Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'People'

Computing is moving away from the desktop, permeating into many everyday objects and the environments in which we live. Many researchers in ubiquitous computing are excited about the potential to profoundly change the way we live by revolutionizing how we interact with information. Despite the excitement, few successful applications are making the transition from the laboratories to the mass market. While this could easily be attributed to the immaturity of the research area, it is also a manifestation of a larger problemâ the lack of coherent methods, processes or tools that assist designers in thinking about issues pertinent to ubiquitous computing, as they explore potential ideas and develop some of these into working prototypes. To this end, this research presents an overview of the important characteristics of ubiquitous computing systems identified by many of the leading researchers in the field. Contrasting with conventional systems, we discuss the resulting issues and challenges, and their implications on the future directions of this emerging research area. In a case study, we use scenario-based design to walkthrough the design of a community computing application. At various stages of the design process, the need to focus on more issues relevant to ubiquitous computing design became apparent, resulting in the augmentation of scenario-based design. The augmented scenario-based design process is proposed as a tool for helping designers conceptualize user activities within given usage circumstances and at various stages of the design process. New questions help to identify the most common pitfalls, enabling designers to produce systems that are more socially acceptable and provide a higher likelihood for adoption by everyday users beyond the laboratory. In initial testing, the augmented process was shown to produce better designs. The ultimate ambition of ubiquitous computing technology is to be able to serve users anywhere, at anytime. However, taking into account the dynamic nature of user needs and usage situations, is a novel and non trivial undertaking. In essence, it is a fundamental change that requires designers to rethink many of the conventional answers and processes that help guide the creation of interactive systemsâ We provide a promising approach.
Master of Science

Little People is a collection of short fiction preceded by a critical introduction. The stories share a loose thematic bond of being about people who consider themselves flawed or unimportant. The introduction, ?The Importance of Plot,? explores how Robert Olen Butler and Stephen King have influenced me as a writer struggling to write interesting, resonant plots in my short fiction. I also explore how King?s advice in his book On Writing helped me improve my prose and become a more disciplined writer.

Crazy People, a collection of short stories, presents characters and their various psychological crutches. The preface explores the concept of negative space as it applies to short fiction, manifesting itself in the form of open-ended endings, miscommunication between characters, rhetorical questions, and allusions to unspecified characters. The preface seeks to differentiate "good" space from "bad" space by citing examples from the author's own work, as well as the works of Raymond Carver, Dan Chaon, and Stanley Fish.

In the introduction to The World of the Short Story, Kay Boyle challenges the short story writer "to invest a brief sequence of events with reverberating human significance by means of style, selection and ordering of detail, and -- most important -- to present the whole action in such a way that it is at once a parable and a slice of life, at once symbolic and real, both a valid picture of some phase of experience, and a sudden illumination of one of the perennial moral and psychological paradoxes which lie at the heart of la condition humaine." River People is my attempt to meet that challenge. It is a creation of short stories about people I know or might know, small-town, seemingly ordinary people whose characters and activities are universal expressions of truth and humanity. The short story genre allows me to inculcate variety in form, style and character. This collection includes several points of view, limited and omniscient, objective and unreliable. It offers brief revelations and more thorough studies. It deals with the past as well as the present. Lastly, it touches the lives of the young and the aged, men and women, the respected and the scandalous, the romantic, the tragic, the realistic.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Glasgow, 2008.
Ph.D. thesis submitted to the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Applied Social Sciences, University of Glasgow, 2008. Includes bibliographical references.

The discussion regarding the second amendment and gun control in the United States has been a controversial and highly debated topic for many years. However, with the several school shootings taking place, the discussion about gun controls has been taken to a new level. The purpose of this essay is to give an overview of the debate and answer to the main question ”how is the relationship between freedom and rights expressed in the debate about strengthened gun control, in relation to positive and negative liberty, and over time?  In order to achieve the purpose, three different kinds of analyzes have been made. First, two pro-contra analyzes were made on two different occasions. Next, the arguments found was examined through two concepts of liberty: positive and negative liberty. Lastly, a comparison was made between the arguments from the two different occasions. The results show that there are three different core issues in the debate, and that positive liberty is dominating the pro-gun control side, while negative liberty and individual rights are dominating the contra-gun control side. The debate has not been going through a radical change. However, some arguments have grown stronger over the years.

The main purposes of this thesis were to evaluate a high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise pro­gramme, regarding its applicability (attendance, achieved intensity, adverse events) as well as its effect on physical functions and activities of daily living (ADL) among older people living in residential care facilities, with a special focus on people with dementia. Furthermore, a main purpose was to systematically review the applicability and effects of physical exercise on physical functions, cognitive functions, and ADL among people with dementia. A high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise programme that includes lower-limb strength and balance exercises in standing and walking, was evaluated in a randomised controlled trial among 191 older people, dependent in ADL, living in residential care facilities, and with a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of ten or more. One hundred (52.4%) of the participants had dementia. Participants were randomised to an exercise programme or a control activity, consisting of 29 supervised sessions over 3 months, as well as to an intake of a protein-enriched energy supplement or a placebo drink immediately after each session. The effect on physical functions was evaluated using the Berg Balance Scale, usual and maximum gait speed, and one-repetition maximum in a leg press machine measuring lower-limb strength. The effect on ADL was evaluated using the Barthel Index. These outcome measures were followed up at 3 and 6 months by blinded assessors and analysed using the intention-to-treat principle. The evaluation of the applicability of the high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise programme showed that there was a high rate of attendance, a relatively high achieved intensity in the exercises, and all except two adverse events were assessed as minor or temporary and none led to manifest injury or disease. No statistically significant differences were observed in applicability when comparing participants with dementia and participants without dementia. In addition, the applicability of the programme was not associated with the participants’ cognitive function. Significant long-term effects of the exercise programme were seen regarding functional balance, gait ability and lower-limb strength in comparison with the control activity. The intake of the protein-enriched energy supplement did not increase the effect of the training. Age, sex, depression, dementia disorder, nutritional status, and level of functional balance capacity did not influence the effect on functional balance of the high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise programme. There were no significant differences between the groups regarding overall ADL performance. Analyses for each item revealed that a significantly smaller proportion of participants in the exercise group had deteriorated regarding indoor mobility at 3 and 6 months. For people with dementia, there was a significant difference in overall ADL performance in favour of the exercise group at 3 months, but not at 6 months. In a systematic review, randomised controlled trials, evaluating the effects of physical exercise among people with dementia, were identified according to pre-defined inclusion criteria. Two reviewers independently extracted predetermined data and assessed methodological quality. Ten studies were included in the review and the majority of the participants were older people with Alzheimer’s disease living in residential care facilities. Four studies reached “moderate” methodological quality and six “low”. The results showed that among older people with Alzheimer’s disease in residential care facilities, combined functional weight-bearing exercise over 12 months at an intended moderate intensity seems applicable for use regarding attendance and adverse events and there is some evidence that the exercise improves walking performance and reduces ADL decline. Furthermore, there is some evidence that walking exercise over 16 weeks performed individually, where the participant walks as far as possible during the session, reduces decline in walking performance, but adverse events need to be evaluated. In conclusion, among older people who are dependent in ADL, living in residential care facilities, and have an MMSE score of 10 or more, a high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise programme is applicable for use and has positive long-term effects on functional balance, gait ability, and lower-limb strength and seems to reduce ADL decline related to indoor mobility. An intake of a protein-enriched energy supplement immediately after the exercise does not appear to increase the effect of the training. In people with dementia, the exercise programme may prevent decline in overall ADL performance, but continuous training may be needed to maintain that effect. The positive results regarding applicability and effects of combined functional weight-bearing exercise among people with dementia is confirmed when the scientific literature is systematically reviewed. It seems to be important that exercise interventions among people with dementia last for at least a few months and that the exercises are task-specific and intended to challenge the individual’s physical capacity. Whether physical exercise can improve cognitive functions among people with dementia remains unclear. There is a need for more exercise studies of high methodological quality among people with dementia disorders.

The purpose of this essay is to describe and examine differences in social behavior and social interactions in Nadine Gordimer’s July’s people. Specifically, attention will be given to the interim order that occurs after the collapse of the former South African regime and before a new regime has been established. In short, the essay attempts to answer the question how power is redistributed after the black revolution that occurs in the narrative. Antonio Gramsci’s Neo-Marxist theory is used to examine who dominates and who is subordinated among the novel’s main characters.

This study aims to examine the foreign policy orientation of the Republican People&rsquo
s Party (CHP) during 2003 and 2005. Thus, four major foreign policy issues during this period will be scrutinized. These issues are namely, Turkey&rsquo
s EU membership process, the Cyprus problem, the US-Turkey relations and the Armenian question. Taking into consideration the current development concerning these issues, this study will focus on the views and reactions of the CHP. In this respect, the main determinant factors behind the foreign policy stance of the party will be discussed. Finally, comparing the foreign policy understanding of the CHP in the past, the study will focus on the question whether the CHP of today constitutes continuation or a shift from the past CHP administrations. At the end of the study, the results of a research issued at the current CHP deputies so as to evaluate their foreign policy orientations will be revealed.

This thesis aims to create new perspectives in urban lighting design by discovering people&
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s preferences in urban lighting through an exploratory research on people&
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s perceptive experience of urban space at night. In this study, I aim to analyze the common approaches and methods of urban lighting design and make their critique through my research results. Primary research objectives include the evaluation of what people perceive from the urban lighting design and how they feel about the design outcomes. In order to explore people&
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s experience of lit urban space at night, my research comprises a survey that aims to discover people&
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s opinions on certain lit urbanscenes collected from the city of Ankara. Urban lighting design is a discipline that emerged to improve the aesthetic quality of urban space. It has significant effects on people and consequently on urban life. However, in this discipline, exploration of people&
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s needs and preference is a neglected phenomenon. Therefore, this study suggests that it is necessary to review the designer-centered perspective on urban lighting design and question whether existing approach to this discipline has preferable outcomes for people. Through this research I aim to test whether it is appropriate to pursue and carry out the existing type of lighting design, and propose new perspectives to urban lighting.

The Thesis begins with an analysis of the effects of environmental disasters and various approaches of states to mitigate them. The results of this analysis evidence that while some effects of environmental disasters are more visible and easier to evaluate, as in the case of sudden onset disasters, others are less visible and grow more deadly over time, as in the case of slow onset disasters. Moreover, the effects of environmental disasters on people depend heavily on the state’s capacity to mitigate such effects. Then Author of the Thesis turns to the existing definitions for environmentally displaced people and as all existing definitions do not take into account the level of state protection available, a new definition is proposed. The new definition limits the scope to people seeking international protection due to environmental events, for which their country of origin does not offer any protection. It is analyzed in the second part of this Thesis the application of 1951 Geneva Convention to environmentally displaced people. Based on the assessment of state practice and the works of the most prominent scholars it is showed that environmentally displaced people may in fact be refugees, however, in a very small number of scenarios. The problem is that all of those scenarios are traditional refugee situations and environmental factors are not decisive circumstances when migration authorities determine if person is entitled to refugee status. Socio-economic rights within... [to full text]
Magistro baigiamasis darbas pradedamas gamtinių nelaimių sukeliamų padarinių ir valstybių veiksmų siekiant sumažinti jų padarinius analize. Analizė rodo, kad kai kurios gamtinės nelaimės gali būti lengviau pastebimos, tokios kaip staigios gamtinės nelaimės, o kitos sunkiau pastebimos ir įvertinimo, tokios kaip iš lėto besivystančios gamtinės nelaimės. Be to, gamtinių nelaimių padarinių sunkumas priklauso nuo to ar valstybė yra pajėgi sumažinti padarinius. Tuomet Magistro baigiamajame darbe yra analizuojami esami dėl gamtos nelaimių migruojančių asmenų apibrėžimai ir atsižvelgiant į tai, kad visi esami apibrėžimai nevertina kilmės valstybės teikiamos apsaugos, yra siūlomas naujas apibrėžimas. Šis apibrėžimas yra apribotas žmonėmis, siekiančiais tarptautinės apsaugos dėl gamtinių nelaimių, kurie negali pasinaudoti kilmės valstybės apsauga. Antrojoje šio Magistro baigiamojo darbo dalyje analizuojamas 1951 m. Ženevos Konvencijos „Dėl pabėgėlių statuso“ taikymas dėl gamtinių nelaimių migruojantiems asmenims. Atliktas valstybių praktikos ir doktrinos tyrimas atskleidė, kad dėl gamtinių nelaimių migruojantys asmenys gali būti pabėgėliais, tačiau tik išskirtinais atvejais. Be to, visais šiais atvejais paskatos palikti savo šalį dėl gamtinės nelaimės, nėra lemiantys faktoriai suteikti pabėgėlio statusą. Trečiojoje dalyje yra analizuojamas ryšys tarp socialinių, ekonomių teisių, non-refoulement principo ir gamtinių nelaimių. Analizė atskleidė, kad rimti socialinių, ekonominių teisių... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO
Atualmente, a preocupação com segurança vem crescendo dia após dia. Vários trabalhos abordando o desenvolvimento de sistemas de supervisão já foram realizados. Esta dissertação propõe um método automático capaz de determinar o número de pessoas em uma área monitorada por uma câmera de vídeo, assim como detectar mudanças na imagem potencialmente causadas por atitudes ilícitas. Uma aplicação típica seria a segurança de galpões durante a noite, em finais de semana ou em qualquer momento onde o acesso de pessoas é permitido, mas o movimento de cargas não. Mais precisamente, a intenção é detectar se uma pessoa que está passando pelo ambiente carrega consigo um objeto pertencente ao local ou deixa um objeto no local, quando apenas o movimento de pessoas é admitido na área. Além disto, o sistema determina o número de pessoas na cena. O método consiste na aplicação de quatro etapas em seqüências de vídeo: a) separação de fundo / primeiro plano, b) atualização dinâmica da estimativa de fundo, c) localização / contagem de pessoas, e d) detecção de atitudes suspeitas. Os algoritmos de separação de fundo / primeiro plano e de estimativa de fundo toleram variações pequenas de iluminação e efeitos de sombra. Já a contagem / localização de pessoas explora informações de cor e coerência de movimento. Soluções para atender estes aspectos são encontradas na literatura, porém nenhuma delas atende todos eles juntos. O método foi avaliado por experimentos realizados através de um protótipo e apresentou resultados encorajadores.
There is worldwide an increasing concern about security issues. A great deal of efforts have been undertaken in order to provide surveillance systems. This work proposes an automatic method to determine the number of people moving in an area monitored by a video camera, as well as to detect image changes, which are potentially due to illicit attitudes. A typical application is the security of warehouses during the night, on weekends or at any time when people access is allowed but no load movement is admissible. Specifically it focuses on detecting when a person passing by the environment carries any object belonging to the background away or leaves any object in the background, while only people movement is allowed in the area. Besides it estimates the number of people on scene. The method consists of performing four main tasks on video sequences: a) background and foreground separation, b) background estimative dynamic update, c) people location and counting, and d) suspicious attitudes detection. The proposed background and foreground separation and background estimative update algorithms deal with illumination fluctuation and shade effects. People location and counting explores colour information and motion coherence. Solutions meeting these requirements are proposed in the literature, but no one deals with all of them together. The method has been validated by experiments carried out on a prototype and produced encouraging results.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1989.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-105).
The purpose of this thesis is to investigate modern fashion as an urban phenomenon since the 19th century. Through the study of the fashion market and its formation, the intent is to explore how fashion has developed in relation to other structural changes appearing in the city. it will discuss the specific characteristics of the relationship between fashion and the city in regard to other innovations of the modern era, such as technological change and mechanization. Fashion has always been studied through its dichotomy between the material and the symbolic. In this study , I will look at the factors that helped to shape fashion as an autonomous field of knowledge, as an economic reality, and as an independent profession. I will also investigate its role in the aesthetic realm. Fashion affected the social and cultural formations appearing during industrialization after the French Revolution, beyond its obvious function in the production and distribution of clothing. In this thesis, I will focus on how, where, and when fashion's influence on social habits and design aesthetics occurred. as well as the consequences of this growing influences in the context of the city. In exploring this issue I will consider not only how cultural and social forms (i.e . class formation) have affected the fashion market, but also how fashion itself has had an impact on the development of cultural industries such as media.
by Beatrice Bernier.
M.S.

This thesis is a process of writing characters using a cyclical methodology to turn the writer into a reader of their own work, then back into a writer again. The components of this thesis both practice and propose writing as research and develop a concept of character that is ‘relational’. Taking Donald Barthelme’s assertion, ‘Writing is a process of dealing with not-knowing, a forcing of what and how,’ this thesis is attentive to the uncertainty of process: a process that has accreted knowledge in the form of characters and methods. Making People Up is chronologically structured in order to make visible how its form was discovered through practice. The first component is a book of character studies You are of vital importance written in the first year of the PhD. This is followed by a reflective manuscript of essays which use a method of redescription to render a generative moment between the completion of one book and the beginning of the next. The third component is a second book Social Script which is a character study and a conclusion to the thesis. Building on Adam Phillips’ assertion, ‘Being misrepresented is simply being presented with a version of ourselves – an invention – that we cannot agree with. But we are daunted by other people making us up, by the number of people we seem to be,’ this thesis starts from the premise that in the everyday we make each other up and then goes on to use the form of the character study to explore unresolvable tensions around this process. Building four parallel propositions: that character is fiction; that a relational concept of character is a critique of the extent to which we can know each other; that constituting the writer as a reader of their own characters renders a generative moment and critical reflection; that oscillating the proximity to and distance from a character provokes you, the reader, to imagine character as a relationally contingent concept. The thesis will draw on key concepts by Christopher Bollas and Adam Phillips, literary discourse on character, reader-response criticism and a selection of literary and artistic works that have informed this process of writing characters. Research Questions: 1. Does a relational concept of character critique claims to ‘know’ each other? 2. Does replacing interpretation with redescription make a reflective methodology critical and generative? 3. What kind of narrative structure will constitute a ‘relational’ character study?

The thesis writing here is an effort by the artist to identify his motives in creating, and his aims for the audience, and to communicate this to the reader in a clear and truthful manner. Section 1 focuses on introducing the ground of the artists’ thinking, discussing his ideas of the body and culture identity, and how they motivate his work. Section 2 goes into greater detail about the manner his thought process evolved through the course of a number of works. In Section 3, there is an ever sharper focus in the works towards the isolated and inscrutable individual. The theme that runs throughout is that, although it’s difficult if not impossible to fully communicate with another, the effort is worthwhile.

This research set-out to: a) investigate attitudes of disabled people (adults) toward other disabled people; and, b) attitudes of disabled people toward different impairment groups. Comparative data from a non-disabled sample was also collected. Two new attitude rating scales were developed for this research: the General Attitude Scale Toward Disabled People (GASTDP) and the Attitude Toward Impairment Scale (A TIS). Both scales achieved acceptable levels of internal and external reliability. Positive attitudes toward disabled people were found from both the disabled (M = 41.08; n = 193) and non-disabled samples (M = 39.29; n = 120). However, a hierarchy of impairment also appears to exist, with the disabled sample producing a rank ordering of most accepted to least of Deaf, Arthritis, Epilepsy, Cerebral Palsy, HIV/AIDS, Down's Syndrome and Schizophrenia. The nondisabled sample rank ordering was the same for five of the seven impairment groups, with only Cerebral Palsy and HIV / AIDS being placed in reverse order. The GASTDP contains two sub-scales (Subtle and Blatant Prejudice subscales). Statistically significant results between the two sub-scales were found for both the disabled and non-disabled samples, suggesting people tend to hold subtle forms of prejudice toward disabled people. The discussion therefore utilises the term aversive disablism, based on aversive racism. This theory argues that whilst people may be reluctant to express negative attitudes toward disabled people, they may also support policies that are disablist, i.e. segregated housing. The contact hypothesis, whereby contact with members of a minority group influence attitudes, was not supported by the data. This thesis recommends further research into subtle forms of prejudice toward disabled people from an in-group perspective and attitudes toward different impairment groups.

Community radio in Australia was established to empower ordinary citizens. However, people with disability are less heard than others in community radio, as with mainstream media. Listening to experiences of community radio staff and volunteers with disability can provide the foundation for plans to increase participation, agency and voice. Using semi-structured interviews, this practice-led research asked people with disability in the sector what empowers them, and how policy change, training and awareness-raising might increase their participation. It's The People's Radio, an accompanying 4 part radio documentary, tells the stories of community radio participants with disability in their own voices.

In this thesis, I discuss media representations of social class. My particular focus is on entertaining television formats and as an empirical example, I analyse the BBC Three docusoap People Like Us (2013l). To explore how social class is reflected in and impacts on the production of the programme, I conduct interviews with people participating in it, carry out a discourse analysis of its content and also attempt a small-scale audience research to get an understanding of how the programme was perceived. Theoretically, my research is framed by a Bourdieusian conception of social class and relevant related concepts like habitus, doxa and symbolic violence. I come to the conclusion that class divisions are clearly reflected and played out in the media field in multiple, interlinked ways. In the discourse analysis of People Like Us (2013l) I show how negative working-class stereotypes structure the programme narratively. I demonstrate how these stereotypical and reductionist images are artificially constructed and how they are linked with contemporary political discourses around class. Furthermore, I discuss how class hierarchies structure access to and power over the production of media output and underpin a division of labour that divides people into subjects and objects of representations largely along class lines. In the analysis of my empirical example, I explore the exploitative nature of this constellation and also the (moral) value that is attached to the respective class positions. Bourdieu makes the point that media representations are part of a wider class struggle. The analysis carried out in this research very much confirms this assessment, however, in the field of large-scale cultural production these battles are fought with very unequal weapons. The discourse analysis of my chosen empirical example explores, in connection with the conducted interviews with participants of the programme, a number of instances of very manipulative editing that cannot just be explained by the genre-typical requirements and the intention of the programme to entertain.

Introduction All human beings require qualitatively and quantitatively good sleep, quality of sleep in terms of sound sleep and quantity in terms of sufficient duration. However, both quality and quantity of sleep in individual cases may be sub-optimal due to several factors related to physical health, mental health and sociological aspects. Several studies have been conducted to examine the effect of these factors on sleep quality and quantity. One of the less studied and important aspects is the effect of depression on temporal sleep quality and quantity. The relationship between sleep and depression is complex and maybe bi-directional. Sleep disturbances resulting from depression or vice versa can impact on the quality of life. A recognition of this importance prompted this research. As the first step towards assessment of this research, the methodology and the variables to be included, a review of available literature on various aspects of sleep quality and quantity was undertaken. The review provided an overview of most aspects of sleep and ranged from the medical definition of sleep, components of quality and quantity, measurement methods and factors affecting sleep. The methods and results of many studies were synthesised to obtain a cohesive picture. In the review process, depression was one of the factors that was considered along with other factors. Studies comparing sleep and quality of life characteristics between healthy and depressed groups were scarce. To study the differences in the sleep and quality of life characteristics between healthy and depressed groups was identified as the research gap to be addressed. It is well-recognised that healthy and depressed individuals differ in their mood state and other psychological health factors. The mood state can impact sleep parameters in different ways. Life quality is directly influenced by physical and psychosocial aspects of life and may contain as many as eight dimensions. It is clear that any one or more of the components of life quality is affected in more than one way if sleep is disturbed, especially, in depressed individuals. This is a matter worth detailed study and was included in this research. Therefore, this thesis explored qualitative and quantitative variables of sleep and life quality using scientifically validated methods. The thesis examined the following research questions: What are the differences between the temporal sleep patterns of healthy and depressed groups? (Chapter 4); What are the differences in the periodicity of sleep duration between healthy and depressed groups? (Chapter 5); and how does the relationship between quality of life and sleep compare between healthy and depressed groups? (Chapter 6). In chapter 7, the use of EEG spectral power to differentiate healthy and depressed groups more effectively has been examined. What are the elements of light therapy that contribute to successful treatment of depression? Although this question was raised, the study did not proceed as a similar clinical trial had already begun within the University. The completed comprehensive review of literature on all aspects of light therapy is published and presented in Chapter 9. Methods The research utilised a quantitative methodology to compare the differences between the sleep and quality of life characteristics of healthy and depressed groups. Objective sleep parameters were measured using the Actiwatch 2 (AW2) and sleep EEG. The subjective quality of sleep was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The 8-dimensional Assessment of Quality of Life instrument (AQoL-8D) was applied to assess life quality on a group of 20 healthy and 20 depressed individuals. A Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS)-16 and Depressive Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-D, DASS-S and DASS-S) were also administered to participants. The sleep and quality of life data were collected over a period of 4 weeks. Summary statistics and multivariate analysis were conducted. Significance of differences in the mean scores of variables between healthy and depressed groups were tested using t-tests. Multiple linear regression analyses to identify predictors of sleep, and the Cosinor analysis to measure sleep cycle periodicities were performed. Cluster analysis was done to group the temporal characteristics of sleep variables into healthy and depressed groups. A discrete time-frequency distribution definition method was used to calculate the average power spectra for the right and left brain hemispheres using MATLAB R2009 and its wavelet toolbox (MathWorks Inc., Natick, MA). The right-left asymmetry was calculated as the difference in the voltage between the Right and Left sides for each frequency band. All data were used to compare the EEG power for the different frequency bands between healthy participants and those with depression. Results and Conclusions Differences between the temporal sleep patterns of healthy and depressed groups were identified in Chapter 4. The depressed group had significantly higher levels of depression, stress and anxiety. Their level of physical activity was at a considerably lower level. Moreover, depressed people slept more (longer total sleep time) compared to healthy people. Association of both lower and higher sleep duration with depression are noted according to the American Psychiatric Association's 2013 update to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) suggesting that future research should aim to explore the differences in physical and psychological characteristics of short versus long sleepers who have depression. Delayed sleep onset was significantly correlated with anxiety and depression in the depressed group. Delayed sleep onset was also significantly correlated with activity levels of the depressed group. The positive association between activity level and SOL was anomalous, and did not reflect the expected pattern seen in healthy individuals. Cluster analysis revealed the potential of using the sleep variables of total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency (SE), sleep onset latency (SOL) and wake after sleep onset (WASO) as predictors of depression when the sample size is large. The differences between the periodicity of sleep duration between healthy and depressed groups were reported in Chapter 5. The Cosinor analysis highlighted that the variability in sleep duration between nights was in the form of a cosine wave over time. The sleep parameters were more variable in the depressed group compared to the healthy group. High stress as measured by the depression, stress and anxiety scores (DASS) was associated with irregular total sleep time incurred by healthy individuals, whereas higher stress was noted among depressed individuals with the number of nights/days farther away from the longest night/day sleep (i.e. higher acrophase). Thus, healthy and depressed groups were differentiated by the effect of stress on total sleep time in the healthy group and how many nights/days away from their sleep peaks in the depressed group. The associations between quality of life and sleep in both the healthy and depressed groups were examined in Chapter 6. There were significant differences between depressed and healthy participants in the DASS scores, depressive symptoms (QIDS), sleep quality (PSQI), and all dimensions of AQoL-8D. The correlations between PSQI and the dimensions of AQoL-8D namely, independent living, happiness, self-worth, and quality of sleep were stronger in depressed people compared to healthy people with the exclusion of the association between PSQI and dimensions of mental health, relationships, pain, functioning of senses and coping and PSQI, which was similar or weaker in the depressed groups. Regression analysis of subjective sleep quality (PSQI) found mental health to be the only significant predictor of quality of sleep in healthy people, and happiness to be the only significant predictor of quality of sleep in depressed people. For objective sleep data, however, no quality of life dimensions were significant predictors of TST in both groups. Self-worth predicted three sleep variables: SE, SOL and WASO for the healthy group. Coping predicted SOL in the depressed group. The results of EEG studies described in chapter 7 failed to show any difference between depressed and healthy group, except for the delta frequency band which distinguished the groups. The systematic review, Chapter 9, examined the properties of light therapy: light specification, dose, timing and delivery that contribute to the effectiveness of light exposure based on the mood scores in major depressive disorder. The findings indicated that exposure duration between 30 min to 2 h per day, intensity range between 176 to 10,000 lux, in any of blue, green or white light colour and exposure during morning or evening mostly translated to a positive change in mood effects in people with major depressive disorders. Additionally, it was found that factors such as anti-depressant medication use, depression episodes and severity, natural light exposure and sleep deprivation may confound the effects of light therapy. Overall, it can be concluded from this research that, depression has a significant impact on both sleep and quality of life characteristics. This work has been successful in quantifying the association between depression, sleep and quality of life characteristics. The temporal characteristics of sleep variables may potentially be used to predict depression. This insight may be used to predict early onset of depression, which may be translated to better quality of life outcomes with early interventions, although more research is needed in the future.

The Problem I will be addressing is, quite simply, "What role, if any, can philosophers legitimately play in biomedical ethics?" When one considers the recent backlash against ethical theory; philosophers' own dissatisfaction with their relationship with biomedicine; and the depth and urgency of the pertinent moral issues, it is nearly impossible to be unmoved by the enormity of the challenge. But will philosophy meet the challenge? Many of those who are familiar with the current state of biomedical ethics are inclined to be doubtful. The thesis I shall advance and defend is that this doubt is well-founded if we suppose that philosophers continue to apply their theoretical resources in biomedicine in the same manner as has usually been done. Unless philosophers dramatically change the nature of their approach in biomedical ethics, they will continue to face frustration and to be regarded as ineffectual. The role they must adopt requires them to work with many others (nurses, patients, doctors, lawyers, etc.) as equals, bringing their skills and talents to bear along with the skills and talents of non-philosophers. Without a strong inter-dependence between philosophers and non-philosophers, biomedical ethics will not prosper, nor evolve into the kind of tool that is direly needed in the health sciences. In order to defend the thesis I am advancing, I will survey some of the literature that has dealt with the problems facing philosophers in the clinic in recent years. The case against biomedical ethics (and, in particular, normative ethical theory) will be explored to reveal the content of the criticisms and their force. Following some discussion of these criticisms, pursued in order to discover elements of a new approach to the role philosophers can legitimately play in biomedical ethics, I will attempt to build a constructive alternative from these positive fragments. My conclusion, very generally, is that philosophers' skills and resources permit them to function best in close cooperation with others. I will rely on an account of a public forum (comprised of doctors, patients, theologians, nurses, etc.) to illustrate the kind of role philosophers could most effectively and legitimately pursue. Because of the nature of their activities, philosophers would, for example, often play an important role in isolating and defending significant value questions. A strong sense of inter-dependence would develop as physicians and the forum interacted. Physicians, who must be active in their roles as moral agents, would primarily be concerned with developing rules, guidelines, etc. for practical cases. Physicans would be assisted by a small group of non-physicians to ensure that important social goals are taken into account. The forum would act as an external critic of these rules, both prospectively and retro-actively. The success of the forum would provide biomedical ethics with important practical input that should be used for its growth and development.
Arts, Faculty of
Philosophy, Department of
Graduate

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2007.
Additional advisors: Sue Kim, Christopher Metress, Stacy Tintocalis. Description based on contents viewed Feb. 4, 2008; title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

The literature base regarding fostering currently appears to lack a psychological model which explains why people foster. This study aimed to provide a contribution to the development of such a model, which used a qualitative method in order to discover new information about why people foster, and also drew on existing theories which have not been found to have been applied specifically to foster carers. Participants were recruited from informal support groups for foster carers. held around Suffolk at a Variety of locations. A semi structured interviewing technique was used, to allow the participant to talk about their own reasons for fostering. The data from nine participants was analysed using a grounded theory approach.

Objectives The study aimed to explore which discourses staff in crisis services draw on when discussing people in crisis. Further questions were; how those with borderline personality disorder diagnosis are positioned by these discourses and what the subsequent consequences are for people in crisis. Design This study utilised a qualitative design. Individual interviews were conducted with participants to generate personal and reflective accounts. Method Twelve staff members from home treatment, day treatment or acute ward teams were interviewed. Questions related to their experiences of people in crisis. Foucauldian Discourse Analysis was used to highlight the discourses used when talking about those in crisis. Results Four main discourses were present in language used; ‘medical legal’, ‘personal responsibility’, ‘limited resources for the problem’, and ‘human experience and emotions’. People with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) were positioned differently to those with other diagnosis. Staff are positioned as experts needing to diagnose and cure distress. The discourse of human experience and emotions highlighted the emotional aspect of working with people in crisis, especially those with a BPD diagnosis. Conclusion The prevailing discourses within NHS crisis services remain those of the medical model, legitimising ideas of classic mental illness and practices of medication and control. This impacts the position of people with a BPD diagnosis. Further reflective spaces are required to highlight the flexibility of these discourses, practice, and the importance of emotions raised by those in distress.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1995.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 149-151).
" ... shelter is part of daily human life and will come about wherever and whenever people will share space. Today, in a new age where so much more is possible, the professional plays a crucial role in that process. Yes, our participation is important." This thesis examines the role of the architect in practice, specifically the architect's relationship with the low income client in the design of their dwelling. In the process examined here, the architect is seen as just one of many participants in the design of affordable dwelling units. This role requires the architect to be multi-faceted. In addition to the traditional role as a designer, the architect must act as a consultant, a mediator, an advocate and a communicator of built form to non-professionals. "Experience and knowledge resides with lay people as much as with experts." In this thesis I have designed a method to allow users to design their own homes. The method includes the use of a personal interview and two model kits, as well as some two dimensional design representations. I have worked with eight individuals from the Five Streets neighborhood in Roxbury in a 1 N. J. Habraken, 'Who is Participating?", Taken from Tom Woolley, The Characteristics of Community Architecture and Community Technical Aid, p. 5. Henry Sanoff, Integrating Programming, Evaluation and Participation In Design, p. vII. dialogue of active participation which has resulted in the design of two dwelling supports. Each support can accommodate many variations in unit size and arrangement. At the same time, they satisfy the space and budget reqUirements of the sponsoring, government agency. The thesis documents this design process and shows the evolution of the two support designs. It also initiates a critique of participatory design methods and the techniques for design communication. The skills of the architect to communicate design ideas to the community is the key to successful participatory design. The architect, more than any other profeSSional, has the ability to use a variety of techniques to enable non-professionals of any income to visualize and synthesize a physical design. " ... the process should be clear, communicable and open. It should encourage dialogue, debate, and collaboration." It is my hope that the methods used for this particular project can be translated into other projects as well. Though the process would remain the same, each new design would reflect the individuals involved in the process.
by Anne E. Townes.
M.Arch.

The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has suggested that 1.6 million people in the UK are affected by eating disorders (NICE, 2004). Generally speaking, eating disorders have major physical, psychological and social consequences (Hjern et al., 2006), often characterized by a poor quality of life (De la Rie et al., 2007) and a high health burden (Mond et al., 2009). Furthermore, anorexia nervosa has the highest rate of mortality of any psychiatric disorder, due to both medical complications associated with the disorder and suicide (BEAT, 2014). This statistic alone is indicative of the vitality of eating disorder research particularly that focused on treatment and prevention. Though the ‘poor quality of life’ and ‘high health burden’ are attributed to the individual sufferer, these adverse complications often seep into the immediate family, including children (Stitt & Rupert, 2014). The majority of studies in this field have explored the impact of parental eating disorders on their children; with a focus on the quantitative relationship between the maternal eating disorder and child development, birth weight and feeding logistics (Stitt & Rupert, 2014). The mother’s subjective experience has been widely neglected. Linville et al. have explored the sociocultural influences on the development of eating disorders. Their evidence suggested that the parents, as the primary socialization agents to their children, significantly influence the development of body image disturbances and disordered eating (Linville et al., 2011). Familial eating disorder pathology has long been a source of ongoing investigation, as studies have consistently indicated that the immediate relatives of individuals with anorexia nervosa show an increased risk of developing an eating disorder themselves (Watkins, Cooper & Lask, 2012). Though the degree of correlation pertaining to genetic and environmental influence is unclear, the link itself is consistent and compelling (Lilenfeld & Kaye, 1998). This chapter will consider the literature surrounding mothers’ experiences of feeding her children while having a disordered relationship with food. First I will consider the impact that parental psychiatric disorders have on their children, specifically, the relationship between maternal eating disorders and child development. I will then review the evidence that characterizes the children of mothers with eating disorders as a ‘at risk’ population. Previous research has identified a number of difficulties that mothers with eating disorders encounter within their parenting role; these will be explored, with a particular focus on the mothers’ subjective experience of feeding their children. And finally, the literature on the transgenerational transmission of eating disorders from mother to child will be reviewed. Treatment options will be contemplated, with a view to creating interventions specifically tailored to mothers with eating disorders and their families. A look forward in the direction of future research will be explored, specifically the effectiveness of family therapy for adults with eating disorders. There is an uneven distribution in the literature of research focused on the quantitative impact of maternal eating disorders on children and the risk of transmission. This bias manifests in an unsaturated body of evidence exploring the mothers’ experience. The current chapter will reflect this disproportionate emphasis and attend to both the majority and minority perspectives. This literature review will illuminate the need for more qualitative research, exploring the mothers’ experience of being a parent while having an eating disorder, specifically, her subjective account of engaging in the function of feeding her children.

The problem of environmental pollution is very urgent today. It`s the greatest trouble of people of all ages. Our planet must be saved; people must do something to prevent the destruction of our home. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/34905

Green economy is one that generates increasing prosperity while maintaining the natural systems that sustain us. The greening of economies is not generally a drag on growth but rather a new engine of growth; that it is a net generator of decent jobs, and that it is also a vital strategy for the elimination of persistent poverty. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/31039

The problem of environmental pollution is very urgent today. It`s the greatest trouble of people of all ages. Our planet must be saved; people must do something to prevent the destruction of our home. Environmental technology is the application of one or more of environmental, green chemistry, environmental monitoring and electronic devices to monitor, model and conserve the natural environment and resources, and to curb the negative impacts of human involvement.

Existing literature about autistic workers concentrates on the troubles autistics have in the workplace; these problems are linked back to documented deficits in autistic people, thereby constructing a picture of autistic workers as people who need to be helped. There have been no academic studies asking autistic adults to give their general impressions on their work environments. The paucity of narratives from working autistic authorities has effectively made them into a hidden, or invisible population. We do not know if they agree with the views presented about them. We do not know what jobs they are in or in what levels of authority they are working. The only way to understand working autistic adults and their worth and presence in the workforce, is to ask them. This exploratory, qualitative study asked 38 autistic adults (currently working or who have a past work history) 55 questions about their work environments. Most participants provided elaborative answers about their work experiences. Participant experiences often contradicted current literature about autistic adults or mentioned little known phenomenon. Confirmation of existing themes in autism literature was sometimes arguable. The narrative accounts gathered in this study give new opportunities for research into autistic adults and their places in society.
Master of Science

Användningen av termisk infraröd strålning sprider sig till nya användningsområden. Ett område är säkerhetsövervakning via värmekameror. Värmekameror har en fördel jämfört med vanliga säkerhetskameror som endast bearbetar synligt ljus eftersom detta inte påverkar värmekameran i samma utsträckning. Syftet med detta projekt är att undersöka möjligheter för att åstadkomma högre noggrannhet i temperaturmätningar med en värmekamera. Genom att använda oss av tekniker som används som bästa praxis inom liknande områden kalibreras vår värmekamera till högre noggrannhet. Detta med hjälp av tekniker som två-punktskalibrering med svartkroppar för att få ett referensvärde för två olika temperaturer. Därefter kan andra okända temperaturer beräknas. Vi använder oss av medelvärdesbildning för att bli av med temporalt och spatialt brus. Med denna metod får vi en bättre bild av genomsnittstemperaturen för varje värmebild. Vår kalibrering av värmekameran testas sedan i ett experiment där vi mätte högerhänderna på testpersonerna. Dessa resultat jämförs sedan med en annan värmekamera som inte kalibrerats. Testresultaten visar att vi lyckats uppnå en högre noggrannhet av värmekameran med en variation högst 0.348°C vid mätning av en människas hudtemperatur. Detta visar att kalibreringen är i allmänhet gynnsam.
The usage of thermal infrared radiation spreads to new fields. One area of use is security monitoring with thermal cameras. Thermal cameras have an advantage over regular security cameras which only processes visible light as this does not affect the thermal camera to the same extent. The purpose of this project is to investigate the possibilities for achieving higher accuracy in temperature measurement with a thermal camera. By using best practice methods applied in similar areas, our thermal camera is calibrated to measure temperature with a higher accuracy. Methods such as two- point calibration with black bodies are used to get two reference values from two different temperatures. The reference values can then be used to calculate unknown temperatures. Image averaging is applied to get rid of temporal and spatial noise. This method provides a clearer thermogram of the average temperature. Our calibration of the thermal camera is tested in an experiment where we measure the right hands of test subjects. These results are compared with the results measured from a non-calibrated thermal camera. The test results show that we managed to achieve a higher accuracy with the thermal camera with a maximum variation of 0.348°C when measuring human skin temperature. This shows that the calibration is generally favorable.

Influenced by an ever-growing sense of alienation with my homeland, I have been determined to discover through my art practice an ability to challenge conventional notions of home, identity, communication and miscommunication. Exploring these themes, I became increasingly aware of the parallels between everyday life and art practice. By creatively connecting with a diverse amount of local people and their communities, I fulfilled desires to discover a sense of belonging and generated opportunities for others to break through traditional social boundaries and roles.

My thesis deals with clothing habits of young people. The first part descibes the process of market segmentation, the second part abou the lifestyle of young people and about their clothing habits. I used a questionaire and with the help of PASW Statistics I revaled four segments.

The central question posed in this thesis is why has the Queensland model of workers' compensation been so enduring? The legislation remained largely intact from 1916 until 2001, with the exception of the years from 1996 to 1998. This was so despite the fact the central feature of a state-controlled monopoly that underpinned this model was always potentially divisive in line with the variances between liberal-conservative traditions and social-democratic ideals that subsisted in broader political culture. In addressing this question of longevity, this thesis explores the capacity of an initially contentious piece of legislation to draw strong support from former opponents, and the argument is put forward that it is best explained through the development and operation of a policy community that fostered a shared set of core values relative to broad workers' compensation policy preferences. These core values were compulsory state monopoly, no fault insurance and full access to common law. Thus, the longevity of the legislation is attributed to the continued support by key stakeholders of these core values. The thesis also demonstrates that policy community relations deteriorated during the 1990s as governments responded to broader political pressures precipitated by reform agendas. Inconsistencies in core values and policy outcomes for each stakeholder emerged as governments attempted to assert unprecedented control over the direction of workers' compensation in order to meet broader political goals. The legislation was threatened as relations within the policy community proved unsustainable when existing core values were contested.