Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Look-out'

Thesis (M.A. in National Security Affairs)--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2007.
Thesis Advisor(s): Russell, James A. ; Hagan, Kenneth J. "December 2007." Description based on title screen as viewed on January 18, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 53-59). Also available in print.

With the emergence of quantum physics and computer science in the 20th century, a new era was born which can solve very difficult problems in a much faster rate or problems that classical computing just can't solve. In the 21st century, quantum computing needs to be used to solve tough problems in engineering, business, medical, and other fields that required results not today but yesterday. To make this dream come true, engineers in the semiconductor industry need to make the quantum circuits a reality. To realize quantum circuits and make them scalable, they need to be fault tolerant, therefore Clifford+T gates need to be implemented into those circuits. But the main issue is that in the Clifford+T gate set, T gates are expensive to implement. Carry Look-Ahead addition circuits have caught the interest of researchers because the number of gate layers encountered by a given qubit in the circuit (or the circuit's depth) is logarithmic in terms of the input size n. Therefore, this thesis focuses on optimizing previous designs of out-of-place and in-place Carry Look-Ahead Adders to decrease the T-count, sum of all T and T Hermitian transpose gates in a quantum circuit.

The aim of this study is to examine key features within the cultural context in a Canadian Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) environment as experienced by nurses, and to identify what these influences are and how they shape nurses’ intentions to remain at critically ill children’s bed-sides for the duration of their careers. This is a qualitative study which follows a critical ethnographic approach. Over 20 hours of observation and face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted. Approximately one third of the nursing population at the research site PICU were interviewed (N=31). Participants describe a complex process of becoming an expert PICU nurse that involved several stages. By the time participants became experts in this PICU they believed they had significantly narrowed the power imbalance that exists between nursing and medicine. This study illuminates the role both formal and informal education plays in breaking the power barrier for nurses in the PICU. This level of expertise and mutual respect between professions aids in retaining nurses in the PICU. The lack of autonomy and/or respect shown to nurses by administrators appears to be one of the major stressors in nurses’ working lives and can lead to attrition from the PICU. Family Centred Care (FCC) is practiced in paediatrics and certainly accentuated in the PICU as there is usually only one patient assigned per nurse, who thus afforded the time to provide comprehensive care to both the child and the family. This is considered one of the satisfiers for nurses in the PICU and tends to encourage retention of nurses in the PICU. However, FCC was found to be an inadequate term to truly encompass the type of holistic care provided by nurses in the PICU.

This study sets to investigate the use of self-evaluation mechanisms and processes as a device for improving quality in higher education. The study presents a single, longitudinal case study of a private university in the Dominican Republic and provides an account of how two self-evaluation processes helped in shaping a culture of self-reflection, quality awareness and actually improved some aspects of institutional performance. Most existing studies self-evaluations to date are grounded in the context of developed nations. This study therefore, aims to contribute to the existing literature on self-evaluation in higher education by exploring the experience of a private university in a developing nation. The findings show that the self-evaluation processes acted as triggers of positive change and improved the quality of a number of institutional functions as well as helped develop an evaluation culture in the university. The study recommends a model for Self-evaluation Quality Culture as well as a framework for successful self-evaluation as a trigger of positive change.

L’approche de la problématique des agirs via les tests projectifs en se penchant sur l’expression des défaillances narcissiques du sujet, propose, le plus souvent, une vision unitaire basée sur le mécanisme du recours à l’acte tel que définit par Balier. Nous proposerons de traiter cette question à partir d’une dimension plurielle différenciant deux types d’agirs : le recours à l’acte (Balier) et l’acting-out (Lacan). Nous présenterons une étude mixte, quantitative et qualitative, à partir de la comparaison de Rorschach et TAT administrés à 24 sujets. Notre analyse de ces deux formes d’agir portera principalement sur la capacité du sujet à pouvoir ou non se différencier de l’environnement. Le groupe recours à l’acte se caractérise par une continuité intérieur / extérieur et un transitivisme morbide expression d’une absence de constitution d’un soi différencié. Le groupe acting-out présente une problématique narcissique spécifique dans la validation du spéculaire par le symbolique. Les prises en charges thérapeutiques peuvent ainsi s’aider de ces résultats pour proposer des approches différentielles au sein desquelles les tests projectifs pourraient avoir une fonction pré-thérapeutique
In the modern societies, the answer to the criminal act is a prison sentence. Due to the nature of certain acts, with this prison sentence, some court-ordered treatments (COT) (obligations and injunctions of treatments) have been added. Ethically, this law request and its social asking don’t exempt to think about the prisoner ‘asking, which is the trigger of psychotherapies. There is any retroactivity of the law and of pronounced sentence. For this research, the prisoners were selected on their own asking of care (the court-ordered treatments couldn’t applicate). The asking of the prisoners is therefore a criterion common to them (these prisoners). In this context, the acts have distinguished according to the mechanisms which have governed the nature of the act: recourse of act or acting out. Many experts agree on the existence of premature narcissistic failures. However, discussions persist on the nature of the act and on its aspect, either single dimension or multiple and complex dimensions (objective behavior, social consequences and underlying mechanisms ...). Yet all these theoretical models on narcissistic failures lean on the “recourse to act” as if there was only a simple nature to act

Graduation date: 2006
End-user programmers, because they are human, make mistakes. However, past research has not considered how visual end-user debugging devices could be designed to ameliorate the effects of mistakes. This paper empirically examines oracle mistakes mistakes users make about which values are right and which are wrong to reveal differences in how different types of oracle mistakes impact the quality of visual feedback about bugs. We then consider the implications of these empirical results for designers of end-user software engineering environments.

碩士
國立中山大學
企業管理學系研究所
88
The Post Office has always had a mission to help the nation’s economy by gathering money-in the form of savings deposits- from ordinary citizens to create a large sum of capital, by steadying finance situation to help economics growth. And this is a powerful instrument for the Central Bank to control the country’s Monetary Policy. General economic studies point out the importance of postal savings, but they always fail to look at the issue of Post Office. This thesis try to use statistics test and regression analysis to predict the influence of economic variables on the surplus changes of the Directorate General of Postal Remittances and Savings Banks to research the change trend and to explain the relation between of operational results and economic variables. And to analyze their main difference on two models –net income and net interest is claims on financial institutions. Because the way the post office uses the capital is narrow and the Trans-saving to other Banks are old-fashioned, it is difficult for the post office to stay competitive. Therefore, the way the Post Office uses the capital should be discussed. On the other hand, this study will show the main risk of interest rate in three patterns to analyze the risk involved in financial operations and to be served as a reference for portfolio. To reforms the organism of Post Office to the banks, Since the country’s banks are becoming deregulated and more international. I suggest in this forward-looking study that the Post Office should combine with the Export/Import Bank to become a truly international development bank. Not only will this make the Post Office more efficient, but it will also reduce the impact on the banking environment when the Post Office becomes a bank. The final goal of this suggestion is to improve the efficiency of the banking community and improve the use of the country’s economic resources so that the Post Office can make its best contribution to the country.

Decision-making in the arts sector is sometimes seen as problematical as many of the 'primary' decisions are made away from the 'primary' creative practice. The criteria for decision-making may be perceived as based on organisational or financial need, rather than creative output or social need. It is my view that the perceptions need testing. To do this I needed a way of understanding how decisions are reached in a variety of different contexts within the arts and cultural sector. Most would concede that decision-making is not a precise science. My quest thus became finding an appropriate research methodology for these explorations. Action research emerged as a useful framework for adding understanding within dynamic situations. This thesis reports on the usefulness of participatory action research as a tool for the exploration of decision-making processes by a range of people working within the arts and cultural sectors. Incremental view research has attracted extensive research in recent years. View maintenance techniques have been developed for the relational model, the temporal model, the object-oriented model, and the semistructured model. However, research into view maintenance in the non relational model is not complete and, in particular, the issue of view maintenance in nested relational databases and in object- relational (OR) databases has not been investigated. this motivates our research in this thesis.
thesis (MBus(Arts,CulturalManagement))--University of South Australia, 2003.

Master of Arts
Department of History
Andrew Orr
This thesis will examine the home front of Australia during the Gallipoli campaign of 1915 in order to better understand how Australians conceived of the battle. It argues that individuals within the office of the prime minister self-consciously interpreted the battle in an attempt to establish a uniform national identity that was separate from British imperialism. It also argues that the campaign reinforced prewar gender roles for men and women. Historians have largely ignored the Australian home front during World War I and the immediate postwar period, focusing instead on how Gallipoli has been memorialized over time or on traditional military aspects of the campaign. Analyzing such themes as gender, identity, and race brings questions of citizenship and male and female gender roles into a perspective not yet adequately explored in historical literature. Applying these perspectives to the subject of Australia and Gallipoli, helps us to understand that the campaign was far more than merely a military engagement. It was a social experience that enabled the executive powers of the Australian government the ability to formulate a national identity and restructure society into the image it desired.

A Thesis submitted to The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine.
Objective: To assess the impact of age and FSH on IVF outcomes in an assisted reproductive technology clinic that does not have treatment thresholds based on age or laboratory FSH values. Design: Retrospective cohort study Setting: The Arizona Center For Fertility Studies in Phoenix, AZ Patient(s): Women who sought fertility treatment (with the exclusion of patients using donor or frozen oocytes) ages 18-50, representing a total of 1388 IVF cycles Intervention(s): IVF using nondonor embryos Main Outcome Measure(s): Live-birth rate per cycle started Result(s): A total of 1388 IVF cycles with autologous oocytes were analyzed to determine the impact of basal FSH and age on therapy outcomes. The pregnancy rates for individuals 18-34 years old were not significantly different and ranged from 41.1% to 34%. Pregnancy rates for individuals aged 35-39 years old exhibited a reduced pregnancy rate that ranged from 24.7% to 19.8%. For the eldest patients, a significant reduction in pregnancy rates was demonstrated with patients over the age of 40 having a pregnancy rate of 14.3%, and for those 41 years old and 42 and older having pregnancy rates of 7% and 6% respectively. The live birth rate also mirrored this trend with the youngest age group having a live birth rate of 38.9% and the eldest group of individuals aged 42-50 years having a live birth rate of 3.4%. While increasing FSH levels were associated with reduced numbers of oocytes retrieved and transferred during the IVF procedures, there was no statistically significant reduction in pregnancy rate or live birth rate in those with elevated basal FSH levels. Conclusion: The data analysis revealed that increasing age in this population does correlate with decreasing successful outcomes in IVF. At ages 36 and 40 years, there are significant reductions in pregnancy rate. At ages 38 and 40, there are significant reductions in live birth rate. Interestingly, there were no significant differences in pregnancy rate or live birth rate based on basal FSH level.

This dissertation aims at taking a deeper look into social interactions within online gaming. Specifically, it explores the dynamics of conflict within the online gaming community of the Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game “The Elder Scrolls Online”. A netnographic approach is taken to understand how conflict within such a community emerges and develops. It also addresses how conflict in this online setting can escalate and how players engage in these conflicts. The way in which players associate these conflicts to the company who develops the game is also explored. Data were analyzed using a qualitative thematic approach. The results describe that conflict within this community is a complex process that emerges whenever a player perceives that another party has frustrated or is about to frustrate a concern of his/her regarding his/her gaming experience. Conflict is then escalated depending on how players engage with each other in regard to that concern. Less cooperative conflict handling styles, group polarizations and magnitude of frustration experienced are observed to lead to conflict escalation. In such situations, players engage in hostility, personal attacks and shaming. While some players attribute their frustration to the company, others see conflicts within the community as socially originating. This dissertation therefore discusses the implications of studying conflicts within online gaming communities and proposes that these communities are an enriching field for the study of conflict as issues tied to the content and context of the game can blend with broader social issues.
Esta dissertação visa olhar mais profundamente as interações sociais dentro de jogos online. Especificamente, explora a dinâmica do conflito dentro da comunidade de jogos on-line do jogo “The Elder Scrolls Online”. Uma abordagem netnográfica é tomada para entender como o conflito dentro de tal comunidade surge e se desenvolve. Também aborda como o conflito nessa configuração online pode aumentar e como os jogadores se envolvem nesses conflitos. A forma como os jogadores associam esses conflitos à empresa que desenvolve o jogo também é explorada. Os dados foram analisados por meio de abordagem temática qualitativa. Os resultados descrevem que o conflito dentro desta comunidade é um processo complexo que surge sempre que um jogador percebe que outra parte frustrou ou está prestes a frustrar uma preocupação dele/dela em relação à sua experiência de jogo. Conflito é então escalado dependendo de como os jogadores se envolvem uns com os outros em relação a essa preocupação. Estilos de abordagem de conflitos menos cooperativos, polarizações de grupo e magnitude de frustração experienciada são observados a levar à escalada de conflitos. Em tais situações, os jogadores apresentam hostilidade. Enquanto alguns jogadores atribuem sua frustração à empresa, outros vêem os conflitos dentro da comunidade como socialmente originários. Esta dissertação, portanto, discute as implicações do estudo de conflitos dentro de comunidades de jogos online e propõe que essas comunidades sejam um campo enriquecedor para o estudo do conflito, pois questões ligadas ao conteúdo e ao contexto do jogo podem se misturar a questões sociais mais amplas.

Tese de doutoramento em Sociologia, apresentada à Faculdade de Economia da Universidade de Coimbra
A presente tese consiste em um estudo sociológico a partir do caso da Usina Hidroelétrica Belo Monte, em construção no Estado do Pará, na Amazônia brasileira. O objetivo deste estudo foi dedicar um olhar para a questão da saúde a partir da perspectiva das populações atingidas pelo megaprojeto hidroelétrico. O trabalho inicia com uma apresentação do histórico dos projetos de barramento do rio Xingu, em meados dos anos 1970. Dos primeiros estudos da bacia hidrográfica do Xingu até o início da obra de Belo Monte passaram-se aproximadamente trinta anos e, durante esse período, muitas polémicas e disputas envolveram as populações atingidas, políticos, intelectuais, artistas, cientistas, ativistas e movimentos sociais. Também é discutido nesta tese o modelo de desenvolvimento económico brasileiro, para se compreender como se dá a opção pela construção de grandes projetos de infraestrutura, como é o caso de Belo Monte. A partir dessa primeira abordagem ao megaprojeto, passo a dar ênfase à perspectiva das populações atingidas por Belo Monte. Para tanto, foi necessário, primeiramente, conhecer melhor o universo de populações atingidas, compostas por populações urbanas, rurais, comunidades ribeirinhas e indígenas. Através do trabalho empírico realizado em Brasília/DF e Altamira/PA, foi possível conhecer e reconhecer a diversidade dessas populações e, assim identificar algumas questões importantes que não foram objeto de debate com o poder público e o empreendedor. É o que Boaventura de Sousa Santos (2006) chama de produções de não existência, ou invisibilidades. A utilização da matriz teórica das epistemologias do Sul (Santos, 2002) permitiu o reconhecimento dessas invisibilidades, isto é, permitiu ver como as alterações no ambiente e nos modos de vidas das populações atingidas por Belo Monte afetam a saúde e a qualidade de vida destas. É a partir dessa lente que se dedica o olhar para a saúde das populações atingidas, e a problematização dessa questão é realizada nesta tese tendo como protagonistas as próprias populações atingidas. Assim foi identificado como um dos problemas relevantes decorrentes da construção da Usina Hidroelétrica Belo Monte a relação entre o sofrimento sentido pelas populações atingidas e o surgimento de agravos à saúde. O sofrimento difuso é um conceito desenvolvido por Valla (2001) que será discutido nesta tese na medida em que é constatado como uma consequência de Belo Monte invisibilizada. Isto porque não foi previsto ou discutido como uma possibilidade, nem no Estudo de Impacto Ambiental (EIA), nem no seu respectivo Relatório de Impacto Ambiental (Rima). Também não foi percebido como uma situação merecedora de atenção por parte do órgão fiscalizador responsável pela conceção das licenças que permitiram Belo Monte ser construída, o Ibama. Ainda, a relação entre o sofrimento e os agravos à saúde das populações atingidas não foi alvo de políticas públicas na área da saúde pública. Dessa forma, pretende este trabalho contribuir para a discussão sobre a saúde das populações atingidas pelo megaprojeto Belo Monte, a partir do reconhecimento das populações atingidas como detentoras e produtoras de conhecimento relevante. ~This thesis consists of a sociological study from the case of Belo Monte Hydroelectric Power Plant, under construction in the State of Pará, in the Brazilian Amazon. The aim of this study was to dedicate a look at the issue of health from the perspective of the people affected by hydroelectric megaproject. The work begins with a presentation of the history of the Xingu River dam projects in the mid-1970s From the first studies of the watershed of the Xingu to the early work of Belo Monte it took about thirty years and during this period, many controversies and disputes involving the populations concerned, politicians, intellectuals, artists, scientists, activists and social movements. It is also discussed in this thesis the Brazilian model of economic development, to understand how is the option for the construction of large infrastructure projects, such as the case of Belo Monte. From this first approach to megaproject, then I give emphasis to the perspective of populations affected by Belo Monte. Therefore, it was necessary, firstly, to know the universe of affected populations, composed of urban, rural populations, coastal communities and indigenous people. Through the empirical work done in Brasilia / DF and Altamira / PA, it was possible to know and recognize the diversity of these populations and thus identify some important issues that were not subject to discussion with the government and the entrepreneur. It's what Boaventura de Sousa Santos (2006) calls invisibilities. Using the theoretical framework of South epistemologies (Santos, 2002) allowed the recognition of these invisibilities, allowed to see how changes in the environment and ways of life of the populations affected by Belo Monte affect the health and quality of life of that people. It is from this lens that is dedicated to looking at the health of the populations, and the questioning of this issue is carried out in this thesis having as protagonists the affected populations themselves. Thus it was identified as one of the relevant issues arising from the construction of the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Plant the relationship between the suffering experienced by the affected populations and the emergence of health problems. The diffuse suffering is a concept developed by Valla (2001) which will be discussed in this thesis since it is found as a result of Belo Monte. This is because it was not planned or discussed as a possibility, or the Environmental Impact Study (EIA), or in their respective Environmental Impact Report (RIMA). It was also not perceived as a worthy position of attention by the supervisory body responsible for the design of the licenses that allowed Belo Monte is built, the Ibama. Also, the relationship between suffering and health problems of the affected population was not the target of public policies in the field of public health. Thus, this work aims to contribute to the discussion on the health of populations affected by Belo Monte mega-project, from the recognition of the people affected as having relevant knowledge.
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) - Nº BEX 1749-13-7