafficking survivors face a myriad of challenges in their reintegration journey. Working with an anti-trafficking organization in Nepal, I explored the potential role that technology and technology designers can play in assisting the survivors in their reintegration journey. The research involved three forays into fieldwork and a remote study, each one leveraging carefully tailored activities to investigate the possibilities for the survivors to be in a position of power once they leave the shelter home. The activities included technology such as a specifically tailored web application contextualized around the survivors' existing strengths but also involved non-digital components such as collectively envisioning broader possibilities and alternative futures and discussing ways in which the survivors could engage with local actors to mitigate societal problems they had seen near their homes. In all these activities, I adapted local practices and materials to promote a safe space for the survivors to participate from within their realm of comfort. This dissertation illuminates a potential pathway to engage in long-term community-based research with vulnerable populations. In particular, it makes a case for an approach that builds upon what the individuals and community already have, that is, their assets. The work illuminates ways to identify and build upon assets to support the survivors. Using the work, we make a case for undertaking slow, incremental steps as part of assets-based engagement with communities. The work emphasizes the need for technology developers to understand their responsibilities and carefully contemplate what elements of a situation or design allow ethical intervention. Finally, the work emphasizes the need for developers to be cognizant of how design of technology is tied up with the larger, multi-level system in which technology use is embedded.

No / Findings from surveys of qualified social work practitioners and students indicate a need for social work education and practice to focus attention both on the importance of religious and spiritual beliefs in the lives of many service users and on the potential usefulness of religious and spiritual interventions. In this British study, undertaken in 2003 and 2004, students were less likely than their qualified colleagues to consider religious or spiritually sensitive interventions as appropriate. Attitudes varied little between those students who held religious beliefs and those who did not, but Muslim students and qualified social workers were more likely to view these types of interventions as appropriate. The authors conclude that there is a clear need for all social work practitioners and educators to give greater priority to exploring the potential significance of religious and spiritual beliefs in their training, in their professional practice and in the lives and perspectives of service users and colleagues. Social workers need to be able to respond appropriately to the needs of all service users, including those for whom religious and spiritual beliefs are crucial. `Culturally competent¿ practice depends, amongst other things, on an understanding and appreciation of the impact of faith and belief.

In various business and military settings, there is an expectation of on-demand delivery of supplies and services. Typically, several delivery vehicles (also called servers) carry these supplies. Requests arrive one at a time and when a request arrives, a server is assigned to this request at a cost that is proportional to the distance between the server and the request. Bad assignments will not only lead to larger costs but will also create bottlenecks by increasing delivery time. There is, therefore, a need to design decision-making algorithms that produce cost-effective assignments of servers to requests in real-time. In this thesis, we consider the online bipartite matching problem where each server can serve exactly one request. In the online minimum metric bipartite matching problem, we are provided with a set of server locations in a metric space. Requests arrive one at a time that have to be immediately and irrevocably matched to a free server. The total cost of matching all the requests to servers, also known as the online matching is the sum of the cost of all the edges in the matching. There are many well-studied models for request generation. We study the problem in the adversarial model where an adversary who knows the decisions made by the algorithm generates a request sequence to maximize ratio of the cost of the online matching and the minimum-cost matching (also called the competitive ratio). An algorithm is a-competitive if the cost of online matching is at most 'a' times the minimum cost. A recently discovered robust and deterministic online algorithm (we refer to this as the robust matching or the RM-Algorithm) was shown to have optimal competitive ratios in the adversarial model and a relatively weaker random arrival model. We extend the analysis of the RM-Algorithm in the adversarial model and show that the competitive ratio of the algorithm is sensitive to the input, i.e., for "nice" input metric spaces or "nice" server placements, the performance guarantees of the RM-Algorithm is significantly better. In fact, we show that the performance is almost optimal for any fixed metric space and server locations. / Master of Science

No / Sheila Payne and colleagues examine the differences and similarities in end-of-life care provided in different countries which, while broadly based on the same models, varies according to resources, cultural attitudes and public health policies This article introduces palliative care and palliative care nursing. It goes on to consider models of palliative care delivery and provide a more detailed account of the three elements of palliative care nursing–working directly with patients and families, working with other health and social care professionals to network and co-ordinate services, and working at an organisational level to plan, develop and manage service provision in local, regional and national settings. It concludes by detailing the challenges for palliative care nursing and outlines a possible way ahead.

The loop tack test measures the tack (instant grip) of an adhesive. An analytical model of this test seems to be lacking and is the subject of this research. The strip is investigated using several mathematical formulations, and the solutions are obtained numerically. The loop is created from a flexible elastic strip that is bent into a teardrop shape, with its ends clamped together. The strip is tested in a cycle, in which the loop is first pushed onto the surface, compressing the adhesive. Then the loop is pulled up, and gradually debonds from the substrate. The loop is assumed to be nonlinearly elastic and inextensible. The mechanics of the loop tack test are studied in order to determine the impact of various factors on adhesive performance. These factors include the stiffness of the backing, the stiffness and thickness of the adhesive, the elongation of the adhesive before debonding, and the contact time. The relationship between the applied force and the vertical deflection of the loop's ends is determined, as well as that between the applied force and the contact length. Also, the maximum "pull - off" force needed to remove the substrate from the loop is obtained from the results. Shapes of the loop during the cycle are found. This research will increase understanding of the behavior of the adhesive and backing during the loop tack test. With the computer model that has been developed, any set of parameters and conditions can be analyzed, and improvements can be made in the test procedure. / Master of Science

A DS-CDMA system with QPSK modulation and a RAKE receiver is modeled and simulated. A mathematical description of the DS-CDMA system is provided on uplink and downlink. For a multipath channel environment, modeling techniques for AWGN and Rayleigh fading are illustrated. Comparisons are made concerning the performance of CDMA systems with hybrid data rates. The thesis proposes a technique for hybrid channel coding for ARQ (Automatic-Repeat-reQuest) protocol and FEC (Forward Error Correction) scheme that can reduce the error rate significantly. Each of ARQ protocol and FEC scheme gives rise to long latency and significant complexity, respectively, for obtaining the required QoS (Quality of Service). This thesis shows using theoretical analysis and computer simulations that synergistic effects are possible by using both an ARQ protocol and a FEC scheme. / Master of Science

Yes / Employees’ participation in professional international business (IB) communication has important consequences for knowledge transfer and processing, a crucial function for multinational enterprises (MNEs). Research suggests that participation is shaped by language, but prior research has focused on firm-internal language dynamics, meaning that less is known about the influence of external context. We help redress this balance by drawing on the sociolinguistic concept of “language ideologies”. Language ideologies, or shared sets of beliefs about language(s) amongst social groups, are societal-level phenomena that employees bring with them to work. As such, they are part of the external social, political and historical context of IB activities. Our analysis of 82 interviews in three countries indicates that some language ideologies block participation and create friction, while others support participation. Implications for the conceptual understanding of language in IB and the management of internationally active firms are discussed. / - Add New Charity (Rest of World) Funder -

Processos de decisão markovianos sensíveis a risco (Risk Sensitive Markov Decision Process - RS-MDP) permitem modelar atitudes de aversão e propensão ao risco no processo de tomada de decisão usando um fator de risco para representar a atitude ao risco. Para esse modelo, existem operadores que são baseados em funções de transformação linear por partes que incluem fator de risco e fator de desconto. Nesta dissertação são formulados dois algoritmos de Iteração de Valor Sensível a Risco baseados em um desses operadores, esses algoritmos são chamados de Iteração de Valor Sensível a Risco Síncrono (Risk Sensitive Value Iteration - RSVI) e Iteração de Valor Sensível a Risco Assíncrono (Asynchronous Risk Sensitive Value Iteration- A-RSVI). Também são propostas duas heurísticas que podem ser utilizadas para inicializar os valores dos algoritmos de forma a torná-los mais eficentes. Os resultados dos experimentos no domínio de Travessia do Rio em dois cenários de recompensas distintos mostram que: (i) o custo de processamento de políticas extremas a risco, tanto de aversão quanto de propensão, é elevado; (ii) um desconto elevado aumenta o tempo de convergência do algoritmo e reforça a sensibilidade ao risco adotada; (iii) políticas com valores para o fator de risco intermediários possuem custo computacional baixo e já possuem certa sensibilidade ao risco dependendo do fator de desconto utilizado; e (iv) o algoritmo A-RSVI com a heurística baseada no fator de risco pode reduzir o tempo para o algoritmo convergir, especialmente para valores extremos do fator de risco / Risk Sensitive Markov Decision Process (RS-MDP) allows modeling risk-averse and risk-prone attitudes in decision-making process using a risk factor to represent the risk-attitude. For this model, there are operators that are based on a piecewise linear transformation function that includes a risk factor and a discount factor. In this dissertation we formulate two Risk Sensitive Value Iteration algorithms based on one of these operators, these algorithms are called Synchronous Risk Sensitive Value Iteration (RSVI) and Asynchronous Risk Sensitive Value Iteration (A-RSVI). We also propose two heuristics that can be used to initialize the value of the RSVI or A-RSVI algorithms in order to make them more efficient. The results of experiments with the River domain in two distinct rewards scenarios show that: (i) the processing cost in extreme risk policies, for both risk-averse and risk-prone, is high; (ii) a high discount value increases the convergence time and reinforces the chosen risk attitude; (iii) policies with intermediate risk factor values have a low computational cost and show a certain sensitivity to risk based on the discount factor; and (iv) the A-RSVI algorithm with the heuristic based on the risk factor can decrease the convergence time of the algorithm, especially when we need a solution for extreme values of the risk factor

Processos de decisão markovianos sensíveis a risco (Risk Sensitive Markov Decision Process - RS-MDP) permitem modelar atitudes de aversão e propensão ao risco no processo de tomada de decisão usando um fator de risco para representar a atitude ao risco. Para esse modelo, existem operadores que são baseados em funções de transformação linear por partes que incluem fator de risco e fator de desconto. Nesta dissertação são formulados dois algoritmos de Iteração de Valor Sensível a Risco baseados em um desses operadores, esses algoritmos são chamados de Iteração de Valor Sensível a Risco Síncrono (Risk Sensitive Value Iteration - RSVI) e Iteração de Valor Sensível a Risco Assíncrono (Asynchronous Risk Sensitive Value Iteration- A-RSVI). Também são propostas duas heurísticas que podem ser utilizadas para inicializar os valores dos algoritmos de forma a torná-los mais eficentes. Os resultados dos experimentos no domínio de Travessia do Rio em dois cenários de recompensas distintos mostram que: (i) o custo de processamento de políticas extremas a risco, tanto de aversão quanto de propensão, é elevado; (ii) um desconto elevado aumenta o tempo de convergência do algoritmo e reforça a sensibilidade ao risco adotada; (iii) políticas com valores para o fator de risco intermediários possuem custo computacional baixo e já possuem certa sensibilidade ao risco dependendo do fator de desconto utilizado; e (iv) o algoritmo A-RSVI com a heurística baseada no fator de risco pode reduzir o tempo para o algoritmo convergir, especialmente para valores extremos do fator de risco / Risk Sensitive Markov Decision Process (RS-MDP) allows modeling risk-averse and risk-prone attitudes in decision-making process using a risk factor to represent the risk-attitude. For this model, there are operators that are based on a piecewise linear transformation function that includes a risk factor and a discount factor. In this dissertation we formulate two Risk Sensitive Value Iteration algorithms based on one of these operators, these algorithms are called Synchronous Risk Sensitive Value Iteration (RSVI) and Asynchronous Risk Sensitive Value Iteration (A-RSVI). We also propose two heuristics that can be used to initialize the value of the RSVI or A-RSVI algorithms in order to make them more efficient. The results of experiments with the River domain in two distinct rewards scenarios show that: (i) the processing cost in extreme risk policies, for both risk-averse and risk-prone, is high; (ii) a high discount value increases the convergence time and reinforces the chosen risk attitude; (iii) policies with intermediate risk factor values have a low computational cost and show a certain sensitivity to risk based on the discount factor; and (iv) the A-RSVI algorithm with the heuristic based on the risk factor can decrease the convergence time of the algorithm, especially when we need a solution for extreme values of the risk factor