There is no primacy to Architecture. For centuries architects have posited formulaic approaches to creating spatial environments. Bold maxims for design have defined entire periods and styles of architecture, and each subsequent postulation attempts to disprove the former by challenging its theories against imperfect realizations. Yet nearly all have the same fault; they prioritize characteristics of architecture, attempting to design according to absolutisms of thought and process. I believe this to be a dangerous mode of operation, as absolutisms can be extremely complex and difficult to grasp conceptually, let alone to manifest into realities. Reducing architecture to processes of selection, generalization, singularities, and priorities is just clever ways of dealing with complexity in an attempt to make the intangible tangible. This "reduction" and "simplification" can only hold value as a tool for the study and analysis of architecture, not its practice and execution. Although architecture is universally conditional, it has been assigned universal qualities over time in theory and practice. I believe time requires that those qualities be subject to change and reinterpretation so that architecture may maintain proper relevance, barring one constant: all qualities must exist by virtue of the others and cannot be seen independently; one quality is no more than an aspect of the others. To better explore this notion, three criteria (qualities, generators) have been identified as a measure for critical analysis of three architectural research projects. They are built from a history of pre-defined criterion, named and redefined in an attempt to elevate a personal study and practice of architecture at a period in time. These projects have a high degree of personal influence and involvement, and so this becomes in a way a self-analysis in the study and practice of architecture. The intention of this compendium is to gain insight towards a personal definition of architecture through an analysis of architectural theory and precedence in comparison to work that is reflective of personal architectonics. In time, I hope it will have continued to develop. / Master of Architecture

The thesis of this project is to develop a language of architecture for the design of a rural house. Parameters for this language are specified through program, ideas about living in a country home, and the importance of integrating the building with its site. The parameters are reaffirmed through the materials and elements of architecture. In order to develop a cohesive language, four houses have been designed for four different sites. Each house implements the specified parameters in a manner appropriate to the setting of the surrounding landscape. The houses themselves become a transition between the inside and the outside and between the natural and the man-made. Thus this thesis is: Four Houses - A Language of Transition from Earth to Sky. Our experience-space is necessarily in conflict with the space of nature. The space that nature offers us rises above the ground and is oriented entirely towards the earth's surface. The contrast between the mass of the earth below and the space of the air above, which meet at the surface of the earth, is the primary datum of this (experience) space. Dom H. Van Der Laan, "Architectonic Space" (E.J. Brill, 1983), p. 5 / Master of Architecture

Silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) has the potential for use in various high-performance applications. However, surface defects such as voids/pits are commonly present on as processed Si₃N₄. When subjected to external forces, fracture originates at such flaws. To reduce or eliminate surface flaws, machining operations are required which constitute a major proportion of production costs. In order to offer an inexpensive alternative to machining and also to enhance the room temperature flexural strength of as fired Si₃N₄, low expansion glaze coatings of lithium aluminosilicate (LAS) and magnesium aluminosilicate (MAS) compositions were developed. Homogeneous and crack-free glaze coatings were successfully formed on as processed Si₃N₄. This ensured formation of compressive surface stresses on the as fired Si₃N₄ which, in turn, led to the reduction of the effects of surface flaws. When compared to the uncoated as fired Si₃N₄, both the glaze coatings helped achieve greater flexural strength. Analyses of the two glazes indicated better strength for the MAS coating compared to the LAS. Wear tests revealed that the MAS glaze exhibited higher wear resistance than the LAS glaze. These differences were attributed to the ability of the magnesium aluminosilicate glaze to achieve greater surface smoothness and better adherence to the substrate than the lithium aluminosilicate. / Master of Science

Today’s society tends to value productivity and long working hours, where taking breaks and needing rest when at work can be perceived as signs of weakness or sickness rather than a necessity for wellbeing. According to The Swedish Work Environment Authority you must provide a resting room in workplaces with more than 50 employees. Job-related stress and burnout are growing problems, so I see the resting room as an important space with great potential to work preventively with this problem. Sensory Space focuses on resting rooms and explores ways to deal with stress and exhaustion through interior architecture and design and how it can promote rest and recovery. The aim is to integrate rest as a more natural part of the workplace by making resting rooms more attractive, inviting and restorative. I have been visiting and analyzing existing resting rooms, making field studies to other spaces for rest and contemplation, reading studies and research on the subject of restorative environments and interviewing a designer who works with creating health promoting environments based on neuro science. The project explores how atmosphere, material associations and a variety of sensory impressions can create a feeling of connection to nature. The result is an inviting resting room with objects that can be placed freely throughout the room for you to interact with materials which can enhance the experience of resting and make it more pleasant.

Room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) and their derivatives are promising electrolytes for electrochemical devices including supercapacitors. Understanding the behavior of RTILs in these devices is critical for improving their performance. The energy density of supercapacitors can be improved greatly by using RTILs as electrolytes and nanoporous carbon as electrodes, but the mechanism of the charge storage using these materials is not well understood. In this dissertation, the diffusion and charging dynamics of RTILs in nanopores are studied. The results show that ion packing typically plays the most important role in ion diffusion. The study also demonstrates that the cyclic charging and discharging of a pore can exhibit a number of interesting features (e.g., sloshing of ionic charge along the pores during cyclic scans), which help explain experimental observations such as the negligible contribution of co-ions to charge storage at high scan rates. Solid electrolytes with both high ionic conductivities and excellent mechanical strength are needed in many electrochemical devices. The invention of ion gels featuring aligned polyanions immersed inside RTILs has shown promise in meeting this demand, but the mechanism behind their superior mechanical strength remains elusive. Using molecular simulations, it is discovered that the high elastic moduli of model PBDT ion gels originate from the RTIL-mediated interactions between the polyanions. This insight is useful for future design of ion gels to improve their transport and mechanical properties. / Ph. D. / Room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) and their derivatives are promising electrolytes for electrochemical devices including supercapacitors. Understanding the behavior of RTILs in these devices is critical for improving their performance. The energy density of supercapacitors can be improved greatly by using RTILs as electrolytes and nanoporous carbon as electrodes, but the mechanism of the charge storage using these materials is not well understood. In this dissertation, the diffusion and charging dynamics of RTILs in nanopores are studied. The results show that ion packing typically plays the most important role in ion diffusion. The study also demonstrates that the cyclic charging and discharging of a pore can exhibit a number of interesting features (e.g., sloshing of ionic charge along the pores during cyclic scans), which help explain experimental observations such as the negligible contribution of co-ions to charge storage at high scan rates. Solid electrolytes with both high ionic conductivities and excellent mechanical strength are needed in many electrochemical devices. The invention of ion gels featuring aligned polyanions immersed inside RTILs has shown promise in meeting this demand, but the mechanism behind their superior mechanical strength remains elusive. Using molecular simulations, it is discovered that the high elastic moduli of model PBDT ion gels originate from the RTIL-mediated interactions between the polyanions. This insight is useful for future design of ion gels to improve their transport and mechanical properties.

The Göttingen Virtual Manuscript Room (VMR); The Göttingen Virtual Manuscript Room (VMR) offers both an online based digital repository for Coptic Biblical manuscripts (ideally, high resolution images of every manuscript page, all metadata etc.) and a digital edition of their texts, finally even a critical edition of every biblical book of the Coptic Old Testament based on all available manuscripts. All text data will also be transferred into XML and linguistically annotated. In this way the VMR offers a full physical description of each manuscript and, at the same time, a full edition of its text and language data. Of course, the VMR can be used for manuscripts and texts other than Coptic too.

O presente estudo tem como finalidade o conhecimento dos estressores, na atuação dos enfermeiros de centro cirúrgico e recuperação anestésica (CC/RA), assim como as estratégias de coping usadas. A população foi composta por todos os enfermeiros de CC/RA da cidade de Santa Maria, no Rio Grande do Sul. Foram dezessete entrevistados, sendo cinco atuando em hospital privado (29,41%) e doze em hospital público (70,59). Na coleta de dados foram utilizados dois instrumentos: formulário para levantamento de atividades diárias, e inventário de estratégias de coping. Os resultados foram tabulados e analisados usando-se testes não paramétricos. Obteve-se pela avaliação subjetiva e individual dos enfermeiros que 70,59% dos entrevistados percebem-se estressados ao atuar em CC/RA. Pela identificação dos estressores no desempenho das atividades diárias dos enfermeiros, concluiu-se que as condições de trabalho em CC correspondem à área de maior stress para 41,18% dos enfermeiros independentemente do cargo ocupado. Quanto às estratégias de coping mais utilizadas pelos enfermeiros, destaca-se a resolução de problemas. Detectou-se uma diferença significativa entre: stress total e stress percebido por meio da avaliação individual e subjetiva; stress total e o stress decorrente de possuir curso de pós-graduação; stress total e o stress referente ao relacionamento com equipe médica e de enfermagem; ao relacionamento com serviços diretamente ligados à assistência do paciente durante o ato anestésico cirúrgico; atividades relacionadas à administração de pessoal; e condições de trabalho para o desempenho das atividades do enfermeiro de CC. O enfermeiro de CC/RA é estressado, mas tem algumas estratégias que oferecem apoio à realização de sua atividade profissional. / This study intents to verify stress and coping among operating room (OR) nurses and recovery room nurses. The population was composed for all nurses in Santa Maria,RS, Brazil. The total of 17 nurses were intervened, that 29,4% was from private hospitals and 70,6% form governmental hospitals. The date was collected by “ Diary activities inventory" and “ways of coping questionnaire". The results demonstrated that 70,6% of nurses perceived as stressed. The “ conditions of work" was the stressful item cried (41,18%) and was not dependent of function in OR. They answered that “solving problems" was the most useful coping strategy. Differences statistical significant were detected among; total of stress and perceived stress; total of stress and post-graduate curse; total of stress and relation ship with doctors, nurses, other departments, staff administration and work conditions. In conclusion, the OR nurses were stressed but the used coping strategies in order to work and live.

It is widely acknowledged that elevated levels of noise are commonplace in the healthcare environment, particularly in high acuity areas such as the operating room (OR). Excessive ambient noise may pose a threat to patient safety by adversely impacting provider performance and interfering with communication among perioperative care team members. With respect to the certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), increased ambient OR noise may engender distractibility, diminish situation awareness and cause untoward health effects, thereby increasing the possibility for the occurrence of error and patient injury. This research project analytically examines the perceived impact of ambient noise in the operating room by CRNAs. Findings from this study reveal that CRNAs perceive elevated noise to be regularly present in the OR, specifically during the critical emergence phase of the anesthetic. However, CRNAs feel that increased noise only occasionally limits their ability to perform procedures, concentrate and communicate with the perioperative team. OR noise rarely interferes with memory retrieval. CRNAs perceive that noise is sometimes a threat to patient safety but infrequently engenders adverse patient outcomes. CRNAs do not perceive noise in the OR to be detrimental to their health but strongly agree that excessive noise can and should be controlled. Increased ambient OR noise is a veritable reality that may pose a potential threat to patient safety. Further research to identify elevations in noise during critical phases of the anesthetic and delineation of significant contributors to its genesis is warranted.

Occupational exposures of healthcare workers tend to occur because of inconsistent compliance with standard precautions. Also, incidence of occupational exposure is underreported among operating room personnel. The purpose of this project was to develop national estimates for compliance with standard precautions and occupational exposure reporting practices among operating room nurses in Australia. Data was obtained utilizing a 96-item self-report survey. The Standard Precautions and Occupational Exposure Reporting survey was distributed anonymously to 500 members of the Australian College of Operating Room Nurses. The Health Belief Model was the theoretical framework used to guide the analysis of data. Data was analysed to examine relationships between specific constructs of the Health Belief Model to identify factors that might influence the operating room nurse to undertake particular health behaviours to comply with standard precautions and occupational exposure reporting. Results of the study revealed compliance rates of 55.6% with double gloving, 59.1% with announcing sharps transfers, 71.9% with using a hands-free sharps pass technique, 81.9% with no needle recapping and 92.0% with adequate eye protection. Although 31.6% of respondents indicated receiving an occupational exposure in the past 12 months, only 82.6% of them reported their exposures. The results of this study provide national estimates of compliance with standard precautions and occupational exposure reporting among operating room nurses in Australia. These estimates can now be used as support for the development and implementation of measures to improve practices in order to reduce occupational exposures and, ultimately, disease transmission rates among this high-risk group.

Målet med detta examensarbete har varit att studera Migrationsverkets väntrum vid Asylprövningsenheten i Flen och hur det används. Detta för att identifiera rummets brister och förbättringsmöjligheter. Syftet har vidare varit att ta fram ett gestaltningsförslag som skapar en tydligare identitet för rummet och som bidrar till en starkare länk mellan besökare och myndighet. Genom metoder, såsom observationer, platsanalys, notationer, intervjuer samt omvärldsanalys, har en ökad förståelse för väntrummet skapats och det har konstaterats att det finns en brist vad gäller rummets igenkänning och identitet. Med hjälp av litteratur och resultatet från metoderna har ett gestaltningsförslag sedan utvecklats. Detta förslag har en tydlig igenkänning vad gäller Migrationsverkets grafiska profil. Ytorna utnyttjas på ett effektivare vis än tidigare och fler funktioner finns nu i rummet. Examensarbetet är för avläggande i filosofie kandidatexamen i Informationsdesign med inriktning mot Rumslig gestaltning. / The aim of this thesis was to study the Swedish Migration Board’s waiting room at the Asylum Examination Unit in Flen and how it is used, in order to identify the room’s deficiencies and opportunities for improvement. The aim has also been to develop a design proposal that create a distinct identity for the room and that contribute to a stronger link between visitors and authority. A greater understanding of the waiting room has been created through methods such as observations, site analysis, notations, interviews and environmental analysis, and it has been observed that there is a lack in terms of the room’s recognition and identity. A design proposal has been developed with the help of literature and results from methods. This proposal is a clear recognition in terms of the Swedish Migration Board’s graphical profile. The area is used in a more effective manner and more features are now available in the room than before. The thesis work is for the Degree of Bachelor in Information Design, specializing in Spatial design.