This study analyzes and reports on the characteristics of writing-triggered peak experience and other positive human experiences and explores some possible factors that can bring about such moments. Three basic questions were explored: Can writing trigger peak experience and other positive human experiences? How are writing-triggered peak experience and other positive human experiences best described? What factors influence the occurrence of writing-triggered peak experience and other positive human experiences? Participants were asked to write about their happiest moment in writing. The sample consisted of 270 students enrolled in undergraduate writing classes at a major southwestern university. Of 270 participants, 119(44%) reported having had at least one peak experience or similar positive human experience as a result of writing. Protocols reporting peak experience and other positive human experiences in writing were analyzed for content, yielding a total of 14 descriptive attributes. The participants described their writing experiences as flow of the words, the process of writing is its own reward, peak performance, clarity, disappearance of negative states of mind, and enhanced sense of power and personal worth. Content analysis also yielded 13 possible triggers of peak experience and other positive human experiences including self-expression, realization, free writing, use of writing for introspection, and creative and inspirational writing. In addition, personal orientation was explored as a possible trigger of peak experience and other positive human experiences using a 16-item questionnaire. Factor analysis results yielded four factors: (1) aesthetic creative expressive writing, (2) writing as a thinking and problem solving tool (3) self-discovery, and (4) not interested in writing. Factor one accounted for the highest variance (37%). The common elements in this factor were expressive writing, self-related writing and creative poetic writing with poetic and creative writing having the highest loading.

In this dissertation, I deal with the problem of presupposition projection. I mostly focus on compound sentences composed of two clauses and conditional sentences in which the second clause carries a presupposition. The central claim is that the presupposition carried by the second clause projects by default, with the exception of cases in which the presupposition entails the first clause (or, in disjunctive sentences, the negation of the first clause). In the latter cases, the presupposition should not project, since it is logically stronger than the first clause (or its negation). Thus, in conjunctions, if the presupposition projected, the speaker’s assertion of the first clause would be uninformative. As for conditionals and disjunctions, if the presupposition projected, the speaker would show inconsistency in his/her beliefs by showing uncertainty about the truth value of the first clause (or its negation). I argue that, in conditionals, this uncertainty is conversationally implicated whereas, in disjunctions, it results from the context’s compatibility with the first disjunct. I maintain that, in cases where projection is blocked, the presupposition is conditionalized to the first clause (or its negation). I demonstrate that the conditionalization is motivated in a straightforward way by the pragmatic constraints on projection just described and that, contrary to what is defended by the so-called ‘satisfaction theory’, presupposition conditionalization is a phenomenon independent from local satisfaction. / En esta tesis, trato el problema de la proyección de presuposiciones. Me centro mayoritariamente en oraciones compuestas de dos cláusulas y en oraciones condicionales cuya segunda cláusula contiene una presuposición. El argumento central es que la presuposición contenida en la segunda cláusula proyecta por defecto, con la excepción de casos en los que la presuposición entraña la primera cláusula (o, en las oraciones disyuntivas, la negación de la primera cláusula). En estos últimos casos, la presuposición no debería proyectar, puesto que es lógicamente más fuerte que la primera cláusula (o su negación). Por tanto, en las oraciones conjuntivas, si la presuposición proyectase, la aseveración de la primera cláusula por parte del hablante no sería informativa. En cuanto a las oraciones condicionales y disyuntivas, si la presuposición projectase, el hablante mostraría inconsistencia en sus creencias al mostrar incertidumbre acerca del valor de verdad de la primera cláusula (o su negación). Sostengo que, en oraciones condicionales, esta incertidumbre es implicada conversacionalmente mientras que, en las oraciones disyuntivas, resulta de la compatibilidad contextual de la primera cláusula. Mantengo que, en casos en los que la proyección es bloqueada, la presuposición es condicionalizada a la primera cláusula (o su negación). Demuestro que la condicionalización es motivada de manera directa por las restricciones de tipo pragmático descritas arriba y que, contrariamente a la idea defendida por la así llamada ‘teoría de la satisfacción’, la condicionalización de la presuposición es un fenómeno independiente de la satisfacción local de la misma.

Le monoxyde d’azote (NO), dont le rôle biologique a été découvert à la fin du 20ème siècle, est impliqué dans la régulation de nombreux processus à l’échelle de la cellule et de l’organisme. Sa biosynthèse est réalisée par les enzymes NO synthases (NOS), et met en jeu la liaison de NADPH à leur domaine réductase suivie d’une série de transfert d’électrons vers leur domaine oxygénase, où la formation de NO se produit par oxydation de la L-arginine. En s’inspirant de mimes photo-activables de NADPH précédemment décrits dans la littérature, appelés nano-déclencheurs (NT, de l’anglais nanotriggers), induisant la production de NO par illumination, nous avons conçu et synthétisé de nouvelles générations de composés potentiellement capables d’initier l’activité catalytique de NOS sous irradiation. Ils comportent une unité de reconnaissance de NOS dérivée de l’adénosine et une unité chromophorique de type diaminophényl butadiène, liées entre elles par un groupement triazole. Ces structures modulables, facilement assemblées par chimie « click » ont permis la préparation d’une librairie de nano-déclencheurs, dont les propriétés photophysiques et la stabilité dans des conditions physiologiques ont été évaluées. Ces nouvelles générations de composés offrent des perspectives intéressantes pour le contrôle de processus biologiques par la lumière. / Nitric oxide (NO), whose biological role has been discovered in the late 20th century, is involved in the regulation of many processes in cell and organism. Its biosynthesis is carried out by enzymes named nitric oxide synthases (NOS) and involves NADPH binding to their reductase domain followed by a series of electron transfers to their oxygenase domain, where the formation of NO takes place by oxidation of L-arginine. Inspired by photoactivatable NADPH mimics called nano-triggers (NT), previously described in the literature, able to produce NO upon illumination, we designed and synthesized new generations of compounds potentially capable of initiating the catalytic activity of NOS under irradiation. They contain a recognition unit for NOS derived from adenosine and a diaminophenyl butadiene chromophoric moiety, linked together by a triazole group. These modular structures, easily assembled by "click" chemistry allowed the preparation of a library of nano-triggers, whose photophysical properties and stability under physiological conditions were evaluated. These new generations of compounds offer interesting perspectives for the control of biological processes by light.

The overarching goal of this thesis is to investigate and explore the barriers that a company would face while increasing the Levels of Automation (LoA), in the preassembly production unit. To achieve the primary goal of investigating the barriers this study takes a threefold approach. Firstly, the current LoA was measured for the preassembly workstations. This measurement was conducted by incorporating an existing methodology adapted from the literature review known as DYNAMO++ methodology. This method is incorporated such that, the current LoA of the preassembly workstations could be measured and analysed. The current LoA of the preassembly workstations are analysed to investigate the potential workstations where LoA could be increased, in line with the company’s triggers for implementing automation. For this, experiences of the personnel’s belonging to the operational level of preassembly workstations were incorporated, to find the scope of improvements for increasing the LoA. Additionally, the company’s triggers for implementing automation was investigated from the managerial level. The research questions were answered by adapting an explorative, single case study method. Additionally, four types of data collection techniques were used, such as – interviews, focus groups, observations, and document analysis. Subsequently, source triangulation was adapted to analyse the data collected; to develop a comprehensive understanding of the barriers identified., Finally, the barriers faced by the company to increase LoA are identified by considering the implications that the improvement opportunities would impose upon the production systems environment. The identified barriers were then categorised further based on factors that exist internal as well as external to the production systems environment. The barriers identified in this study highlights various factors that the management must consider beforehand while initiating automation decisions in future automation projects in the preassembly area. Regardless of the barriers faced by the company, there are more opportunities to improve manufacturing processes through automation technologies. This thesis contributes to the knowledge of the factors that restrain the implementation of automation technologies and how companies could deal with it.

The Bo-Kaap is traditionally a Cape Muslim Afrikaans-speaking community, and sociohistorically it is particularly relevant to the development of Afrikaans at the Cape (Davids 2011, Mahida 1993). The Cape Muslim Afrikaans spoken in the Bo-Kaap is a sub-variety of Standard Afrikaans (Kotzé 1989, Davids 2011) and is distinguishable by its retained lexis (Mesthrie and Bhatt 2008) from languages historically spoken by slaves at the Cape, such as Malay, Arabic, Gujarati, and Konkani. Over time a number of socio-cultural, geographic, and historical factors have introduced the use of South African English alongside Cape Muslim Afrikaans in this speech community. The goal of this study was to provide insight into the nature of bilingual talk in the Bo-Kaap community, and to make a useful contribution to the growing body of codeswitching1 (hereafter CS) research generally. Based on natural language data collected during group interviews with members of the community, the study explored the language contact situation in the Bo-Kaap today, taking the viewpoint that what is occurring presently may be considered CS Three aspects of the CS documented were analysed and quantified. Specifically, the study investigated language interaction phenomena (Myers-Scotton 1995, Deuchar et al 2007) triggers (Clyne 1987) and directionality (Muysken 1997, Deuchar et al 2017, Çetinoglu 2017). A quantitative approach was taken to the data analysis. The interview audio files were downloaded and transcribed in ELAN. (Max Planck Institute). The annotations2 produced in ELAN were organised in a spreadsheet for analysis, resulting in a data set comprised of 356 annotations. The full data set was divided into subsets and tagged for language interaction phenomena, triggers, and directionality. These data sets were then sorted and quantified to identify trends in these three areas of interest. The study found Intra-sentential switches to be the most common type of language interaction phenomenon in the CS of this speech community, being present in 79% of the sampled annotations. Results from other CS studies echo this finding in other speech communities (Al Heeti et al 2016, Koban 2012, Falk 2013). The most common trigger for Intra-word switching in this corpus was in the head of the past tense Verb Phrase. Out of 27 occurrences of Intra-word switching, 16 were of this nature. In all of those an English verb head was housed within an Afrikaans past tense structure. No exceptions were observed in the data set, a strong indicator of the relationship status of the two languages involved. Cape Muslim Afrikaans almost certainly playing the role of the Matrix language, with South African English embedded. In terms of directionality, switching from Cape Muslim Afrikaans into South African English was by far the most common, at 85%. This further supports what the findings on triggers suggest about the hierarchy between these two languages.

Denna kandidatuppsats undersöker hur beteendeförändringsmodellerna “The Behaviour Change Wheel” (BCW), “BCT-Taxonomin” och ”Foggs Behavioural Model” (FBM) kan appliceras i skapandeprocessen av en informativ teknisk tjänst, i syfte att uppnå positiv beteendeförändring gällande svinn av grönsaker hos individer som är medlemmar av andelsjordbruk. I studien undersöks bland annat om deltagarna upplever att den informativa tekniska tjänsten leder till positiv skillnad i beteenden gällande grönsakssvinn, samt vilka specifika komponenter från beteendeförändringsmodellerna som de upplever gör skillnad. Genom semistrukturerade intervjuer och en analys genom beteendeförändringmodellerna identifieras brister i respondenternas beteenden gällande ett minskat grönsakssvinn. Baserat på analysen länkas lämpliga komponenter från beteendeförändringsmodellerna, som tillsammans med data från intervjuerna är grunden till en webbaserad prototyp med informativa inlägg. Ett användartest utfördes under en veckas tid, som avslutades med enkäter av kvantitativ och kvalitativ form för att ta reda på huruvida det skett en förändring i användarnas beteende samt vilka komponenter från beteendeförändringsmodellerna som användarna upplevde gjorde skillnad. Resultatet visar bland annat att ungefär hälften av användarna upplevde ett minskat grönsakssvinn under användartestet, samt att majoriteten upplevde att de identifierade bristande beteenden till viss del höjdes. / This bachelor thesis investigates how the behavior change models “The Behavior Change Wheel” (BCW), “The BCT-Taxonomy” and “Foggs Behavioral Model” (FBM) can be applied in the design process of an informative technical service, with the purpose to achieve positive behavior change regarding vegetable wastage in individuals who are members of Community Supported Agriculture. The study examines, among other things, whether the participants experience that the informative technical service leads to a positive difference in behaviors regarding vegetable waste, and which specific components from the behavior change models that they experience make a difference in the behaviours. Through semi-structured interviews and an analysis through the behavior change models, deficiencies in the respondents' behaviors regarding a reduced vegetable waste are identified. Based on the analysis, appropriate components are linked from the behavior change models, which together with data from the interviews form the basis for a web-based prototype with informative posts. A user test was performed during a week, which ended with surveys of quantitative and qualitative form to find out whether there had been a change in the users' behavior and which components from the behavior change models that the users experienced had made a difference. The results show, among other things, that approximately half of the users experienced a reduction in vegetable waste during the user test, and that the majority of the users experienced that the identified deficient behaviors were to some extent increased.

The improvement of SISP practices has rapidly become one of the most critical issues facing many organisations, including banks. Globally, the banking sectors, including the Saudi one, have developed and implemented many IS strategies. Several systems have been executed to support the countries’ economies which have benefited from the increased trading resulting from the greater flexibility in time and costs associated with banking transactions. To continue these achievements and to improve SISP processes, several factors require careful investigation based on their relationship to SISP success; which include SISP objectives, SISP internal factors, external consultant functions, SISP external factors, measurements of SISP success, key stakeholders’ roles, and triggers. Therefore this study investigates the impact of these factors on SISP success. Data were collected in three phases. Phase 1 was an initial study with one or two interviews with the IT directors of each bank in the Saudi banking sector comprising the central bank and 11 commercial banks. The outcomes informed the development of a survey that was used in Phase 2; to investigate a sample containing a central bank, a domestic commercial bank and a domestic-foreign commercial bank to determine their SISP processes. 157 completed questionnaires were returned from the bank executives, business and IT directors and consultants. In Phase 3, 57 interviews confirmed and explained the quantitative results from Phase 2. Therefore, an in-depth case study was made in the three banks during Phases 2 and 3. The research results support previous findings on the SISP’s seventeen objectives collected by several researchers across different industries and in various countries. Furthermore, the research condenses these seventeen objectives into five more practical and achievable objectives for the banking sector. These are: 1) planning and deployment of information systems; 2) leading organisation changes; 3) improving stakeholders’ involvement and communication; 4) achieving the strategic priorities; and 5) alignment of organisational policies and architecture for business and IS. In addition, the findings identify the factors according to their relationship with SISP success and therefore explore several elements with positive, negative or no impact on SISP success in the banking sector. The thesis presents conclusions and suggests areas for further research.

No description available.

The purpose of this thesis is to identify, describe and develop the understanding of what aspects at work are important for individuals' identity construction. In this understanding-oriented study the empirical data consists of three different groups: middle managers, cultural workers and “Airis-managers”. I have interpreted and analysed the 75 respondents’ stories, and in their experiences found similar patterns. My conclusion is that there are different dimensions at work that may affect the identity construction. My research question: What is it about work that is experienced as important for individuals’ identity construction? can be answered with the five different identity-related dimensions that I have identified: the enabling dimension, the legitimating dimension, the strengthening dimension, the touching dimension and the constraining dimension. All these dimensions, except the constraining dimension, contribute positively to identity construction. The constraining dimension can be compensated if the other positively confirming dimensions dominate. The identity construction for each individual appears different depending on what dimensions he/she experiences. That is why work’s impacts on the individual's identity construction vary. In order to illustrate the developed typology of identity-related dimensions, I created a model that aims to facilitate understanding of what aspects at work that may be important for the personal identity. When raising awareness of these dimensions, efforts to strengthen the most important dimensions can be made. Through their leadership and ways of organizing work, managers may influence their employees’ opportunities to construct and strengthen their identity. Much of the identity research discusses the more conscious identity work. In my third study my empirical data consists of managers’ who have brought artists into their organizations, i.e. conducted an artistic intervention called Airis. My interpretation is that implementing an artistic intervention can be considered as a way to challenge and develop the managers’ identity and be a part of their identity work. This thesis deals with “identity at work” (to reconnect to the title). People seldom discuss “identity construction” but that does not mean that identity issues are unimportant. On the contrary, people often talk about their jobs and their work experiences. What this "talk" really means is what this thesis highlights: Identity is constructed and confirmed at work, especially when others are told about the work-related experiences.

Méthodes et principaux résultats. Dans une revue systématique des études sur les facteurs déclenchants des infarctus cérébraux, nous n’avons identifié qu’une seule étude, négative, consacrée aux événements de vie. Nous avons montré, dans une étude prospective portant sur 247 patients admis pour un infarctus cérébral, qu’une exposition à au moins 1 évènement de vie était plus fréquente dans le mois précédant l’infarctus cérébral que dans les 5 périodes témoins (OR=2,96 ; IC à 95% 2,19-4,00). L’exposition à des évènements de vie était aussi un facteur prédictif des dépressions survenant dans les 6 mois suivant un infarctus cérébral. Les autres facteurs prédictifs de dépression post-AVC étaient un score de Rankin > 2, un antécédent de dépression, une lésion caudée et/ou lenticulaire gauche, le sexe féminin et des pleurs pathologiques. Conclusion et perspectives. Ce travail de thèse apporte des arguments en faveur d’un rôle des évènements de vie d’une part, dans la survenue à court terme d’un infarctus cérébral, d’autre part dans la survenue d’une dépression dans les 6 mois suivant un AVC. Il souligne aussi les difficultés spécifiques de l’étude des événements de vie concernant leur définition, l’évaluation de leur sévérité, les biais de rappel et la définition de la période à risque. Nos résultats doivent être confirmés et précisés avant d’évaluer le bénéfice d’une stratégie préventive. / Methods and main results. In our systematic review of potential triggers of ischemic stroke, the only study that examined stressful life events didn’t show any association with stroke onset. In a prospective study of 247 consecutive patients admitted for ischemic stroke, exposure to at least one stressful life event was significantly more common during the first month preceding stroke onset than during the five control periods (OR=2.96 ; 95% CI 2.19-4.00). Stressful life events exposure also predicted depression occurring within six months after ischemic stroke onset. The other predictors of post-stroke depression were a modified Rankin score > 2, a prior history of depression, a left caudate and/or lenticular lesion, the female sex and pathologic crying.Conclusion and perspectives. Our results support the role of stressful life events as triggers of ischemic stroke and predictors of post-stroke depression. Our research also highlights the difficulty of studying stressful life events, due to potential influence of memory biases and lack of precise definitions of stressful life events, severe vs. minor events and hazard period durations. These preliminary results should be confirmed in order to assess benefits of preventive strategies.