This dissertation concerns the development of the MicroWave Radiometer (MWR) brightness temperature (Tb) algorithm and the associated algorithm validation using on-orbit MWR Tb measurements. This research is sponsored by the NASA Earth Sciences Aquarius Mission, a joint international science mission, between NASA and the Argentine Space Agency (Comision Nacional de Actividades Espaciales, CONAE). The MWR is a CONAE developed passive microwave instrument operating at 23.8 GHz (K-band) H-pol and 36.5 GHz (Ka-band) H- and V-pol designed to complement the Aquarius L-band radiometer/scatterometer, which is the prime sensor for measuring sea surface salinity (SSS). MWR measures the Earth's brightness temperature and retrieves simultaneous, spatially collocated, environmental measurements (surface wind speed, rain rate, water vapor, and sea ice concentration) to assist in the measurement of SSS. This dissertation research addressed several areas including development of: 1) a signal processing procedure for determining and correcting radiometer system non-linearity; 2) an empirical method to retrieve switch matrix loss coefficients during thermal-vacuum (T/V) radiometric calibration test; and 3) an antenna pattern correction (APC) algorithm using Inter-satellite radiometric cross-calibration of MWR with the WindSat satellite radiometer. The validation of the MWR counts-to-Tb algorithm was performed using two years of on-orbit data, which included special deep space calibration measurements and routine clear sky ocean/land measurements.

Waterworks typically refer to a system or facility for supplying, storing, and treating water. It encompasses the infrastructure and machinery used to collect, purify, and 
distribute water to homes, businesses, and other users. The term can also mean starting to cry, especially to gain sympathy or attention. Additionally, it can refer to the organs of the body through which urine is passed. The climate crisis presents significant challenges to water filtration. Extreme weather events can contaminate sources. Harmful algal blooms, saltwater intrusion and toxins further complicate filtration. We might have to rethink how we take clean tap water for granted. This home water filtration unit that via acoustics filters the water, reimagines our relationship to drinking water and the habits around it, and the new behaviors and rituals that would emerge from this new normal. / Waterworks avser vanligtvis ett system eller en anläggning för att tillhandahålla, lagra och behandla vatten. Det omfattar infrastrukturen och tekniken som används för att samla in, rena och distribuera vatten till hem, företag och andra användare. Termen kan också betyda att börja gråta, särskilt för att få sympati eller uppmärksamhet. Dessutom kan det referera till kroppens organ genom vilka urin passerar. Klimatkrisen innebär betydande utmaningar för vattenfiltrering. Extrema väderhändelser kan förorena dricksvattentäkter. Skadlig algblomning, saltvattenintrång och gifter försvårar filtreringen ytterligare. Vi kanske måste tänka om kring hur vi idag tar rent kranvatten för givet. Denna filtreringsenhet, som via akustik filtrerar vattnet, belyser vårt förhållande till dricksvatten och de nya beteenden och ritualer som skulle uppstå ur en ny klimatmässig normalsituation.

[pt] Baseada no compromisso com a qualidade de vida das crianças em suas relações com a natureza e nos desafios de uma educação ambiental que seja assegurada como mais um direito humano, no sentido de garantir uma relação ampla dos seres humanos com e enquanto natureza, e mais que isso, de resgatar o direito da própria vida se manter, esta pesquisa focou as relações das crianças da Comunidade das Pedras (Teresópolis-RJ) entre si e na/com a natureza, tanto em sua comunidade e convívio familiar quanto dentro da escola, buscando compreender as atividades propostas que se dedicam a um convívio com o ambiente natural e sua importância curricular. Dessa forma, o objetivo da pesquisa foi, por um lado, compreender, no contexto de uma comunidade rural, como as crianças do campo, que já têm, fora da escola, algum convívio garantido com a natureza, compreendem essa relação, e, por outro, como a escola reconhece e trabalha a partir desta realidade local. A pesquisa se fundamentou teoricamente a partir, principalmente, da articulação de três eixos de referência: o conceito de três ecologias de Félix Guattari e sua influência na discussão atual sobre educação ambiental; a sociologia das ausências e das emergências de Boaventura Sousa Santos; e a defesa do direito à vida e de um meio ambiente saudável na perspectiva da educação em direitos humanos. A partir de uma inspiração etnográfica, a pesquisa se deu de forma imersiva no contexto de uma comunidade rural, entendendo, que, apesar da natureza abundante, a relação dicotômica entre cultura e natureza que construímos a partir da civilização ocidental vem contribuindo para o fortalecimento de uma cultura antropocêntrica que separa os humanos de seu entorno, isolando-os das outras espécies e cultivando atitudes destrutivas em relação a tudo que vive. Apesar da maior inserção da temática ambiental na escola através da educação ambiental e de sua importância anunciada pelos professores, a incorporação desta temática às práticas pedagógicas ainda é frágil, apontando o caráter monocultural da escola e a necessidade de repensar a importância da natureza para o desenvolvimento integral das crianças. / [en] Being based on the commitment to the life quality of children as related to nature and bearing in mind the challenges of an environmental education to be guaranteed as another human right, the research aimed at the way children of Comunidade das Pedras (Teresópolis, in the State of Rio de Janeiro) relate among them as well as with nature, both in their family nucleuses and at school. On the one hand, the chief aim was to investigate from the perspective of a rural community how children from the country envisage this relation, considering that some contact with nature is already guaranteed to them. On the other hand, the aim was to investigate how the school acknowledges this local reality and works based on this local reality. The theoretical basis was the articulation of three reference sources: Felix Guattari’s concept of the three ecologies and its influence on the current discussion of environmental education; Boaventura Sousa Santos’ sociology of absences and emergencies; and the fight for the right to life and for a healthy environment from the perspective of education in human rights. Beginning with an ethnographic inspiration, an immersion was conducted in different contexts, interviews with teachers, group activities with the students and documental analysis. We are convinced that, in spite of the plentiful nature of the context in which the research was conducted, the two-part relationship between culture and nature which we have built based on the western civilization, is contributing to the strengthening of an anthropocentric culture that separates human beings from their surroundings, thus isolating them from other species and cultivating destructive attitudes towards anything that lives. In spite of environmental topics being more present at school and the fact that teachers have declared its importance, the incorporation of such topics to pedagogic practices is still very uncertain. That, in turn, points to the monocultural nature of school and the necessity of revising the importance of nature to the all-inclusive development of children.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-16T15:23:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 24632260 bytes, checksum: 2ed7166defd24ef86a369b76780a4306 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-27 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Information access and use is everywhere, and the way we are interacting with it is constantly changing. Access to and use of information are transcending the Internet; it is going beyond the use of personal computers. Post-PC devices (tablets, smartphones, etc., network resources and real-time information systems are making our interactions with pervasive and ubiquitous information. This research project seeks to assess the level of satisfaction of users in a digital information environment, structured from a I pervasive Information Architecture. The methodology is characterized as being a research type qualitative - quantitative, descriptive and exploratory, whose research universe are the universe of managers and entrepreneurs in the Business Incubation Program of Universidade Federal de Goiás - PROINE /UFG. From this study it was possible to compose a diagnostic view of the processes of transferring and receiving information through the use of instruments, methodological and technological resources for the development of hybrid information spaces, making it possible to identify the actors, artifacts and context involved in ubiquitous ecologies / A informação está em toda parte, e a maneira como estamos interagindo com ela está em constante mudança. O acesso e o uso da informação estão transcendendo a Internet, vão além da utilização dos computadores pessoais. Dispositivos móveis (Tablets, smartphones e outros), recursos de rede e sistemas de informação em tempo real estão tornando nossas interações com a informação constantes e onipresentes. A pesquisa em questão procura avaliar o nível de satisfação dos usuários de um ambiente informacional digital, estruturado a partir de uma Arquitetura da Informação pervasiva. Caracteriza-se como uma pesquisa do tipo quali-quanti, descritiva e exploratória, que tem como universo os gestores e empreendedores do Programa de Incubação de Empresas da Universidade Federal de Goiás PROINE/ UFG. A partir deste estudo será possível compor uma visão diagnóstica dos processos de transferência e obtenção de informações através da utilização de instrumentos, recursos metodológicos e tecnológicos para o desenvolvimento de espaços informacionais híbridos, tornando possível apontar os atores, artefatos e o contexto envolvidos em ecologias ubíquas.

This master thesis explores the dynamics of information flows between the hacktivist group Guacamaya, media outlets and social media users. The study aims to understand the role of various social actors within the digital space such as media outlets, journalists, bots, and trolls, in shaping public opinion and the overall effectiveness of the group's communication activities. A netnographic methodology was employed to observe the journey and transformation of information as it travelled from the hacktivist group to journalists and eventually to social media users. Tweets were obtained purposefully, to build a media ecology with sentiments, topics and where different actors interact with the information and with each other, modifying and reinterpreting the purpose of Guacamaya. The theoretical framework draws on the concepts of technopolitics, hacktivism, information flows, the network society and gatekeeping. My findings show how the Internet is a contested territory where attention and power are disputed. They also provide evidence on the complexity of the communication process in the digital space as all interactions from all actors influence the information flow. The conclusions highlight the new media ecology environment and the multidisciplinary role of actors in the digital realm. Furthermore, they argue that hacktivism as counterpower involves more than technical skills for uncovering hidden information and demanding accountability, but also strategic reappropriation for reducing inequalities and promoting just and inclusive societies. Hopefully, this thesis contributes to understanding the potential of hacktivists groups to drive political and social change through the understanding of a new communication environment.

This work explores the fusion of bio-technology and sports footwear design and envisions a future where people enhance their physiology to meet their specific needs. Through tissue engineering, the wearer’s own biomaterials are utilized to optimize performance and customization. It seeks to redefine the enhancement of long-distance running by creating a physical bond between footwear and feet. Based on both design fiction and industrial design, the project speculates on the impact of biotechnological advances. It reflects a curiosity-driven exploration of the human body and its potential transformation. The thesis concludes with reflections on such innovations in footwear design and the role of design fiction in imagining future possibilities. It forms a contribution to Design Ecologies and illustrates the intersection of design, ecology, biology, and fiction, in addressing contemporary challenges.

For almost two decades, Coastal GasLink, with the support of the State of British Columbia (B.C.), Canada, has sought to build a hydrofracking gas pipeline, which would cross a large part of Wet’suwet’en Nation’s territories. Faced with this, the different clans that make up the Nation, under the governance system of the Hereditary Chiefs, have expressed their disagreement, demonstrating that the environmental assessment and decision-making processes overlooked their deep relationship with the Yintakh (their territory). Drawing on a methodological approach that involved visual ethnography and combined content and narrative analysis, my research aims to analyze the role that emotions play in the territorial-ontological conflict between the State of B.C., Coastal GasLink, and the Wet’suwet’en. The combination of content and narrative analysis helped decipher and understand how people express everyday practices and construct and perform their identity amid the conflict. In facing COVID-19 pandemic limitations, visual ethnography provided an alternative to fieldwork. Using online available audiovisual material, through which I was able to keep a phenomenological approach, I used my senses (visual and auditory) to analyze body movements, tone of voice, and language. The theoretical approach to the conflict was from that of political ontology and emotional political ecologies (EmPEs). To answer my first research question: how is the conflict of interest an ontological conflict? I articulate a framework made up of Ingold’s phenomenology, Blaser’s ontological conflicts, and Escobar's studies of culture as a radical difference. To answer my second research question: what is the role that emotions play in the conflict? I build on the spiderweb, a metaphor developed by Ingold, to expand the scope of González-Hidalgo’s emotional political ecologies. I demonstrate that the processes of political inter-subjectivation sought at the Unist’ot’en Healing Center help understand, on the one hand, the worry, frustration, and stress of the Wet'suwet'ens facing the world-creating practices of Coastal GasLink and the State of B.C. On the other hand, the Healing Center reveals how the affections for the other-than-human and their relational world inform Wet’suwet’en resistance. Lastly, I unveil how Coastal GasLink and the Ministry of Aboriginal Rights and Reconciliation, through discourses and practices of inclusion and gender equality, seek to blur radical cultural differences, delegitimize the Wet’suwet’en pre-colonial governance system, and create affections for the Western-modern world.

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As a counterpoint to globalisation, I wanted to see how locally a sofa can be produced and investi- gate how outsourcing affects Swedish production. The project is set in the Swedish region Skåne and shaped around three themes: locality, the consumer’s relationship to the product and ”design for disassembly”. The result is a deconstructable sofa made of Skåne wool, pine from the local lumber- man and linen from the last active weavery in Skåne. In this thesis I elaborate on the friction between profit-making, sustainability and consumerism and try to find answers to what production should look like in the future. / Som en motpol till globaliseringen ville jag se hur lokalt en soffa kan produceras och undersöka hur outsourcing påverkar svensk produktion. Projektet ugår ifrån Skåne och formades efter tre teman: lokalitet, konsumentens relation till möbeln och “design for disassembly". Resultatet är en isärtagbar soffa av skånsk ull, furu från bygdens sågverk och linne från det sista väveriet i Skåne. I min uppsats resonerar jag vidare kring friktionen mellan vinstintresse, hållbarhet samt konsumtionsbehov, och försöker hitta svar på hur framtidens produktion bör se ut.