Background: Digitalized operations have become praxis for organizations of all shapes and sizes and while the digital tools keep developing, certain aspects make it difficult for certain organizations to keep up. One of the most modern, efficient, and sought-after digital tools is artificial intelligence (AI). With increased efficiency and decreased human errors, it has become the foundation for operations within organizations all over the world. One of these types of operations is the human resource management (HRM) process found in each organization. And while some industries have had a much easier task in adopting AI into their HRM function, others have had more difficulty. Purpose: While there are a few theories of what might affect the process of AI adoption, these are quite old and often known to managers. Yet, certain industries have a hard time adopting AI tools within the HRM function while other industries have fully implemented automated systems that have revolutionized the way they operate. The purpose of this study is to understand why and how AI adoption differs between these industries when it comes to similar operations such as the HRM function. Method:        The methods of this study were based on the grounded theory (GT) as a basis to analyze eight different organizations within the financial industry and telecom industry. Through semi-structured interviews, different aspects could be illustrated as crucial when it comes to the possibility to adopt AI within existing operations.  Conclusion: The results of this study show that the AI-maturity of the organization and industry alike play a crucial part in successfully adopting AI. But the institutional pressures and the available resources are equally important to understand to be able to successfully adopt AI. These two aspects form the outcome of AI adoption and the number of complex combinations that can be formed highlights why AI adoption differs between organizations and industries alike.

No description available.

This essay applies a feminist neo-Marxist perspective to analyze the intricate parts of society in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The essay performs an analysis of societal norms and the influence the economy has on individuals with a focus on the character Charlotte Lucas by applying feminist and Marxist frameworks to the character and her choices. The analysis explores how Regency patriarchy influences the lives and choices of individuals such as Charlotte, who has to make decisions within societal constraints in pursuit of a stable future. An introduction to feminist neo-Marxism is made to establish a theoretical understanding of the gender roles and power dynamics in the novel. Interactions between gender expectations, economic factors, and class are highlighted. Regency societal norms and economic pressures are especially analyzed to contextualize Charlotte’s choices. This essay offers insight into the character’s motivations while highlighting what in the way society functions drives them to make the decisions they do, especially as women.

Currently extensive research on alternative fuels is being conducted due to their increasing demand to reduce greenhouse emissions. One renewable fuel studied in this work is dimethyl ether (DME) blended with propane(C3H8) as a potential mixture for heavy-duty engines used in semi-trucks. The blend has the potential to drastically reduce particulate and greenhouse gas emissions compared to a conventional diesel engine operating under similar conditions. To develop the use of mixture, one must conduct detailed conceptual and simulation studies before progressing to detail studies in CFD, engine modifications, and live testing. For simulations, accurate high-fidelity chemical kinetic models are necessary. However, the validity of the chemical kinetic mechanism for operating conditions of a heavy-duty mixing-controlled compression (MCCI) engine was widely unknown until recent work presented here and published. In this work, we studied the ignition of DME and propane blends in a shock tube under MCCI engine conditions. Ignition delay time (IDT) gathered behind the reflected shock for DME-propane mixtures for heavy-duty compression ignition (CI) engine parameters. Testing was conducted for undiluted varieties spanning from temperatures of 700 to 1100 K at pressures ranging from 55 to 84 bar for various blends (100% CH3OCH3, 100% C3H8, 60% CH3OCH3/ 40% C3H8) of DME and propane were combusted in synthetic air (21% O2/ 79% N2). Several experiments were conducted at higher pressures (90-120 bar) to improve the model performance and accuracy. The ignition delay times (IDTs) were compared to recent mechanisms, including Aramco3.0, NUIG, and Dames et al. A common trend among the mechanisms was overpredicted experimental IDTs. Further studies were conducted by a sensitivity analysis using the Dames et al. model, and critical reactions sensitive to IDTs of DME-propane mixture near 60 bar are outlined. Chemical analysis was conducted on the NTC region to explain chemical kinetics which is critical for developing MCCI heavy duty engines.

This thesis explores the legitimacy of national libraries, by analysing the media's portrayal of the British Library during a major cyber attack by the Rhysida group in October 2023. Using diverse media sources, the research examines how media narratives reflect institutional pressures during prolonged disruption. The research employs a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative media coverage mapping with qualitative thematic analysis. The mapping categorises news articles based on content type, publication section, and perspectives represented. Thematic analysis identifies key themes such as the disruption of library services, cybersecurity concerns, and critiques of digital fragility. The findings reveal a complex interplay between the library's historical role as a national institution and its modern digital vulnerabilities. Additionally, the study discusses the broader implications of digital practices for the institutional identity of libraries, and the perceived responsibilities of national libraries in safeguarding cultural and intellectual heritage against cyber threats.

Thesis (M. Tech. (Engineering: Mechanical)) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2013 / This research examines the suitability of Additive Manufacturing (AM) for manufacturing dies used in aluminium high pressure die casting. The study was guided by the following objectives: • The reviews of applicable literature sources that outline technical and application aspects of AM in plastic injection moulds and the possibilities of applying it to high pressure casting die. • To introduce AM grown die components in die manufacture. Further, to develop a methodology that will allow industry to apply AM technology to die manufacture. • Revolutionise the way die manufacture is done. The potential for AM technologies is to deliver faster die manufacture turnaround time by requiring a drastically reduced amount of high level machining accuracy. It also reduces the number of complex mechanical material removal operations. Fewer critical steps required by suitable AM technology platforms able to grow fully dense metal components on die casting tools able to produce production runs. • Furthermore, promising competitive advantages are anticipated on savings to be attained on the casting processing side. AM technology allows incorporation of features in a die cavity not possible to machine with current machining approaches and technology. One such example is conformal cooling or heating of die cavities. This approach was successfully used in plastic injection mould cavities resulting in savings on both the part quality as well as the reduction on cycle time required to produce it (LaserCUSING®, 2007). AM technology has evolved to a point where as a medium for fast creation of an object, it has surpassed traditional manufacturing processes allowing for rapidly bridging the gap between ideas to part in hand. The suitability of the AM approach in accelerating the die manufacturing process sometime in the near future cannot be dismissed or ignored. The research showed that there is promise for application of the technology in the not too distant future. In the South African context, the current number and affordability of suitable AM platforms is one of the main stumbling blocks in effecting more widespread applied research aimed at introduction of the technology to die manufacture.

Ce travail a contribué à la compréhension des bases moléculaires de l'immunité de l'huître creuse par la caractérisation la diversité de trois effecteurs antimicrobiens de C. gigas et par l'appréhension du rôle de cette diversité dans les mécanismes de défense. Des analyses phylogénétiques de deux peptides antimicrobiens (AMPs), Cg-Défensines (Cg-Defs) et Cg-Proline rich peptide (Cg-Prp), et d'une protéine de type Bactericidal Permeability Increasing protein, Cg-BPI, nous a permis montrer la grande diversité pour les 2 AMPs, qui est générée par plusieurs mécanismes génétiques et par des pressions de sélection directionnelles, suggèrant une diversité fonctionnelle des variants. L'importance biologique de cette diversité a été étudiée pour trois variants de Cg-Defs. Une forte activité antimicrobienne a été mise en évidence contre les bactéries à Gram positive, mais celle-ci diffère selon les variants. De plus, nous avons démontré que le mécanisme d'action des Cg-Defs contre S. aureus repose sur l'inhibition de la biosynthèse du peptidoglycane par le piegeage de son précurseur, le lipide II. Finalement, l'expression des transcrits et la localisation de ces effecteurs en réponse à une infection par un Vibrio pathogène ont montré un réseau complexe des profils d'expression des différents antimicrobiens, au niveau des populations hémocytaires et des tissus d'huître, suggérant une interaction entre les antimicrobiens du fait de leur colocalization. La combinaison entre les familles ou entre les variants d'une même famille produit de fortes activités synergiques qui élargissent les spectres d'activité. Ainsi, la diversité produit par la coévolution entre hôte et pathogènes pourrait améliorer l'activité des AMPs d'huître, lui conférant une plus grande protection contre les pathogènes de son environnement. / This work contributed to the knowledge of the molecular bases of oyster immunity by the characterization of the diversity of three antimicrobials of C. gigas and the understanding of the role played by their diversity in the oyster antimicrobial response. Phylogenetic analyses of two antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), Cg-Defensins (Cg-Defs) and Cg-Proline rich peptide (Cg-Prp), and one Bactericidal Permeability Increasing protein, Cg-BPI, led us to the identification of a high diversity for both AMPs. Further analyses showed that this diversity is generated by gene duplication, allelic recombination and directional selection pressures, suggesting their functional diversification. The biological meaning of AMP diversity was investigated for the three major variants of Cg-Defs, which revealed a strong but variable potency against Gram-positive bacteria. We evidenced that oyster defensins kill S. aureus through binding to the cell wall precursor lipid II, resulting in the inhibition of peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Finally, transcript expression and localization of oyster antimicrobials after a pathogenic infection evidenced a complex network in their expression profiles in hemocyte populations and oyster tissues, suggesting a potential interplay between antimicrobials as a result of their colocalization. Indeed, the combination of oyster antimicrobials produced strong synergistic activities that enlarged their antimicrobial spectra. Thus, the diversity of oyster antimicrobials may provide significant means in acquiring functional divergence, probably concerned in the evolutionary arms race between hosts and their pathogens.From our data, it would provide oysters with a higher protection against the potential pathogens from their environment.

Detta är en kvalitativ undersökning om vilken roll MARPOL-konventionen spelar för transportköpare. Vilken miljöhänsyn de tar vid val av transportör och till vilken grad de känner till MARPOL-konventionen och det arbete som besättningen ombord på fartygen utför för att leva upp till dess krav. Det studerade problemet behandlarförståelsen för att miljöarbete, inte bara inom sin egen arbetssektor, utan även inom andra arbetssektorer, är en viktig förståelse för att uppnå ett stort samarbete för miljön.Undersökningen är baserad på en semi-strukturerade metod av öppna intervjuer med fem svenska företag som handlar med varor internationellt och är transportköpare. Undersökningen visar på att transportkostnad på lång sikt, miljöarbete inom transportbolaget och pålitligheten gällande de avsatta leveranstiderna samt den tidigare arbetsrelationen mellan transportköpare och transportbolag, är de faktorer som spelar störst roll vid val av transportör för transportköpare. Samt att ett företag av fem intervjuade, känner till MARPOL-Konventionen och lite av dess arbetskrav som ställs på besättningen ombord på fartygen. Allt arbete med denna undersökning och utvecklingen av dess rapport är genomfört av arbetets författare. / A qualitative study regarding what role the MARPOL-Convention plays for the costumers of transport service. What regard of environment they take in consideration for their choice of carrier and to what degree they are aware of the MARPOL-Convention and the work the crew put in on board vessels, in order to live up to the requirements of the MARPOL-Convention. The problem deals with the understanding of the environmental work, not only within their own labor sector, but also in other labor sectors, is an important understanding to achieve a great partnership for the environment. The survey is based on a semi-structured method of open interviews with five Swedish companies that are dealing in goods internationally and are costumers of transport services. This survey shows that; long term transport costs, environmental work within the transport company, the reliability regarding the assigned delivery times and the earlier working relationship between shippers and carriers, play the greatest role for the choice of carrier. And that one out of five respondents are aware of the MARPOL-Convention, and some of the work it requires of the crew on board the vessels.

The electronic identification (eID) is a digital representation of our analogue identity used for authentication in order to gain access to personalized restricted online content. Despite its limited and clearly defined scope, the eID has a unique role to play in information society as an enabler of public digital services for citizens as well as businesses and a prerequisite for the development of electronic government (eGovernment). This study shows a tendency of treating public sector eIDs like Information and Communications Technology (ICT) artefacts in general. Hence, a narrow focus on technology is often applied thus placing non-technical aspects in the background. Consequently, social and organizational implications are often unproblematized which in turn becomes problematic in the case of the public sector eID. This study puts forth a need for a broader focus in this area and contributes by focusing on the challenges related to the resistance to introductions of eIDs among affected actors in the public sector. This study assumes that affected actors’ perceptions (translations) of the eID have a potential impact on its introduction on organizational as well as operational level. Research questions focus on the influence of resistance on the introduction and the relationship between resistance and actors’ translations of the eID. The aim is to further develop existing concepts and bring new insights to research as well as practice. The analytical perspectives of sociology and institutionalism aim at developing a tentative analytical framework for investigations of this relationship. Introductions, therefore, become institutional pressures facing resistance as related to affected actors’ translations. The empirical basis consists of two interpretive case studies of eID introductions –a national eID to cover the entire public sector and a professional eID in health care. The result shows that resistance in the form of institutional barriers develops from actors’ negative translations of the eID and main coordinating actors’ tend to fail in their attempts to negotiate these barriers. This confirms a closer relationship between institutional pressures and barriers and a view of pressures, barriers and eIDs as translated institutions transferred across organizational settings is put forth. To facilitate future research and practice related to public sector eID introductions, three propositions are put forth. (1) The importance of acknowledging pressures to introduce eIDs as closely related to barriers. (2) The institutions involved in this process as all translated by the government, coordinating actors as well as affected actors. (3) The importance of a developed understanding of these institutions, translations and relationships in order to facilitate cooperative efforts shaping future public sector eIDs. / Elektronisk identifiering (eID) är en digital representation av vår analoga identitet som används för autentisering i syfte att få tillgång till skyddat innehåll på nätet. Trots ett begränsat syfte, har eID en unik roll i informationssamhället som möjliggörare av offentliga digitala tjänster för medborgare och företag och en förutsättning för utveckling av elektronisk förvaltning (eförvaltning). Denna studie visar att eID i offentlig sektor ofta hanteras som informations- och kommunikationsteknik (IKT) generellt. Därför tillämpas ofta ett tekniskt perspektiv vilket medför att icke-tekniska aspekter placeras i bakgrunden vilket blir problematiskt i fallet med eID i offentlig sektor. Sociala och organisatoriska konsekvenser förblir därmed ofta otillräckligt problematiserade vilket blir problematiskt vid introduktioner av eID i offentlig sektor. Följaktligen för denna studie fram ett behov av bredare fokus inom detta område och bidrar genom att fokusera på utmaningar som rör motståndet mot introduktioner av eID bland berörda aktörer inom offentlig sektor. Denna studie förutsätter att berörda aktörers uppfattningar (översättningar) av eID har en potentiell inverkan på dess introduktion på organisatorisk och operativ nivå. Forskningsfrågorna behandlar hur motståndet påverkar införandet och förhållandet mellan motstånd och aktörernas översättningar av eID. Målet är att vidareutveckla befintliga begrepp och att bidra med nya insikter till forskning samt praktik. De analytiska perspektiven inom sociologi och institutionalism syftar till att utveckla ett tentativt analytiskt ramverk för att undersöka denna relation och med detta se introduktioner som institutionella tryck som möter motstånd kopplat till berörda aktörers översättningar. Den empiriska grunden består av två tolkande fallstudier - ett nationellt eID införande och ett införande av eID för tjänstebruk inom vården. Resultatet visar att motståndet i form av institutionella hinder utvecklas från aktörers negativa översättningar av eID och samordnande försök att hantera dessa hinder misslyckas ofta. Detta bekräftar också en tydlig relation mellan institutionella tryck, hinder och eID som översatta institutioner vilka överförs mellan olika organisatoriska sammanhang. För att underlätta framtida eID-införanden och för nya insikter till forskning, förs följande tre påståenden fram: (1) Vikten av att erkänna institutionella tryck som närbesläktade med hinder vid införande av eID. (2) De institutioner som deltar (tryck, hinder och eID) är alla översatta av förvaltning, samordnande och berörda aktörer. (3) Vikten av en utvecklad förståelse av dessa institutioner, översättningar och relationer för att underlätta samverkan kring framtidens eID inom offentlig sektor.

The presented thesis is focused on the influence of postural stability changes on respiratory muscle strength. The aim of this thesis was to determinate whether the respiratory muscle strength will change during the increased demands on postural stability, and if so, then how exactly. The theoretical part summarized the findings about the diaphragm and its postural stabilizing function, about the connection between breathing and postural control as well as about the influence of body position on respiratory muscle strength. In the practical part of the thesis, the values of the maximal respiratory mouth pressures were measured (PI max and PE max) on 21 healthy subjects ranging from 20 to 26 years of age using the spirometer in three postural situations - standing, standing on the balance surface and standing on the balance surface with no visual control. Throughout the whole group, there were no significant statistical differences ( p ≥ 0,05 ) in the outcome values of the measured postural situations. Two trends were observed in the changes of values of PI max and PE max. During the increased demands for postural stability the value of PI max was higher for 29% and lower for 71% of the measured individuals. The value of PE max was higher for 33% and lower for 67% of the measured individuals. This...