Memento Mitten is a project about seeing human hair from the perspective of sustainability as a viable alternative material. The project also aims to question our reluctance in Western Europe to use it in projects and innovations. It explores the process of transforming hair from waste into a functional piece (a mitten) by using traditional handicraft (hand carding, hand spinning and nålbinding) as a change agent in order to alter our perception of hair. Relating anthropologist Mary Douglas’ theory on dirt to the Freudian definition of ‘Das Unheimliche’ (The Uncanny) the project further examines and dissects the emotional aspects of Uncanniness and the anxiety we perceive when in contact with disembodied hair.  Leaning on Douglas’ theory on dirt I developed a framework for action that could potentially have the transformative ability to, when applied to creative practices, recontextualize hair from uncanny waste into an emotionally safe material. Utilizing auto-ethnographic documentation, physical exploration and participatory elements (through design interventions), four phases were identified: rejection (identifying hair as waste), re-collection (collecting hair), dissolution (taking apart the hair through acts like hand carding) and assimilation (putting the hair into a new context). These phases, which I titled The Altered Phases of Dirt, showed that they had the potential to move our inner margins of comfort beyond Uncanniness through the physical engagement found in handicraft.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka mentalt hälsofrämjande aspekter av sociala medier i relation till skapande. En kvalitativ metod som bestod av tre fokusgruppsintervjuer med 3-5 deltagare i varje fokusgrupp användes för att samla in data. Insamlad data analyserades med hjälp av en manifest innehållsanalys, där tre underkategorier; omge sig med inspiration och likasinnade, olika dimensioner av att visa upp sina verk och omfamna speglandet av verkligheten bildade ett huvudtema; att dela och ta del av: hälsofrämjande aspekter av skapande och sociala medier. Resultatet visar på att sociala medier i relation till skapande bidrog positivt till den mentala hälsan genom bland annat genuinitet, ärlighet, samhörighet och inspiration bland likasinnade på sociala medier. Bekräftelse kunde vara både positivt och negativt beroende på hur deltagarna förhöll sig till det. Hanterandet av sårbarheter framkom i form av olika strategier, däribland att ta kontroll och olika sätt att finna mod. Slutsatsen visar att det går att få hälsofrämjande effekter på den mentala hälsan genom att använda sig av sociala medier i relation till sitt skapande. / The aim of this study was to explore mentally health promoting aspects of social media in relation to crafting. A qualitative method which consisted of three focus group interviews with 3-5 participants in each focus group was used to collect data. The data were analyzed with a manifest content analysis, where three subcategories; surround yourself with inspiration and like-minded people, various dimensions of displaying your work and embrace the reflection of reality formed a main theme; to share and take part: health promotive aspects of creative crafting and social media. The result shows that crafting in relation to social media contributed positively to mental health by factors like genuineness, honesty, affinity and inspiration amongst like-minded people on social media. Confirmation and affirmation could be both positive and negative depending on how the participants related to it. Dealing with vulnerability emerged as different strategies, for example taking control and different ways to find courage. The conclusion shows that it’s possible to get health promotive effects on mental health by using social media in relation to one's crafting.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate different scales of mobility and social networks in Southern Scandinavia around 7000 BC. An essential basis for this work is the hypothesis that the conical core pressure blade technology, a specific method for producing lithic blades, reached Scandinavia from the east. The process has been discussed and verified in several earlier studies. The study is based on investigations of lithic material and bone tools, as well as human skeletal remains; a multidisciplinary strategy has been applied, which combines technological analyzes of archaeological material with isotope analyzes of human teeth. Materials and data have been collected from a total of 111 sites located mainly in Scandinavia, but also in Finland, the Baltic countries and Russia. The Mesolithic site Norje Sunnansund in Blekinge, southern Sweden is in focus. Analyzes of the chaîne opératoire of lithic and osseous production make it possible to study technological processes as the transmission of culturally conditioned patterns; these patterns underlie the formative principles of each technology complex. By identifying specific traditional knowledge built into the material process, it becomes possible to define prehistoric human traditions and thereby study human interactions and migrations between geographical regions. The analyzes of strontium isotopes in human teeth from Norje Sunnansund enables an additional individual provenancing since the isotopes reflect a geographical-geological variation. The study provides a higher resolution of the arrival and spreading of the pressure blade technology from the northeast. It also strengthens the picture of a Mesolithic society in Southern Scandinavia based on geographically extensive social networks. An increased regionalization and territorialization has previously been proposed for western Scandinavia around 8800-7500 BC. The study confirms that during this period the population seem to consist of several subgroups related to specific territories, but with close and regular contact within a more extensive social network. This fits well with the picture of a group that may have inhabited Norje Sunnansund for extended periods, while social contacts were maintained over longer distances.

The master thesis describes the design and digital commissioning of a robotic production system for 3D concrete printing. The theoretical part of the thesis includes an analysis of the current state of knowledge in the field of 3D printing in industrial automation. It also includes a detailed system analysis of the problem, in which the requirements and elements of the production system are specified. In the applied part of the thesis, a 3D model of the workplace was created and a simulation of the entire production process and digital commissioning of the system were performed using the ABB RobotStudio software. The output of the of the application part of the thesis is the design is the design of the workplace with a debugged control program ready for use in real operation.

Submitted by SBI Biblioteca Digital (sbi.bibliotecadigital@puc-campinas.edu.br) on 2017-02-14T14:22:15Z No. of bitstreams: 1 RITA PIMENTA DE DEVOTTO.pdf: 4782655 bytes, checksum: 8a2b52204f5ddcd14488022a1724b387 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-02-14T14:22:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 RITA PIMENTA DE DEVOTTO.pdf: 4782655 bytes, checksum: 8a2b52204f5ddcd14488022a1724b387 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-12-14 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior - CAPES / The central theme of this master thesis are the proactive behaviours at work called job crafting. Job crafting consists of informal individual initiatives to modify the work, in order to optimize resources and demands and or to make it more engaging and rewarding. Individuals shape their work experience through actions that redefine the tasks and relationships involved in the work, as well as through cognitive changes in the way they perceive work. The theoretical model of job crafting proposes that such actions take place at different organizational contexts and are independent of the degree of autonomy, complexity and authority involved in each work. Since its emergence in the qualitative research in 2001, the proactive approach of job crafting has attracted growing interest from researchers and practitioners, as an alternative that explains and highlights the energetic and daily efforts of the individual to change their working environment. In Brazil, research in job crafting is at an early stage. Five different interconnected studies were undertaken to deepen the theoretical and empirical knowledge about job crafting and to advance its research in Brazil. The first study presents a systematic review of the international scientific literature on job crafting. Evidences revealed an increase of scientific publications about the construct, driven by the development of measures. We found a lack of production in our context and the need to adapt measures to assess the construct and promote empirical research about job crafting in Brazil. The second study, which theoretically introduces the theme, aimed to meet the need to contribute to a chapter about job crafting for book to be published in Brazil. The chapter situates the job crafting approach, revises its conceptualization in the international literature, describes the state of the art in the evaluation of the construct, portrays the main antecedents and outcomes of job crafting according to recent empirical studies and discusses some benefits and practical implications. The third study presents the adaptation and validation of the Job Crafting Questionnaire to the Brazilian context. We conducted two studies with professionals in Brazil to investigate the internal structure of the instrument through exploratory and confirmatory techniques. The results indicated that the instrument presented adequate psychometric characteristics, being a valid measure for assessing job crafting in general populations in Brazil. The fourth study presents a systematic review and a meta-analysis on the relationship between job crafting and well-being. The positive relationship between both constructs was corroborated. We found that the job crafting has a greater effect on the positive dimension of the well-being. This study also brought evidences of a significant difference between the effect of job crafting on occupational and general well-being measures, indicating a better performance of the latter. Finally, we undertook an exploratory study about the job demands-resources model in the Brazilian context. Drawing on the network analysis technique, we investigated the relationships between the variables of working conditions, work engagement, job crafting and well-being, predicted by the job demands-resources model. Results supported some relationships predicted by the theoretical model. However, the job crafting, which predicted work engagement, did not happen at the expenses of the working conditions (resources and demands). This finding indicates the need to investigate other intrinsic precedents of job crafting. These five products of the master?s thesis advance research in job crafting in Brazil. / A tem?tica central da presente disserta??o s?o os comportamentos proativos no trabalho denominados de job crafting. Tais comportamentos consistem em iniciativas individuais informais que buscam modificar o trabalho, para otimizar seus recursos e demandas e ou para torn?-lo mais envolvente e gratificante. Os indiv?duos moldam sua experi?ncia de trabalho atrav?s de a??es que redefinem as tarefas e as rela??es envolvidas no trabalho, bem como por meio de mudan?as cognitivas na forma de perceber o seu trabalho. O modelo te?rico do job crafting prop?e que tais a??es acontecem em diferentes contextos organizacionais e s?o independentes do grau de autonomia, complexidade e autoridade envolvidos no trabalho. Desde o seu surgimento na pesquisa qualitativa em 2001, a perspectiva proativa do job crafting tem despertado crescente interesse de pesquisadores e profissionais, como uma alternativa que explica e salienta os esfor?os proativos e cotidianos do indiv?duo para alterar seu contexto de trabalho. No Brasil, a pesquisa em job crafting encontra-se em est?gio inicial. Foram empreendidos cinco estudos diferentes e interconectados que buscaram aprofundar o conhecimento te?rico e emp?rico sobre o job crafting e avan?ar sua pesquisa no Brasil. O primeiro estudo apresenta uma revis?o sistem?tica da produ??o cient?fica internacional sobre o job crafting. Verificou-se um crescimento de publica??es cient?ficas sobre o construto, impulsionado pelo desenvolvimento de medidas. Constatou-se a aus?ncia de produ??o no nosso contexto e a necessidade de adaptar medidas para aferir o construto e impulsionar a pesquisa emp?rica sobre o job crafting no Brasil. O segundo estudo introduz teoricamente a tem?tica e objetivou atender ? necessidade de contribuir com um cap?tulo sobre job crafting para um livro ainda in?dito no Brasil1. O cap?tulo situa a abordagem do job crafting, revisa sua conceptualiza??o na literatura internacional, descreve o estado da arte na avalia??o do construto, retrata os principais antecedentes e desfechos do job crafting de acordo com recentes estudos emp?ricos, e discute alguns benef?cios e implica??es pr?ticas. O terceiro estudo apresenta a adapta??o e valida??o do Job Crafting Questionnaire para o contexto brasileiro. Conduziu-se dois estudos com profissionais no Brasil para investigar a estrutura interna do instrumento por meio de t?cnicas explorat?rias e confirmat?rias. Os resultados indicaram que o instrumento apresentou caracter?sticas psicom?tricas adequadas, sendo uma medida v?lida para avalia??o do job crafting em popula??es gerais no Brasil. O quarto estudo apresenta uma revis?o sistem?tica e uma metan?lise sobre a rela??o do job crafting com o bem-estar. Corroborou-se a rela??o positiva entre ambos construtos. Constatou-se um maior efeito do job crafting sobre a dimens?o positiva do bem-estar. Verificou-se a exist?ncia de uma diferen?a significativa entre o efeito do job crafting nas medidas de bem-estar ocupacionais e gerais, indicando um melhor desempenho destas ?ltimas. Por fim, apresenta-se um estudo explorat?rio sobre o modelo de recursos e demandas no trabalho no contexto brasileiro. Valendo-se da t?cnica de an?lise de redes, foram investigadas as rela??es previstas no modelo de recursos e demandas no trabalho, entre as vari?veis de condi??es de trabalho, engajamento no trabalho, job crafting e bem-estar. Os resultados corroboram algumas rela??es previstas no modelo te?rico. Por?m o job crafting, apesar de preditor do engajamento no trabalho, n?o aconteceu em virtude das condi??es de trabalho (recursos e demandas). Este achado indica a necessidade de investigar outros precedentes de natureza intr?nseca do job crafting. Estes cinco produtos da disserta??o avan?am o conhecimento sobre a pesquisa em job crafting no Brasil.

In this study we aimed to investigate the process through which players of video games situate, and form an understanding of their presence within the virtual game environment. This study specifically investigates this process in games played through a first person perspective with the intention of minimising the amount of visual information provided the participants. For this purpose we created two scenarios within a videogame environment specifically design for the study. A total of thirteen participants took part in the study, and after each season a semi structured interview was performed. In a qualitative content analysis we identified patterns and commonalities ascertaining to our line of questioning, and conclude that while the player-presence relationship would appear to be largely dependent on the individual’s type of play, the varying focus on either narratology or ludology in our two scenarios did indeed influence the participants to approach this relationship similarly within the separate groups. Finally we defined four types of player-presence relationship, and how they can be said to relate to the varying ludonarrative dynamics within the two specified genres, as well as the varying types of play observed amongst the participants in our study.

The Bayesian network (BN) formalism is a powerful representation for encoding domains characterised by uncertainty. However, before it can be used it must first be constructed, which is a major challenge for any real-life problem. There are two broad approaches, namely the hand-crafted approach, which relies on a human expert, and the data-driven approach, which relies on data. The former approach is useful, however issues such as human bias can introduce errors into the model. We have conducted a literature review of the expert-driven approach, and we have cherry-picked a number of common methods, and engineered a framework to assist non-BN experts with expert-driven construction of BNs. The latter construction approach uses algorithms to construct the model from a data set. However, construction from data is provably NP-hard. To solve this problem, approximate, heuristic algorithms have been proposed; in particular, algorithms that assume an order between the nodes, therefore reducing the search space. However, traditionally, this approach relies on an expert providing the order among the variables --- an expert may not always be available, or may be unable to provide the order. Nevertheless, if a good order is available, these order-based algorithms have demonstrated good performance. More recent approaches attempt to ''learn'' a good order then use the order-based algorithm to discover the structure. To eliminate the need for order information during construction, we propose a search in the entire space of Bayesian network structures --- we present a novel approach for carrying out this task, and we demonstrate its performance against existing algorithms that search in the entire space and the space of orders. Finally, we employ the hand-crafting framework to construct models for the task of diagnosis in a ''real-life'' medical domain, dementia diagnosis. We collect real dementia data from clinical practice, and we apply the data-driven algorithms developed to assess the concordance between the reference models developed by hand and the models derived from real clinical data.

No description available.

Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African health care system is tormented by various challenges ranging from income inequalities, extreme resource scarcities to discrimination and violence. This makes the health care industry a tough work environment for health care personnel to operate in. South Africa has experienced the loss of thousands of nurses over the past decade, either emigrating or leaving the nursing profession altogether (Tshitangano, 2013). Consequently, this trend drew the attention to the well-being of nurses in South Africa. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the level of work engagement among private sector nurses in the Western Cape, together with their levels of job demands, job resources, personal resources, performance and job crafting. This was done using the Job Demands-Resources model (JD-R) of work engagement. The comprehensive JD-R model was tested and the validity of the proposed relationships between the constructs was examined. Moreover, additional paths in the model were proposed and tested. Managerial implications along with practical interventions were derived from the results with the aim to increase nurse well-being and retention. An ex post facto correlational design was used to test the formulated hypotheses in this research study. Quantitative data were collected from 311 nurses employed by a private hospital group by means of non-probability convenience sampling. A self-administered paper copy survey was distributed to hospitals given that they agreed to participate in the research. The survey was voluntary, anonymous and confidential. The survey consisted of five sections and included questions from five existing questionnaires, namely, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-17) (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2003), the Job Demands-Resources Scale (Rothman, Mostert & Strydom, 2006), the Work Design Questionnaire (Morgeson & Humhprey, 2006), the Psychological Capital Self-Rated Version (PsyCap-24) (Luthans, Avolio, Avey & Norman, 2006), and the Job Crafting Scale (Tims, Bakker & Derks, 2012). In order to test the statistical significance of the hypotheses, the data were subjected to Structural Equation modelling and regression analyses. The results indicated that the nurses experienced a high level of work engagement, and elucidated the fact that job resources, job demands, and job crafting aspects of their jobs are in need of industrial psychologist or managerial interventions. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid-Afrikaanse gesondheidsisteem word geteister deur verskeie uitdagings wat onder andere inkomste ongelykhede, ekstreme hulpbron skaarshede, diskriminasie en geweld insluit. Dit maak die gesondheidsindustrie ʼn moeilike werksomgewing vir gesondheidspersoneel om in te werk. Suid-Afrika het duisende verpleegsters oor die laaste dekade verloor as gevolg van emigrasie, terwyl ander die professie in geheel verlaat het (Tshitangano, 2013). Gevolglik het hierdie tendens die aandag getrek na die welstand van verpleegsters in Suid-Afrika. Die primêre doel van hierdie studie was om die vlak van werksbetrokkenheid onder ʼn steekproef van privaatsektor verpleegsters in die Wes-Kaap te ondersoek, tesame met hulle vlakke van werkseise, werkshulpbronne, persoonlike hulpbronne, werksprestasie en posverryking. Die Job Demands-Resources model (JD-R) of work engagement is vir hierdie doel ingespan. Die omvattende model tesame met die geldigheid van die voorgestelde verhoudings tussen die konstrukte is getoets. Addisionele verhoudings is ook voorgestel en getoets. Bestuursimplikasies en praktiese intervensies is van die resultate afgelei en word aan bestuurders voorgelê as moontlike oplossings om verpleegsters se welstand en retensie te verhoog. ʼn Ex post facto korrelasie-ontwerp is gebruik om die geformuleerde hipoteses in hierdie studie te toets. Kwantitatiewe data is van 311 verpleegsters ingesamel wat deur ʼn private hospitaalgroep in diens geneem word. Nie-waarskynlikheid gerieflikheidsteekproeftrekking is gebruik om die steekproef te bepaal. ʼn Self-geadministreerde vraelys is ontwikkel en as harde kopie uitgestuur na dié hospitale wat ingestem het om aan die navorsing deel te neem. Die vraelys is vrywillig, anoniem en konfidensieel ingevul en het uit vyf seksies bestaan. Die vyf seksies se vrae is opgemaak uit verskeie bestaande vraelyste, naamlik, die Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-17) (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2003), die Job Demands-Resources Scale (Rothman, Mostert & Strydom, 2006), die Work Design Questionnaire (Morgeson & Humhprey, 2006), die Psychological Capital Self-Rated Version (PsyCap-24) (Luthans, Avolio, Avey & Norman, 2006), en die Job Crafting Scale (Tims, Bakker & Derks, 2012). Ten einde die statistiese beduidendheid van die hipoteses te toets, is die data deur strukturele vergelykingsmodellering en regressie-ontledings ontleed. Die resultate dui daarop dat die verpleegsters 'n hoë vlak van werksbetrokkenheid ervaar, en dat werkshulpbronne, werkseise en posverrykende aspekte van hulle werk bestuurs- of bedryfsielkundige intervensies verlang.

Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / This research investigated work as a calling, the relationship with work engagement and the effect on burnout in the Namibian health care sector. A quantitative survey was conducted on a convenient sample of nurses (N = 261) employed by government and private hospitals in Namibia. Kendall's tau_b correlation analysis indicated a positive correlation between job/calling orientation and total work engagement, and a negative correlation with the burnout sub-dimensions of exhaustion and cynicism/ depersonalisation. The results of this study also suggest that both job/calling and work engagement are statistically related to the respondents’ positive world view, which is an important attribute for quality of life. Additionally, the study revealed that burnout had a partial mediation effect on the interaction between job/calling and work engagement. Selected demographic characteristics had a partial moderation effect on the relationship between job/calling orientation, work engagement and burnout. These findings may provide new knowledge for the design of workplace practices that assess calling orientation, and may enhance work engagement. The study provided a deepened understanding of the interrelationships between work as a calling, work engagement and burnout. On a practical level, the recommendations provided can be used by human resource management practitioners, nurse managers and health care providers to motivate health care workers to become more productive in the provision of quality health care, and to improve the management of employees throughout their employment life cycle. / In hierdie studie is werk as ʼn roeping en die verband tussen werkverbintenis en die uitwerking van ooreising in die Namibiese gesondheidsorgsektor ondersoek. ʼn Kwantitatiewe opname is onder ʼn geriefsteekproef van verpleegsters (N = 261) by private en staatshospitale in Namibië gedoen. Volgens Kandall se tau_b-korrelasieanalise is daar ʼn positiewe korrelasie tussen pos/roepingsgerigtheid en totale werkverbintenis, en ʼn negatiewe korrelasie met die ooreisingsubdimensies van uitputting en sinisme/ontpersoonliking. Die uitslag van hierdie studie dui daarop dat sowel pos/roeping as werkverbintenis statisties met die respondente se positiewe wêreldbeskouing, ʼn belangrike kenmerk vir lewenskwaliteit, verband hou. Afgesien hiervan dui die uitslag daarop dat ooreising ʼn gedeeltelike mediasie-effek op die wisselwerking tussen pos/roeping en werkverbintenis het. Die gekose demografiese kenmerke het ʼn gedeeltelik matigende effek op die verband tussen pos/roepingsgerigtheid, werkverbintenis en ooreising. Hierdie bevindings is nuwe kennis vir die ontwerp van werkplekpraktyke wat roepingsgerigtheid evalueer en dit kan werkverbintenis verbeter. Hierdie studie bied groter insig in die onderlinge verbande tussen werk as ʼn roeping, werkverbintenis en ooreising. Op ʼn praktiese vlak kan mensehulpbronbestuurders, verpleegsterbestuurders en gesondheidsorgverskaffers die aanbevelings gebruik om gesondheidsorgwerkers te motiveer sodat hulle produktiewer in die lewering van goeie gesondheidsorgdienste raak. Dit kan eweneens gebruik word om gesondheidsorgwerkers hulle hele werkslewensiklus deur beter te bestuur. / Lolu cwaningo beluphenya umsebenzi njengobizo lomsebenzi, ubudlelwano bokuzibandakanya emsebenzini kanye nomthelela wokukhathala kakhulu kwabasebenzi emkhakheni wezempilo eNamibia. Isaveyi eyencike kumanani iye yenziwa ngokuthi kuthathwe isampuli efanele yabahlengikazi (N = 261) abaqashwe yizibhedlela zikahulumeni kanye nezibhedlela zangasese eNamibia. Uhlaziyo lukaKendall lwe-tau_b luveze ubudlelwano obuhle obuphakathi kobizo/kokufundiswa umsebenzi kanye nokuzibandakanya ngokugcwele emsebenzini, kanye nobudlelwano obubi bokukhathala kwezigatshana ezincane zokudangala kanye nokwenza into ngesizathu sokuzinceda wena wedwa/ukuqeda ukuzibheka wena wedwa. Imiphumela yalolu cwaningo nayo iphakamisa ukuthi kokubili umsebenzi/nobizo lomsebenzi kanye nokuzibandakanya emsebenzini ngokwamanani kuhlobene nombono omuhle wabaphenduli bemibuzo mayelana nomhlaba, okungumthelela obalulekile kwizinga elihle lempilo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ucwaningo luveze ukuthi ukukhathala kakhulu ngakolunye uhlangothi kunomphumela omuhle wokuxazulula kahle lapho kuhlangana khona umsebenzi/ubizo lomsebenzi kanye nokuzibandakanya emsebenzini. Izimpawu ezikhethiwe zedemografi ngakwenye ingxenye zinomthelela wozinzisa kahle ubudlelwano obuphakathi kohlelo lokungeniswa emsebenzi/obizweni lomsebenzi, kokuzibandakanya emsebenzini kanye nokukhathala kakhulu emsebenzini. Lolu lwazi olutholakele lungaletha ulwazi olusha olumayelana nedizayini yezingqubo zendawo yomsebenzi, okuyizingqubo ezihlola ukufundiswa ngobizo lomsebenzi kanti lokhu kungaqinisa ukuzibandakanya emsebenzini. Empilweni yangempela, izincomo zingasetshenziswa abasebenzi bomnyango wezokuqhashwa kwabasebenzi, abaphathi babahlengikazi kanye nabahlinzeki bezempilo ngesizathu sokukhuthaza abasebenzi bezempilo ukuba babe abasebenzi abaqotho mayelana nokunikezwa kwezinsiza zempilo zezinga eliphezulu, kanyenokuthuthukisa nohlelo lokuphathwa kwabasebenzi empilweni yabo yonke yokusebenza. / Business Management / D. Com. (Business Management)