Diversas aplicações de redes de sensores sem fio necessitam de serviços de segurança, como confidencialidade, integridade e autenticação de origem de dados. Contudo, dadas as limitações de processamento, memória e suprimento de energia dos dispositivos, os mecanismos de segurança tradicionais podem causar efeitos indesejáveis na rede, como atraso na comunicação e aumento no consumo de energia, impondo obstáculos para seu uso na tecnologia em questão. Muitas propostas de esquemas de segurança baseados em criptografia simétrica projetados especificamente para redes de sensores sem fio são encontradas na literatura. Contudo, essas soluções são focadas na segurança salto-a-salto. Tal abordagem é adequada para garantir a segurança dos enlaces deste tipo de rede, mas não garante a segurança na comunicação fim-a-fim. Neste trabalho são apresentados cenários e desafios de implementação de segurança neste tipo de rede, e a concepção, o projeto e a implementação de uma arquitetura de segurança para redes de sensores sem fio, que tem como objetivos: prover segurança na comunicação fim-a-fim; permitir a interoperabilidade entre diferentes sistemas; e possibilitar uma maior flexibilidade em relação à utilização de chaves criptográficas em diferentes cenários e topologias. Adicionalmente, a solução proposta suporta ativação e desativação de seus serviços em tempo de execução. O projeto da referida arquitetura, atuante na camada de aplicação da pilha de protocolos de rede, foi construído com base na análise das características de arquiteturas encontradas na literatura, bem como de estratégias adotadas por estas. Para a construção da implementação foram selecionados mecanismos e algoritmos criptográficos a partir da avaliação de desempenho que considerou assimétricas de uso de memória, tempo de execução e consumo de energia. Como resultados são apresentados a especificação da arquitetura, a avaliação qualitativa da mesma e a avaliação de desempenho da implementação desenvolvida como prova de conceito. Além disso, é apresentada uma análise do impacto de diferentes topologias e características de disposição na tarefa de distribuição de chaves criptográficas em redes de sensores sem fio. / Many wireless sensor networks applications need security services, such as confidentiality, data integrity and data source authentication. On the other hand, because of device limitations, security mechanisms may affect the network energy consumption and communication delay, which impose a great challenge for practical implementation of security mechanisms in such scenario. Many solutions based on symmetric cryptography were proposed for the specific challenges of wireless sensor networks. Nevertheless, they are focused on hop-by-hop security. Such approach is suited to provide link-layer security, but it cannot guarantee end-to-end security. This work presents scenarios and challenges to implement security in wireless sensor networks, and the conception, design and implementation of a security architecture, which aims to provide: security in end-to-end communication; interoperability between different systems, and enable greater flexibility in cryptographic keys distribution in different scenarios and topologies. Additionally, the proposed solution supports on-the-y adjustment of its security services. The architecture design, which targets the application layer of the network protocol stack, was based on the main properties of the architectures found in literature as well as adopted strategies. For the implementation, mechanisms and cryptographic algorithms were selected through the performance evaluation that considers memory usage, execution time and power consumption as metrics. The results were the architecture specification and its qualitative analysis, and the performance evaluation of the implementation developed as proof of concept. Furthermore, we present an analysis of topology and deployment impact on key distribution task.

Many companies have been trying to shift their business core from offering products to offer product-service systems (PSS), what requires not only a shift in the business model, but also in the culture and mindset. Using user-centered methods to support the PSS development process is a way to support this shift and to enhance perceived value of PSS offerings. One possible approach to support PSS development on becoming more user-centered is design thinking (DT). It is a user-centric approach used by many leader enterprises to support innovation and described by several methodologies with practical focus. However, it is not clear in literature how to integrate DT and development process models already used by companies, leading to cases where practitioners may replace complete phases, or even the whole development process, by DT. This replacement does not seem appropriate, since DT may lack aspects that are considered by PSS development processes. The main objective of this work is to identify how the DT approach can be applied in PSS development processes. The methodology of this research combines the following methods: case research, corpus linguistics, frame semantics and matrix-based methods. One of the results of this work is the characterization of DT based on the linguistic analysis, which was derived from content extracted from more than 1500 pages of 8 DT methodologies. This analysis resulted in 46 recurrent activities, associated with 458 specific guidelines, and the identification of 182 relevant activities that synthetize the DT methodologies. Those activities were compared to 14 PSS development process models from literature, concluding, among other findings, that DT cannot replace the PSS design process models, and that the compatibility for integration of DT into PSS development process models is greater on the front-end of innovation (FEI). FEI activities from 14 PSS and 7 product development process models were compared with DT recurrent and relevant activities to provide understanding on how DT can be integrated into PSS development process models. Finally, the findings of this last comparison led to the creation of a 4-step method for integrating DT into PSS development process models based on activities similarity. / Diversas empresas têm tentado migrar da oferta de produtos para a oferta de sistemas produto-serviço (PSS), o que requer uma mudança não só do modelo de negócios, como também da cultura e da mentalidade. Utilizar métodos centrados no usuário é uma forma de auxiliar nessa mudança cultural e no aumento de valor percebido do PSS ofertado. Uma abordagem capaz de apoiar o processo de desenvolvimento (PD) de PSS em se tornar mais centrado no usuário é o design thinking (DT). Trata-se de uma abordagem centrada no usuário utilizada por diversas empresas de sucesso para apoiar a inovação e descrita por várias metodologias de foco prático. No entanto, não está claro na literatura como DT pode ser integrado a modelos de PD já utilizados pelas empresas, levando a casos onde fases, ou mesmo todo o PD, são substituídos por completo pelo DT. Essa substituição não parece apropriada, dado que DT pode não conter aspectos considerados pelos PDs de PSS. O principal objetivo deste trabalho é identificar como a abordagem do DT pode ser aplicada nos PDs de PSS. A metodologia desta pesquisa combina os seguintes métodos: estudo de caso, linguística de corpus, semântica de frames, e métodos baseados em matrizes. Um dos resultados deste trabalho é a caracterização do DT baseada em análise linguística, a qual foi derivada do conteúdo de mais de 1500 páginas de 8 metodologias de DT. Essa análise resultou em 46 atividades recorrentes, associadas com 458 diretrizes específicas, e a identificação de 182 atividades relevantes que sintetizam as metodologias de DT. Essas atividades foram comparadas a 14 modelos de PD de PSS da literatura, concluindo, entre outros achados, que o DT não é capaz de substituir o PD de PSS, e que a compatibilidade para integração do DT ao PD de PSS é maior no front-end da inovação (FEI). Atividades do FEI de 14 modelos de PD de PSS e 7 de produto foram comparadas com as atividades relevantes e recorrentes do DT para prover o entendimento em como o DT pode ser integrado aos modelos de PD de PSS. Finalmente, as conclusões dessa última comparação levaram à criação de um método de quatro passos para integração do DT aos modelos de PD de PSS, baseado na similaridade das atividades.

Orientador: Maria Isabel Nogueira Cano / Resumo: Entre as espécies do gênero Leishmania estão os protozoários que causam leishmaniose, uma doença tropical negligenciada endêmica em muitos países, incluindo o Brasil. Métodos de controle e tratamento ainda são ineficientes e a resistência a drogas é um desafio. Por isso, pesquisas para entender melhor a biologia molecular desses parasitos são encorajadas. Uma possível estratégia para isso, é o estudo dos telômeros, estrutura fundamental para a homeostase do genoma. Os telômeros são estruturalmente diferentes do resto do cromossomo, e contam com proteínas específicas que realizam sua manutenção. A Replication Protein A subunit 1 (RPA-1) é uma proteína que interage de DNA de simples fita que tem diversas funções relacionadas com o metabolismo do DNA eucarioto, incluindo os telômeros. A RPA-1 é parte de um complexo heterotrimérico conservado nos eucariotos, incluindo Leishmania spp.. Recentemente nós mostramos por modelagem molecular que a estrutura terciária da LaRPA-1 difere dos seus ortólogos em humanos e leveduras, além de mostrar interações específicas nos telômeros dos parasitos, que na ausência de homólogos canônicos para telomere-end binding protein (TEP) elegem a LaRPA-1 como um potencial candidato para essa função. Neste trabalho, avaliamos a capacidade da LaRPA-1 como uma TEP, cujo papel principal é proteger a extremidade 3' dos telômeros de ataques por exonucleases. Uma busca estrutural por proteínas que compartilham com as TEP domínios de interação proteína-DNA, mos... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Among the protozoa parasites of the Leishmania genus are the causative agents of leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease endemic in many countries, including Brazil. Disease control and treatment are still inefficient and parasite drug resistance is a challenge. Therefore, efforts for the establishment of intensive research to better understand the molecular biology of these parasites are encouraged. One possible strategy is to study parasite telomeres, a vital chromosome structure important to maintain genome homeostasis. Telomeres are significantly different from the rest of the chromosome and are associated with proteins involved in their maintenance. Replication Protein A subunit 1 (RPA1), a single-stranded DNA-binding protein that plays multiple roles in eukaryotic DNA metabolism, including telomeres, is part of a conserved heterotrimeric complex which is present in most eukaryotes including Leishmania spp. Recently, using molecular dynamics simulations we have shown that the tertiary structure of LaRPA-1 differs from human and yeast RPA-1 and that it also shows parasitespecific interactions with telomeric DNA. In the absence of real homologues to telomere-end binding proteins, LaRPA-1 could be considered a potential candidate. If LaRPA-1 is a telomere-end binding protein, one of its main role would be to protect the telomeric 3`-end termini from nuclease attack. A structural search for proteins that share with the TEP domains of protein-DNA interaction, showed that ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Many companies have been trying to shift their business core from offering products to offer product-service systems (PSS), what requires not only a shift in the business model, but also in the culture and mindset. Using user-centered methods to support the PSS development process is a way to support this shift and to enhance perceived value of PSS offerings. One possible approach to support PSS development on becoming more user-centered is design thinking (DT). It is a user-centric approach used by many leader enterprises to support innovation and described by several methodologies with practical focus. However, it is not clear in literature how to integrate DT and development process models already used by companies, leading to cases where practitioners may replace complete phases, or even the whole development process, by DT. This replacement does not seem appropriate, since DT may lack aspects that are considered by PSS development processes. The main objective of this work is to identify how the DT approach can be applied in PSS development processes. The methodology of this research combines the following methods: case research, corpus linguistics, frame semantics and matrix-based methods. One of the results of this work is the characterization of DT based on the linguistic analysis, which was derived from content extracted from more than 1500 pages of 8 DT methodologies. This analysis resulted in 46 recurrent activities, associated with 458 specific guidelines, and the identification of 182 relevant activities that synthetize the DT methodologies. Those activities were compared to 14 PSS development process models from literature, concluding, among other findings, that DT cannot replace the PSS design process models, and that the compatibility for integration of DT into PSS development process models is greater on the front-end of innovation (FEI). FEI activities from 14 PSS and 7 product development process models were compared with DT recurrent and relevant activities to provide understanding on how DT can be integrated into PSS development process models. Finally, the findings of this last comparison led to the creation of a 4-step method for integrating DT into PSS development process models based on activities similarity. / Diversas empresas têm tentado migrar da oferta de produtos para a oferta de sistemas produto-serviço (PSS), o que requer uma mudança não só do modelo de negócios, como também da cultura e da mentalidade. Utilizar métodos centrados no usuário é uma forma de auxiliar nessa mudança cultural e no aumento de valor percebido do PSS ofertado. Uma abordagem capaz de apoiar o processo de desenvolvimento (PD) de PSS em se tornar mais centrado no usuário é o design thinking (DT). Trata-se de uma abordagem centrada no usuário utilizada por diversas empresas de sucesso para apoiar a inovação e descrita por várias metodologias de foco prático. No entanto, não está claro na literatura como DT pode ser integrado a modelos de PD já utilizados pelas empresas, levando a casos onde fases, ou mesmo todo o PD, são substituídos por completo pelo DT. Essa substituição não parece apropriada, dado que DT pode não conter aspectos considerados pelos PDs de PSS. O principal objetivo deste trabalho é identificar como a abordagem do DT pode ser aplicada nos PDs de PSS. A metodologia desta pesquisa combina os seguintes métodos: estudo de caso, linguística de corpus, semântica de frames, e métodos baseados em matrizes. Um dos resultados deste trabalho é a caracterização do DT baseada em análise linguística, a qual foi derivada do conteúdo de mais de 1500 páginas de 8 metodologias de DT. Essa análise resultou em 46 atividades recorrentes, associadas com 458 diretrizes específicas, e a identificação de 182 atividades relevantes que sintetizam as metodologias de DT. Essas atividades foram comparadas a 14 modelos de PD de PSS da literatura, concluindo, entre outros achados, que o DT não é capaz de substituir o PD de PSS, e que a compatibilidade para integração do DT ao PD de PSS é maior no front-end da inovação (FEI). Atividades do FEI de 14 modelos de PD de PSS e 7 de produto foram comparadas com as atividades relevantes e recorrentes do DT para prover o entendimento em como o DT pode ser integrado aos modelos de PD de PSS. Finalmente, as conclusões dessa última comparação levaram à criação de um método de quatro passos para integração do DT aos modelos de PD de PSS, baseado na similaridade das atividades.

Diversas aplicações de redes de sensores sem fio necessitam de serviços de segurança, como confidencialidade, integridade e autenticação de origem de dados. Contudo, dadas as limitações de processamento, memória e suprimento de energia dos dispositivos, os mecanismos de segurança tradicionais podem causar efeitos indesejáveis na rede, como atraso na comunicação e aumento no consumo de energia, impondo obstáculos para seu uso na tecnologia em questão. Muitas propostas de esquemas de segurança baseados em criptografia simétrica projetados especificamente para redes de sensores sem fio são encontradas na literatura. Contudo, essas soluções são focadas na segurança salto-a-salto. Tal abordagem é adequada para garantir a segurança dos enlaces deste tipo de rede, mas não garante a segurança na comunicação fim-a-fim. Neste trabalho são apresentados cenários e desafios de implementação de segurança neste tipo de rede, e a concepção, o projeto e a implementação de uma arquitetura de segurança para redes de sensores sem fio, que tem como objetivos: prover segurança na comunicação fim-a-fim; permitir a interoperabilidade entre diferentes sistemas; e possibilitar uma maior flexibilidade em relação à utilização de chaves criptográficas em diferentes cenários e topologias. Adicionalmente, a solução proposta suporta ativação e desativação de seus serviços em tempo de execução. O projeto da referida arquitetura, atuante na camada de aplicação da pilha de protocolos de rede, foi construído com base na análise das características de arquiteturas encontradas na literatura, bem como de estratégias adotadas por estas. Para a construção da implementação foram selecionados mecanismos e algoritmos criptográficos a partir da avaliação de desempenho que considerou assimétricas de uso de memória, tempo de execução e consumo de energia. Como resultados são apresentados a especificação da arquitetura, a avaliação qualitativa da mesma e a avaliação de desempenho da implementação desenvolvida como prova de conceito. Além disso, é apresentada uma análise do impacto de diferentes topologias e características de disposição na tarefa de distribuição de chaves criptográficas em redes de sensores sem fio. / Many wireless sensor networks applications need security services, such as confidentiality, data integrity and data source authentication. On the other hand, because of device limitations, security mechanisms may affect the network energy consumption and communication delay, which impose a great challenge for practical implementation of security mechanisms in such scenario. Many solutions based on symmetric cryptography were proposed for the specific challenges of wireless sensor networks. Nevertheless, they are focused on hop-by-hop security. Such approach is suited to provide link-layer security, but it cannot guarantee end-to-end security. This work presents scenarios and challenges to implement security in wireless sensor networks, and the conception, design and implementation of a security architecture, which aims to provide: security in end-to-end communication; interoperability between different systems, and enable greater flexibility in cryptographic keys distribution in different scenarios and topologies. Additionally, the proposed solution supports on-the-y adjustment of its security services. The architecture design, which targets the application layer of the network protocol stack, was based on the main properties of the architectures found in literature as well as adopted strategies. For the implementation, mechanisms and cryptographic algorithms were selected through the performance evaluation that considers memory usage, execution time and power consumption as metrics. The results were the architecture specification and its qualitative analysis, and the performance evaluation of the implementation developed as proof of concept. Furthermore, we present an analysis of topology and deployment impact on key distribution task.

The purpose of this study was to determine if student athletes were more successful in school than nonathletes at 2 middle schools located in the same school district in Western North Carolina. Each school serves students in grades 6-8; however, data were only gathered from students in grades 7 and 8 because students in grade 6 are prohibited from participating in athletics at the middle school level. The testing variables included number of days absent from school, percentile score on Math End-of-Grade tests, percentile score on Reading End-of-Grade tests, final grade in math courses, and final grade in reading courses. Grouping variables were students in the same cohort with data obtained from 7th grade during the 2009-2010 school year, followed by data obtained from 8th grade during the 2010-2011 school year. Results were analyzed from School A, School B, and Schools A and B combined. Independent samples t-tests were used to make comparisons between student athletes and nonathletes for each of the variables. Based on the findings of this study, middle school students involved in interscholastic sports missed fewer days of school than students who were not involved in athletics. Differences were found in End-of-Grade Math and Reading percentile scores between student athletes and nonathletes in School B. Students who participated in athletics tended to earn higher End-of-Grade percentile scores. No significant differences were found for the same assessments in the other middle school. Data from both schools combined have found no significant difference in Reading End-of-Grade percentile scores; however, students who participated in athletics tended to have a higher percentile scored on Math End-of-Grade exams than student nonathletes. School B had significant differences in student outcomes in final grades for both math and reading courses with the student athletes earning a higher grade. School A did not have a significant difference in final grades for math courses but did have a significant difference in final grades for reading courses with student athletes earning a higher grade. Data from both schools combined found a significant difference between student athletes and nonathletes in final grades for math and reading courses. Student athletes tended to have a higher grade in each subject when compared to nonathletes.

Metallic nanoparticles are unique materials for optical, electronic, catalytic, and sensing applications. Due to the vast flexibility in controlling the surface chemistry of these particles through functionalization there is a great deal of interest in using metallic nanoparticles as building blocks in the development of more complex nanostructures through the use of a 'bottom-up' approach. Using self assembly techniques, one can exploit spontaneous chemical interactions to build complex constructs on the nanometer scale. Towards this end, gold nanorods have been synthesized and modified with various polymers, inorganic oxides and organic ligands to establish principles for self-assembly of these unique nanomaterials. Gold nanorods are of great interest due to their strong optical absorption in the visible and near infrared regions, which can be tuned through material preparation and modification of the surrounding environment. This thesis focuses on investigating approaches for both irreversible and reversible self-assembly of gold nanorods. Techniques such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), ultraviolet-visible (UV) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and polarization modulation infrared reflection absorbance spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) were used to characterize the colloidal particles and gold surfaces. A novel contribution of this work is the successful demonstration of end-to-end linking of gold nanorods in a rapid and reversible manner using a pH responsive polypeptide.

The thesis constitutes investigations from two distinct areas of research. One part deals with controlling and modulating the conformation of linear polymer in solution. Folding of a polymer chain has been achieved by utilising weak non-covalent interactions interaction like metal ion binding, charge-transfer complex formation and solvophobic effect in tandem. The second part of the thesis deals with synthesis and characterization of end-functionalized polymers prepared by melt-transesterification. The thesis is divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 provides a general introduction on foldamers – a class of polymers that adopts an ordered conformation in solution and various approaches to obtain end-functionalized polymers. Chapter 2 describe the attempts to improve the association constant (based on earlier works reported by Ghosh and Ramakrishnan) between the external folding agent and the polymer repeat unit. The polymer used in this study constitutes an electron deficient pyromellitic dimide units (PDI) linked with a flexible oxyethylene glycol spacer. An electron rich dialkoxy naphthalene (DAN) serves as the folding agent which forms a charge-transfer (C-T) complexation with the electron deficient aromatic units (PDI) in the polymer backbone and effects the folding. The folding agent has the metal ion as its integral part and this aids the interaction between electron-deficient and electron-rich aromatic units by complexing with oxyethylene glycol spacer. Thus folding is due to the synergistic effect of C-T complex formation and metal ion binding. Further a new polymer with larger -surface area of electron acceptor units was prepared with naphthalene dimide (NDI) unit instead of PDI unit which is expected to show higher folding propensity. Chapter 3 explores the possibility of modulating the folding of the donor acceptor (D-A) polymer. A D-A polymer consist of adjacently placed DAN and PDI units linked by an oxyethylene glycol spacer. Folding of the D-A polymer is effected in the presence of suitable metal ion that binds to the oxyethyleneglycol spacer. Random copolymers with segments of alternately placed D-A pairs and segments that is devoid of D-A pairs were prepared. Depending on composition of the random copolymer, the stack length was shown to be modulated as evident from UV-visible and NMR titration experiments. Following a similar approach, a two step folding of the synthetic polymer was demonstrated. The synthesis and characterization of end functionalized polyesters by melt transesterification is discussed in chapter 4. Well defined linear polymer with propargyl group as the end functionalizable group is prepared by the polycondensation of AB type monomer whereas polycondensation of AB2 type monomer leads to peripherally functionalized hyperbranched polymer. Azide-alkyne ‘click’ reactions carried out at the chain end of linear polyester with fluorophores allowed the estimation of the molecular weight by UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopic method which is compared with estimation from 1H-NMR. Similarly the glass-transistion temperature of hyperbranched polyester is modulated by the peripheral functionalization with various organic azides by ‘click’ reaction. Chapter 5 gives the conclusion and future directions based on the findings from the thesis work.

Denna uppsats har som syfte att undersöka om musik används i palliativ vård i Sverige och hur det i så fall beskrivs, motiveras och dokumenteras. Det är en kvalitativ intervjustudie med hermeneutisk förståelseansats. Intervjuer har genomförts med fem personer med olika yrkesprofession inom palliativ vård (sjuksköterska, sjukgymnast, arbetsterapeut, kurator och överläkare). Kontakt med de intervjuade har upprättats genom ett upprop i ett nyhetsbrev som ges ut av Svenskt Palliativt Nätverk, SPN. I uppsatsen ges en teoretisk bakgrund om palliativ vård, kris, etik, död, existentiella frågor, musik, musikterapi samt musikterapi i palliativ vård. Resultatet visar att de intervjuade använder musik i sitt vårdarbete men ingen är professionell musiker eller utbildad musikterapeut. Musikanvändningen beskrivs av informanterna genom konkreta exempel från vårdsituationer och den motiveras dels utifrån personliga erfarenheter av musikupplevelse dels med allmänna reflektioner över musikens olika möjligheter till påverkan fysiskt, psykiskt och socialt i livets slutskede. / This thesis aims to examine whether music is used in palliative care in Sweden and how it is described and justified. It is a qualitative study with hermeneutic approach. The survey consists of interviews with five different professionals working in palliative care (nurse, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, counselor, physician). Contact with the interviewees is established by a proclamation of a newsletter published by Swedish Palliative Network, SPN. The thesis provides a theoretical background of palliative care, crisis, death, ethics, music, music therapy and music therapy in palliative care. The result demonstrates that music is used in care situations and is justified by concrete experiences of how music can affect people physically, mentally and socially in the final stages of life.

Includes vita. / Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 155 pages. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: This dissertation research attempts to explore efficient algorithms and engineering methodologies of analyzing the overall reliability and availability of networks integrated with software failures and hardware failures. Node failures, link failures, and software failures are concurrently and dynamically considered in networks with complex topologies. MORIN (MOdeling Reliability for Integrated Networks) method is proposed and discussed as an approach for analyzing reliability of integrated networks. A Simplified Availability Modeling Tool (SAMOT) is developed and introduced to evaluate and analyze the availability of networks consisting of software and hardware component systems with architectural redundancy. / ABSTRACT: In this dissertation, relevant research efforts in analyzing network reliability and availability are reviewed and discussed, experimental data results of proposed MORIN methodology and SAMOT application are provided, and recommendations for future researches in the network reliability study are summarized as well. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.