Marginalization and stigmatization heighten the vulnerability of sexual minorities to inequitable health outcomes. Although men who have sex with men (MSM) are at elevated risk for HIV infection in India in comparison with the general population, there is a lack of MSM-focused research—particularly regarding stigma and mental health outcomes. This dissertation aimed to explore the influence of sexual stigma, gender non-conformity stigma and HIV-related stigma on depression and life satisfaction among MSM in South India. This study used a cross-sectional survey design and was conducted with MSM (n=200) in two locations in Tamil Nadu, South India: Chennai (urban) and Kumbakonam (semi-urban). Due to multicollinearity between sexual stigma and gender non-conformity stigma, the stronger predictor of each outcome (gender non-conformity stigma) was included in regression models. Results were analyzed to identify the associations between independent (gender non-conformity stigma, HIV-related stigma), moderator (social support, resilient coping) and dependent (depression, life satisfaction) variables. Due to significant differences between locations across a substantial number of variables, block regression analyses were conducted separately for each location. Higher levels of depression were predicted by gender non-conformity stigma in both locations, and also by HIV-related stigma in Kumbakonam. Lower levels of depression in both locations were predicted by higher levels of social support and resilient coping. Higher life satisfaction was predicted by social support and resilient coping in both Chennai and Kumbakonam. Lower life satisfaction was predicted by gender non-conformity stigma and HIV-related stigma in Kumbakonam, but not in Chennai. Social support and resilient coping did not moderate the impact of stigma(s) on depression or life satisfaction in either location. The results indicate that the majority of participants experienced stigmatization based on same-sex sexual behaviour and/or gender non-conformity. Another striking finding of the study was the alarmingly high rates of depression, whereby over half of participants in each region reported moderate to severe depression scores. Practice and policy implications include the development, implementation and evaluation of: multi-level stigma reduction interventions that account for socio-environmental and contextual factors; mental health interventions that promote resiliency and build social support; and policy initiatives to advance human rights protection.

近年來在金融整合的趨勢下，國內外金融業透過購併整合成為大型的金控集團，使得金融產業結構大為改變。在整合的架構下發展出新的金融商品及市場。由於金控公司將銀行與證券商、保險業結盟合併，金控子公司可以進行交叉銷售(cross selling)，使金融商品多元化，提供給客戶包含保險、股票、信用卡、基金、債券等金融商品，這些多元化的金融商品與服務，金控公司亦可藉著交叉銷售擴大市場占有率及降低經營成本，進而強化整體獲利。 本研究以國泰金控和富邦金控的壽險子公司轉型為研究案例，進行個案分析探討，以了解個案公司組織轉型的原因、組織調整方式及轉型後的成效。本研究利用近十年的統計資料進行分析，研究產業的變化及觀察個案公司的市佔率及業務狀況。研究結果發現:1.壽險公司轉型成為提供多元服務的金融控股公司2.壽險業業務人員轉型成為全方位理財服務人員3.金融業相互整合，行銷通路多元化4.科技及產業變化創造出新通路新市場5.企業成長往多角化發展並兼顧核心競爭能力

Text in English / This study is a reflection on the culture and social life of Nguni women. The research is the interpretation and representation of how the Nguni culture and social values emerge as source of identity not a simple act of conformity. The manifestation of cultural values is presented through a body of artworks. The artworks seek to expose the complex nature of deep social bonds. These bonds are responsible for the creation of the ultimate value of aesthetic experience within a social and ethical context. The analysis addresses the significance and symbolic nature of traditional wedding rituals in relation to conformity and social identity. Various concepts and themes are discussed to ascertain how participating in these social and cultural performances helps individuals to pursue their own understanding and meaning of their experience within their lived environment. The main question this study addresses is how women make sense of their experience as mothers, wives, members of society and individuals. It is the study of cultural and social phenomena; their nature and meanings, and the focus is on the interpretation of the phenomena in terms of their individual experiences and how they relate lived experience to their identities. This is done by acknowledging the essence of meaningful nature of experiences that lead participating individuals into conformity and submission. Sculptural installation and performance are used to describe concepts in the production of visual presentation of this research. The visual installation in this research provides the symbolic meaning of nature of aesthetic experience which influences individual to connect with the society and thus creating impression of conformity. The reflection on cultural and social experience highlights the dilemma of containing conformity to an act of coercion while leaving the issue of human perception and understanding of value in relation to the experience of the body unattended. A phenomenological approach to this study has helped to address art installation as a stylistic phenomenon that is created and experienced visually in order to represents a relationship between artist and society. / Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology / M.A. (Visual Arts)

En conception de systèmes mécaniques, la phase de cotation fonctionnelle consiste à affecter des cotes, constituées d’une valeur nominale et d’un intervalle de tolérance, à des dimensions de pièces. En particulier, l’analyse des tolérances consiste à vérifier que les intervalles de tolérance choisis permettent le respect de la fonctionnalité du mécanisme. A l’inverse, la synthèse des tolérances vise à déterminer ces intervalles de tolérance, si possible de manière optimale, permettant le respect des exigences fonctionnelles. Les approches statistiques traditionnelles, bien que très utiles en phase de préconception, ne sont pas capables d’estimer avec précision le risque de non qualité. Cette thèse aborde ces problèmes selon un angle de vue différent, non plus pour garantir le respect d’exigences fonctionnelles, mais pour garantir le Taux de Non-Conformité (TNC) du mécanisme. Il s’agit de la probabilité que l’exigence fonctionnelle ne soit pas respectée. Les méthodes fiabilistes, s’appuyant sur la théorie des probabilités, permettent un calcul précis et efficace de cet indicateur. L’objectif de cette thèse est d’explorer le domaine de l’analyse et de la synthèse des tolérances afin d’identifier et d’exposer les apports des méthodes fiabilistes sur ces problématiques. Dans ces travaux de thèse, différents outils fiabilistes sont mis à disposition permettant l’analyse des tolérances de tous types de mécanismes avec ou sans jeu. La théorie probabiliste permet une modélisation très complète des dimensions des pièces. En particulier, l’approche APTA (Advanced Probability-based Tolerance Analysis of products) est développée afin de prendre en compte l’évolution aléatoire de certains paramètres de modélisation, notamment les décalages de moyenne, responsables de fortes variations du TNC. L’analyse des tolérances étant plus complexe pour les mécanismes avec jeux, une méthodologie spécifique a été développée basée sur une décomposition en situations de points de contacts et l’utilisation d’une méthode fiabiliste système. Différents indices de sensibilité sont aussi proposés afin d’aider à identifier les cotes ayant le plus d’influence sur le TNC d’un mécanisme. Enfin, l’optimisation du coût de production, sous contrainte de TNC, permet une synthèse des tolérances optimale. Les gains potentiels en termes de coût dépassent 50% par rapport aux conceptions initiales tout en maitrisant le niveau de qualité du produit. Les sociétés RADIALL SA et VALEO Système d’Essuyages, concepteurs et fabricants de produits pour l’automobile et l’aéronautique, ont proposé des cas d’études sur lesquels est démontrée la pertinence des travaux effectués. Sur la base de ces travaux, Phimeca Engineering, spécialisée dans l’ingénierie des incertitudes, développe et commercialise un outil informatique professionnel. / To design mechanical systems, functional dimensioning and tolerancing consists in allocating a target value and a tolerance to part dimensions. More precisely, tolerance analysis consists in checking that chosen tolerances allow the mechanism to be functional. In the opposite, the tolerance synthesis goal is to determine those tolerances, optimaly if possible, such as functional requirements are respected. Traditional statistical approaches are very useful in pre-design phases, but are incapable of estimating precisely non-quality risks. This PhD thesis adresses this problem from a different point of view. The objective is no longer to respect functional requirements but to guarantee the Non-Conformity Rate (NCR) of the mechanism. It is the probability that the functional requirement is not respected. Reliability methods, based on probabilistic theory, allow a precise and efficient calculation of the NCR. The main goal of this thesis is to explore tolerance analysis and synthesis domains in order to identify potential contributions of reliability methods to these issues. In this work, different reliability tools are provided enabling tolerance analysis of all kind of mechanisms with or without gaps. The probability theory allows a detailed modeling of parts dimensions. In particular, the APTA (Advanced Probability-based Tolerance Analysis of products) approach is designed to take into account random variations of some parameters such as mean shifts which influence highly the NCR. As tolerance analysis is more complex for mechanisms with gaps, a specific method is designed based on a decomposition of contact points situations and the use of a reliability system method. Several sensitivity indexes are also proposed to identify the leading dimensions on the NCR. The optimization of the production cost, under a NCR constraint, enables an optimal tolerance synthesis. The potential benefits in terms of costs exceed 50% compared to initial designs while keeping under control quality levels of products. Companies RADIALL SA and VALEO Wiping Systems, designers and manufacturers of products for the automotive and aeronautic industries, have provided case studies on which is demonstrated the relevance of the presented work. Based on this work, the company Phimeca Engineering, specialized in uncertainties, is developing and commercializing a professional computer tool.

本研究探討生產力4.0計畫推進ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning, Gartner Group Inc. 1990)軟體在產業管理系統的關鍵地位。從ERP軟體系統一直未能在企業百分之百順利建置的角度，分析企業在系統軟體導入過程中，內外關係人影響力造成的失效率，探討以羊群行為減低失效率，提升ERP成功比率，期以降低經營管理的沉沒成本。 通常企業要成功導入ERP系統，是取決於有效的專案管理(Loh and Koh, 2004)。而BPR (business process reengineering)是導入ERP系統的關鍵作業標準，例如Oracle的AIM(application, implementation, methodology)、SAP的ASAP(accelerated SAP)、鼎新的TIM(top implementation methodology)和江氏的FIT(fine implementation tool)。在過去24年來卻已緩緩偏離了企業實作科技(operational technology, OT)的基礎，包括經驗與務實(empirical and practice)的運作程序，依靠以資訊科技(information technology, IT)的標準節點為入口導向。 設若BPR標準操作流程，於導入期間重視經驗與務實的影響力，能夠妥適引導轉移(proper piloting migration, PPM)作最佳化適配(adaptation)。則建置和使用ERP系統(system)的策略，是整合網際網路(cyber)的市場價值和實體(physical)的執行績效，達成企業生產力4.0計畫的CPS虛實整合，為運營上帶來一項資產(asset)，而非遺產(legacy)。 / The study investigates possibly raising successful installation rate by Herd Behivor for the software of Enterprise Resource Planning, ERP (Gartner Group Inc. 1990) under Industry 4.0 Project. According to the historical data that reducing available rate of stakeholder influence would drop the sunk cost of information technology management. Usually enterprises in order to get an effectiveness of ERP installation, it depends on whether using proper project management (Loh and Koh, 2004). However, BPR (business process reengineering) was acting a key factor of standard operation procedure under project management in past 24 years, such as the Oracle’s AIM (application, implementation, methodology)、SAP’s ASAP (accelerated SAP)、Digiwin’s TIM (top implementation methodology) and Chiang’s FIT (fine implementation tool) . What failed rate of ERP installation is still high around industry, due to information technology (IT) instead of operational technology (OT). Meanwhile, the BRP could switch over to emphasize the empirical experience of piloting migration (PPM) of ERP on individual business. It would guide an optimal adaptation between operational site and information platform, the strategy of using ERP system is in order to combine both benefits as the marketing value of cyber and the manufacturing productivity of physical. There is the synergy coming from Industry 4.0 Project as well as an asset for the enterprise under a systematic integration of virtual cyber and physical reality.

我國行政院在1982年即訂定《行政院所屬各機關民意調查作業要點》，透過社會科學研究方法的運用，瞭解相關人員對政府施政之意見，以作為政策研擬、評估及提升服務品質與機關內部管理等之參考。隨著1987年宣布解嚴，以及後續政黨政治、公職選舉、媒體發展等等因素，使得民意調查的應用更為廣泛，並且成為台灣民主政治發展歷程中相當重要的一環。同一時期，Sidney Blumenthal於1980年出版《永無止盡選戰》(The Permanent Campaign)一書，指出民選首長當選之後，即不斷為連任作準備，為了達到此一目的，不僅過去的輔選團隊會隨著進入到白宮擔任政治顧問的角色，並且選戰思維也會影響著民選首長的決策作為，讓選戰模式變成是一種治理方式，當中最明顯的特點就是民意調查的執行與應用。 台灣從解嚴之後，選舉次數亦十分地頻繁，從地方到中央，從民意代表到行政首長，儼然已經形成一個相當完整的職涯歷程。為探求我國民選首長就任之後，是否會藉由民意調查機制協助他們解決問題並進行相關的決策，本研究透過次級資料分析法、深度訪談法、民意調查法，針對我們地方政府的民意調查執行及應用情形進行調查。研究發現我國地方政府在民意調查的執行部分受到行政程序及財政狀況之影響，因此不若選舉時期來的有彈性。其次，在民意調查機制的應用部份，受訪者表示對於政策環境的釐清相當具有幫助，可以協助他們決定政策方案的採行。最後，為了瞭解「從眾效應」策略性民調結果的公佈是否會影響到一般民眾既有的認知，本研究透過兩階段民意調查的實驗，分別針對雲林縣、台中市的民眾進行電話民意調查，依據差異分析顯示，無法證實民意調查結果的公佈的確對於民眾既有的認知會造成改變。 / In the field of public opinion polls initiated in the 1930s, seeking collective preferences of citizens and customers for the government and the business sector by means of mail, telephone, or face-to-face interviews has brought about a significant impact on human political and business life in the 20th century. In the 1980, Sidney Blumenthal published the book "The Permanent Campaign". In this book, Blumenthal explained how the changes in American politics from old-style patronage and party organization to that based on the modern technology of computer driven polling created a fundamentally new system. The concept of a permanent campaign describes the focus which recent presidents have given to electoral concerns during their tenures in office, with the distinction between the time they have spent governing and the time they have spent campaigning having become blurred and political consultants had replaced the party bosses and brought with them a new model by which campaigning became the forms of governing. Is campaigning becoming the forms of governing in Taiwan? To answer this questions, this dissertation is beginning with the theory discussion of the perspective of the “permanent campaign” and the “democratic governance”. Then, with the help of the method of interview and secondary data analysis, author discuss the application and limitation of the public opinion poll using in the governance of the local government. Public opinion poll can help the elected leader to find out the problems but it is limited by financial condition of the government itself. The author also designed a two-stage public opinion poll and divided the respondents into experimental group and contrast group. The author hypothesizes that respondents will change their choices because of the impact of “Conformity” and used an evidence-based analysis to testify the hypothesis. Finally, the author gives his conclusion and suggestion.

Alcohol use among university students is a worldwide social and clinical reality. Understanding and addressing this phenomena is an imperative recognised by the government of South Africa and its Higher Education institutions, where student drinking has a plethora of negative consequences. This study builds on the work of Young and de Klerk (2012) with Rhodes University students by adding drinking motives to their findings of demographic correlates. The motivational model of alcohol use (Cox & Klinger, 1988) posits that drinking motives are a proximal predictor of alcohol use. The model further delineates four drinking motives (social, enhancement, coping, and conformity) which are hypothesized to lead to phenomenological distinct patterns of alcohol use. An online survey method was utilized to collect data and a representative sample of 501 students participated. Descriptive and inferential statistics were computed to address five research questions: (1) to establishing the current alcohol use trend; (2) to investigate the demographic factors associated with alcohol use; (3) to describe students‘ drinking motives; (4) to explore the correlates of drinking motives; and, finally, the primary aim was (5) to investigate whether students‘ drinking motives predicted alcohol use when controlling for the effects of descriptive drinking norms and demographic variables. The results indicate that 68.5% of participants currently consume alcohol, and 51.0 % of these drinking students consume five or more drinks during a drinking session. 20.7 % of the drinking students used alcohol at the harmful or alcohol dependent levels. Increased alcohol use was associated more with males, undergraduates, early onset drinkers, more disposable income, and students‘ perceptions of their peers‘ drinking. Students endorsed enhancement motives marginally more than social motives, followed by coping and conformity motives. Males, early onset drinkers, black students, and at risk (of alcohol use disorders) students endorsed more motives, especially social and enhancement motives. Of primary concern was the role of drinking motives on alcohol use after controlling for the effects of descriptive drinking norms. The four block hierarchical regression model which was run explained 38% of the variance in alcohol use. Drinking motives, particularly enhancement motives, displayed a statistically significant impact on alcohol use adding 11% to the variance. Additionally, age of alcohol use onset, monthly pocket money, age, and gender predicted alcohol use separately. The results of this study indicate that alcohol use has multi-factorial influences. Of note, the results confirmed the motivational model of alcohol use by indicating that alcohol use is partially motivational and that drinking behaviour is not a unitary phenomenon but instead it represents heterogeneity based on the affective change individuals anticipate to gain by drinking. The high binging rate (51%) among this sample may speak to the greater endorsement of enhancement motives, which have been shown in previous studies to be associated with heavy drinking. Enhancement motives are attempts to attain positive affect which, due to the psychoactive properties of alcohol, require greater consumption and intoxication. Additionally, as a result of the greater quantities of alcohol, individuals who drink for enhancement motives would be more prone to alcohol consequences. The results suggest that a multi-level intervention framework targeting individual students, the university community, and the surrounding community, is indicated. Furthermore, intervention may be tailored-made to address specific drinking motives.

The master thesis is dealing with customer-supplier relationship, specifically with the suppliers` quality management as seen by the customer. Analysis of the initial status and proposal of applicable changes in the organization are included. The main goal is continuous improvement of supplier quality.

This thesis is dealing with analyzing risks in an accredited testing labotarory. In this thesis will be made a search of available manuals and literature issued for accredited testing laboratory. In this thesis will be conducted selected analyzes for selected processes. The aim of this thesis is to analyze and asses the risks in chosen processes of testing laboratory and make a a simple tools for the management and elimination.

Orientador: Messias Borges Silva / Resumo: Avaliação de conformidade é um tema de grande importância em diversos ramos, tais como gestão de operações e de qualidade, desenvolvimento e certificação de produtos, de processos e de sistemas, certificação e acreditação de organizações, comércio internacional, entre outros. Esta tese reporta a introdução e validação de um procedimento inovador, denominado FCAUP, para planejamento e implementação de avaliação de conformidade baseado em uma analogia conceitual com o Princípio da Incerteza de Heisenberg relativo à Mecânica Quântica. FCAUP significa “Framework for Conformity Assessment inspired by the Uncertainty Principle” (Procedimento para Avaliação de Conformidade inspirado pelo Princípio da Incerteza). Este procedimento original emprega técnicas quantitativas e qualitativas para análise, classificação, amostragem intencional e execução de duplas inspeções a fim de reduzir os efeitos da incerteza inerentes às atividades de avaliação de conformidade. Uma verificação teórica preliminar foi conduzida por meio de releitura de casos reais relativos a três avaliações de conformidade realizadas em diferentes indústrias de fabricação. Em seguida, para consolidação da teoria, foi efetuada uma implementação piloto em uma indústria de fabricação de reboques para barcos em Maryville, Tennessee, Estados Unidos da América. Por último, o procedimento FCAUP foi validado por meio de um estudo de campo realizado de forma bem-sucedida em uma empresa de metrologia em São José dos Campos/SP. Os... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Doutor