In this study, a three-axes PC numerical control system for industrial applications has been developed. With this system, fast and cheap prototyping of designed objects can be realized. The system consists of software and a hardware which includes an XYZ positioning table and three step motors controlling this table. A proper drive circuit for the stepper motors is utilized. The software digitizes two dimensional drawings of three dimensional objects and generates the control signals for the XYZ positioning table. The software is developed under Microsoft Studio Visual Basic 6.0 environment regardless of the OS of the PC. The parallel port of the PC has been utilized for generating the necessary control signals for the stepper motors.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 216-226).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 216-226).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 216-226).

Structured data has been a major component of web resources since the very beginning of the web. Metadata that was originally mostly meant for display purposes gradually expanded to incorporate the semantic content of a page. Until now semantic data on the web has mostly focused on factual knowledge, namely trying to capture “what humans know”. This thesis instead focuses on procedural knowledge, or in other words, “how humans do things”, and in particular on step-by-step instructions. I will present a semantic framework to capture the meaning of sets of instructions with respect to their potential execution. This framework is based on a logical model which I evaluated in terms of its expressiveness and it compatibility with existing languages. I will show how this type of procedural knowledge can be automatically acquired from human-generated instructions on the web, while at the same time bridging the semantic gap, from unstructured to structured, by mapping these resources into a formal process description language. I will demonstrate how procedural and factual data on the web can be integrated automatically using Linked Data, and how this integration results in an overall richer semantic representation. To validate these claims I have conducted large scale knowledge acquisition and integration experiments on two prominent instructional websites and evaluated the results against a human benchmark. Finally, I will demonstrate how existing web technologies allow for this data to seamlessly enrich existing web resources and to be used on the web without the need for centralisation. I have explored the potential uses of formalised instructions by the implementation and testing of concrete prototypes which enable human users to explore know-how and collaborate with machines in novel ways.

Main goal of my thesis is evaluation of strategical management at examined enterprise and suggest a strategy for its future activity on a market with barreled water based on acquired findings. Theoretical part is dedicated to basic terms and selected analyses from area of strategical management. Practical part contains STEP analysis, Porter's model, analysis of results in particular functional areas, SWOT analysis applied to the chosen enterprise. Closing part of my thesis is dedicated to evaluation of present state of the enterprise and recommendation which steps should the enterprise take to gain a better competitive position on the market.

[pt] A pesquisa e desenvolvimento de um acionamento para motor de passo operando em baixa tensão apresenta o desenvolvimento de um mecanismo de acionamento para motores de passo de 2 fases, destinado a operar na faixa de 12 a 18 V, tornando-se muito útil para automações em veículos, embarcações ou robôs que operam com baterias. O acionamento desenvolvido implementa o controle da corrente via chopper, como é usual nos acionamentos de motores de passo. Mas, ao contrário do usual, o tempo do ciclo ativo da onda responsável por ativar a corrente nas fases é pré-programado em microcontroladores, evitando-se a instabilidade e criticalidade típica dos circuitos responsáveis pelo sensoramento da corrente e sua realimentação para controle do ciclo ativo. Outro aspecto inovador do trabalho foi a utilização do integrado TD340 da ST Microeletronics, desenvolvido para utilização no controle de motores de corrente contínua, e que está sendo empregado com motores de passo. Os resultados experimentais apresentados no trabalho confirmam a adequação e utilidade do acionamento desenvolvido, tornando-o compacto e robusto. / [en] The research and development of an driver for step motor operating in low tension presents the development of a chopper driver intended to drive 2- phase step motors. The driver was designed to operate between 12 and 18 V which makes it very attractive for automations in vehicles and robots which carry their own batteries. Contrary to the usual design, where the duty cycle of phase current is controlled by sensing this current and feed backing its value to the chopper, the present driver uses fixed value duty cycle, which varies step by step according to a table stored in the memory of a microcontroller. In so doing, we avoid most of the troubles due to noise and voltage fluctuation in the feedback line, typical of usual drivers. Another innovation presented in this work, is to use the H-Bridge MOSFET driver TD340 in driving step motors. This component, manufactured by ST Microeletronics, was originally designed for driving CC motors. Experimental results presented in this work show that the driver developed in this research has performed successfully according with the intended goal.

Magister Scientiae (Physiotherapy) - MSc(Physio) / Sprinting can be described as the ability to cover a short distance in the fastest possible time. It requires enormous stability, strength and speed to achieve this goal. Any improvements in technique or speed can be the difference between winning and losing and ultimately gold or silver. Many coaches focus their training on improving the mechanics of the lower limb in order to achieve their goal. They often neglect to consider the effect the upper limb, head, neck and trunk has on the sprinters technique. This study aimed to determine the effect the muscles that assist in stabilising the head and neck namely the deep neck flexors, has on sprinting technique. A systematic review was conducted to determine the factors that influence the acquisition of the correct and most efficient sprint technique. Thereafter assessments were done to determine the prevalence of neck discomfort and how it impacts the athlete’s life by use of the Disability Neck Index. In addition, the endurance of the participant’s deep neck flexors using the Craniocervical Flexion Test and an analysis of their sprinting technique through video analysis were conducted. Variables for each assessment were coded and analysed with Chisquared tests to determine statistically significant relationships. Results show that there was to prevalence of neck pain among participants and although the participants have poor deep neck flexor endurance and an inadequate sprinting technique, no statistically significant relationships could be found between these two variables. Thus poor endurance in the deep neck flexors has no effect on sprinting technique. The results of the study was limited due to a small sample size and lack of equipment, thus further research is required in order to completely reject the possibility that the deep neck flexors effects a sprinters ability to acquire an efficient sprinting technique.

Submitted by Nadir Basilio (nadirsb@uninove.br) on 2018-07-17T20:38:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 André Nogueira Ferraz de Carvalho e Silva.pdf: 1053634 bytes, checksum: 032d316a96c55892bc3977f4efa8f29c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-17T20:38:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 André Nogueira Ferraz de Carvalho e Silva.pdf: 1053634 bytes, checksum: 032d316a96c55892bc3977f4efa8f29c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-12-15 / Background: Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is described as anterior knee pain, aggravated by negotiating stairs, squats, running and prolonged sitting. Proximal changes such as trunk, pelvic drop, hip adduction and medial rotation may cause pain. Recently, new studies have indicated that distal changes influence PFP. Objective: Analyze trunk, lower limbs, rearfoot and forefoot kinematics during the beginning of the movement, 15º, 30º and 45º of knee flexion and their discriminatory capacity between patients with PFP and healthy on the lateral step down. Methods: Thirty-four healthy sedentary women and thirty-four women with PFP were evaluated in three-dimensional kinematics during Lateral Step Down at the beginning of the movement, 15º, 30º and 45º of knee flexion. Analyzes were performed between the groups and the Receiver Operational Characteristic Curves (ROC) were applied to determine the discriminatory capacity between them. Results: Differences were found between the groups being more evident at 30º and 45º of knee flexion in the PFP group in the trunk and lower limbs. Conclusion: The main kinematic changes occur at 30º and 45º of knee flexion. At 30º of knee flexion, the main variables to discriminate women with PFP from the healthy ones are: pelvic drop, hip adduction, rearfoot eversion in relation to the ground and forefoot pronation in relation to the rearfoot, already at 45º, a main variable is the eversion of the rearfoot in relation to the ground. / Introdução: A dor femoropatelar (DFP) é descrita como uma dor anterior no joelho, agravada em subida e descida de escadas, agachamentos, corridas e tempo prolongado na posição sentado. Alterações proximais como de tronco, quadril, queda da pelve, adução e rotação medial do fêmur podem causar a dor. Recentemente, novos estudos apontam que alterações distais influenciam na DFP. Objetivo: Analisar a cinemática do tronco, membros inferiores, retropé e antepé durante o início do movimento, 15º, 30º e 45º de flexão do joelho e sua capacidade discriminatória entre pacientes com DFP e saudáveis no lateral step down. Métodos: Trinta e quatro mulheres sedentárias saudáveis e trinta e quatro mulheres com a DFP, foram avaliadas na cinemática tridimensional durante Lateral Step Down no início do movimento, 15º, 30º e 45º de flexão do joelho. Foram feitas análises entre os grupos e aplicado as Curvas de Características de Operação do Receptor (ROC) para determinar a capacidade discriminatória entre eles. Resultados: Diferenças foram encontradas entre os grupos sendo mais evidentes a 30º e 45º de flexão do joelho no grupo DFP no tronco e membros inferiores. Conclusão: As principais alterações cinemáticas acontecem a 30º e 45º de flexão do joelho. A 30º de flexão do joelho, as principais variáveis para discriminar mulheres com a DFP das saudáveis são: a queda da pelve, adução do quadril, eversão do retropé em relação ao solo e pronação do antepé em relação ao retropé, já a 45º, a principal variável é a eversão do retropé em relação ao solo.

This dissertation focuses on the mobility trajectories of highly skilled and relatively affluent migrants who move between highly developed countries of the “global North”. While these “migrants by choice” are often seen as “desired immigrants” who hold the privilege to move internationally relatively unrestricted, little is known about their actual migration decision-making behaviour and their lived experiences in their place(s) of destination. To address this research gap, I explore the migration trajectories of German migrants by choice moving to and from Canada as a case study. Drawing on 48 narrative life story interviews with Germans at different stages of their migration trajectories (i.e., the pre-movement phase, the phase of settling down and living in Canada and the phase of return and/or onward movement) I specifically analyse a) their lived experiences in their day-to-day life (including experiences of settlement and integration as well as the place attachments they form during their mobility trajectories to b) understand how these experiences impact their decisions of leaving, staying, returning, or moving onward, i.e., to be internationally mobile. The results demonstrate that emotional or ideational reasons as well as chance were the main drivers behind my interviewees’ movements to Canada. Moreover, the findings underline that migration decisions are often formed in ongoing processes that change and evolve over time and are closely tied to my interviewees’ lived experiences at their local places of destination as well as significant life course events, such as the birth of a child or relationship break-up. Drawing on these findings, I ultimately propose a new and comprehensive model explaining the migration decision-making processes of migrants by choice. In doing so, this dissertation makes five important contributions to the field of migration and mobility studies, namely 1) it challenges the sedentary bias in migration studies; 2) it underlines the importance of moving away from strictly national or transnational perspectives on migration movements; 3) it highlights the importance of considering the lived experiences as well as the challenges and hidden frictions of highly skilled migration movements; 4) it challenges a purely economic or political understanding of migration processes; and 5) it highlights the importance of exploring the dissonance between policy intentions and the actual behaviour of migrants.