The present study is aiming to evaluate the Intelligent Personal Assistants usage motivations, addressing at the same time various privacy issues and concerns related to this emergent technology. To fulfil the purpose of the study I have applied two different research methods. Initially, a web survey conducted gathered 18 respondents answering 24 questions related to the presented topic. Subsequently, was organised a focus group by gathering seven respondents who shared their opinions on the subject of research. Two research questions were developed based on two hypotheses. First research question: “To what extent IPA users agree to personal data collection in order to gratify their sought needs?”; exploring the participants’ opinions when it comes to the degree of acceptance of personal information disclosure to gratify their needs. Moreover, second research question: “What are the motivating criteria that determine the usage of IPA?”. This question develops opinions and experiences on the usage of Intelligent Personal Assistants, as well as the way people perceive this new technology. The finding of this studies reveals that users of new media are concerned and aware of their personal data collection. However, as a result, they feel trapped in the network society by the peer pressure towards the usage of favourite mediums. Therefore, the denial of technology would bring unfavourable consequences from a social perspective. Further researches can be conducted on this topic, addressing in depth the Artificial Intelligence and its societal implications, possible utilities of the Intelligent Personal Assistants as a companion for children, elders and people with disabilities, Artificial Intelligence used in public administration. Consequently, many different aspects can be explored having the topic of this thesis as a starting point.

The effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART) transformed the pediatric HIV epidemic. The disease changed significantly over the course of three decades: while early in the epidemic it was almost always fatal, it has become a chronic condition. This study examined how perinatally-infected youth experience the impact of HIV in their lives. A qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was conducted. Twenty in-depth interviews were carried out among 12 women and 8 men aged 18 to 30 years in Puerto Rico. These were conducted in Spanish, audio-recorded, transcribed and translated into English. While narrating their experiences, participants were interpreting what the situation meant to them and how they make sense of it. Three topics emerged: (1) perception and response to treatment and illness, particularly their lived experiences with ART; (2) disclosure experiences; and (3) family matters. Most participants challenged their therapy, in most cases to force their caregivers to disclose their status. Problems with adherence were attributed to busy schedules or forgetfulness. Participants experienced the disfiguring adverse effects of ART, which they endured for years without being informed that ART was the cause of these. Participants’ experiences with disclosure demonstrated the importance of validating them as individuals capable of managing their health. The paternalistic approach of withholding their diagnosis to spare them suffering resulted in increased anxiety. Participants acknowledged the difficulties of revealing their HIV status to their partners. They referred to family and friends as essential in coping with HIV. However, some encountered discrimination and stigma within their families. Participants who had suffered the loss of their parents found other parental figures such as adoptive parents or other family members. Most participants expressed a desire to have children. Perinatally HIV-infected youth will require health services for the rest of their lives. The adult health care into which they transition should consider their needs and journey. Services should consider including family members. This study underscores the need for improved access to mental health services. It is also essential to transcend medical treatment and develop a broader perspective of health care. Health care services should include reproductive decision-making counselling services.

Anxiety is one of the most studied research topics in sport psychology literature (Guillen & Sanchez, 2009); however, even though the Olympics are considered to be one of the most pressure-filled sporting events (Birrer, Wetzel, Schmidt, & Morgan, 2012), to date there has been no research aimed specifically at investigating Olympic athletes’ competitive state anxiety and its impact on subsequent performance. Furthermore, according to Nesti (2011), in order to support athletes in dealing with their experience of anxiety, researchers must turn towards the phenomenological, real-lived experience of the athlete to uncover what might best support positive anxiety management and interpretation in competition. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to respond to the gap in Olympic athlete anxiety research by examining the phenomenological experience of competitive state anxiety for female beach volleyball players at the 2012 London Olympics. Six in-depth, phenomenological interviews were conducted with these Olympic female beach volleyball players. Results indicated that, while all athletes in this study experienced anxiety at the 2012 Olympics, it was not the reduced intensity of anxiety that positively impacted their performance but rather the athletes’ ability to recognize, manage, and positively interpret their anxiety. In addition, it was shown that self-confidence further buffered the potentially negative impacts of anxiety. It is recommended that future research focus on extending phenomenological anxiety research to other sports and genders, and to specifically examine the impact of trait anxiety, team dynamics, and the experience of flow on athletes’ anxiety interpretation.

The study identifies how different stakeholders perceive service quality improvement initiatives in public higher education institutions in Ethiopia. For this purpose, a mixed research methodology was employed. Furthermore, secondary data were collected from a variety of literature and primary data were collected from academic staff and final year students at public higher education institutions using the SERVQUAL scale and through focus group interviews. The collected data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The research findings indicated that all dimensions of the service quality improvement initiatives were perceived by academic staff and studentsto be verypoor. The reasons for these poor or low perceptions were: the high expectationsof the stakeholders, the government’s intention to expand, lack of adequate knowledge regarding the implementation of the BPR process, the lack of motivation by service providers, poor management and the lack of good governance by the universities, inexperienced workers, non-empowered and task specific frontline employees, the low quality of the infrastructure, non-value adding hierarchical structures and approval systems, ethical problems with some service providers, the high staff turnoverand the lack of experienced staff. In addition, at all new universities, construction is underway and as a result,there are problems such as the poor state of the dormitories, classes,bathrooms, recreation areas, lounges, TV rooms, sport fields and internet connectivity, while the libraries are not well stocked with books and periodicals either. This study has recommended that the institutions should have standardised instruments that can be used to measure the status of service quality improvement and deliveryperiodically and to identify the areas that have the highest perceived performance gap scores in order to redeploy some of the resources. It also needs to be pointed out that the service providers lack sufficient knowledge and skillsconcerning the implementation of BPR, thus training is recommended in this regard.It is further recommended that for effective implementation of the BPR process, the importance of the provision of different guiding documents, continuous monitoring of activities and top management support should be kept in mind. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Educational Management)

The thesis is focused on the effect of dry hopping on beer senzomy and sensory profile of the top-fermented beer. The goal of this work was to modify samples of the top-fermented beer by dry hopping, to analyze them by senzomy and sensory way, to optimize the method for hop essential oils analysis and to compare the results to the available literature. The problematics of the used raw materials, analyzed substances, technological and analytical methods are discussed in the theoretical part. The practical part is composed of technological preparation of the samples and their analysis. There was used a commercial product of the type of American Indian Pale Ale in this work. There was added a Cascade hop by dry hopping into the commercial product. The basic analysis of gravity and attenuation of the beer were done on the fresh beer and the two months old beer. The selected essential oils, carbonyl compounds, bitter acids, selected metal contaminant and nitrates were established in the beer and in the hop. The samples of the beer were sensory evaluated in the same two-month interval. It was determined that the dry hopping influenced the increased pH of the beer. There was established the quantity of essentials oils in the samples and it was compared to the sensorial results. These results can be used as a base for the next exploration, some part of the results are applicable in the beer industry.

Given the ongoing biodiversity decline during a time of Indigenous resurgence, Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) are garnering interest from the academic community, Indigenous and state governments, and protected area practitioners. Though Indigenous forms of land and sea protection have existed for millennia, these actors are exploring how IPCA development and support can meet needs to protect biodiversity and respect Indigenous rights and roles in conservation. My main research objective was to advance academic and practical applications of IPCAs by drawing from global IPCA research while assisting the Kitasoo/Xai’xais Nation’s IPCA planning process. I investigated two research questions: 1. What are the key successes, challenges, and lessons from IPCA research globally? 2. What can we learn from the Kitasoo/Xai’xais Nation’s rationale and process for developing an IPCA? To answer my first question, I reviewed 58 papers, describing 86 specific IPCA initiatives involving at least 68 Indigenous Peoples across 25 countries. Indigenous Peoples established IPCAs independently and through local- and broad-scale partnerships. Where state IPCA support existed, it was through formal legislation, agreements, and policies, and informally through local relationships and shared values. IPCAs created socio-cultural, political, and ecological benefits. Challenges limited benefits while demanding additional resources for mitigation. I recommend that states and other external actors create/improve IPCA policies, legislations, and resources as defined by Indigenous Peoples; facilitate Indigenous leadership to shape external IPCA establishment and development mechanisms; and create internal Indigenous engagement/partnerships mechanisms. I suggest that Indigenous Peoples would benefit from building partnerships to support and manage their IPCAs. Finally, I recommend that IPCA managers commit more resources, particularly in monitoring and management that integrates management priorities with local and larger scale social-environmental issues. To answer my second question, in collaboration with the Kitasoo/Xai’xais Nation, we used participatory action research to assist efforts to plan a land-and-sea IPCA in Kitasoo/Xai’xais Territory. Together, we used mixed methods to summarize the Nation’s rationale and process. IPCA development is an iteration of ongoing efforts to address limitations of state protected areas to better reflect Kitasoo/Xai’xais rights and responsibilities while preserving culture, biodiversity, and economic opportunity. The Kitasoo/Xai’xais process is rooted in long-term Territory planning and contemporary stewardship capacity building, has benefitted from global IPCA research, and has ongoing multi-generational engagement. The Nation faces challenges similar to other protected areas and is additionally burdened by ongoing colonization impacts. To address these challenges, the Nation is seeking state legislative IPCA recognition, applying Indigenous and complementary western stewardship approaches, and pursuing responsibility-based partnerships. This research makes both practical and academic contributions. It assisted the Kitasoo/Xai’xais IPCA process by contributing to planning and documentation, to be used and modified by the Nation to implement current and future IPCAs. Other Indigenous organizations can adapt the lessons and processes described for their IPCA interests. Additionally, this work provides recommendations for states and other actors at various scales to improve IPCA support and recognition. This work also contributes to literature which highlight Indigenous-led conservation initiatives, including IPCAs, as potential pathways towards supporting biodiversity conservation and Indigenous resurgence. / Graduate

The relations between Croatia and Serbia are determining for regional peace and stability and for the course of the EU enlargement in the Western Balkans. The Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) is the funding mechanism designed for the implementation of the EU's enlargement policy in the Western Balkans. This research investigates the extent to which IPA has integrated to the local cross- border initiatives in culture and youth and has fostered social reconstruction between Croats and Serbs in Slavonia (Croatia) and Vojvodina (Serbia). Co-operation in the cultural sector is an important element of social reconstruction, as it favours contacts and the erosion of antagonistic prejudices against the other ethnic group. The objective of this research is defined as two-fold, firstly to test a model of cross-border co-operation devised from EU integration theories and, secondly to provide an accurate picture of the cross-border initiatives in Slavonia and Vojvodina based on ground-level experience. The analysis of the data collected shows mixed results. On one hand IPA has integrated successfully into the landscape of local cross-border initiatives by stimulating socialisation between civil society organisations. IPA has also increased local ownership of cross-border co-operation amongst the...

Jihoon Park (b.1973), a South Korean composer with over 500 compositions spanning multiple genres, is treasured in his motherland as the most noteworthy composer of his generation. This study provides an in-depth introduction of the gagok (Korean art songs) of Park to Western teachers and students of singing, discussing his compositional techniques and their application to the interpretation of his selected songs. Moreover, the introduction to International Korean Phonetic Alphabet (IKPA) to supplement the traditionally used International Phonetics Alphabet (IPA) serves as the foundation and model for further exploration into Korean art song literature by Western scholars.

Aim, of this master thesis is training of phoneme recognizer with phoneme set, which have been made by merging of several phoneme sets, which are containted in SpeechDat-E database and find out if this kind of recognizer will have better results than recognizers which were trained on one language. This work also deals with phoneme sets, principles of phoneme recognition using recognizers based on artifical neural networks, language identification and merging of given phoneme sets. Also is described process of training phoneme recognizer and phoneme recognition.

No description available.