This thesis studies the discursive behaviour of Canadian federal political parties with regards to immigration and integration issues. It seeks to test the empirical acuity offered by brokerage and issue ownership theories to explain the parties' electoral strategies in these domains. It examines the evolution of partisan discourse in relation to these themes over time, with special attention paid to the merger of right parties. It also studies the impact of certain real-world events, such as the referendum on Quebec secession in 1995 and the terrorist attacks of September 2001, on party positions. It thus proposes a quantitative and qualitative content analysis of five major parties' discourse, focusing on the various positions held by each of them on the issues of immigration and integration in their respective 1993, 1997, 2000, and 2004 election platforms.

Mobile computing devices like handhelds are becoming ubiquitous and so is computing embedded in cyber-physical systems like cameras, smart sensors, vehicles, and many others. Further, the computation and communication resources present in these settings are becoming increasingly powerful. The resulting, rich execution platforms are enabling increasingly complex applications and system uses. These trends enable richer execution platforms for running ever more complex distributed applications. This thesis explores these opportunities (i) for cooperative mobile platforms, where the combined resources of multiple computing devices and the sensors attached to them can be shared to better address certain application needs, and (ii) for distributed platforms where opportunities for cooperation are further strengthened by virtualization. The latter offers efficient abstractions for device sharing and application migration that enable applications to operate across dynamically changing and heterogeneous systems without their explicit involvement. An important property of cooperative distributed platforms is that they jointly and cooperatively provide and maintain the collective resources needed by applications. Another property is that these platforms make decisions about the resources allocated to certain tasks in a decentralized fashion. In contrast to volunteer computing systems, however, cooperation implies the commitment of resources as well as the commitment to jointly managing them. The resulting technical challenges for the mobile environments on which this thesis is focused include coping with dynamic network topology, the runtime addition and removal of devices, and resource management issues that go beyond resource usage and scheduling to also include topics like energy consumption and battery drain. Platform and resource virtualization can provide important benefits to cooperative mobile platforms, the key one being the ability to hide from operating systems and applications the complexities implied by collective resource usage. To realize this opportunity, this thesis extends current techniques for device access and sharing in virtualized systems, particularly to improve their flexibility in terms of their ability to make the implementation choices needed for efficient service provision and realization in the mobile and embedded systems targeted by this work. Specifically, we use middleware-based approaches to flexibly extend device and service implementations across cooperative and virtualized mobile platforms. First, for cooperating platforms, application-specific overlay networks are constructed and managed in response to dynamics at the application level and in the underlying infrastructure. When virtualizing these platforms, these same middleware techniques are shown capable of providing uniform services to applications despite platform heterogeneity and dynamics. The approach is shown useful for sharing and remotely accessing devices and services, and for device emulation in mobile settings.

Digital platforms have established new ways within marketing for consumers and brands to interact. This has called for a paradigm shift denoting a phenomenon of shifting consumer and company roles, creating opportunities for interaction and value creation. Nike – the worlds biggest sports apparel company – has succeeded in embracing these new conditions with their digital service application Nike+ and the related brand community. This case study of Nike+ sets out to investigate how these new structural conditions of digital platforms have affected the interactions between consumer and firm at the level of the brand. Ten semi- structured interviews with users of the Nike+ application were conducted together with a netnography of the Nike Running forum on Facebook. The data revealed how firms with the use of digital platforms, independent of locational boundaries, can form a synergy that allows for interaction and value creation for both brand and consumer. Consumers are given flexibility in the creation of brand experience, through the resources facilitated by the brand, hence having the opportunity to create and co-create useful value. From the process of this synergy brands are given a “second life” in the digitized sphere. A “second life” where consumer and brand process cooperate in order to influence each other’s processes as well as being a way to claim a central place in the everyday life of the consumer.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The impact of harvesting systems and laborer platforms on fruit quality were assessed when harvesting, as well as laborer productivity when performing orchard actions requiring the use of ladders. Harvesting systems and laborer platforms were compared to conventional labor practices. Trials were done on stone and pome fruit farms throughout the Western Cape. Harvesting systems showed potential to decrease bruising on hardy apple cultivars such as Red Chief and Cripps’ Red. However, similar or even higher injury levels were obtained on more sensitive cultivars such as Golden Delicious and Cripps’ Pink. Conventional teams incur little bruising on the hardier cultivars, thus the scope of improvement on these cultivars is small. Conventional teams incur higher injury levels on more sensitive cultivars, leaving much room for improvement. However, due to high harvesting injury levels incurred by teams on the harvesting systems, no improvement was obtained. Conventional teams achieve very high picking productivity outputs for hardy cultivars like Abate Fetel, Red Chief and Cripps’ Red whereas outputs are lower for sensitive cultivars like Golden Delicious and Cripps’ Pink. Harvesting systems reached an upper limit of around 150 kg per picker per hour when strip picking, regardless of cultivar hardiness. This limit stemmed from the misalignment between orchard and machine design, which results in a very inefficient picking action. This limits the number of picking cycles that can be completed in a certain amount of time, which in turn limits the weight of fruit that can be picked in that time. Furthermore, factors such as tree size, shape and uniformity, fruit distribution on the tree, fruit size and quality, orchard floor condition and aspect, labor team dynamics, harvesting incentives, bin condition, operational system employed and harvest logistics all affected the overall productivity and efficiency of the harvesting systems. When performing summer pruning with the aid of a laborer platform, productivity was substantially increased compared to conventional laborers on ladders. Dormant pruning and fruit thinning with laborer platforms also showed potential for increased laborer productivity. The extent of improvement was smaller than for summer pruning and was dependent on the pruning/ thinning strategy employed as well as tree architecture. In general, narrower and younger trees showed larger increases in productivity. Producers should aim to simplify pruning and thinning strategies in order to maximize productivity gains when using laborer platforms while at the same time maintaining good fruit quality and yield. Our study revealed that laborer platforms can increase laborer productivity for certain orchard tasks but substantial gains in harvesting productivity through mechanization is not a possibility in the near future. Our study did, however, allude to the potential gains in productivity that can be made with more efficient management and implementation of conventional harvesting practices. Producing, and more specifically, harvesting deciduous fruit for the fresh market will likely remain a labor intensive process. Therefore it is important that producers focus on investing in labor-related factors such as laborer training, motivation and satisfaction together with the careful implementation of new technologies such as laborer platforms. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die impak van oesstelsels en arbeider-platforms op vrugkwaliteit tydens oes sowel as arbeider produktiwiteit met die uitvoer van boordtake waar traplere gebruik word, is geevalueer. Die oesstelsels en arbeider-platforms is vergelyk met konvensionele praktyke wat op verskeie steen- en kernvrugplase in die Wes-Kaap gebruik word. Oesstelsels het die potensiaal om appel kultivars met 'n lae beseringsgevoeligheid, soos Red Chief en Cripps’ Red minder te kneus. Soortgelyke of selfs hoër vlakke van oesbeserings is waargeneem op sensitiewe kultivars soos Golden Delicious en Cripps’ Pink. Konvensionele plukspanne handhaaf oor die algemeen lae vlakke van oesbeserings op geharde kultivars, wat min ruimte vir verbetering laat. Oesbeserings vir konvensionele spanne op sensitiewe kultivars is egter hoog en laat baie ruimte vir verbetering, maar weens die hoë vlakke van beserings van die spanne op die oesstelsels, is geen verbetering waargeneem nie. Konvensionele plukspanne handhaaf hoë oesproduktiwiteit uitsette op geharde kultivars soos Abate Fetel, Red Chief en Cripps’ Red terwyl oesproduktiwiteit vir sensitiewe kultivars soos Golden Delicious en Cripps’ Pink laer is. Oesstelsels het 'n maksimum plukuitset van 150 kg per plukker per uur behaal tydens skoon-pluk, ongeag kultivar gehardheid. Hierdie beperking ontstaan as gevolg van die onverenigbaarheid tussen boord- en masjienontwerp wat tot 'n baie ondoeltreffende plukaksie lei vir die plukkers. Die onverenigbaarheid beperk die aantal plukbewegings wat 'n plukker kan voltooi binne 'n sekere tyd wat weer die totale massa van die vrugte wat in daardie tyd gepluk word beperk. Boomgrootte, -vorm en –uniformiteit, vrugverspreiding op die boom, vruggrootte en – kwaliteit, toestand en helling van die boordvloer, arbeiderverhoudings, plukker vergoeding, krattoestand, operasionele stelsels wat geïmplementeer word en die organisering van oestyd logistiek het 'n invloed gehad op die produktiwiteit uitsette wat met die oesstelsels behaal is. Die gebruik van 'n arbeider-platform vir somersnoei het arbeider produktiwiteit beduidend verhoog in vergelyking met konvensionele arbeiders op traplere. Wintersnoei en vruguitdunning met arbeider-platforms het ook die potensiaal om arbeider produktiwiteit te verhoog. 'n Kleiner verhoging in produktiwiteit as by somersnoei is waargeneem en het afgehang van die snoei- of uitdun-strategie sowel as boom argitektuur. Oor die algemeen het jonger en smaller bome groter verhogings in produktiwiteit getoon. Ten einde maksimum voordeel te geniet met die gebruik van arbeider-platforms moet produsente poog om snoei- en uitdun-strategieë te vereenvoudig terwyl goeie vrugkwaliteit en opbrengs gehandhaaf word. Ons navorsing het getoon dat die gebruik van arbeider-platforms, arbeider produktiwiteit vir sekere boord-take kan verhoog, maar 'n beduidende toename in oesproduktiwiteit d.m.v. meganisasie blyk nie 'n moontlikheid te wees in die nabye toekoms nie. Ons navorsing het wel gedui op die potensiële toenames in oesproduktiwiteit wat verkry kan word met meer doeltreffende bestuur en implementering van huidige konvensionele stelsels. Die verbou, en meer spesifiek die oes van sagtevrugte vir die varsproduktemark sal waarskynlik 'n arbeidsintensiewe proses bly. Daarom is dit belangrik dat produsente aandag gee aan die opleiding, motivering en bevrediging van arbeiders saam met die implementering van nuwe tegnologie soos arbeider-platforms.

Prêmio Petrobrás de Tecnologia, CNPq / O reinício do escoamento do fluido de perfuração é um grande problema em águas profundas e em poços de grande extensão como os do pré-sal. Dependendo da geometria do poço e de propriedades do fluido, picos de pressão significativos podem ocorrer comprometendo a estrutura do poço. O presente trabalho apresenta um modelo matemático para o escoamento compressível e transitório com o objetivo de prever a transmissão de pressão ao longo do poço e os picos de pressão durante o reinício do escoamento. O modelo baseia-se nas equações de conservação da massa e da quantidade de movimento que são resolvidas pelo método das características. Fluidos de perfuração são tratados como fluidos não newtonianos de Bingham e os efeitos viscosos são considerados através do conceito de fator de atrito. Os resultados do modelo são corroborados com alguns valores experimentais para o escoamento de um fluido newtoniano (água) e dois fluidos de perfuração. Estudos de casos são realizados com o propósito de verificar quais os efeitos das propriedades do fluido e da geometria na intensidade dos picos de pressão. A intensidade dos picos de pressão está relacionada ao fenômeno de superposição de ondas de pressão que se refletem nas extremidades da geometria. Aumentando o comprimento do poço, a viscosidade, a tensão limite de escoamento e a compressibilidade do fluido, ou diminuindo a massa específica e a área de uma das geometrias, proporciona-se uma dissipação mais rápida da onda de pressão. Quanto menor é a dissipação da onda de pressão por atrito viscoso, maior é a intensidade dos picos de pressão no fundo do poço. Para o caso com vazão constante na entrada como condição de contorno, a intensidade dos picos decresce com o aumento da razão de áreas, enquanto que para o caso com pressão constante, pode apresentar um valor mínimo. / The fluid flow start-up is a significant problem in deepwater and in long wells such as those of the Brazilian subsalt layers. Depending on the well geometry and fluid properties, significant pressure peaks may take place affecting the wellbore structure. This work presents a mathematical model to simulate the transient and compressible flow start-up of drilling fluids so as to predict the pressure transmission along the well and the pressure peak during the flow start-up. The model is based on the conservation equations of mass and momentum which are solved by the method of characteristics. Drilling fluids are treated as non-newtonian Bingham fluids and viscous effects are considered by using the friction factor approach. The model results are corroborated with some experimental values for a Newtonian (water) and two drilling fluids. Case studies are conducted to verifying how the magnitudes of the pressures peaks are affected by the fluid properties and the well geometry. The magnitude of the pressure peak is related to the phenomenon of superposition of pressure waves that are reflected in the ends of the drillpipe-well geometry. Either increasing the well length, viscosity, yield stress and fluid compressibility, or decreasing the fluid density and the cross-sectional area, the pressure wave is faster dissipated. The lower the pressure wave dissipation by viscous friction larger is the magnitude of the pressure peak in the borehole. For constant inlet flow rates as boundary condition, the magnitude of the peaks decreases as the ratio of the pipe and well cross-sectional areas increases, whereas for constant inlet pressure cases, this peak reaches a minimum value.

Submitted by Leonardo Cavalcante (leo.ocavalcante@gmail.com) on 2018-04-11T15:41:02Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Arquivototal.pdf: 3879578 bytes, checksum: 319a960d7084cb074c83a1b036542958 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-11T15:41:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Arquivototal.pdf: 3879578 bytes, checksum: 319a960d7084cb074c83a1b036542958 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-07-26 / Through democratization of production tools and inserted onto a participatory culture, users start to produce and share their own content, reconfiguring traditional practices and constituting new productive instances. By this change in production’s flow, where the consumer assumes both the role of spectator and the producer of information, various media segments start to have their activities modified, and also reaching actual advertising. From this interaction made possible by the medium, advertising announcements cease to be designed exclusively by specialized agencies and individuals and start being developed by the own consumers, which we have classified in this study as actions of the Participatory Advertising. Featuring an innovative way of producing advertising, such as the 'advertising developed by the consumer’, we start from the examination of an original element of this practice: the social network Zooppa, understood as a collaborative platform inserted into this production model. Thus, the current research aimed at analyzing this new production system, verifying the manners that this website and this productive heterogeneous type of capital enable the reconfiguration of the advertising practice, constituting a new phase. Through the results obtained in the study, we could confirm the beginning of a phase of our advertising as defined in this study as Phase Resistance. / Através da democratização das ferramentas de produção e inseridos em uma cultura participativa, os usuários passam a produzir e compartilhar os seus próprios conteúdos, reconfigurando práticas tradicionais e constituindo novas instâncias produtivas. Por meio desta modificação no fluxo de produção, onde o consumidor assume tanto o papel de espectador quanto o de produtor de informação, diversos segmentos midiáticos passam a ter as suas atividades modificadas, atingindo também o fazer publicitário atual. A partir desta interação possibilitada pelo meio, os anúncios deixam de ser desenvolvidos exclusivamente pelas agências e indivíduos especializados, e passam a ser desenvolvidos pelos próprios consumidores, classificados nesta pesquisa como ações de Publicidade Participativa. Apresentando uma forma inovadora de fazer publicidade, como a “propaganda desenvolvida pelo consumidor”, partimos do exame de um elemento nativo desta prática: a rede social Zooppa, compreendida como uma plataforma colaborativa inserida neste modelo de produção. Desta maneira, a presente pesquisa teve por objetivo a análise do novo sistema de produção, verificando de que maneira o referido site e o capital produtivo heterogêneo possibilitam uma reconfiguração da prática publicitária. Por meio dos resultados obtidos na pesquisa, pudemos comprovar o início de uma nova fase da publicidade, definida no estudo como Fase da Resistência.

As relações entre internet e política passam a ser, de forma crescente, campo das investigações sociológicas no Brasil. Em particular, a evolução das plataformas digitais tem implicações relevantes para as formas de engajamento dos cidadãos e para a participação política. O estudo de caso da wikicidade Portoalegre.cc apresentado nessa dissertação questionou em medida essa iniciativa de participação digital possibilitou a interação entre o governo local, os cidadãos e a empresa de tecnologia que desenvolveu o projeto, estabelecendo, assim, interfaces que efetivassem à criação e à mobilização de projetos colaborativos entre sociedade, mercado e Estado. Por meio da investigação em fontes documentais secundárias, em entrevistas semiestruturadas, no conteúdo gerado na plataforma e nas sistematizações provenientes da técnica de livre navegação no website, foram realizadas a descrição da plataforma como um construto tecnocultural e uma estrutura socioeconômica, bem como a caracterização das dimensões que a definem como uma iniciativa de participação digital. A partir desses esforços investigativos, identificou-se que os cidadãos-usuários participaram mais por demandas e opiniões sobre a ação estatal e sobre a condição urbana e menos por meio de proposições e de mobilizações representativas de práticas colaborativas conforme previa a proposta da plataforma. Sem contar, que a gramática relacional entre a esfera civil – circunscrita aos cidadãos-usuários envolvidos – e a Administração Municipal de Porto Alegre não caracterizou-se pela troca mútua. Nesse sentido, foi baixa a efetividade das potencialidades do mapeamento colaborativo, produzido por meio da plataforma Portoalegre.cc, para a materialização de projetos colaborativos entre atores sociais e atores estatais. Dentre outras razões, essa realidade contribuiu para a descontinuidade da iniciativa. / The relations between the internet and policy become increasingly field of sociological research in Brazil. The evolution of digital platforms has particulary important implications for civic engagement and political participation. The case study of Portoalegre.cc wikicity, dealt in this dissertation, evaluated in extent this initiative of digital participation enabled the interaction between the local government, citizens and the technology company that developed the project, thereby exploiting new forms of interfaces that had the creation and the mobilisation of collaborative projects between society, market and State. By analysis of secondary source documents, semi-structured interviews, platform’s generated content database and free navigation technique through the site , it has been described the platform as a techno-cultural construct and a socioeconomic structure, as well as it was characterized the dimensions that define as an initiative of digital participation. From these investigative efforts, it was identified that the citizens-users participated more by demands and opinions on the state action or on the urban condition and less to the proposition and the mobilisation of collaborative practices as envisaged in the proposal of the platform. Added to that, the relational grammar between the civil sphere - circumscribed to citizensusers involved - and the city government of Porto Alegre was not of mutual exchange. In this sense, the effectiveness of potential of collaborative mapping produced by means of platform Portoalegre.cc was low, having little impact for collaborative projects between social actors and state actors.Among other reasons, this reality has contributed to the discontinuity of the initiative.

A economia compartilhada é um sistema econômico baseado no compartilhamento de bens subutilizados, de forma gratuita ou por uma taxa. Com os adventos da internet, smartphones e Gps surgiram as plataformas digitais que se baseiam nesse conceito, em que se faz emergir a necessidade da compreensão de sua relação com mercados two-side. Tal expansão atingiu diversos setores da economia, e, ainda, criou nova demanda, como a plataforma Uber, o que, no entanto, gerou distúrbios no setor de táxis, tradicionalmente regulamentado e com ineficiências mundialmente reconhecidas. Dessa forma, o objetivo dessa dissertação é entender o que são as plataformas digitais e analisar o caso especifico da empresa Uber, apresentando quais os principais fatores que permitiram que esse tipo de empresa surgisse; onde estamos, definindo o que é efetivamente a Uber e os serviços por ela prestado, abordando quais os ganhos de bem-estar proporcionados (excedente do consumidor) e problemas de regulamentação enfrentados; e para onde iremos, prospectando um caminho para a economia compartilhada a respeito das plataformas digitais em mercados two-side. / Shared economy is an economic system based on the share of underutilized goods free of charge or for a fee. With the advent of the internet, the digital platforms based on this concept have been developed, emerging the need of understanding its relationship with two-side markets. This expansion has reached various sectors of the economy, as well as created new demand, such as the Uber platform, which ,however, has generated disturbances in the taxi sector, traditionally regulated with its worldwide recognised inefficiencies. Thus, the goal of this dissertation is to understand what the digital platforms are and to analyse the specific case of Uber company, showing the main factors which allowed this type of business to arise; where we are, defining what Uber effectively is and the services provided by it, addressing the welfare gains provided (consumer surplus) and regulatory problems faced; and where we go, prospecting a path for the shared economy regarding the digital platforms in two-side markets.

O presente trabalho investiga a apropriação pelo meio jornalístico brasileiro dos ereader's e tablet's, em especial o Kindle e o iPad, desenvolvendo uma análise semiótica da transição dos jornais impressos para essa plataforma digital, os códigos gráficos que são utilizados nos jornais impressos transpostos para o meio digital, o hábito da leitura do jornal, usabilidade e os gadgets disponíveis no mercado no período da pesquisa, bem como o levantamento das características técnicas e funcionalidades dos mesmos. A análise questiona o impacto que esses meios digitais podem ter junto ao meio impresso e em relação à Regra dos 30% teorizada por Alan Mutter. Esse estudo está focado em entrevistas com os editores dos jornais Zero Hora, Pioneiro, Diário Catarinense, Jornal de Santa Catarina, A Notícia, Diário de Santa Maria, O Globo e Estadão. Por fim, é feita uma análise de como esse movimento eletrônico pode levar informação de outra maneira aos leitores, abrindo novas perspectivas para as empresas jornalísticas que empregam esta tecnologia e como estas estão percebendo isso. / This study investigates the recognition of the journalistic media of Brazil's e-reader's tablet and in particular the Kindle and iPad in Brazilian journalism, developing a semiotic analysis of the transition from print newspapers to this digital platform, the graphic codes that are used in the printed newspapers transposed to the digital media, the habit of reading newspaper, usability and the available gadgets in the market in this period of research, and lifting of the technical characteristics and features that they have. The analysis questions the impact that these digital medias can on the print media and about the Rule of 30% theorized by Alan Mutter. This study focuses on interviews with the editores of the newspaper Zero Hora, Pioneiro, Diário Catarinense, Jornal de Santa Catarina, A Notícia, Diário de Santa Maria, O Globo and Estadão. Finally, it examines how this movement of electronic information can lead information to the readers in another way, opening new opportunities for newspaper companies and how these are noticing this.

A tese aqui exposta dedica-se ao estudo e à maior compreensão da política norte-americana. Mais especificamente, dedica-se ao estudo da suposta polarização partidária e ascensão conservadora Republicana no período recente. Tratados como fato pela literatura especializada, o estudo aqui feito trata esses dois fenômenos como hipóteses a serem testadas. Desse modo, por meio de uma maior apreensão do que se entende por ideologias políticas como Conservadorismo e Liberalismo no contexto dos Estados Unidos, bem como de uma metodologia que privilegia o uso de plataformas nacionais como indicativo de retrato ideológico partidário; esse estudo busca evidenciar empiricamente aproximações e/ou distanciamentos entre os partidos políticos e, consequentemente, a ascensão ou o declínio de ideologias tal como o Conservadorismo no que tange ao Partido Rebublicano. Através de indicadores de gradação, rede e frequência de palavras a partir das plataformas nacionais de ambos os partidos políticos (Democrata e Republicano) no período entre 1936 a 2012; se busca evidenciar de modo mais empírico esses dois fenômenos. Os resultados nos indicam que, de fato, há uma polarização partidária no período recente; no entanto, essa não é única na história desse país. Da mesma forma, percebe-se que há uma ascensão conservadora por parte do Partido Republicano, sobretudo no que diz respeito a certas categorias de análise tal como as questões sociais. / The work exposed here is dedicated to the study and to a greater understanding of the North-American politics. More specifically, intends to study the suposedly recent party polarization and Republican conservative ascendancy. Treated as a fact by the specialized literature, the study here done treats these two phenomena as hypothesis to be tested. As such, through a greater understanding of ideologies such as Conservatism and Liberalism in the context of the United States, as well as a methodology that favors the use of national platforms as an indicative of party ideological portrait; this work seeks to empirically evidence points of similiarities and differences between the political parties and, as a consequence, the ascent or decline of ideologies such as Conservatism in reference to the Republican Party. Through indicators of gradation, wordtree and word frequency from the national platforms of the two political parties (Democratic and Republican) between 1936 and 2012; this work seeks to evidence in a more empirical way these two phenomena. The results show us that, indeed, there is a party polarization in the recent period; nevertheless, this is not the only one in the history of this country. In the same way, it can be perceived that there is a conservative ascendancy by the Republican Party, especially when dealing with some categories of analysis such as social policies.