Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'CALD'

Bakgrund: I dagens samhälle med globalisering och en ökad invandring från andra länder så interagerar olika individer och grupper som inte har samma livsåskådning, tro ellervärderingar. Detta skapar ett ökat behov för en palliativ vård som är betydligt mer kulturkänslig, där sjuksköterskan och det multidisciplinära teamet kan bemöta både patienter från en annan kulturell etnicitet i ett palliativt skede och deras närstående på ett icke-dömande sätt. Konflikter och etiska svårigheter i omvårdnaden av dessa patienter kan riskera att påverka livets sista tid negativt. Syfte: Syftet är att belysa sjuksköterskan och det multidisciplinära teamets utmaningar i mötet med patienter från en annan kulturell etnicitet i palliativt skede. Metod: Studien är genomförd som en induktiv litteraturöversikt. Femton artiklar inkluderades och en tematisk innehållsanalysen utfördes enligt Bettany-Saltikov och McSherry. Resultat: Fyra huvudteman utformades i resultatet. Resultatet visade på utmaningar i det palliativa mötet, i kommunikationen, kulturell kompetens och kulturella utmaningar med patienter från en annan kulturell etnicitet. I det palliativa mötet framkom det att ordet palliativ inte har någon tydlig översättning inom flera olika språk och kulturer, vilket försvårade för sjuksköterskan och teamets i deras arbete. Kommunikation visade att det var svårt att göra ett bra arbete när man multidisciplinärt team varken kunde förmedla eller få korrekt tolkad information gällande sjukdomen, symtom eller förlopp till patienten. En kulturell medvetenhet var av stor betydelse samt vikten av att en god kulturell kompetens inom hela teamet var av stor vikt för att kunna bemöta och ge dessa patienter från en annan kulturell etnicitet i palliativt skede och deras närstående en god vård. Slutsats: Det framkom att både sjuksköterskan och teamet upplevde svårigheter med att möta och vårda patienter från en annan kulturell etnicitet och deras närstående på grund av kommunikationshinder och kulturella skillnaderna. Resultatet påvisade också att det fanns stora brister i kommunikationen både gällande den språkliga delen och uttrycksdelen men att även den kulturella delen brister. Kunskaper gällande religion och kultur hos personalen samt teamet runt omkring patienten är otillräcklig.
Background: In society today with the globalization and increased immigration from other countries, different individuals and groups who do not have the same outlook on life, beliefs or values interact. This creates an increased need for palliative care that is significantly more culturally sensitive, where the nurse and the multidisciplinary team can respond to both patients from another cultural ethnicity at a palliative stage and their relatives in a nonjudgmental way. Conflicts and ethical difficulties in the care of these patients may have a negative effect on the last days of life. Aim: The purpose is to shed light on the nurse and the multidisciplinary team's challenges in the meeting with patients from another cultural ethnicity in a palliative phase. Method: The study is conducted as an inductive literature review. Fifteen articles were included, and a thematic content analysis was performed according to Bettany-Saltikov and McSherry. Results: Four main themes were formulated in the result. The result showed challenges in the palliative encounter, in communication, cultural competence and cultural challenges with patients from another cultural ethnicity. In the palliative meeting, it emerged that the word palliative doesn`t have a clear translation in several different languages and cultures, which made it difficult for the nurse and the team in their work. Communication showed that it was difficult to do a good job when a multidisciplinary team could neither convey nor get correctly interpreted information regarding the disease, symptoms or course to the patient. A cultural awareness was of great importance and the importance of good cultural competence within the entire team was of great importance to be able to meet and give these patients from another cultural ethnicity in the palliative care stage and their relatives a good care. Conclusion: It emerged that both the nurse and the team experienced difficulties in meeting and caring for patients from another cultural ethnicity and their relatives due to communication barriers and cultural differences. The results also showed that there were major shortcomings in the communication, in terms of the linguistic part and the expressive part, but that the cultural part was also short. Knowledge regarding religion and culture of the staff and the team around the patient is insufficient.

This study, completed in 2008, aims to address gaps in the literature on caring concerning the reluctance of CALD communities in Australia to use formal care. It hypothesises that broader cultural considerations, rather than merely language barriers and lack of information, are responsible for the preference of CALD communities for informal care. The literature on caring, mediated by certain aspects of Bourdieu??s habitus, is employed as a conceptual framework to analyse the informal and formal strategies employed by carers from the Italian and Greek speaking communities. The study concludes that habitus, informed by cultural factors, influences both the means of access to formal care and the type of formal care acceptable to these communities but differs between communities and between generations within each community. However,second and third order influences can lead to modification of habitus and caring strategies

Background Vitamin supplements are commonly used in women of reproductive age. There is a range of vitamin supplements such as iron, folate, vitamin B and vitamin D that are used. Deficiencies in vitamin D can result in adverse health outcomes, such as exacerbation of asthma and fractures. Some studies suggest that vitamin D deficiency may be associated with increases in depressive symptoms and severity. These associations need further exploration to ascertain confirmation, with more vigorous research. Furthermore, there has been limited research on the reasons behind vitamin supplement use in women of reproductive age who originate from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations. These need further exploration to examine the beliefs, attitudes and practices of women regarding vitamin supplement use. Aims and Objectives Aims: To explore vitamin supplements use in women of reproductive age in terms of their beliefs, attitudes and practices particularly in CALD communities, with a focus on vitamin D and its potential role in depression in women of reproductive age. Objectives: 1) To investigate any association of vitamin D deficiency with depression in women of reproductive age. 2) To examine whether vitamin D supplementation results in a decrease depressive symptoms and severity. 3) To explore the beliefs, attitudes and practices of women of reproductive age, including those from CALD backgrounds, in relation to vitamin supplement use. 4) To explore the beliefs, attitudes and practices of CALD women regarding the Hijab and vitamin D. Content of this thesis This thesis is made up of four chapters. Chapter 1 contains the background. The challenges identified in Chapter 1 led to the exploration of the effect of vitamin D on depression in women of reproductive age via a systematic review in Chapter 2. The qualitative study in Chapter 3 describes the factors behind the beliefs, attitudes and practices of women of reproductive age in terms of vitamin supplement use. Lastly Chapter 4 presents general discussion and conclusions from the work described in this thesis. Methods A systematic review was conducted to investigate the effect of vitamin D on depression in women of reproductive age based on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement checklist (Chapter 2). A systematic search strategy was deployed in ten databases including Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, AMED, International pharmaceutical abstracts, Maternal and infant care, EBM ALL, Global health, and PubMed to identify primary studies that met eligibility criteria. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was undertaken to explore the use of vitamin supplements in women of reproductive age. A semi-structured interview guide was developed and applied to facilitate the interview. Participants were recruited through advertisements in pharmacies, medical centres and community centres as well as via the distribution of flyers across a large university campus in Sydney, through social media, word of mouth and snowball sampling. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Interviews were conducted until thematic saturation was achieved and data was analysed. NVivo12 Plus Qualitative Data Analysis software (QSR International Pty Ltd. Version 12, 2019) was used to analyse the emerging themes. Initial codes were highlighted and organised into general themes and sub-themes, which were reviewed and refined. Results Chapter 2 Systematic review identified a total of 2377 studies through comprehensive search and search of cited references. After removing duplicates and based on title and abstract screening, 128 studies remained. Full text review yielded 21 observational studies (11 cohort studies and 10 cross-sectional studies) that assessed the association between vitamin D deficiency and depression and two intervention studies (two RCTs) that investigated women of reproductive age of 15-49 years in US, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, Middle East and South America. Two cohort studies that showed no difference in depression scores in relation to vitamin D, while 9 other cohort studies reported that after measuring participants’ depression scores and vitamin D level over time, lower vitamin D levels were associated with higher depression scores. Similarly, there were two cross sectional studies that did not find an association between vitamin D level and depression scores. However, eight other cross-sectional studies showed that low vitamin D levels were linked with higher depression scores. One RCT did not find any improvement in depression symptoms and severity based on the supplementation of vitamin D used. Another RCT showed a reduction in depression scores compared to controls. Chapter 3 Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 women aged 19-49 years old, all from CALD backgrounds. The beliefs, attitudes and practices regarding the use of vitamin supplements of women from CALD backgrounds were explored. Thematic analysis generated four main themes: 1) health literary 2) cultural factors that influence vitamin supplement use 3) life circumstances and 4) women’s perception of health outcomes. Health literacy and information sources were key factors that affected women’s decision-making about taking vitamin supplements; and sources such as Google were heavily relied upon. Moreover, cultural factors greatly influenced women’s initiation of vitamin supplement therapy. There were discrepancies regarding the impact of wearing the Hijab on vitamin D status and more research in this area is needed. Conclusion Prior to this research, there has been limited data on CALD women of reproductive age and their beliefs, attitudes and practices in terms of vitamin supplement usage. This body of research was the first to explore the use of vitamin supplements in women of reproductive age particularly from CALD backgrounds. Furthermore, it was also one of the few studies around the world that examined the effect of vitamin D on depression in women of reproductive age. Findings from this body of work demonstrated the reoccurring themes that shaped women’s beliefs, attitudes and practices towards vitamin supplement use specifically include health literacy, cultural factors, life circumstances and women’s perception of health outcomes. This study also ascertained that CALD women of reproductive age had differing levels of health literacy and use of a range of information sources. This study also highlighted differing views regarding the practice of Hijab and rate of vitamin D supplementation. In addition, this study provides a basis for further studies to explore whether the practice of Hijab affects vitamin D levels, which has consequences for recommendations around vitamin D supplementation in countries where the Hijab is commonly worn. There was an indication of an association between vitamin D deficiency and depression symptoms and severity from this research. However, the exact clinical association in terms of vitamin D being a causal factor in developing depression remains unclear. Supplementation with vitamin D that results in changing status from vitamin D deficient to vitamin D sufficient warrants further investigation, specifically to ascertain whether an optimal level is needed to achieve a reduction in depressive symptoms and severity. Thesis overview This thesis presents an analysis of previous research on the role of vitamin D deficiency in depression in women of reproductive age. It explores the role of supplementation with vitamin D on depression symptoms and severity. It also investigates the beliefs, attitudes and practices of women of reproductive age regarding their vitamin supplements usage. It examines the motivations behind usage in women particularly those from CALD backgrounds. Rationale for this study Vitamin D deficiency is common throughout the world, including Australia which has ample sunlight all year round. Low vitamin D status has been associated with multiple adverse health outcomes, one of which is depression (1). Consensus around the optimal level of vitamin D for women of reproductive age remains to be reached. It is critical to establish if a relationship between vitamin D levels and depression exists and what that relationship is in women of reproductive age. In order to evaluate this association, a systematic review of past studies was undertaken to examine the effect of vitamin D on depression in women of reproductive age. This is further discussed in Chapter 2 of this thesis. Similarly, vitamin supplementation use has grown in the last decade worldwide and in Australia (2). This may be due to increased advertising and availability, cultural influences, affordability and increase in the use of social media platforms. It is important to understand the beliefs, attitudes and cultural practices especially in women of reproductive age, around their use of vitamin supplements. In order to explore this research question, a qualitative study was undertaken to explore the use of vitamin supplements in women of reproductive age from CALD backgrounds. This is further discussed in Chapter 3 of this thesis. Research aim, objectives and research questions The overall aim of this project was to explore the use of vitamin supplements in women of reproductive age, with a focus on CALD communities as well as investigating vitamin D and its possible association with depression in women of reproductive age. The specific objectives of this research were to: • Evaluate the effect of vitamin D status on depression and depressive symptoms. • Explore the use of vitamin supplements in women of reproductive age, particularly in women of CALD backgrounds, with a particular focus on vitamin D • Describe the beliefs, attitudes, and practices of women of reproductive age, particularly women from CALD backgrounds, regarding vitamin supplement use. The research questions were: • Does vitamin D deficiency affect depression and depressive symptoms? • What level of vitamin D is needed to decrease depression severity and symptoms? • What level of vitamin D supplementation is required to increase level of vitamin D in order to decrease depression severity and symptoms? • What factors are involved when women of reproductive age initiate vitamin supplement use? • What are the beliefs, attitudes and practices of women of reproductive age around vitamin supplement use? • What are the beliefs and attitudes and practices of women from CALD backgrounds regarding vitamin supplement use? • What are the beliefs and practices of women from CALD backgrounds regarding the Hijab and its possible connection with vitamin D deficiency? Significance This research will contribute to the expanding body of knowledge related to vitamin D deficiency and depression as well as exploring vitamin supplement use in women of reproductive age particularly those from CALD backgrounds. It is the first study to systematically evaluate the effect of vitamin D on depression in women of reproductive age and explore the use of vitamin supplements in CALD women of reproductive age in Australia. This study complements current understanding of the links between vitamin D and depression as well as the differences in the beliefs, attitudes and practices of women from CALD backgrounds regarding vitamin supplement use. Considering existing evidence, public health interventions to decrease the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in women of reproductive age in Australia are required, in addition to increasing awareness regarding the optimal vitamin D status in order to decrease the risk of depression and depressive symptoms. The identification of several motivating factors associated with vitamin supplement use in women of reproductive age and in particular those from CALD backgrounds is an important first step in future programs of public health research aimed at identifying and targeting culturally appropriate health related information that aides decision making when it comes to vitamin supplement use. This thesis investigates women’s use of vitamin supplements, vitamin D and its possible association with depression in women of reproductive age. The first chapter provides background information on vitamin supplements, vitamin D, depression and population characteristics. The second chapter examines the effect of vitamin D on depression in women of reproductive age in the form of a systematic review. The third chapter explores the use of vitamin supplements in women of reproductive age and in particular, women from CALD backgrounds through a qualitative study. The fourth chapter discusses the significance of all the findings, future research directions and conclusions.

Settlement conditions in Australia for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) women are challenging. Despite an abundance of social services within the multicultural city of Logan, CALD women experience several social issues that impact their wellbeing. This study explores a creative engagement methodology to foster social connection and ecologies of care for CALD women. Findings reveal that the ecology of care in Logan is complex, hierarchical, fragmented, and difficult to navigate. The study, involving a series of creative interventions, demonstrates the potential benefits for creative engagement to enhance individual ecologies of care, and provides direction for designing more inclusive engagement practices.

Background: Asthma management among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients with asthma in Australia can be influenced by many factors, such as language barriers, cultural beliefs, socioeconomic status (SES) and lack of asthma education. Methods: The four studies were Semi-structured interviews guided by a schedule of questions, two of them were conducted with Arabic-speaking women with asthma\carer of a child with asthma in Australia and Saudi with asthma\carer of a child with asthma in Saudi Arabia respectively, the other two studies were conducted with healthcare professionals (HCPs) from medical practices in Australia. Main findings: Linguistic and cultural barriers can affect CALD patients’ behaviour about using their medications. Asthma management can also be influenced by patients’ relationships with their HCPs, who face challenges in dealing with CALD patients due to stereotypes, unconscious biases, language barriers or lack of cultural competence training. In CALD patients, the lack of engagement with treatment, lack of asthma education and asthma action plans will lead to suboptimal asthma management. Similarly, pharmacists may fail to overcome linguistic and cultural barriers when dealing with CALD patients during consultations, CALD patients therefore will not gain the knowledge they need to control asthma symptoms. Conclusion: CALD people with asthma are struggling to manage their asthma, HCPs are facing difficulties dealing with CALD patients. To address these lacunae in the literature, this thesis took on research work that was exploratory so that issues, barriers and facilitators to culturally proficient asthma care in patients who are culturally and linguistically diverse could be uncovered and ways to address these forged for future research. Below is a chapter wise plan of the work presented in this thesis.

Womens Health Services (WHS) in Perth provides medical services, counselling, information, community talks and workshops, referral, and outreach to women in Western Australia. WHS works with women from over sixty different nationalities, including many newly arrived migrants and refugees. New arrivals access a wide range of WHS programs, but at the time the current study was developed few ethnic women attend the alcohol and other drug (AOD) services offered by the organisation. To address this a needs assessment was conducted with newly arrived women (0 to 5 years in Australia). The needs assessment examined the use of alcohol and other drugs by newly arrived women, the barriers that prevent women from accessing alcohol and other drug (AOD) services and explored the types of services and programs newly arrived women wanted.Method. The needs assessment used both qualitative and quantitative methods. Twenty two service providers working with newly arrived migrant and humanitarian entrant women were either interviewed individually or attended a focus group. The views and experiences of 26 newly arrived women from a variety of culturally and linguistic backgrounds were also collected through one-on-one interviews (n=6) and through focus groups (n=5). The information gathered from these interviews and discussions informed the design of a questionnaire that was administered to 268 newly arrived women. All women participating in the project were 18 years of age or more, Australian citizens, permanent Australian residents or in the process of being granted permanent residency and had lived in Australia 5 years or less.Findings Regarding Tobacco and Alcohol Use. Australian cultural attitudes had had an impact on newly arrived women's alcohol and other drug use. Some impacts were positive, for example, increasing restrictions and the decrease in acceptability of smoking in public places along with strong educational messages about the risk of smoking had influenced some women to quit since coming to Australia. Unfortunately, not all Australian cultural attitudes had a positive impact on newly arrived women. Just under one third of the women (31.7%) who drank alcohol were drinking more alcohol since coming to Australia. Reasons for drinking more alcohol were varied and included alcohol being cheaper in Perth than in their own countries, socialising with Australians who drank alcohol, and using alcohol as a way of coping with stress. However, it is important to note that only a very small percentage of the newly arrived women participating in the needs assessment drank at levels considered risky or high risk for either short term or longer term harm. The vast majority of respondents surveyed did not smoke (n=207; 77.2%) and did not use alcohol (n=201; 76.1%), often due to cultural or religious reasons.Other Results. Other findings of the needs assessment included: • Over 21% of newly arrived women responding to the survey had been put in fear by some one under the influence of alcohol and/ or drugs. Nearly 17% of women responding to the survey had been verbally abused by some one under the influence of alcohol and/ or drugs. • More than one third of the women responding to the survey indicated that they wanted information and support on family violence. • Over 40% of the women responding to the survey wanted information and support for depression. • Forty women (14.9%) responding to the survey wanted support for husbands or children that were drinking too much alcohol.A surprising finding was the high level of interest in women's only exercise classes and opportunities to participate in other types of physical activity Two thirds of questionnaire respondents said that exercise was a priority for them. Subsequent feedback sessions with newly arrived women about the results of the needs assessment confirmed the need for opportunities to participate in a variety of physical activities in a safe, affordable, women only environment where childcare was available.Understandings of Alcohol and Other Drug Services. Participants in the study appeared to have a poor understanding of what AOD services were, different types of treatments and models that could be used, who was entitled to access them (not just the alcohol or other drug user), the associated costs and fees, and whether or not the police would become involved. There was a significant lack of understanding by service providers working with newly arrived women about eligibility to access alcohol and drug services and what assistance and support these agencies could provide either to women using alcohol and other drugs or to family and friends impacted by another's drug use. Few service providers asked their clients any questions about alcohol or other drug use on a regular basis.The findings from the needs assessment have been used to improve programs and services with newly arrived women at WHS. These have included the addition of a specific alcohol and other drugs program for women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds with a focus on prevention activities as well as opportunities for newly arrived women to participate in a variety of physical activity classes.

Social marketing has been shown to be an effective approach in assisting people to quit smoking in a wide variety of contexts; including whole communities, segments of society, or entire populations (Stead et al., 2007). The anti-tobacco efforts in Australia have helped to lower tobacco consumption with annual declines in smoking rates across the entire population decreasing year on year (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2014). However, anti-tobacco interventions have been broadly focused on the general Australian population, of which the dominant majority are English speakers, and differences among population sub groups have largely been ignored. As a result, smoking rates within Australia’s culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) population remain high when compared to general population (Baker et al., 2006). Smoking quit rates have not declined at the same general rates as the rest of the Australian population with variations based on country of birth clearly apparent (Scollo & Winstanley, 2012). Consequently, this thesis aimed to examine how social marketing could be more effectively applied to Australia’s CALD communities.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith Business School
Griffith Business School
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Abstract The original intention for the Partnership Community Worker (PCW) project in 2006 was for it to be an extension of the Pegasus Health General Practice and furthermore to be a bridge between the community and primary healthcare. It was believed that a close working relationship between the Practice Nurse and the PCW would help the target population of Māori, Pacifica and low income people to address and overcome their perceived barriers to healthcare which included: finance, transport, anxiety, cultural issues, communication, or lack of knowledge. Seven years later although the PCW project has been deemed a success in the Canterbury District Health Board annual reports (2013-14) and community and government agencies, including the Christchurch Resettlement Service (2012), many of the Pegasus Health General Practices have not utilised the project to its full extent, hence the need for this research. I was interested in finding out in the first instance if the model had changed and, if so why, and in the second instance if the promotional material currently distributed by Pegasus Health Primary Health Organisation reflected the daily practice of the PCW. A combination of methods were used including: surveys to the Pegasus Health General Practices, interviews with PCWs, interviews with managers of both the PCW host organisations and referring agencies to the PCW project. All the questions asked of all the participants in this research were focussed on their own perception of the role of the PCW. Results showed that the model has changed and although the publications were not reflecting the original intention of the project they did reflect the daily practice of the PCWs who are now struggling to meet much wider community expectations and needs. Key Results: Partnership Community Worker (PCW) interviews: Seventeen PCWs of the 19 employed were interviewed face to face. A number expressed interest in more culturally specific training and some are pursuing qualifications in social work; for many pay parity is an issue. In addition, many felt overwhelmed by the expectations around clients with mental health issues and housing issues now, post-earthquakes. Medical Practice surveys: Surveys were sent to eighty-two Pegasus Health medical practices and of these twenty five were completed. Results showed the full capacity of the PCW role was not clearly understood by all with many believing it was mostly a transport service. Those who did understand the full complexity of the role were very satisfied with the outcomes. PCW Host Community Manager Interviews: Of the ten out of twelve managers interviewed, some wished for more communication with Pegasus Health management because they felt aspects of both the PCW role and their own role as managers had become blurred over time. Referring organisations: Fifteen of the fifty referring community or government organisations participated. The overall satisfaction of the service was high and some acknowledged the continuing need for PCWs to be placed in communities where they were well known and trusted. Moreover results also showed that both the Canterbury earthquakes 2010-2011 and the amalgamation of Partnership Health PHO and Pegasus Health Charitable Limited in 2013 have contributed to the change of the model. Further future research may also be needed to examine the long term effects on the people of Canterbury involved in community work during the 2011-2014 years.

This research aims to understand the challenges for government and community workers in communicating information about COVID-19 to Mandarin- and Arabic-speaking communities after the outbreak of the pandemic. The study, focused between March 2020 and July 2021, argues that government staff and bilingual community workers acted as intermediaries who addressed the cultural and linguistic needs of these communities. I discuss how offline and online social networks enhanced peoples’ health literacy and media literacy, working with Bourdieu’s (1986) concepts of social capital and cultural capital. Recognising the importance of communities’ uses of digital and online media, I adopt Ragnedda’s (2018) theory that a community’s digital capital is an independent resource. In this study, I conducted semi-structured interviews online via Zoom with staff from a local health district of the NSW Department of Health and bilingual community workers from these communities who were tasked with distributing COVID-19 information. I found that bilingual community workers were an essential resource for communication with the communities. The intermediaries reported that reasonable health literacy and media literacy could empower the communities in identifying reliable information and countering misinformation. A key finding of this research was that digital competencies for both the health staff and community members were important in dealing with the health emergency of COVID-19. This aligns with Ragnedda’s (2018) argument that digital capital should be considered as an independent form of capital that can be converted into social capital and cultural capital. While the intermediaries were able to capitalise on the existing three forms of capital to an extent, they nevertheless indicated the need for enhanced health, media, and digital literacy for communities.

Esta dissertação aborda o processo de implantação das tecnologias CAD/CADD nos escritórios de arquitetura no Brasil a partir dos anos 80, analisando avaliações já realizadas sobre estes programas, identificando também as necessidades da produção do projeto arquitetônico, estabelecendo critérios mínimos para o arquiteto escolher seu programa CAD/CADD.
To choose the CAD/CADD softwares is one of the gratest dificult that architects hava nodaways. The brazilian architects use these softwares since the 80's, but in the begginings the draws was a crafmanship because the real use of the software was still obscure. Decide for a software, its the real problem that architects have to face. Which one to use, how and way. This process is lone, hard and sometimes expensive. How to introduce the tecnology, analysing the evaluation that have been done about the architecture softwares of CADD and also identify the process, point the basic needs in an architect design is what this master science is about.

Utilising a qualitative, grounded theory methodology, this research investigated police engagement with the African communities, especially youth in Western Australia. Voices of African youth, police officers and African leaders’ perspectives and experiences were captured through in-depth interviews and focus groups in relation to the nature of their relationship. Factors contributing to the relationship and considerations for effective engagement between the multiple parties were explored. Overall, the study found that the relationship between African youth and police in Western Australia was tense and filled with mistrust. There was a gap between standard policing and the community policing models when addressing non-law-abiding African youth, particularly around the Perth commercial business district (CBD). Community policing was found to effectively engage African community leaders and their associations but unable to address ongoing tension between patrol officers and African youth in entertainment precincts around Perth CBD. African leaders were concerned with the harsh treatment of African youth by police and disappointed with non-law-abiding youths’ refusal to attend support events they organise for them. Youth accused police of being racist towards them. Many participants evidenced excessive monitoring and movement restrictions (through move-on notices), arrests and hefty charges in Perth CBD as being racially motivated. Police participants accused African youth of disorderly behaviour, including challenging police authority and involvement in violent crimes. Police, youth and African elders noted a lack of cultural sensitivity and training of patrol officers, as well as a lack of understanding of legal and policing matters by African youth. Considering community engagement models from both community development and community policing engagement perspectives, a community policing engagement model for culturally and linguistically (CaLD) communities has been proposed based on data obtained. Participation of African communities, especially youth, on policing matters, recruitment of African people into WA Police, cultural training of police officers and providing education to African communities on policing and legal matters are key to resolving tensions and building trust between the two parties. The continued tension and reported racism towards African youth in Perth CBD has brought into question WA police’s legitimacy, commitment to procedural justice and protection of basic human rights in terms of freedom of movement and inclusion of all citizens. While youth were interviewed from various Perth suburbs, there was a suggestion that the major concerns they had related more to the Perth CBD. By not prioritising non-law-abiding African youth and relying on African leaders to report community policing issues, police are not effectively addressing ongoing crime issues. Therefore, community policing needs to prioritise members of community who engage most with police, driven by core business needs and achieved by aligning standard policing and community policing priorities to work together in addressing African youth challenges.

Doctor of Public Health
For many years the major cause of infant mortality in NSW has been the result of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Statistics show the area defined as 'Western Sydney' is no exception, and in 2002, a report prepared by the Epidemiology, Indicators, Evaluation and Research Unit (EIRE) in Western Sydney presented data indicating SIDS rates in the area were higher than the state average. In particular, two Local Government Areas (LGAs) had clusters of SIDS deaths. Previous Australian research identified a higher risk of SIDS and other causes of infant mortality in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. The areas of Western Sydney where SIDS rates were higher than expected were home to Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Pacific Island residents. The number of SIDS deaths in Aboriginal infants did not explain the higher than expected rate of SIDS in the areas under investigation. Studies undertaken in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands have identified higher than expected risk of SIDS in Maori and Pacific Island communities in those countries, although this has never been studied in Pacific Island residents living in Australia. The reasons for these communities exhibiting a higher than normal SIDS rate is not completely understood, but can be partially explained by behavioural practices which are known to impact adversely on the risk of SIDS. This study sought to investigate the level of knowledge concerning the prevention of sudden and unexpected death in infants (SUDI) in three key groups of infant caregivers: general practitioners, nurses and parents living or working in the area geographically defined by Sydney West Area Health Service (WSAHS). In addition, the study sought to identify any variation in knowledge of SIDS reduction strategies in the three groups under study, and to investigate factors influencing knowledge and practice in these participants. The study findings were then used as a basis on which to develop strategies and recommendations to enhance the delivery of safe sleeping messages through the health care system. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, this cross-sectional study highlights a number of issues around infant care practices and the major influences on new parents living in a multicultural community. Results of the study showed there is a large variation in knowledge around safe sleeping practices (including SIDS reduction strategies) in all the groups studied. Although educational campaigns are conducted regularly, many general practitioners and parents are confused about the key SIDS reduction messages and still place infants in sleeping positions considered unsafe. While nurses and midwives were aware of the SIDS reduction strategies, they still occasionally used infant sleeping positions considered unsafe. General practitioners born overseas in a country where English is not the first language were less likely to be familiar with safe sleeping messages, including SIDS reduction strategies. Families from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) background were less likely to have seen SIDS information in their own language than families who spoke English, and as a result were more likely to use traditional methods of infant care, including co-sleeping with siblings and parents and side or tummy sleeping. CALD parents were more likely to rely on herbal remedies and friends and family for assistance, than English speaking parents who accessed health professionals as the first point of call when infants were unwell. The study identified a relatively recent practice, which until reported in this study, has not been documented in the literature. The practice of draping infant prams with blankets originated from the Cancer Council of Australia guidelines which recommend covering a pram with a light muslin wrap to protect infants’ skin from the sun. It appears parents have misinterpreted this message and are covering infant prams with blankets to encourage sleep, even when sun exposure is not an issue. Research suggests that poor air quality around the head of an infant may affect an infant’s arousal response. While no research has been conducted on the air quality around an infants head when covered by a heavy blanket in a pram, it is possible based on research into air quality around infants, that that this practice may increase the risk of sudden and unexpected death in an infant. In conclusion, this study found that multiple changes to the SIDS reduction messages since the initial ‘Reduce the Risks’ Campaign have led to confusion about ways of preventing SIDS in GPs, nurses and parents in Western Sydney. The study makes seven recommendations aimed at improving knowledge of safe sleeping practices in these groups, and optimizing health outcomes for infants using a collaborative approach to service delivery and future initiatives.

For many years the major cause of infant mortality in NSW has been the result of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Statistics show the area defined as 'Western Sydney' is no exception, and in 2002, a report prepared by the Epidemiology, Indicators, Evaluation and Research Unit (EIRE) in Western Sydney presented data indicating SIDS rates in the area were higher than the state average. In particular, two Local Government Areas (LGAs) had clusters of SIDS deaths. Previous Australian research identified a higher risk of SIDS and other causes of infant mortality in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. The areas of Western Sydney where SIDS rates were higher than expected were home to Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Pacific Island residents. The number of SIDS deaths in Aboriginal infants did not explain the higher than expected rate of SIDS in the areas under investigation. Studies undertaken in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands have identified higher than expected risk of SIDS in Maori and Pacific Island communities in those countries, although this has never been studied in Pacific Island residents living in Australia. The reasons for these communities exhibiting a higher than normal SIDS rate is not completely understood, but can be partially explained by behavioural practices which are known to impact adversely on the risk of SIDS. This study sought to investigate the level of knowledge concerning the prevention of sudden and unexpected death in infants (SUDI) in three key groups of infant caregivers: general practitioners, nurses and parents living or working in the area geographically defined by Sydney West Area Health Service (WSAHS). In addition, the study sought to identify any variation in knowledge of SIDS reduction strategies in the three groups under study, and to investigate factors influencing knowledge and practice in these participants. The study findings were then used as a basis on which to develop strategies and recommendations to enhance the delivery of safe sleeping messages through the health care system. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, this cross-sectional study highlights a number of issues around infant care practices and the major influences on new parents living in a multicultural community. Results of the study showed there is a large variation in knowledge around safe sleeping practices (including SIDS reduction strategies) in all the groups studied. Although educational campaigns are conducted regularly, many general practitioners and parents are confused about the key SIDS reduction messages and still place infants in sleeping positions considered unsafe. While nurses and midwives were aware of the SIDS reduction strategies, they still occasionally used infant sleeping positions considered unsafe. General practitioners born overseas in a country where English is not the first language were less likely to be familiar with safe sleeping messages, including SIDS reduction strategies. Families from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) background were less likely to have seen SIDS information in their own language than families who spoke English, and as a result were more likely to use traditional methods of infant care, including co-sleeping with siblings and parents and side or tummy sleeping. CALD parents were more likely to rely on herbal remedies and friends and family for assistance, than English speaking parents who accessed health professionals as the first point of call when infants were unwell. The study identified a relatively recent practice, which until reported in this study, has not been documented in the literature. The practice of draping infant prams with blankets originated from the Cancer Council of Australia guidelines which recommend covering a pram with a light muslin wrap to protect infants’ skin from the sun. It appears parents have misinterpreted this message and are covering infant prams with blankets to encourage sleep, even when sun exposure is not an issue. Research suggests that poor air quality around the head of an infant may affect an infant’s arousal response. While no research has been conducted on the air quality around an infants head when covered by a heavy blanket in a pram, it is possible based on research into air quality around infants, that that this practice may increase the risk of sudden and unexpected death in an infant. In conclusion, this study found that multiple changes to the SIDS reduction messages since the initial ‘Reduce the Risks’ Campaign have led to confusion about ways of preventing SIDS in GPs, nurses and parents in Western Sydney. The study makes seven recommendations aimed at improving knowledge of safe sleeping practices in these groups, and optimizing health outcomes for infants using a collaborative approach to service delivery and future initiatives.

Dissertação para obtenção do grau Mestre em Engenharia Civil – Perfil de Construção
O trabalho desenvolvido deriva da crescente importância que os materiais utilizados na conservação e reabilitação de edifícios têm vindo a assumir, principalmente no que diz respeito à consolidação de alvenaria com caldas. Com base em bibliografia existente considera-se que as caldas de cal hidráulica natural podem ser eficientes para aplicação na consolidação de paredes antigas; no entanto, e porque se trata de uma intervenção irreversível, as suas características e constituições devem ser conhecidas e optimizadas. O principal objectivo é estudar as características mecânicas e mineralógicas de caldas com base numa cal hidráulica natural de fabrico nacional, recentemente desenvolvida, nomeadamente em termos da influência de substituições parciais da cal por um metacaulino (Mk), da proporção de água/ligante, da percentagem de superplastificante e das condições de cura. O presente trabalho envolve assim várias amostras de caldas cal hidráulica natural (NHL3.5) sem Mk ou com 2,5% e 5% de Mk substituindo a cal. A relação água/ligante utilizada foi de 0,5 e 0,6 e quando foi utilizado um superplastificante, este compreende teores de 0,3% ou 0,6%. Pretende-se que a calda possa ser aplicada por injecção, a fim de preencher os vazios de paredes antigas espessas, e que as suas características - em termos de resistências mecânicas, absorção de água, secagem e comportamento - sejam compatíveis com os materiais originais da parede. As amostras das caldas, realizadas em provetes prismáticos com 40mmx40mmx160mm foram submetidas a distintos processos de cura e, às idades de 7, 14, 28 e 90 dias foi determinada a respectiva resistência à compressão. Para as amostras sujeitas a cura húmida, o processo de endurecimento das caldas foi avaliado por difracção de raios X (XRD), microscopia electrónica de varrimento (SEM) e análises térmica diferencial e termogravimétrica (DTA / TGA). As várias análises demonstram que as principais fases formadas são a calcite, portlandite e silicatos de cálcio hidratados - tobermorite, aluminato tetracálcico e monocarboaluminato. Verifica-se que a utilização de uma menor proporção de água/ligante ou o uso de Mk aumenta significativamente a resistência à compressão das caldas; no entanto tal dificulta a sua capacidade para serem injectadas. Uma vez que as caldas sem superplastificante não apresentam fluidez suficiente a fim de desempenhar a sua correcta injecção, a utilização deste adjuvante parece indispensável.

Mestrado em Engenharia Civil
A reabilitação em Portugal tem vindo a crescer exponencialmente, tal como no resto da Europa. É importante que a conservação e a reabilitação dos edifícios históricos e valor patrimonial sejam uma das preocupações das sociedades atuais. Atualmente ainda existe muita construção que, pela sua qualidade construtiva, sofre de deficiências e degradação. O presente trabalho pretende contribuir para aprofundar o conhecimento das caldas de injeção, desenvolvendo-as, a fim de perceber como é que se comportam na consolidação dos revestimentos antigos. Estas caldas de injeção precisam de ser compatíveis com os materiais existentes e também economicamente viáveis. Foram desenvolvidos métodos de avaliação do desempenho das caldas de injeção, quanto à sua capacidade de injetabilidade e grau de aderência. O grau de aderência das caldas de injeção obtido foi baixo mas coerente com os tipos de caldas de cal. As duas caldas finais adotadas cumpriram o objetivo de possuírem grande capacidade de injetabilidade, boa fluidez e preenchimento de todos os espaços vazios.
Conservation in Portugal has been growing exponentially as in the rest of Europe. It is important that the conservation and renovation of historic buildings with its heritage value continues to be one of the concerns of contemporary societies. Currently there is a lot of construction that suffers from deficiencies and degradation due to its initial poor quality. This work attempts to contribute for a better knowledge of injection grouts and is aimed at understanding how these materials behave in the consolidation of old coatings. These grouts must not only be compatible with existing materials but also economically viable. Methods for performance assessment of injection grouts were developed taking in consideration both their injection ability and level of adherence. The obtained degree of adhesion of the injection grouts was low but consistent with this type of lime based grouts. The two final adopted grouts met the goal of great injection ability, good fluidity and good performance at filling all the empty spaces.

Проаналізовано функціональні можливості систем конструкторського призначення з метою подальшого використання у системі автоматизованого проектувння верстатних пристроїв.
Проанализированы функциональные возможности систем конструкторского назначения с целью дальнейшего использования в системе автоматизированного проектирования станочных приспособлений.
The capabilities of CAD systems were analyzed with the aim of further utilization for computer-aided fixture design system.

В данном исследовании поставлена задача анализа возможности использования накопленных статистических данных для прогнозирования безошибочности. На начальной стадии исследования принято решение ограничиться учетом загруженности и коэффициента очереди.

In my thesis I will be proposing situationalism: a new theory of how it is that things change over time. It is B-theoretic, eternalist and endurantist. The central contention of the theory is that what is true can differ in a metaphysically significant way from time to time. The theory emerges as a solution to the problem of change. In my first chapter, I argue that change is genuinely problematic (contra some of the recent literature). There are at least three ways to generate problems from change, and I elucidate problems from the law of non-contradiction and the indiscernibility of identicals. In the second chapter, I examine the nature of change and contend that the current major solutions to the problem fail to uphold our intuitive notion of change. Chapter 3 introduces the idea of a situation; a part of reality. The fourth chapter applies situations to the problem of change and comes up with a new solution. The solution relies on a denial of universal persistence; the denial of the idea that what is true in a situation s is thereby true in every situation of which s is a part. Chapter 5 considers the infamous Ship of Theseus case, and concludes that situationalism can also solve this problem. The situationalist account of the Ship of Theseus puzzle enables us, in Chapter 6, to briefly demonstrate the analogous application of the solution to a series of other persistence puzzles. The seventh chapter discusses the metaphysical consequences of such a view. The core claim is of the primacy of parts of reality over reality as a whole. It is a position according to which truth in situations is fundamental and situations needn’t cohere. I hold that the theory has significant costs but also substantial benefits. For this reason it is worth serious consideration.

Productivity is one of the most important factors in manufacturing processes because of the high level of market competition. In this regard, modular fixtures (MFs) play an important role in practically improving productivity in flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs) due to this technology using highly productive computer numerical control (CNC) machines. MFs consist of devices called jigs and fixtures for accurately holding the workpiece during different machining operations. The design process is complex, and traditional methods of MF design were not sufficiently productive. Computer-aided design (CAD) software has rapidly improved as a result of the development of computer technology, and has provided huge opportunities for modular fixture designers to use its 3D modelling capabilities to develop more automated systems. Computer-aided fixture design (CAFD) systems have become automated by the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. This study will investigate the further improvement of automated CAFD systems by using AI tools. In this research, an integrated CAFD is developed by considering four main requirements: · a 3D model of the workpiece, · an expert system, · assembly automation of MFs, · an efficient feature library. The 3D model is an important factor that can provide the appropriate specification of the workpiece; SolidWorks is used the CAD environment for undertaking the 3D modelling in this study. The expert system is applied as a tool to make right decisions about the CAFD planning process, including locating and clamping methods and their related element selection. This helps achieve a feasible fixture design layout. SolidWorks API and Visual Basic programming language are employed for the automating and simulation of the assembly process of MFs. A feature library of modular fixture elements is constructed as a means to simplify the fixture design process.

Thesis (B.S.)--California Polytechnic State University, 2009.
Project advisor: Leanne Berning. Title from PDF title page; viewed on Jan. 21, 2010. Includes bibliographical references. Also available on microfiche.

Die Kommunikation mit den Kunden und insbesondere die Kundenberatung sind in Zeiten permanent hohen Drucks am Markt durch Mitbewerber wichtiges Marketinginstrument, mit dem die Kunden möglichst dauerhaft an das eigene Unternehmen gebunden werden können. Auslöser für die vorliegende Arbeit war die Idee zur Realisierung einer Kundenberatung mittels Videokonferenzsystemen im Jahr 2000 im Zusammenhang mit dem durch das Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) geförderte Forschungsprojekt „intermobil Region Dresden“. Durch diese Implementierung sollten Internet-Informations- und Vertriebssysteme durch eine Funktion der Individualberatung ergänzt werden und damit ein persönliches Beratungsgespräch möglichst realitätsnah abbilden. Da im B2C-Bereich die Echtzeitberatung über das Internet eine bis jetzt weitgehend ungenutzte Beratungsform ist, obwohl die dafür notwendigen Technologien schon seit Jahren zur Verfügung stehen, verspricht eine wissenschaftliche Untersuchung dieses Gegenstandes neuen Erkenntnisgewinn und ist gleichzeitig wichtigste Motivation für diese Arbeit. Hauptziel und somit grundlegende wissenschaftliche Fragestellung ist es zu untersuchen, ob synchrone Videokommunikation ein geeignetes Echtzeit-Beratungsmittel für die Kundenberatung (in diesem Zusammenhang als Videoberatung bezeichnet) sein kann. In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden über die Planung eines Video Call Centers und den damit verbundenen Modellbetrachtungen Einsatzszenarios für die Videoberatung entwickelt. In diese Entwicklung fließen die Ergebnisse aus der Einzelfallanalyse des implementierten Videoberatungssystems ein. Diese Ergebnisse werden auf Basis der durchgeführten Labor- und Feldforschung gewonnen. Die Wirksamkeit des analysierten Video Call Centers in Bezug auf die Kundenzufriedenheit wird abschließend durch eine Evaluation unterstrichen.

Although Icelandic and Norwegian killer whales are thought to have been in contact prior to the collapse of the herring stock in the 1960s, the Northeast Atlantic killer whales currently seem to show high site fidelity. So far, photoidentification data have suggested movement of a few individuals between East Iceland and North Scotland, and two calls have been shown to be shared by the Icelandic and Norwegian populations. Based on previous and newly analysed call samples, the aim of this study was to describe the geographic variation in the vocal repertoire of the Northeast Atlantic killer whales. Recordings have been conducted off Southwest Iceland in the summers 2004, 2008 and 2009 using sound recording tags attached using suction cups (Dtags), a 4-element vertical hydrophone array and a 2-element towed hydrophone array. From the 57 hours of recording analysed, 1742 calls were classified. In total, 56 distinct call categories composed of 35 call types and 31 subtypes were identified. This discrete call repertoire contained less biphonic calls but more calls composed of buzzes and/or clicks than the Norwegian repertoire. The reasons for these differences remain unknown. One Icelandic call subtype was defined as a compound call, a type of call that is common in the Norwegian population. The comparison of the different vocal repertoires of Northeast Atlantic showed four good or likely call matches in herring-eating killer whales (one between Southwest Iceland and Shetland, one between East Iceland and Norway, and two between Shetland and Norway). No matches were found between Southwest Iceland and East Iceland. I suggest that the four shared calls are most likely to have come from a common ancestral pod and have been transmitted through vocal learning. Over time, geographic isolation of the groups induced by changes in the migratory patterns of the herring might have been accompanied by divergence in their call repertoires.

Magister Commercii (Industrial Psychology) - MCom(IPS)
The aim of the study was to identify the retention variables highlighted as most important by call centre agents at a financial institution in the Western Cape. In addition, to assess which of the independent variables they place more importance on; and to determine whether differences exist between the retention variables highlighted as most important by the respective age and gender groups.

Since 2008, more than 50% of the world's population has lived in cities and it is projected that by 2050 around 87% will do so. Designing infrastructure in urban spaces has become increasingly critical for achieving human well-being. This dissertation examines socio-spatial transformation processes related to urbanization, economic development and the marginalization of utilitarian cycling in Cali, Colombia, as a particular expression of the struggle for transportation space occurring in urban areas. The research analyzes (a) the socio-spatial processes that have restricted the use of bicycles as a means of transportation in the city of Cali, Colombia; and (b) the social, health and economic implications for people who use bicycles as their primary means of transportation in this city. Cali is a major city in Latin America and an excellent case to study the complex dynamic of how social and economic forces are evident in resource distribution at the street level. Informed by Harvey's work (1976; 1978; 2012), combined with an environmental justice perspective (Bullard 2007), this research adopts a conceptual framework that examines the transformation of the built environment as part of capitalist led urbanization. It concludes that the implementation of transportation infrastructure was aimed at enabling productivity and profits, with less emphasis on the comprehensive needs of all citizens, ultimately marginalizing transportation options for those of lower socio-economic status. The experience in Cali can be understood as a case of consolidation of inequality at the street level. A historical review of Cali's urbanization process demonstrates that cycling as a mode of transportation has been losing social and physical space. Analysis of the political economy of more recent economic development initiatives suggest that the City, in responding to the demands of globalization, and in conjunction with international financial agencies and national government support has implemented a Bus Rapid Transit system and a set of megaprojects which marginalize bike commuters, particularly those who bike out of economic necessity. Although bike commuters recognize economic and health and time-saving benefits of biking to themselves as individuals they also experience daily travel in Cali as a classed, problematic, stigmatized, and transitory activity. From an environmental justice perspective, the resulting impact on residents, particularly, those of lower socioeconomic stratum, unmasks the uneven distribution of environmental benefits and harms. The marginalization of biking as a means of transportation in urban areas in Latin America may be understood as a social injustice similar to the deprivation of parks, schools, health services, or housing endured by residents of lower socioeconomic status.

This master thesis "Payment cards in the Czech republic" deals with payment cards, which are currently the most widely used payment instrument. Theoretical part is focused on the formation and development of the first ancestors of payment cards, various kinds of payment cards, there is historical development, basic characteristic, division, possibilities of their current use and future of payment cards. Also there are introduced different types of the payment cards according to different criteria, according to their mode of operation and safety. In the first part practical part of the work is an analysis of the current situation and developments in the payment cards market in the Czech Republic. Subsequently, there is analysis of the payment cards, current accounts and related services at selected bank in the Czech republic mBank S.A., Fio banka a.s., Equabank a.s., Zuno bank a.s. and Air bank a.s. When the objective of the thesis is to find out whether these banks target the same segments of clients. There is a comparation of payment card payment from the perspective of the monthly cost of using payment card from four basic segments of one bank, while there is a comparison of services related to payment card and in the end for every client is chosen the best alternative of payment card and the current account from the perspective of the average monthly cost.

Orientador: Antonio Carlos de Moraes
Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação Fisica
Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-11T03:56:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Belissimo_Vanessa_M.pdf: 884513 bytes, checksum: f097145f311f4ca6c203451d16898fe6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008
Resumo: O número de variáveis que podem determinar o alto ou o baixo rendimento de uma equipe de futebol abrange aspectos de difícil controle. Uma variável interessante e de polêmica discussão diz respeito à arbitragem no jogo de futebol que em geral permeia a intervenção dos árbitros no resultado final de uma partida. Nesse contexto, é possível a hipótese de que os árbitros tomem decisões dentro de uma partida, influenciados pela torcida, pelo mandante do jogo ou por ¿valores agregados¿ (tradição da camisa, histórico de vitórias e etc.) deste ou daquele time. OBS.: O resumo na integra poderá ser visualizado no link ou texto completo da tese digital
Abstract: The number of variables that can determine the high or low performance of a football team covers aspects difficult to control. A variable interesting discussion and controversy relates to arbitration in the soccer game that generally permeates the intervention of the referees in the final outcome of a match. It is possible the chance that the referees decide within a match, influenced by the crowd, the principal of the game or by "aggregates" (tradition of the team, history of victories and so on.) of this or that time. Note: the complete abstract is avaiable with the link or full eletronic digital theses or dissertations
Mestrado
Ciencia do Desporto
Mestre em Educação Física

O objetivo fundamental deste trabalho foi buscar uma melhor compreensão sobre o fenômeno da inovação nas empresas de serviços onde o Call Center é empregado como a principal forma de interação empresa/usuário. Desta forma procurou-se identificar as possíveis contribuições do Call Center para os esforços voltados à inovação. Procurou-se seguir uma linha de abordagem segundo a qual, para se estudar e compreender o funcionamento do processo inovativo nas empresas, se faz necessário um estudo com maior profundidade nas organizações, investigando, por exemplo, como ocorreram - em detalhes - as inovações. Para essa finalidade foram conduzidos estudos de casos em cinco diferentes organizações de serviços. Para se analisar o papel do Call Center no processo inovativo foi desenvolvida e aplicada nos casos uma estrutura de análise composta por diferentes características de um Call Center, a saber: tipos de indicadores de desempenho; integração vertical/horizontal; qualificação e remuneração dos operadores; e empregos de scripts. A aplicação da estrutura de análise nos casos revelou que as empresas empregam diferentes modelos de Call Center a partir de estratégias distintas. Houve casos onde as empresas optaram por não utilizar o Call Center incorporado ao seu processo inovativo, mesmo que ele representasse um canal de interação importante com o usuário, o que em tese, serviria como fonte de idéias a serem utilizadas como fonte de inovação. Por outro lado, houve casos onde o Call Center desempenhou um papel relevante dentro do processo inovativo, como nos casos das inovações da Assistência Técnica Domiciliar da empresa Beta ou do Controle Remoto Infantil da empresa Delta. Os casos analisados mostraram também que a estratégia de não incorporar o Call Center no processo inovativo está fortemente associada a uma visão segundo a qual ele representa um Centro de Custo (onde são perseguidas medidas para a sua minimização) em contraposição a um Centro de Resultados, isto é, parte integrante de um processo estruturado intencionalmente para gerar inovação.
The main objective of this thesis is to improve the understanding of the phenomenon of the innovation in service companies where the Call Center is the principal means of interaction between the enterprise and its customers. This paper also describes the possible contributions of the Call Center area in all innovation processes. It focuses on the idea that in order to study and understand how the innovation process takes place, a more in depth study of these companies was required. A number of case studies were conducted in five different service enterprises. A structure analysis, composed of different types of performance indicators such as vertical/horizontal integration; operator qualification and wages; and different uses of scripts, was developed in order to analyze the role of a Call Center in the innovative process. The application of the structure analysis in the enterprises which were studied showed that they adopt different Call Center models based on distinct strategies. There were cases where enterprises clearly chose not to make use of a Call Center in their innovative process, even though it could represent an important interaction channel with users and at the same time serve as a means to collect ideas to be used as a source of innovation. In others the results showed that the strategy of not incorporating a Call Center in the innovative process is strongly associated to the belief that it represents a Cost Center rather than a Result Center where it is part of an intentional structured process for innovation. On the other hand, there were enterprises where the Call Center played a major role within the innovative process as in the case of developing innovation for domestic technical assistance of Beta enterprise or Childrens remote control of Delta enterprise.

Thesis MSc (Clinical Psychology))-- University of Limpopo, 2011.
Psychological and neuropsychological assessment in South Africa currently faces various challenges, among which, is the prominent need for tests that are standardised for the multi-cultural South African context. The absence of adequate standardisations and normative data currently hamper the confidence with which tests can be used in South Africa. This research project aimed to construct a preliminary standardisation of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) for Setswana-speaking university students. The testing instructions were translated to Setswana and 93 participants were assessed using a computerised version of the WCST. Hypothesis tests showed that some sub-scores significantly differed from the US norms and others did not. The distribution ofWCST performance in the study population does, therefore, not follow the same distribution as the US distribution and a need was identified to construct new normative data. Regression analysis indicated that not gender, age, or level of education influenced participants' WCST scores for all sub-scores, with the exception of the Trials to complete first category score that was influenced by age. One normative table was thus constructed for the entire 18- to 29-year-old age group for the variables Number of categories completed, Total number of correct responses, Total number of errors, Perseverative responses, Perseverative errors, Non-perseverative errors, Failure to maintain set, Learning to learn and Percent conceptual level responses, whilst separate norm tables for the 18- to 19-year-old and 20- to 29-year-old age groups were constructed for the Trials to complete first category sub-score. Furthermore, the WCST displayed adequate internal consistency in the study population. These norms and psychometric properties are, however, subject to certain limitations and it is thus recommended that a full standardisation of the WeST be constructed

Thesis (MA (Industrial Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007.
Overview of previous work: Previous research on call centres has identified the inherent stressful nature of the call centre agent job. In fact researchers have gone so far as to name call centres ‘sweatshops of the new millennium’, (Crome, 1998; Fernie, 1998). Comparative studies between human service work and burnout have often featured in current literature as have studies concerning the correlations between call centre work and job satisfaction, the effects of shift work, and stress in the call centre environment. Purpose: However, the purpose of this study, avoiding a comparative approach, is to focus on one organisation in particular, in order to assess the varied work dysfunctions present in its call centre. The study is particularly important in the light of the proposed development of the call centre industry in South Africa at this time. A more comprehensive understanding therefore, of the pitfalls of call centre work, would be beneficial to those currently running call centres as well as those planning their implementation. At the outset, stress was considered a pivotal dysfunction within the call centre, from which other maladies often ensued such as substance abuse, depression and eating pattern disruptions. Work challenges too, manifest in the field data, namely insufficient training and managerial / system problems. The research therefore includes the exploration of these factors serving to highlight both the more socio-cultural and emotional issues, as well as on-the-job grievances encountered by call centre agents. Design / methodology / approach: Owing to the exploratory nature of the study, a focus group methodology was used, allowing for in-depth qualitative research which catered for a far reaching and comprehensive understanding of current work issues. As the study concerns only call centre agents, the roles of supervisors and managers were not included. The sample comprised four different groups, of randomly selected call centre agents, with a total of 27 participants. Demographics revealed male and female participants of differing marital status, educational qualifications, but with tenure at a call centre between 2 and 6 years, and aged between 20 and 40 years. Findings: Support was found for the following dysfunctions in the process, with stress as primary harbinger of other dysfunctions, many exacerbated by the stressful nature of shift work, and the resultant work-life imbalance. Stresses encountered due to ineffective systems, training processes, and call centre management were also significant. On a positive note, of interest was the unanimous agreement that within this particular field study, workspace ergonomic considerations were thought not to add to call centre dysfunction. Research limitations / implications: Even though four groups from two different call centres were observed, they were part of the same organisation, in Cape Town in the Western Cape. In this way commonalities in terms of reactions to systems, policies etc were thought likely to be similar, however owing to the shift work nature of call centres through out South Africa, it is believed that significant correlations could be determined, in any organisation. A comparative study across various differing organisations and locations therefore could be investigated. Originality / value: Owing to the very stressful nature of call centre work, the focus groups revealed themselves to be cathartic in nature as participants thoroughly embraced the process, and personal experiences were often disclosed by participants which facilitated realistic discussions. In this way, meaningful qualitative data was collected, and can be used to ameliorate current call centre conditions, and to allow better planning for future implementation. Furthermore, the research has exposed a number of further study options, as e.g. owing to their significance, each dysfunction could be investigated further and covered individually in separate research papers, as could the role in management, and training within the call centre milieu.

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Os call centers de serviços de emergência fornecem serviçoes de extrema importância para a sociedade, pois é a partir deles que são acionados os órgãos de segurança, resgate e socorro. Quando aciona um serviço de emergência, a população faz seu primeiro contato com um call center, para onde convergem todas as chamadas. Essa central faz o acionamento dos profissionais da Polícia Militar, Corpo de Bombeiros, Polícia Civil e da Polícia Científica. Baseado na importância dos serviços de emergência,é necessário que os call centers prestem seus serviços de forma eficiente, respeitando um tempo máximo de atendimento, diminuindo o tempo de resposta as chamadas o que pode salvar vidas, combater crimes, manter a segurança da sociedade e proporcionar maior qualidade de vida à população. Este trabalho faz a avaliação e o planejamento de call centers de emergências a partir de um modelo estocástico expolinomial para simular o ambiente real. Avaliou-se: o comportamento da taxa de ocupação na fila de espera; o número de ligações descartadas; a probabilidade de desistências das ligações telefônicas, e o número de servidores livres para dar o prognóstico da real necessidade dos servidores e a relação com o número de ligações suportadas do call center. Visou-se, assim, com base nos resultados obtidos pelo modelo gerado, diminuir o tempo de resposta das chamadas de emergência, bem como o tempo de espera para atendimento e reduzir, com isso, o número de abandonos das ligações telefônicas. O pressente estudo proporcionou suporte a decisões para correções de problemas, como a má utilização dos serviços prestados. Um estudo de caso é apresentado para análise do impacto das variações da carga de trabalho no desempenho do call center, e o reflexo na taxa de ocupação na fila de espera, no número de ligações descartadas, na probabilidade de desistências das ligações telefônicas e no número de servidores livres. Foi feita a análise do impacto do aumento da fila de espera para atendimento e seu impacto no desempenho do call center

The Master’s thesis analyses problems connected with purchasing and providing information by the means of telemarketing. On the basis of the obtained imperfections, this Master’s thesis includes the proposal of the process of communication by the means of the customer line, which ensures its more effective function.

Le sFlt1 est un facteur anti-angiogénique sécrété par les cellules endothéliales, les monocytes et le placenta, qui contre les effets du VEGF sur la survie et la réparation de l'endothélium. Produit de l'épissage alternatif du VEGFR1 d'une part et du clivage de la partie extracellulaire du récepteur par des métalloprotéases d'autre part, il est impliqué dans plusieurs pathologies rénales. Enfin, le sFlt1 est impliqué dans les maladies chroniques : il est responsable de la dysfonction endothéliale chez les patients en insuffisance rénale chronique, et constitue un marqueur des risques cardiovasculaires. Notre groupe a également mis en évidence un lien entre le sFlt1 et la reprise de fonction du greffon rénal d'une part et de l'atteinte vasculaire rénale au cours de la phase aigue des vascularites à ANCA d'autre part. Dans ce cadre, ces travaux visent à élucider l'impact de la dialyse, traitement à long terme de l'insuffisance rénale chronique, sur la sécrétion de sFlt1, ainsi que les mécanismes responsables de cette sécrétion. Nous avons aussi tenté de préciser les causes des atteintes rénales dans des dysfonctionnements systémiques tels que les vascularites. Nous avons ainsi mis en lumière une forte et rapide augmentation des taux de sFlt1 au cours de la dialyse, et élucidé le rôle des différentes techniques de dialyse et de l'héparine. D'autre part, les études in vitro ont permis d'écarter plusieurs hypothèses quant aux processus à l'œuvre dans cette augmentation. Ces travaux posent donc des jalons pour la compréhension des mécanismes de régulation de la balance angiogénique impliqués notamment dans les maladies rénales
Soluble Flt1 is an anti-angiogenic factor, secreted by endothelial cells, monocytes and placenta, which impairs the effects of VEGF on endothelium survival and repair. It results from an alternative splicing of VEGFR1 transcript and from cleavage of the membrane-bound form of VEGFR1, and is involved in several renal diseases. Notably, it is involved in chronic diseases: it contributes to endothelial dysfunction in patients with chronic kidney disease, and is a marker of cardiovascular risks. Our team also demonstrated a correlation between sFlt1 and delayed graft function on the one side and renal vascular injuries in acute ANCA-associated vasculitis on the other side. In this context, this study aimed to assess the impact of dialysis, the long-term treatment of end-stage renal disease, on sFlt1 secretion, and on the mechanisms responsible for this secretion. We also intented to clarify the causes of renal injuries in systemic dysfunctions such as vasculitides. We enlightened a fast and large increase in sFlt1 secretion during dialysis, and we clarified the influence of dialysis methods and heparin use. Then, in vitro studies allowed us to dismiss several hypothesis of the processes at work in this increase. In conclusion, this study gives an insight into the regulatory mechanisms of the angiogenic balance involved in renal diseases