The aim of this thesis is to study preschool-teachers’ experiences from using the computer tablet as a tool for learning and teaching, in order to gain knowledge of how the integrational process of information and communications technology (ICT) in preschool has progressed since its instatement. The background that caused interest to make this study was the rapid progression of the use of ICT-tools in childrens’ everyday lives and the troubles that have surrounded the process of integrating these tools into preschool-practices. The theoretical basis for the analysis of the research lies within the socio-cultural perspective. The methods used to gather empirical data were discussions held in focus-groups consisting of teachers from three different preschools in Sweden where the theme of the discussions were computer tablets. In accordance with a socio-cultural approach to verbal communication as data the discussions were seen as socially situated practices. The results of this study were that tablets were only in part integrated with school-activities as they were well used for by the pedagogues for purposes such as organizing, documentation and communication but not as well used among the children due to different circumstances. Another finding of the study was that teachers find that they often lack the ICT-competences required to develop good learning situations and conditions for their students with the computer tablets. Based on the teachers’ testimonies not only is there a need for in-service training for teachers but perhaps also necessary to provide teachers with further direction for work with computer tablets, how they should be used and the extent of their role within preschool settings.

Service innovation is increasingly becoming a basis for manufacturing firms to reach and sustain competitive advantages. While traditional product innovation typically includes how new technology can be utilized in new products, service innovation spans a broader area that is not exclusively focused on new technology, but rather how resources can be developed into value propositions and then integrated in the customer’s process in order to support customer value creation through realization. However, manufacturing firms that infuse services struggle with service innovation; this becomes especially evident in the realization phase. This thesis is a compilation of five papers discussing different aspects of service innovation realization and the inherited challenges. The study builds upon empirical data from four Swedish manufacturing firms that infuse services and develop new value propositions that include both products and services to support customer processes. The thesis illustrates realization as a phase in service innovation where the firm interacts with its customer in order to adjust, revise and further find new ways of improving the customer’s processes through for example customer training. Realization is characterized by a deployment phase and a post-deployment phase that represent the ongoing relationship between the customer and the firm. Depending on who has the competencies or ability to integrate the resources that are needed for service innovation, different interaction patterns are identified. Through indirect interaction, the firm facilitates the customer’s value creation through, for example, preventive maintenance, while through direct interaction the firm acts as a co-creator in the service innovation process and hence work jointly together with the customer in order to improve customer value creation. This thesis contributes to the literature by characterizing service innovation realization and by increasing the understanding for different interaction patterns in the service innovation process.

The primary objective of this thesis was to investigate the broader consequences of rumination. This entailed exploring the emotional and interpersonal outcomes of rumination at both an individual and dyadic level. A secondary objective was to investigate the unique contribution of attachment to rumination, and the contributing influence of context, with rumination in the confines of a romantic relationship specifically explored. It is proposed that insecure attachment may be both associated with an increased engagement in rumination and a greater likelihood of negative consequences as the result of ruminating. It is also proposed that rumination will not only have consequences for the individual, but that it will also have consequences for their romantic partner. Studies 1 and 2 explored the broader consequences of rumination, and the contribution of attachment, for the individual who is ruminating. Both studies involved student samples. Self-report data from Study 1 confirmed rumination was significantly correlated with depressive symptoms, depressive mood and the negative emotions of shame, guilt and anger. Rumination was also significantly correlated with insecure attachment. Together, rumination and insecure attachment were found to have a unique additive effect on the experience of depressive symptoms, shame and guilt. For depressive mood and anger, insecure attachment was found to moderate the effect of rumination. In Study 2 the relationship among rumination, attachment, negative emotion and interpersonal feelings was investigated experimentally. The contribution of context was also explored with individuals asked to either ruminate or distract after thinking about a negative relationship event. Correlational analyses indicated rumination was significantly associated with greater levels of negative emotion and relationship conflict, and lower levels of relationship depth and support. Experimental results confirmed ruminating on a negative relationship event resulted in lower levels of overall mood than distracting. Ruminating on a negative relationship event (as compared to distracting) did not result in lower levels of relationship satisfaction or relationship closeness, or greater negative feelings about the relationship. Neither anxious-ambivalent nor avoidant attachment significantly contributed to the experience of negative emotion or negative interpersonal feelings when ruminating (versus distracting) on a negative or typical relationship event. Studies 3 and 4 explored the broader consequences of rumination for both the individual and their romantic partner. Study 3 involved a student sample, while Study 4 involved a community sample of adults. All couples were in a heterosexual relationship. Structural Equation Modelling confirmed the presence of emotional and interpersonal consequences of rumination for both samples of individuals. In regards to the consequences of rumination for one’s partner, results for the student sample indicated rumination in males was associated with greater levels of negative emotion but also lower levels of conflict in their partner. Rumination in females was associated with greater negative emotion in the relationship and greater levels of conflict for their partner. For the community sample, rumination in males was associated with greater relationship satisfaction for their partner. Study 5 also explored rumination in the context of a romantic relationship. It did this by investigating the emotional and interpersonal consequences of verbally ruminating with a partner (referred to as co-rumination; Rose, 2002). A within-subjects experimental design was utilised where couples were asked to both co-ruminate, and to reflect together on a negative and a positive relationship event. Results indicated co-ruminating on a negative event resulted in greater relationship closeness and perceptions of support. Results also suggested that females felt they were giving more support to their partner while co-ruminating, while males felt they were giving more support while co-reflecting. No significant effect of co-rumination on emotion was noted. Overall, the current thesis has extended the literature by providing evidence that rumination has several broader consequences beyond its established relationship with depression. Specifically, it has been shown here that rumination not only affects an individual’s emotions but that it also influences their interpersonal feelings. A deeper understanding of the complexities of rumination has also been provided with results highlighting the importance of the content of ruminative thought and the internalised nature of rumination. In regards to contributors to rumination, results have increased our understanding of the role of insecure attachment in contributing to the tendency to ruminate and to the relationship between rumination, emotion and interpersonal feelings. Results have also highlighted the importance of context with rumination associated with emotional and interpersonal consequences both for the individual who is ruminating and for their romantic partner. The implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed in depth throughout this thesis.

This research examines submissions from the co-operative sector in response to the exposure of Draft Interpretation D8: Members' Shares in Co-operative Entities (D8) to analyse their responses to the classification of co-operative member shares under D8. A review of extant literature revealed that the concentration of submissions to similar documents comes from investor-owned firms in developed countries; and that there is a dearth of submissions from developing countries and alternative business models, such as co-operatives. This research sought to compare and establish the similarities and differences of responses across country and regional classifications, and across income and stakeholder groups. The study conducted both qualitative and quantitative research methods of textual analysis by employing grounded theory and content analysis. The results indicate that D8 submissions primarily come from preparers in developed countries located in Europe and Central Asia and in East Asia and the Pacific regions. However, findings also show that regardless of country, regional, or income group classification, the co-operative industry expressed common concerns and issues.

通路自有品牌產品興起已有多年，但在過去，通路商是以較被動的方式將其代工廠商之名稱與地址寫於包裝後方，消費者若不仔細看，並不容易發現；而近年來，通路商更將其知名的代工廠商之商標直接印於包裝正面或反面，使消費者在看到架上的商品時，便可以看到此商品是由哪一家廠商製造的。此為通路商與供應商進行「聯名品牌」（co-brand）。 本研究透過次級資料的蒐集，調查聯名品牌產品與供應商品牌之「產品實際差異」（包括「價格」、「包裝形式」、「包裝外觀」、「店內放置位置」、「內容物外觀」等）與訪問受訪者對於兩者在「品牌認知」上之感受（受訪者對於聯名品牌與供應商品牌之間的口味差異比較與受訪者對通路自有品牌與供應商品牌的認知），最後以此兩調查項目為基礎，發展出供應商因應聯名品牌產品之差異化策略參考項目與建議。 根據研究結果，供應商因應聯名品牌產品之差異化策略參考項目為：「產品包裝形式」、「產品包裝外觀」、「產品內容物外觀」、「產品上架排面及店內擺放位置」、「產品價格」、「產品口味」、「產品香味」。以此參考項目檢視供應商Viva萬歲牌（聯華旗下子品牌）、華元及美珍香，發現Viva萬歲牌因應通路商之差異化程度為最高，華元與美珍香則持平。本研究依供應商在差異化方面尚未做到或能做更好之處給予建議。又本研究另一發現為：(1)在7-Select之聯名品牌中，供應商的商標（Viva）是放於產品包裝之後方；而在家樂福之聯名品牌中，供應商的商標（Viva、華元）皆是放於產品包裝之前方，故本研究推測此差異與通路商、供應商雙方之談判力大小有關。(2)公司資源越多者，傾向推出種類多樣化越高與差異化越高之產品，聯華在資本額、員工人數上都較華元為多，於產品種類多樣化與差異化皆較華元高，但美珍香因本身有自己的通路，其產品能與通路商做區隔，不採取與名品牌產品差異化之行動。 / The establishment of the private brand has passed for so many years. In the past, the distributors were passively put the name of the manufacture at the back of its package. If the customers didn’t see it clearly, they can’t figure the name of the manufactures. However, in the recent years, the distributors put the logo of the manufacture in either the front or the back of the package in order to get the quality guarantee from the manufacture. Therefore, the customers now can easily see the private label brand product is made by which manufacture. This is called the co-brand, co-branding strategy between private label brand and manufactures’ brand. The research is done through collecting secondary data about the difference of the products between co-brand and manufactures’ brand (Including “product price”, “package format”, “the appearance of the package”, “the place in the store”, “the appearance of the content”, etc.) and also ask some interviewee about the “brand recognition” between co-brand and manufactures’ brand(Including taste difference and the perspective). Finally, base on these data, come out with the checklist and suggestion for the manufactures to make differentiation strategy to deal with co-brand from the distributors. The result for the research is to come out the checklist for the manufactures to make differentiation strategy to deal with co-brand from the distributors and they are:, “package format”, “the appearance of the package”, “the appearance of the content”“ placement in the store”, “the price of the product”, “the taste of the product”, and “the smell of the product.” Use this checklist to check the manufactures (“Viva”, “Hwa Yuan”, “Bee Cheng Hiang”in this research and found out that “Viva” is the highest in differentiation. “Hwa Yuan” and “Bee Cheng Hiang” are the same. We provide the improvement suggestion to the manufactures to make better differentiation strategy. Other points for the discovery of the research (1) The manufacture’s logo that put at the back of the package (7-Select) and put at the front of the package (Carrefour) is because of the difference of the bargaining power for the manufacture. (2) Company that has more resources tends to release more kind of products with the higher differentiation degree. For example, Lianhwa has higher differentiation degree than Hwa Yuan and more on both paid-up capital and number of employees. As the Bee Cheng Hiang, it has its own distribution channels. So, it can make differentiation effectively.

ServiceSketch is a collaborative tabletop tool for service design. It was developed to address some of the challenges designers face when developing service systems, including the dynamic, intangible nature of service and the complexity of coordinating multiple stakeholders over time and space. The concept for the tool draws from literature on service design, tangible user interfaces, and co-creation. It was also informed by user research sessions with graduate design students. The interface of ServiceSketch consists of a large multi-touch surface display that reacts to finger touches and a provided set of physical objects. Both the hardware and software development of ServiceSketch are described in this document. ServiceSketch was evaluated with groups of graduate design students who were asked to perform small group service design activities using the tool. These sessions showed that ServiceSketch was successful in supporting common service design processes and even inspired many participants to suggest possible future developments for the tool. ServiceSketch also seemed to encourage a playful, collaborative approach to service design. The results of the project hint at the possibilities for a new breed of service design tool, one that focuses on facilitating conversations about service through an engaging, interactive medium.

This thesis explores the co-production of public services in the case of asylum seekers in Glasgow. It makes contributions on the theoretical and empirical levels. First, it integrates two theoretical standpoints on co-production from the public administration/management and services management literatures. This integration forms the basis for the development of an original conceptual framework which differentiates three modes of co-production at the level of the individual service user: consumer co-production; participative co-production; and enhanced co-production. The thesis then extends co-production to consider organizational modes, considering specifically the role of voluntary and community organizations (VCOs) in the production of services. This discussion contributes to the expansion of the conceptual framework, by introducing the concepts of co-management and co-governance to refer to VCOs co-production in service delivery and in service planning and delivery, respectively. The result is the development of a ‘Typology of Co-production’ which differentiates all five types of co-production according to who co-produces public services and when. These two conceptual frameworks are used to explore the case of asylum seekers and the social welfare services they receive in Glasgow. The case of asylum seekers is particularly interesting given the marginal nature of the group and their legal position as non-citizens. This serves to sharpen the focus on co-production. Three research questions emerged from the theoretical work which are explored in the case of asylum seekers: to what extent is co-production dependent upon citizenship? Can co-production act as a conduit to build social inclusiveness and citizenship? And is individual service user co-production a prerequisite for co-production and partnership working by public service organizations? The study took a mixed methods approach, consisting of policy/practice interviews, a small survey of public service organizations providing services to asylum seekers and an embedded case study design of Glasgow, which involved a series of interviews, observations and document analysis. The empirical context provided a fertile ground to explore and better understand the five types of co-production differentiated in the theory. It further suggests that citizenship is not a prerequisite for each mode of co-production and also that the co-production of public services can positively impact the lives of asylum seekers, particularly around issues of integration.

A series of substituted indoles have been synthesized by the sequential reaction of aromatic aldehydes with ethyl azidoacetate in the presence of sodium ethoxide to form the corresponding ethyl α-azido-β-arylacrylates (Knoevenagel process) followed by a solvent mediated thermolysis (Hemetsberger process). The isolated yields of the ethyl α-azido-β-arylacrylates were significantly increased when employing the sacrificial electrophile ethyl trifluoroacetate. 1H NMR and coupled 1H-13C NMR analysis of the ethyl α-azido-β-arylacrylates indicate that the condensation is stereospecific—only the Z-isomer could be detected. Solvent mediated thermal treatment of the meta-substituted ethyl α-azido-β-arylacrylates resulted in the formation of both the 5- and 7- substituted indoles—the 5-regioisomer being slightly favored over the 7-regioisomer. Analogous thermal treatment of (2Z, 2Z’)-diethyl 3,3’-(1,3-phenylene)bis(2-azidoacrylate) and (2Z, 2Z’)-diethyl 3,3’-(1,4-phenylene)bis(2-azidoacrylate) exclusively produced pyrroloindoles, diethyl 1,5-dihydropyrrolo[2,3-f]indole-2,6-dicarboxylate and diethyl 1,5-dihydropyrrolo[2,3-f]indole-2,6-dicarboxylate, respectively. Results are also reported which indicate that the α-azido-β-arylacrylates can be used in the subsequent Hemetsberger indolization process without prior purification. Organic substrates containing basic nitrogen centers have been problematic in achieving high yields in the Suzuki coupling process. The origin of this issue is attributed to the complexation of the basic nitrogen center with the palladium catalyst. As a consequence, the use of CO₂ at a variety of pressures was evaluated as a reversible protecting/activating reagent for basic nitrogen containing substrates. The following observations and conclusions were reached. (1) The use of small amounts of water significantly improves the rate and yield of Suzuki coupling reactions. (2) In the presence of aqueous CO₂, careful selection of the base is essential due to formation of bicarbonate and the associated decrease in the amount water. K3PO4 was found to be the most effective base in the presence of CO₂. (3) The yield of product in the Suzuki coupling of 4-amino-2-bromopyridine with phenylboronic acid was evaluated as a function of CO₂ pressure. Compared to reactions in the absence of CO₂, the yield of product increased at all pressures of CO₂ (6.8, 17, and 30.6 atm) - from 15% with no CO₂ to 73% with 30.6 atm of CO₂.

The key to the co-rotational (CR) finite element is the separation between the rigid body motion and the deformational motion. It is this separation which makes it superior to other methods in the analysis of large displacement problems. Since the dynamic analysis of a guyed transmission line system contains large displacements from the vibration of the cable, it is considered appropriate to utilize the technique in the analysis. This thesis re-formulates and simplifies the CR method for such a purpose. Numerical tests show that the time step required for convergence in the present technique is ten times less than that is required for convergence in ANSYS. In the construction of the equation for the prediction of the longitudinal load factor (LLF) for the A402-M guyed transmission line due to cable break events, the tower is modelled using a simplified model of a detailed lattice tower. The simplified model considers latticed tower segment as an equivalent beam segment. The use of the simplified model enables to perform the broken wire dynamic analysis of the ten-span transmission line system within a day or two on a personal computer. Two initiating events are considered: all conductors on one arm break and all cables in one span break. Based on the analysis results, it is found that the LLFs for the all cables break event for the A402-M tower are 5% less than that calculated using the EPRI equation. It is therefore recommended that either the LLFs derived from the EPRI equation or from the proposed equation be used in the design of a guyed transmission tower for the broken wire event. The developed procedure can also be used to predict the LLF for the other type transmission line systems.

Cyber-physical systems (CPSs) represent a new generation of engineered systems that tightly integrates computations, communications (cyber) and physics. Simulation plays a considerable role in validating CPSs as it substantially reduces the costs and risks in the design-testing cycles. Reliable simulations, however, mandate realistic modeling for both the cyber and the physical aspects. This is especially the case in various networked mobile CPSs (e.g., excavation robots and vehicular networks), where cost and risk may become substantial. Current CPS modeling tools lack complete models of communication. Co-simulation attempts to overcome this limitation by integrating multiple modeling and simulation tools to offer complete models of all aspects of CPSs. In this thesis, we design and implement a co-simulation environment for modeling and simulating networked CPSs. The environment is called AcumenNS3 and it integrates Acumen, a language for modeling hybrid physical systems, with NS-3, a discrete-event network simulator. This environment allows users to augment network simulations with physical models using an easy-to-use modeling language. It provides a seamless integration between network and physics models by providing mobility based on the physical simulation in addition to generic access to the physical state. Using the AcumenNS3 environment, we demonstrate and model example simulation scenarios of networked CPSs. / Thesis (Master, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2014-04-24 14:38:30.039