Background - In pace with increased work-related stress and the difficulty in attracting and retaining skilled staff, companies find new ways to rationalize the organization. Working-time reduction is one of these strategies in connection to an effective employer branding attribute. Purpose - The aim is to examine the rationale behind the six-hour workday and how it is used as an employer branding strategy. Additionally, the aim is to examine the advantages and disadvantages of the six-hour workday as an employer branding strategy as well as the future prospects. Method - This study has applied a qualitative method with an inductive approach and a multiple case study. Six semi-structured interviews were performed with five case companies and an additional interview was conducted with a consultancy firm. Conclusion - Organizations choose the six-hour workday because of work-life balance and well-being for employees. Also, the findings show that employers adopt the six-hour for the purpose of attracting and retaining staff. Advantages include happier staff, increased productivity and efficiency. A major disadvantage is the lost hours because of working-time reduction. The empirical findings indicate that the six-hour workday is suited in every organization, however, adjustments might be necessary.

Over the last few decades there has been a gradual transformation in both the spatial and temporal patterns of urban activities. The percentage share of non-discretionary travel such as morning rush-hour commuting has been declining with the increased income level. Discretionary activities appear to rise prominently in urban business and leisure hubs, attracting large volumes of crowds which in turn imply new and changed demand for building floorspace and urban infrastructure. Despite impressive advances in the theories and models of infrastructure demand forecasting, there appear to be an apparent research gap in addressing the practical needs of infrastructure planning in and around those growing urban activity hubs. First, land use and transport interaction models which have to date been the mainstay of practical policy analytics tend to focus on non-discretionary activities such as rush-hour commuting. Secondly, the emerging activity based models, while providing significant new insights into personal, familial activities, especially the discretionary travel, are so data hungry and computing intensive that they have not yet found their roles in practical policy applications. This dissertation builds on the insights from above schools of modelling to develop a new approach that addresses the infrastructure planning needs of the growing urban hubs while keeping the data and computing realistic in medium to high income cities. The new model is designed based on an overarching hypothesis that considerable efficiency and welfare gains can be achieved in the planning and development of urban business and leisure hubs if the infrastructure provisions for discretionary and non-discretionary activities can be coordinated. This is a research theme that has been little explored in current literature. The new infrastructure demand forecasting model has been designed with regard to the above hypothesis and realistic data availability, including those emerging online. The model extends the framework of land use transport interaction models and aim to provide a practical modelling tool. Land use changes are accounted for when testing new infrastructure investment initiatives and especially the road and public transport loads are assessed throughout all time periods of a working day. The new contribution to the modelling methodology includes the extension to the land use transport interaction framework, the use of social media data for estimating night market activity distribution and a rapid estimation of road traffic speeds from Google directions API, and model validation. Another new contribution is the understanding of the nature and magnitude of future infrastructure demand through assessing three alternative land use scenarios: (1) business as usual, (2) inner city regeneration for a major business hub around the night market, and (3) dispersed suburban growth with distant subcentres. The model is able to assess the implications for future infrastructure demand and user welfare through discerning the distinct discretionary and non-discretionary activity patterns.

Objetivos: Avaliar a associação entre a dismotilidade esofágica, caracterizada como Motilidade Esofágica Ineficaz (MEI), com a presença de refluxo ácido patológico avaliado pela pH-metria de 24 horas, controlando por Esfíncter Esofágico Inferior (EEI) estruturalmente defeituoso, Hérnia Hiatal (HH) e Esofagite, em pacientes em investigação de Doença do Refluxo Gastroesofágico. Métodos: Foram estudados 311 pacientes referenciados para investigação de DRGE em laboratório de motilidade esofágica. Os pacientes foram submetidos à Endoscopia Digestiva Alta (EDA), Manometria Esofágica, pHmetria Esofágica de 24 horas e a uma entrevista sobre os sintomas clínicos apresentados. Foram comparados os grupos de pH-metria negativa com o de pH-metria positiva quanto à presença dos fatores de risco – MEI, EEI defeituoso, HH e Esofagite. A associação entre MEI e pH-metria positiva foi primeiramente avaliada através de análise univariada e, posteriormente, através de análise de regressão logística (multivariada). Resultados: Do total de 311 pacientes estudados, 208 preencheram os critérios de inclusão. A idade média foi 47 anos, com 88 pacientes apresentando pH-metria normal e 120 pH-metria positiva. Após a análise univariada, foi observado que a ocorrência de MEI, EEI defeituoso e HH foi significativamente maior no grupo de pH-metria positiva. Após análise de regressão logística, a ocorrência de MEI e EEI defeituoso permaneceram significativamente maior no grupo de pH-metria positiva. Conclusões: MEI está associada à presença de refluxo ácido anormal, avaliado através de pH-metria esofágica de 24 horas, independentemente da presença de EEI defeituoso, HH ou Esofagite. / Objectives: To assess the association between esophageal dysmotility, characterized as inefficient esophageal motility (IEM), and the presence of pathological acid reflux due to a structurally defective lower esophageal sphincter (LES), hiatus hernia (HH), or esophagitis in patients suspected of having gastroesophageal Reflux reflux disease (GERD). Methods: Three hundred and eleven patients referred for GERD diagnostic procedures in a gastroesopahgeal motility laboratory were included in the study. Patients underwent upper endoscopy (UE), esophageal manometry, 24-hour esophageal pH-metry and an interview regarding their clinical symptoms. The following risk factors of patients in the negative pH-metry group were compared to those in the positive pH-metry group: IEM, defective LES, HH, and esophagitis. The association between IEM and positive pH-metry results was first assessed by means of univariate analysis and later determined with logistic regression analysis (multivariate). Results: Of the total 311 patients studied, 208 met the inclusion criteria (mean age 47 years); 88 had normal pH-metry reslults and 120 had positive pH-metry results. Univariate analysis revealed that the occurrence of IEM, defective LES, and HH was significantly greater in the positive pH-metry group. Following logistic regression analysis, the occurrence of IEM remained significantly greater in the positive pH-metry group. Conclusions: IEM is associated with the presence of abnormal acid reflux, as assessed by 24-hour esophageal pH-metry, regardless of the presence of defective LES, HH, or esophagitis.

Objetivos: Avaliar a associação entre a dismotilidade esofágica, caracterizada como Motilidade Esofágica Ineficaz (MEI), com a presença de refluxo ácido patológico avaliado pela pH-metria de 24 horas, controlando por Esfíncter Esofágico Inferior (EEI) estruturalmente defeituoso, Hérnia Hiatal (HH) e Esofagite, em pacientes em investigação de Doença do Refluxo Gastroesofágico. Métodos: Foram estudados 311 pacientes referenciados para investigação de DRGE em laboratório de motilidade esofágica. Os pacientes foram submetidos à Endoscopia Digestiva Alta (EDA), Manometria Esofágica, pHmetria Esofágica de 24 horas e a uma entrevista sobre os sintomas clínicos apresentados. Foram comparados os grupos de pH-metria negativa com o de pH-metria positiva quanto à presença dos fatores de risco – MEI, EEI defeituoso, HH e Esofagite. A associação entre MEI e pH-metria positiva foi primeiramente avaliada através de análise univariada e, posteriormente, através de análise de regressão logística (multivariada). Resultados: Do total de 311 pacientes estudados, 208 preencheram os critérios de inclusão. A idade média foi 47 anos, com 88 pacientes apresentando pH-metria normal e 120 pH-metria positiva. Após a análise univariada, foi observado que a ocorrência de MEI, EEI defeituoso e HH foi significativamente maior no grupo de pH-metria positiva. Após análise de regressão logística, a ocorrência de MEI e EEI defeituoso permaneceram significativamente maior no grupo de pH-metria positiva. Conclusões: MEI está associada à presença de refluxo ácido anormal, avaliado através de pH-metria esofágica de 24 horas, independentemente da presença de EEI defeituoso, HH ou Esofagite. / Objectives: To assess the association between esophageal dysmotility, characterized as inefficient esophageal motility (IEM), and the presence of pathological acid reflux due to a structurally defective lower esophageal sphincter (LES), hiatus hernia (HH), or esophagitis in patients suspected of having gastroesophageal Reflux reflux disease (GERD). Methods: Three hundred and eleven patients referred for GERD diagnostic procedures in a gastroesopahgeal motility laboratory were included in the study. Patients underwent upper endoscopy (UE), esophageal manometry, 24-hour esophageal pH-metry and an interview regarding their clinical symptoms. The following risk factors of patients in the negative pH-metry group were compared to those in the positive pH-metry group: IEM, defective LES, HH, and esophagitis. The association between IEM and positive pH-metry results was first assessed by means of univariate analysis and later determined with logistic regression analysis (multivariate). Results: Of the total 311 patients studied, 208 met the inclusion criteria (mean age 47 years); 88 had normal pH-metry reslults and 120 had positive pH-metry results. Univariate analysis revealed that the occurrence of IEM, defective LES, and HH was significantly greater in the positive pH-metry group. Following logistic regression analysis, the occurrence of IEM remained significantly greater in the positive pH-metry group. Conclusions: IEM is associated with the presence of abnormal acid reflux, as assessed by 24-hour esophageal pH-metry, regardless of the presence of defective LES, HH, or esophagitis.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2017-01-03T13:44:10Z No. of bitstreams: 1 emanuellegracekellysantosdeoliveira.pdf: 1067814 bytes, checksum: 7724c19353b391f269fd67219a4e6424 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Diamantino Mayra (mayra.diamantino@ufjf.edu.br) on 2017-01-31T10:31:37Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 emanuellegracekellysantosdeoliveira.pdf: 1067814 bytes, checksum: 7724c19353b391f269fd67219a4e6424 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-01-31T10:31:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 emanuellegracekellysantosdeoliveira.pdf: 1067814 bytes, checksum: 7724c19353b391f269fd67219a4e6424 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-07-19 / O planejamento docente é uma ação relevante ao trabalho do professor, considerando que é a ferramenta norteadora da ação pedagógica em sala de aula. As escolas da rede pública estadual de ensino do estado do Ceará disponibilizam 13 horas para o professor desenvolver o planejamento. Esse tempo é voltado tanto para as ações mais simples que compõem a parte burocrática da ação pedagógica quanto para a formação em serviço do professor. O caso de gestão investigou o desenvolvimento do planejamento docente dentro das horas de trabalho pedagógico – HTP, com o objetivo de identificar as formas de organização, condução e elaboração em duas escolas, inseridas em contextos relativamente semelhantes, da rede pública estadual de ensino, sob a jurisdição da Crede 17 – Icó, com vistas ao aprimoramento a partir da proposta de um Plano de Ação Educacional. A pesquisa teve como foco identificar a concepção e a prática dos professores e gestores quanto ao planejamento docente, bem como sua estruturação e organização nas escolas. Para dialogar com os dados de pesquisa, utilizamos as discussões teóricas dos autores Fusari (1990), Lück (2009) e Vasconcellos (1995), que fazem considerações acerca da temática. Para seu desenvolvimento, utilizamos a pesquisa qualitativa. Como instrumentos de pesquisa, fizemos observação nas duas escolas, aplicamos questionário em professores, e realizamos entrevistas com os gestores e professores coordenadores de área. A pesquisa demonstrou que, na Escola Verde, embora parte dos professores reconheçam a importância do planejamento docente, esta situação nem sempre condiz com a prática. Além disso, constatamos que há limitações técnicas por parte dos próprios gestores no que se refere ao oferecimento de momentos formativos aos professores, o que fragiliza a ação. Na Escola Azul, por sua vez, percebemos uma maior capacidade organizativa e de articulação com os professores, obtendo bom envolvimento dos docentes. No entanto, ainda assim percebemos, com a análise dos dados, que há pontos a serem fortalecidos na escola com relação a esta ação. Ademais, os resultados da pesquisa demonstraram formas diferenciadas de desenvolvimento em cada uma das escolas, as quais evidenciaram a necessidade de aprimoramento e de um maior aproveitamento do tempo de hora atividade. Diante dos resultados, propusemos um conjunto de ações que visam a otimizar o uso do tempo, qualificar a ação e oportunizar a formação em serviço dos professores, bem como um cronograma para início das ações. Tais ações visam ao aperfeiçoamento da prática do planejamento docente, que é uma atividade de relevância na prática pedagógica, uma vez que propicia ao professor a oportunidade de desenvolver de maneira mais qualificada o seu trabalho, refletindo no processo de ensino-aprendizagem. / The teacher’s planning is an important action to his/her work, considering it is the pedagogical action guiding tool in the classroom. The public schools from Ceará provide 13 hours for the teachers develop their planning. This time is designed both for simple actions that make up the bureaucratic part of the pedagogical action and for training in teacher service. This management case investigated the development of the educational planning within the pedagogical work hours, in order to identify the ways of organization, conduction and preparation in two schools inserted in relatively similar contexts of the public school system, under the jurisdiction of Crede 17 (17th Regional Coordination for Educational Development) from Icó (a city located in Ceará state, in Brazil), in order to improve them with the proposal of an Educational Action Plan. The research focused on identifying the design and the practice of teachers and managers on the teaching planning as well as its structure and organization in schools. In order to articulate to the survey data, we use the theoretical discussions by the authors Fusari (1990), Lück (2009) and Vasconcellos (1995), who make considerations about the theme. For its development we use qualitative research. As research tools, we noted the two schools, applied questionnaires on the teachers, and conducted interviews with managers and area coordinators teachers. The research has shown that in the Green School, although the teachers recognize the importance of the teaching planning, this situation is not always consistent with the practice. In addition, we found technical limitations on managers’ work when it comes to offering formative moments to teachers, which weakens the action. The Blue School, in turn, has a greater organizational and collaboration capacity concerning the teachers, getting a good involvement of them. However, we still realized with the data analysis that there are points to be strengthened in school with respect to this action. Moreover, the survey results showed different forms of development in each of the schools, which highlighted the need for improvement and a better use of the time for planning activity. Considering the results, we proposed a set of actions aimed at optimizing the use of time, qualifying the action and creating opportunities for in-service training of teachers, as well as a schedule for the start of the actions. Such actions are aimed at improving the practice of teachers’ planning, which is an important activity in the pedagogical practice, since it provides the teacher an opportunity to develop a better work, which makes difference in the teaching-learning process.

Office hour interactions at universities are one type of communicative activity in which international instructors and their Turkish EFL students are involved as a form of academic or institutional discourse (Drew & Heritage, 1992). In such real world communication, both parties employ several linguistic strategies and attend to various interactional goals to address the academic concerns at hand (Chiang, 2011; Chiang & Mi, 2008; Limberg, 2007; 2010; Reindhart, 2010; Skyrme, 2010). Embracing a discourse analytic approach, this study investigated the primary functions and topics of office hour interactions; discourse organization of office hour interactions with regard to the features of participants’ contributions (e.g. turn-taking and turn length, verbosity or dominance, etc.); suggestion-response episodes; and successful and problematic aspects in office hour interactions. The study utilized the theoretical framework of relational work. Thirty-eight office hour interactions constituted the primary data source. The participants included 3 international instructors and their 34 Turkish EFL students. Post-interaction questionnaires and classroom observations served as secondary data sources in the study. The data analysis demonstrated that office hour interactions have various purposes and topics mostly related to the course content offered by the instructors, their expertise, and their experiences. Additionally, both parties co-constructed the discourse segments of equal and unequal contribution in which they achieved interactional and transactional goals using distinctive linguistic and discourse strategies. The co-constructed suggestion-response episodes included both instructor-initiated suggestions and students’ self-suggestory acts. The use of modals and semi-modals, imperatives, and interrogatives played a key role in instructor-initiated suggestions, whereas the students mostly relied on interrogatives. However, each party made their choices relying on the interactional goals they wished to accomplish through the use of suggestion forms. Finally, both the international instructors and their Turkish EFL students attended to different types of relational work that contributed to the successful and problematic aspects of office hour interactions, and that were mostly connected to suggestions.

Orientador: Elnatan Chagas Ferreira / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Elétrica e de Computação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-24T07:37:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bacurau_RodrigoMoreira_M.pdf: 7520389 bytes, checksum: 2e88cad485dbbbdbd306a531c0ed2298 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: Neste trabalho é apresentado o desenvolvimento de um módulo medidor de energia residencial capaz de medir, além do consumo de energia total, os parâmetros elétricos necessários para a discriminação de consumo de energia por aparelho. Também é apresentado um levantamento de quais parâmetros elétricos derivados das curvas de tensão e corrente são úteis para a definição de assinatura de cargas residenciais. Os resultados dos experimentos realizados indicaram a potência ativa, a potência reativa, o fator de potência, a tensão e corrente eficazes e as cinco primeiras harmônicas ímpares do sinal de corrente como os parâmetros mais adequados para uso em sistemas não intrusivos para identificação de consumo por aparelho. Graças a técnicas de programação e decisões de projeto acertadas, foi possível desenvolver um módulo medidor de alta precisão e baixo custo, usando um microcontrolador simples e de baixo consumo. Este módulo é capaz de calcular todas as grandezas elétricas supramencionadas a frequência de 46 Hz. Os valores de tensão, corrente, fator de potência, potência ativa e potência aparente apresentaram erros inferiores a 0,3% (para cargas resistivas). O erro nas componentes harmônicas do sinal de corrente foi de 0,03% para a componente fundamental, 0,58% para a 3ª harmônica, 3,69% para a 5ª harmônica, 6,63% para a 7ª harmônica e 11,81% para a 9ª harmônica. O medidor desenvolvido será usado no projeto "Sistema Inteligente de Gestão Energética para Unidades Consumidoras de Baixa Tensão" o qual consistirá em um sistema completo de gestão de consumo de energia residencial / Abstract: We present in this project the development of a residential power meter module capable of measuring besides the total energy consumption, the electrical parameters needed for power consumption breakdown. We also present a study of which electrical features derived from current and voltage waveforms are more adequate to define signatures of residential loads. The experimental results indicated that the active power, reactive power, power factor, voltage, current and the first five odd harmonics of the current signal are good parameters to use in Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring Systems - NILM. Thanks to the use of advanced programming techniques and right design decisions, we developed, using a simple microcontroller, a high-precision, low-power and low cost smart meter. This module is capable to calculate all electrical parameters above mentioned at 46 Hz frequency. The voltage, current, power factor active and apparent power presented errors lower than 0.3% for resistive loads. The error in the harmonics of the current signal was 0.03% for the fundamental harmonic, 0.58% for the 3rd harmonic, 3.69% for the 5th harmonic, 6.63% for the 7th harmonic and 11.81% for the 9th harmonic. The smart meter presented here will be used in a larger project entitled "Intelligent Energy Management System for Consumer Units Low Voltage" which consists of a complete management system of residential energy consumption / Mestrado / Eletrônica, Microeletrônica e Optoeletrônica / Mestre em Engenharia Elétrica

The goal of the thesis is concentrated on a proposal of creating a small business – namely by-the-hour kindergarten. The first part of the thesis describes theoretical ground, basic concepts and legal requirements. The next part contains analysis of the current situation of the business sector, followed by the actual business plan along with detailed financial plan and schedule.

No description available.

This master thesis investigates the pre-performance preparation of classical singers during the final hour before a performance. Through a mixed-methods approach, data was collected from personal reflections and survey data. The results suggest that the majority of the opera singers choose to engage in different activities during the final hour before a performance, with individualized ordering and prioritization of their pre-performance activities and preparations. The survey data analysis showed some similar attributes between the singers engaging in memory recall techniques, those with low levels of anxiety performance, and those who report feeling ready and prepared before a performance. No significant similarities seem to be, however, among singers that follow a set of rituals or a structured pre-performance routine and those reporting that experience stress before performances. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of having a pre-performance routine for me as performer, singer and artist, because it enhances my commitment, self-confidence and improves the  overall quality of my performances. The artistic outcome of my research consists of two parts: firstly, my established pre-performance routine, which I consistently followed prior to every performance during the study period; and secondly, the video recordings of my graduation concert and other performances completed during the study. The findings of this master thesis have implications for classical singers who wish to follow a professional career and improve the quality of their performances.