This report explores the design of a system for remotely switching electronics on and off within a range of at least 15 km, to be used with battery driven radio nodes for outdoor Wi-Fi network bridging. The application of the network bridges are connecting to remote networks, should Internet infrastructure fail during an emergency.The problem statement for the report was “What is a suitable radio link technology for use in a remote controlled electrical switch system and how should it best be put to use?” To answer the question, delimitation was done to exploring Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) link technologies, due to their prior use within power constrained devices.Long Range-radio, abbreviated LoRa, is a LPWAN radio modulation technique and was determined to be a good candidate as a suitable link technology for the remote electrical switch system. The range of LoRa is achieved by drastically lowering the data rate of the transmission, and is suitable for battery-powered or energy harvesting devices such as those found in the field of Internet of Things.A LoRa-based transmitter and receiver pair was implemented, and measured to have a packet delivery ratio of over 95% at a distance of 2 km, measured between two bridges. Data at further distances could not be accurately determined, because of the LoRa transceiver giving faulty readings.No conclusion could be made about the suitability for using a LoRa based system to solve the problem, partially due to an improper method for testing the radio performance was used, and partially due to an inconclusive measurement result. / Denna rapport utforskar designen av ett system för att fjärrstyrt slå på eller av elektronik över ett avstånd på minst 15 km, för att användas med batteridrivna radionoder för nätverksbryggning utomhus med Wi-Fi. Tillämpningsområdet för nätverksbryggorna är att koppla samman avlägsna nätverk, om Internetinfrastruktur skulle sluta fungera vid en nödsituation.Problemställningen för rapporten var ”Vad är en lämplig radiolänksteknik att använda i ett fjärrstyrt elektriskt strömbrytarsystem, och hur ska det bäst brukas?”. För att svara på frågan gjordes en avgränsning att utforska Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN)-länktekniker, på grund av deras tidigare användning inom effektbegränsade enheter.Long Range-radio, förkortat LoRa, är en radiomodulationsteknik som används för att skicka data över långa avstånd med energibegränsade enheter. LoRa:s räckvidd uppnås genom att drastiskt sänka datatakten, och lämpar sig för bruk i batteridrivna eller energiskördande enheter, likt de som återfinns inom fältet Internet of Things.Ett LoRa-baserat sändaroch mottagarpar implementerades, och uppmättes till att ha en paketlevereringsmängd på över 95% vid ett avstånd på 2 km, mätt mellan två broar. Data vid större avstånd kunde inte bli bestämt noggrant, eftersom LoRa transceivern gav felaktiga avläsningar. Ingen slutsats kunde göras för lämpligheten för att använda ett LoRa-baserat system för att lösa problemet, delvist för att en olämplig metod för att testa radions prestanda använts, och delvist på grund av ett ofullständigt mätresultat.

In the last several years lists of theater organizations in California newspapers hare grown steadily. This writer asserts a need for study of active amateur and semiprofessional theater groups in California for gaining knowledge and understanding of cultural activities taking place about the Western United States. Such material would help students and adults interested in drama gain information where theaters remain active according to particular tastes. After receiving a list of nonprofessional theater members of American National Theatre and Academy's California regions, theater activity presented itself to be of such quantity within the state that it became necessary to make definite limitations of the research area to do justice with the planned study. The final decision was made for this survey to cover communities surrounding the University of the Pacific's Stockton campus, referred to as Central California.

Exercise testings are widely used to estimate current functional state of athletes and reveal their pros and cons in particular cases. The aim of the proposed research was to evaluate eligibility, validity and informativity of various methods of exercise testing for control of athletes’ physical performance. Thirty qualified athletes aged 14 to 35 years and their level of exercise performance were studied, effective method of functional testing for control of training process was developed. We justified use of exercise testing by means of RAMP-protocol cycle spiroergometry for evaluation of aerobic capacity and exercise performance in elite and amateur athletes. Practical outcome is development of effective protocols of exercise testing for adequate and reproductible estimation of aerobic capacity and exercise performance of athletes of all qualification level and specialization. / Проведение проб с дозированной физической нагрузкой позволяет объективно оценивать текущее функциональное состояние организма, выявлять недостатки и преимущества атлетов в отдельных конкретных случаях. Цель – оценить целесообразность, валидность и информативность различных методов нагрузочного тестирования для контроля физической подготовленности спортсменов. В результате исследования были изучены методики нагрузочного тестирования 30 квалифицированных спортсменов от 14 до 35 лет, оценен уровень общей физической работоспособности, разработана эффективная методика функционального тестирования для управления тренировочным процессом. Научная новизна исследования состоит в обосновании использования нагрузочного тестирования методом велоэргоспирометрии по протоколу с непрерывно возрастающей нагрузкой для оценки аэробной производительности и функциональной готовности как элитных спортсменов, так и спортсменов-любителей. Практическая значимость работы заключается в разработке эффективных протоколов нагрузочного тестирования для адекватной и воспроизводимой оценки аэробной производительности и функциональной готовности спортсменов всех уровней квалификации и специализации.

What does inspiration mean to creative amateurs? Inspiration as a concept has been hard to define in information science terms. Several theories of information-seeking behavior have also been proposed to be applicable to inspiration-seeking, but have not seen empirical testing. While previous researchers on inspiration have mostly focused on artists and designers, this essay has studied amateurs and makers engaged in creative hobbies. Based on a survey distributed to study circles organized under Swedish adult educational associations, the grounded theory analysis indicated that inspiration is important as a feeling of motivation, joy, well-being and productivity, a source of ideas, and a driving force in the creative process. The results of the survey also showed that more passive information-seeking strategies, such as serendipitous encounters, browsing, and social interaction, were more commonly associated with finding inspiration than active strategies, such as systematic searches and question-based seeking, within the group. The responses showed that the respondents’ perceptions of inspiration were somewhat idiosyncratic, and future research based on individual or focus group interviews would be needed to explore the more ambiguous concepts and answers gleaned in this study. This is a two years master's thesis in Library and information science.

La nation s’est affirmée à partir de la fin du 18e siècle comme l’un des grands paramètres de la modernité. Sa remise en cause, tout spécialement dans les dernières décennies du siècle dernier, est à la fois partie prenante et symptomatique de l’actuel phénomène d’effritement des identités collectives. Le Québec n’échappe pas à ce courant de fond, comme en témoigne l’œuvre du vidéaste et cinéaste Robert Morin, qui propose une galerie de personnages en manque d’attaches et souvent réduits à leur propre subjectivité. Dans un contexte de questionnement généralisé des concepts de nation et de collectivité, ces individualités se sentent isolées et tentent désespérément de réactualiser les liens qui les unissent à leurs semblables, mais sans grand succès. La communauté revêt ainsi une dimension nostalgique, parcourant l’œuvre de Morin dans son entièreté et se manifestant de différentes manières, tant à l’écran qu’à travers son approche du médium qui reste grandement tributaire des pratiques filmiques et vidéographiques des années ’60 et ’70. Écartelé entre la prise de conscience de son isolement et son désir d’appartenir à une entité collective, qu’elle soit nationale ou autre, le sujet délié que l’on retrouve chez Morin, comme cette thèse tente de le démontrer, subit ce phénomène de déliaison et lutte simultanément pour l’enrayer. / Since the end of the 18th century, the nation has asserted itself as one of the cornerstone institution of modernity. Its questioning, especially in the later decades of the last century, is at the same time symptomatic and partly responsible for the present erosion of the sense of collective identity. In Quebec, this phenomenon is also discernable, as the works of the filmmaker Robert Morin seem to suggest, with their cast of solitary characters frequently reduced to their own subjectivity. In this context, isolated individuals are trying with great urgency to revive the ties that bind them with their fellow men and women, but without much success. Thereby, in different ways, the concept of community appears in a nostalgic light, on the screen as much as in Morin’s ways of dealing with the medium, his practice being very influenced by those of the sixties and the seventies. As this thesis tries to suggest, the unbind subject which is represented in Morin’s works, torn between his awareness of aloneness and his desire to be part of a social community (whether national or not), experience this ongoing process of social erosion, while simultaneously trying to stop it.

The purpose of this culminating project is to start translating quality Mexican and Latin American dramatic literature in order to provide to educators and theatrical directors a fundamental collection of plays. The author worked with her San Gorgonio High School students to conduct a dramaturgical study of the setting and political background of Rojo Amanecer by Xavier Robles, a play which outlines the events leading to the 1968 student massacre at Mexico City's Plaza de Tlatelolco. The author then directed the play in her role as San Gorgonio High School's new theater teacher.

Mémoire en recherche-création / Le présent mémoire s’intéresse aux films réalisés par les religieuses au Québec. Depuis les années 1930, celles-ci ont produit de nombreux films amateurs, qui n’ont toutefois suscité que très peu d’intérêt culturel ou académique. Un état de la recherche est d’abord effectué, s’appuyant principalement sur les travaux de l’historienne Jocelyne Denault, la première (et la seule) à avoir écrit sur ce corpus jusqu’à ce jour. Une incursion est proposée dans la production cinématographique de trois communautés localisées à Montréal. Ce faisant, nous associons les différents objets à trois catégories mieux établies : le cinéma utilitaire, le film de famille et le film de réemploi. L’étude de cas du film Le Livre d’or (Sœurs Missionnaires de l’Immaculée-Conception 1964) nous permet de s’intéresser à des films hybrides, mêlant ces trois catégories. Nous nous intéressons ensuite à la valeur documentaire des réalisations des religieuses, s’appuyant principalement sur l’exemple de Chez nous (Barrette s.g.m. 1961) et les documents corollaires à sa production. Ayant démontré la valeur historique et patrimoniale des films faits par les sœurs, nous procédons à une présentation de l’état actuel de leur archivage. Partant du constat que ces films sont plus menacés que jamais, autant par l’oubli que par la destruction, nous considérons deux procédés de mise en valeur possibles et imaginons les différentes possibilités quant à leur concrétisation : la mise en exposition et le film de réemploi. Nous concluons par un pressant appel à l’action afin de sauvegarder et de mettre au jour ces éléments précieux de la mémoire collective. / This thesis focuses on films made by religious sisters in Quebec. Since the 1930s, women religious communities have produced numerous amateur films, which have received practically no critical or academic attention. This essay begins with a survey of past and ongoing research, based mainly on the work of historian Jocelyne Denault, the first (and only) person to have written on this subject to date. An incursion is then proposed into the cinematographic productions of three communities located in Montreal. In doing so, we link the various objects under study to three more established categories: utilitarian cinema, the home movie, and the compilation or found footage film.The case study of the film Le Livre d'or (Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception 1964) allows us to look at hybrid films, mixing these three categories. We then turn our attention to the documentary value of the nuns' productions, relying mainly on the example of Chez nous (Barrette s.g.m. 1961) and the documents corollary to its production. Having demonstrated the historical and patrimonial value of the films made by the sisters, we proceed to a presentation of the current status of their preservation. Starting with the observation that these films are more threatened than ever, as much by oversight as by destruction, we consider two possible processes of enhancement and envision the different ways in which they could be put into practice: exhibitions and audiovisual reuse. We conclude with an urgent call for action to safeguard and bring to light these precious elements of collective memory.

本文透過田野與文獻資料來建構內台歌仔戲班台北大橋頭「復興社」的劇團史，對其股東、組織經營、重要演員及演出活動等做一深度的記錄，並由此基礎資料出發，進一步對整個內台歌仔戲的情況進行較深入的說明與討論。 論文共分五章，各章重點如下：第一章「緒論」：文中先回顧相關文獻，檢討若干前人研究中存在的盲點，接著具體說明論文的研究方法，由於本文缺少具體的文本，必須透過許多田野訪談才能完成，因此研究方法可分為兩個層次，其一為進行訪談時所採用的田野調查與口述歷史兩種方法，其次則是如何將這些田野資料脈絡化，透過怎樣的架構與書寫策略讓它能形成一個具體的論文，最後則對研究對象與研究範圍做一說明。第二章「『復興社』的歷史、組織與經營」：第一節除了簡要說明「復興社」的歷史，還檢討前人研究資料上的一些問題，重新爬梳了內台歌仔戲班的消長情形，當作歷史背景的交代，而「復興社」的股東是當時台北地區赫赫有名的大流氓，又同時為歌仔戲子弟，在此筆者做了一些資料性的記錄；第二節則介紹劇團的組織、演員招募、訓練以及經營管理，說明當時的社會環境與劇團經營間的問題。第三章「『復興社』的舞台人員」則是詳細的介紹內台歌仔戲舞台人員的職司、各角色的分配情形，以及記錄「復興社」的重要演員。第四章「『復興社』的演出活動」：本章就著商業邏輯與觀眾趣味兩條主線來理解整個演出活動的宣傳手法、演出內容以及演出形態的轉變，希望能藉此對內台歌仔戲的面貌有更深的理解。第五章「結論」總結本文的研究成果，筆者將「復興社」視為一種具代表性的內台歌仔戲劇團類型，討論其在整個歌仔戲發展史上的意義；最後則列舉四個可延伸的研究課題，其中以六、七○年代大稻埕、大橋頭一帶的戲劇活動最值得重視。 整體來說，本篇論文是放置在一個歌仔戲研究的脈絡裡進行論述，就不採用一般通史性的書寫方式，因此許多與論題無關的資料便略過不談，如許多歌仔戲著作都會提到《臺灣民報》反對歌仔戲演出的報導，或是「臺灣民眾黨」將「反對演歌仔戲」列為黨綱等等。且由於許多前輩學者已有相當不錯的研究成果，許多重要問題都已清楚做出解釋，文中就多簡要提點而少繁文引述，花較多的筆墨來討論一些不同前人研究的問題，透過「同中見異」的方式來逼顯一些未被思考到的面向，希望能立基在舊有的基礎之上做出一些新的思考。此外，由於研究對象的資料性質是輻射性的外散，還可以延伸出許許多多的小論題，儘管筆者盡可能將相關聯的資料聚攏討論，但還是有許多無法兜攏但頗值得一談的題目，就只能安置在注釋中，譬如某些研究盲點的檢討、研究資料的辨證、具有開發性的論題等等。所以整個論文在書寫上與一般學術論文略有差異，有些篇章正文與注釋幾乎佔了相同的份量，也因此筆者自認論文的「注釋部分」不只是說明出處而已，還有不少可觀之處，亦與正文具有同等的價值，讀者閱讀之後當會有更清楚的理解。限於學力、時間有限，僅能交出如此的成績，其中仍有不少闕漏與謬誤之處，還望方家不吝指正。 / This thesis built the club history of Taiwanese Opera(歌仔戲) club named "Fu-Xin Ser"(復興社) in Taipei's Da-Qiau-Tou(大橋頭) via my field works and documents. First, I introduce the shareowners, club organization, main performers and presentation history. Second, I discussd the Indoor Commercial Taiwanese Opera(內台歌仔戲) based on these basic data . The thesis divided into five chapters: Chapter 1, I reviewd papers and introduce the research methods which was mainly deep interview. Chapter 2, I discussed the history, organization and management of Fu-Xin Ser. Capter 3, I introduced the duty, role distribution, and record the main performers. Chpter 4, I dicussed the performance propaganda gimmicks, performance contents, and the transformation of performance by the way of commercial logics and audience's taste, Chapter 5, I saw Fu-Xin Ser as a typical case of indoor commercial Taiwanese Opera, then I discussed the role it played during the development of the history of Taiwanese Opera. Totally speaking, this thesis was discussd located in the Taiwanese Opera research context, because of the lack of related documents, the background description take up the main capacity of the thesis. But I also look after the sides of research, expecting to give rise to related research.

This thesis presents research on an amateur composer-oriented Bach choir. Its main purpose is to study the development of musical identities and musical preferences of choir members as they take shape through the collective learning process of rehearsing and performing large-scale choral music. The study analyses how the choral participation and performance creates a certain type of ‘choral capital’ (a combination of social and cultural capital within the choral setting) and how the choristers reconstruct and relate to the composer (J.S. Bach) by creating ‘choral identities’ linked to the composer-orientation of their choir. This study is based on an interdisciplinary approach, seeking concepts and ideas from different fields of study – primarily sociology and music sociology (music in everyday life and the concepts of social and cultural capital in the amateur choral setting) but also music psychology regarding concepts of musical and vocal identities, history of music (especially Bach scholars, previous biographical writings about J.S. Bach), music and education (choral singing as informal music education) and interdisciplinary studies on music, health and well-being. The methodological approach of this research consists of a grounded theory based, single case study where the case was the Croydon Bach Choir in London performing J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor, using participant observation (where I sang with the choir for one semester) and qualitative interviews as main research methods and gathering demographic background data on choir members via paper-based survey. Whereas significant research on music performances has been conducted, so far choral research, where the direct participation of the researcher as a member of the choir is used as one of the main research methods, is still quite rare. Results indicate that participants develop socio-musical identity both through their choral participation in general, performance experiences and early music consumption in the family household and the emphasis of the importance of choral singing as a fulfilment instead of pursuing a professional career. Through choral singing, participants developed ‘choral capital’ through a) the effects of collective learning on their musical taste and preferences (thus broadening their musical taste and preferences and reconstructing the composer) and b) the well-being factor of collective singing and communal learning through the process of rehearsing and performing the Mass in B Minor. Furthermore, findings indicated that participants construct Bach as a genius and a devout Lutheran, an image that relates to the romantic image of Bach presented in the late 19th – early 20th century biographical writings on the composer. Thus in general, their choral activities form a valuable addition to their social and cultural capital (´choral capital´), which they use as a source of well-being in everyday life. In addition, participants create a certain ‘choral identity’ by relating to the composer-orientation of their choir; the promotional label of Bach as a synonym for quality choral singing and the emphasis of challenging repertoire.

This thesis traces Hardy's involvement in the theatre from the 1880s to the 1920s. The narrative of Hardy's relationship with the theatre is set against an analysis of the changing nature of the stage during this period, though I acknowledge throughout the thesis the fact that Hardy's awareness of the theatre did not perfectly keep pace with its evolution. The aim of the thesis is to examine the motivations determining Hardy's work in the theatre in light of the fact that he seemed so dismissive of its efficacy. I trace the history of Hardy's adaptations of his work for the stage, before setting the scripts against the novels in order to weigh the extent to which the novels resist translation into a different medium – whether there is something integral to Hardy's plots that cannot be conveyed on stage. I have chosen to focus predominantly on material that made it beyond a rough sketch on a scrap of paper, on projects that reached the stage of rewritings and commercial negotiations - often years before they were produced. My selection has been determined by the belief that the material is indicative of the development of Hardy's understanding of the relationship between his work and the possibilities adaptation offered. My first chapter, on the history of an adaptation of 'Far From the Madding Crowd' in 1882, argues that Hardy's collaboration with J. Comyns Carr on the script was driven by his desire to assert his copyright over the novel's afterlife. The adaptation may never have been performed, but simply have been registered with the Lord Chamberlain as a deterrent against unauthorised adapters. It was the plagiarism row over Arthur Wing Pinero's possible theft of Hardy's plot in his popular pastoral play, 'The Squire', that pushed Hardy and Carr to stage their version. My second chapter looks at the history of Hardy's adaptations of 'Tess'. I am interested primarily in his writing of two scripts in the mid-1890s, and his negotiations with leading actresses in response to their interest in creating the part of Tess. The chapter then looks at the circumstances leading to the eventual staging of the play in the 1920s, focusing on the difficulties posed by producing a script which was by then thirty years old, and showing its age. In the third chapter I concentrate on plans to stage two novels, 'The Woodlanders' and 'Jude'. Neither was produced, but both are evidence of Hardy's increasing interest in the possibility of selecting from his material, rather than compressing it into the time available. The two adaptations allied Hardy much more closely with the avant garde than his earlier work had done – 'The Woodlanders' was begun in 1889 at the suggestion of J. T. Grein and C. W. Jarvis, two men who would later found the Independent Theatre, a private subscription society which pioneered the staging of Ibsen in England. Hardy's own sketches for adapting 'Jude' (1895, 1897, 1910, 1926) concentrated on Sue's position. I set Hardy’s realignment of 'Jude' against a focus on the place of women in unhappy marriages, drawing principally on Hardy's contribution to a debate about the role of wives in the 'New Review' for June 1894 and a 'Westminster Review' article by the feminist Mona Caird (August 1888), which provoked three months of debate (and 27,000 letters) in 'The Daily Telegraph' on the question 'Is Marriage a Failure?' Caird’s ideal dovetails with Sue's views on marriage as 'legalized prostitution' and her revulsion from 'the dreadful contract to feel in a particular way in a matter whose essence is its voluntariness!' The final chapter of the thesis looks at two adaptations of 'The Dynasts'. The first is a wartime entertainment staged by Harley Granville Barker in 1914, the second is Hardy's own adaptation for Dorset amateur actors (the Hardy Players) to perform in 1916, which concentrated on the impact of the war on the local populace. I then turn to the premiere of Hardy's only full-length drama written specifically for the stage – the one-act Arthurian play 'The Queen of Cornwall' (1923). I argue in this final chapter that Hardy was beginning to move from the role of reluctant adapter to that of director, conscious of the boundaries imposed by the stage and experimenting with how to craft his work to fit within them, rather than abridging his material indiscriminately.