Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Talks of development'

<p>Syftet med denna uppsats var att sätta in utvecklingssamtalet i ett större sammanhang och belysa det ur flera perspektiv och att redogöra för hur utvecklingssamtalet uppfattas av de olika deltagarna elev, förälder samt lärare. Metoden vi valt för att utföra denna undersökning är en kvantitativ enkätundersökning. Resultatet från undersökningen visade att det inte är någon större skillnad mellan informanternas syn på utvecklingssamtalet. Dock tycker vi oss kunna se tendenser till att utvecklingssamtalet används som det verktyg det är tänkt enligt skolans styrdokument. Vår slutsats blir därför att utvecklingssamtalet är utvecklande för eleven.</p>

This master thesis is a case study on the remittance corridor between South Africa and Zimbabwe. The purpose of the study was to explore and evaluate the dilemmas the remittances senders face in the migration process and how they are dealt with. This was further investigated in the connection to what possibilities the remittances sender have in the host country to increase both the own, as well as the family’s, level of development. Research about the remittance process from the remittances sender’s perspective suffers from shortcomings, a problem this study addresses. A collection of life stories helped to identify the dilemmas and trade-offs the remittances sender faces. The results show that dilemmas exist in every phase of the migration process. How well the remittances senders cope with these dilemmas, seems to be connected to their socio-economic background to a large extent. The pressure to remit affects the available possibilities in the host country to improve the remittances sender’s level of development. An exciting finding and contribution of this study is the remittances senders’ perspective on their future, whether to stay or return home. This complex dilemma, that lacks research, is so interesting that it calls for more investigation.

Globalisation is affecting businesses worldwide. As a result of this, organisations are realising that the key to competitive advantage is not in modern technology or production; rather, it is in attracting and maintaining a committed workforce. Performance management is a widely advocated way to develop human resources. By conducting a case-study, this paper took a qualitative approach, to understand what elements of the performance appraisals are important to managers at the Organisation. The managers at the Organisation were interviewed and a thematic analysis was applied to the data. Results show that trust and honesty are important components of the performance appraisals, to managers at the Organisation. Also, the feedback the managers received from the employees was said to be the greatest contributor to the managers’ own development. The managers further requested additional support to be able to conduct successful performance appraisals, as well as increased clarity in goal- setting for employees, career development and in taking over employees.

Studiens syfte är att bidra med kunskap om bedömning som begrepp och som pedagogisk praktik i det förskolepedagogiska fältet. Studien bygger på en kvalitativ ansats där sex semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts med förskollärare från sex olika förskolor i södra Sverige. Resultatet har analyserats utifrån didaktikens frågor; vad, hur och varför, begreppen formativ och summativ bedömning samt Piagets utvecklingspsykologiska teori. I studiens resultat framkommer att bedömningsbegreppet tolkas olika av olika personer samt att förskollärarna inte tydligt uttrycker att de gör bedömningar på de enskilda barnen. Samtidigt beskriver förskollärarna att de vid ett utvecklingssamtal lyfter barnets utveckling och lärande med fokus på målområden ur läroplanen, med hjälp av digitala mallar. I diskussionen motiveras varför begreppet bedömning behöver läggas till i läroplanen för förskolan. Bedömningsbegreppet behöver definieras för att skapa en samsyn kring begreppet och för att underlätta arbetet kring hur det individuella barnets utveckling och lärande synliggörs.<br>The purpose of the study is to contribute with knowledge about assessment as a concept and as a pedagogical practice in the preschool pedagogical field. The study is based on a qualitative approach where six semi-structured interviews were conducted with preschool teachers from six different preschools in southern Sweden. The results have been analyzed on the basis of didactics' questions; what, how and why, the concepts of formative and summative assessment and Piaget's developmental psychological theory. The results of the study show that the concept of assessment is interpreted differently by different people and that the preschool teachers do not clearly express that they make assessments of the individual children. At the same time, the preschool teachers describe that in a developmental conversation they highlight the child's development and learning with a focus on target areas from the curriculum, with the help of digital templates. The discussion justifies why the concept of assessment needs to be added to the preschool curriculum. The assessment concept needs to be defined in order to create a consensus around the concept and to facilitate the work on how the individual child's development and learning is made visible.

Syftet med denna studie är att belysa hur förskollärare resonerar kring högläsning och boksamtal i förskolan samt deras tankar kring läsmiljöns uppbyggnad för att den ska bli språkligt utvecklande. I denna kvalitativa studie har fem förskollärare intervjuats och tre förskolors läsmiljöer har observerats för att samla in data till studien. Det insamlade datamaterialet har transkriberats och kategoriserats för att sedan analyseras utifrån ett sociokulturellt perspektiv. Vår studie visar att förskollärare förstår vikten av användandet av högläsning och boksamtal för barns språkutveckling, men att de stora barngrupperna ofta gör att språkutvecklingens syfte försvinner. Förskollärarna hävdar också att högläsningen borde prioriteras mer i verksamheten vilket vi genom denna studie vill fortsätta att inspirera till.<br>The purpose of this study was to examine what preschool teachers think about reading out loud for children, having book conversations in preschool and their thoughts on the structure of the reading environment in order for it to be linguistically developing. In this qualitative study, five preschool teachers have been interviewed and three preschool reading environments have been observed to collect data for the study. The collected data have been transcribed and categorized and then analysed from a sociocultural perspective. In our study, we have found that preschool teachers understand the importance of reading out loud to children as well as book conversations for children's language development, but with large groups of children the purpose of language development often gets lost. Preschool teachers also argue that reading should be given more priority in the preschool, through our study we want to continue to inspire this.

Plastics fuel tanks have been used successfully abroad ; metal counterparts are still predominant in this country plastics tanks have to satisfy stringent performance regulations : low temperature impact tests ; permeability ; and fire resistance. Blow moulded high density polyethylene (HDPE) fuel tanks have superior strength to mass ratio compared with metal equivalents (the density of steel is about 8000 kg/m3 compared with HDPE, which has a density of under 1000 kg/m3 ). HDPE will tend to drip in a fire situation, thus reducing explosion risk. HDPE is the chosen material because it possesses inherent properties suitable for the blow moulding process : it has a high viscosity at low stresses ; and is highly inert. Rotational moulded HDPE fuel tanks can also be considered. However, these are shown to have inferior properties when compared with blow moulded tanks ; attraction of rotational moulding is the cheapness of equipment. Petrol immersion was found to enhance impact properties of HDPE, although yield stresses were lowered slightly. The thickness distributions of blow moulded fuel tanks were found to vary ; this is because of the present difficulty of predicting parison behaviour with respect to time. Thickness is important because of impact strength and permeation considerations. Impact properties of fuel tanks were assessed ; peak force of impact was found to be heavily dependent on thickness (raised to the power 1.1) and temperature of mould in the blow moulding process (a low mould temperature led to inferior properties). Pinch-offs were found to be particularly detrimental to impact properties. Cooling behaviour was investigated. With the aid of a cooling model for blow mouldings, it was found that a warm mould (40·C) could be used with internal air circulation to obtain a cooling time the same as that with a cold mould and no air circulation. Thus optimising mechanical strength and maintaining economic viability. Welding of injection moulded fittings to the main blow moulded body of the fuel tank was found to be faulty, in all of the tanks examined ; many weld failures have been reported in use. This work determines optimum welding conditions for HDPE grades, these are Rigidex H060-45P and Lupolen 426l-A.

This investigation examined the self-efficacy beliefs of medical professionals towards medically-related tasks. Although several instruments existed that measured different aspects of career self-efficacy, none of them was relevant nor appropriate to people who have already chosen their occupational field of choice. The typical scales utilized in assessing career self efficacy are generalized across occupations and not relevant to someone who was already employed in a profession. The purpose of the present study was to develop a new scale, Medical Tasks Self-Efficacy (MTSE), to measure the self-efficacy beliefs of a specific employed population toward their occupational tasks. The analysis of the MTSE was conducted using respondents (N=307) of medical professionals, specifically physicians and nurses. The reliability and validity of the scale was analyzed through four phases of scale development.Phase one consisted of item development which included the generation of an item pool from special occupational books and interviews with medical professionals (N=8). Additional experts (N=3) in scale construction were also consulted during this phase. Thirty-two items were developed originally and then, through consultation, reduced to 27 items. Phase two involved a pilot study with respondents from various medical settings in the midwest (N=34). The pilot study helped to provide preliminary reliability information and to modify the necessary demographic information. One more item was dropped from the scale during this phase and thus the revised MT SE consisted of 26 items.Phase three consisted of a major investigation (N=209) to test the initial factor structure of the MTSE and to examine the internal consistency. Using a principal components extraction, the MTSE yielded a two factor solution which seemed to best fit the data both in terms of statistical configuration and theoretical soundness. Factor One constituted tasks involving “medical content competencies" and held an alpha coefficient of .93. Factor Two constituted tasks involving "interpersonal process competencies" and held an alpha coefficient of .87.The fourth and final phase (N=64) was conducted to test the convergent and discriminant validity of the scale and to examine the test-retest reliability. Convergent and discriminant validity were tested using the Task Specific Occupational Self-Efficacy Scale (TSOSS) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The MTSE was hypothesized to demonstrate convergent validity with the TSOSS. Both factors of the MTSE were significantly correlated with the overall TSOSS, and additionally correlated with the four factors of the TSOSS, with one exception. Only Factor Two ("interpersonal process competencies") of the MTSE did not correlate significantly with factor four of the TSOSS. The BDI was used to test discriminant validity. The BDI did not correlate significantly with either of the factors of the MT SE. Thus, the MTSE demonstrated both convergent and discriminant validity with the instruments utilized in this study. The two-week test-retest correlation was .80, additionally demonstrating a stable reliability estimate in the MT SE. Limitations and implications for future research of the MT SE were provided.<br>Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

I vårt arbete har vi studerat hur pedagoger på förskolan arbetar med sagor för att främja barnens språkutveckling. I den första delen har vi beskrivit forskningsbakgrund. Där tar vi olika forskares synpunkter och åsikter om hur sagan användas för att utveckla barnens språk. Vi beskrev syftet med vårt arbete och bestämde problematiken som vi skulle arbeta med. I den andra delen redovisade vi vårt resultat utifrån våra genomförda intervjuer. Vi har använt oss av intervjuer för att få svar på de frågorna som vi var intresserade av. Vi besökte tre förskolor i två olika kommunen och intervjuade fyra förskollärare där. Vi ville få svar på frågorna i vilket syfte används sagan i förskolan, hur pedagoger arbetar med sagan och om sagan anses som ett viktigt hjälpmedel för att främja barnens språkutveckling. Vi samlade allt informationer från intervjuer, diskuterade och analyserade den. Informationen använde vi i vårt arbete.Sammanställningen av intervjuer visar att pedagogerna arbetar med sagan på olika sätt och använder sagan med olika syften, men alla är medvetna om att detta arbete främjar barnens språkutveckling. Förskollärarna påstår att samtal, diskussion efter läsning har en stor vikt. Stor roll spelar också bokval, bokutställning på avdelning och läsmiljön i allmänhet. Pedagogerna poängterar att en bra läsare spelar en stor roll och är som en förbild för barnen. Förskollärare tycker att använda kroppsspråk, varierar tonläget, visa bilder är ett betydelsefullt moment för barnens språkutveckling. Pedagogerna arbetar med sagan ett tema eller med enskilda sagor. Förskollärarna visade vad de är bra på och vad de ville förbättra i sitt arbete.Två av pedagogerna som hade intervjuer upptäckte att det var nyttigt att svara på våra frågor för att de fick tänka mer om hur man arbetar med sagor, fick analysera sitt arbete och hittade området som de skulle ändra eller förbättra.

The influent to a water and resource recovery facility (WRRF) generally exhibits significant diurnal variations in flow rate and load concentration. This makes determining the operating parameters and subsequently the overall operation of plants difficult, especially in developing countries due to the lack of highly skilled operators. Hence, there is an incentive for the control and operation of WRRFs in developing countries to be improved. Flow equalization tanks were identified as a potential method to attenuate the diurnal variations in flow rate and load concentration into plants. The main aim of this research was to develop a viable dynamic simulation model for the operation of flow equalization tanks, within a plant-wide framework (to allow for the evaluation of design and control strategies). The next aim was to determine the benefits of equalization tanks towards design and optimised operation of future WRRFs via scenario analyses. Finally, the effects of the equalization tank on the performance of various unit processes in a WRRF were to be investigated. The model was developed in three steps; i) the development of the required equations to model equalization tanks, ii) mass balance throughout the model for internal consistency and iii) scenario analyses to determine if the model generated reasonable and scientifically sound outputs. The model was developed using Microsoft Excel Visual Basic (VBA) and WEST®. Two scenarios were considered to assess the equalization tank modelled. Scenario One involved the comparison of the capital cost, unit process sizes and total footprint of a balanced sludge age Modified Ludzack-Ettinger (MLE) system with and without an equalization tank. Scenario Two compared the plant performance of the MLE system designed in Scenario One with and without a flow equalization tank. A dynamic simulation model replicating equalization tanks was successfully developed. From scenario analyses, it was determined that using an MLE system and only considering equalization of flow, there was a reduction in the size of several unit processes by 8-9% (primary settling tank, biological reactors, secondary settling tank, flotation unit, anoxic-aerobic digester), due to the less conservative design values that could be used as the variations of the influent were decreased. Despite this, a 13% overall increase in the footprint of the WRRF was observed due to the addition of the equalization tank. The attenuation of diurnal flow variations also resulted in reduction of various plant parameters by up to 50% (flow, OUR, VSS flux). Finally, there was a 10% improvement in the performance of various unit processes due to the presence of the equalization tank. In conclusion, the inclusion of equalization tanks in WRRFs has significant positive effects. These results were obtained with equalization of flow only. Some other limitations were experienced during the project resulting in the following recommendations: further research will be needed to validate and calibrate the model, As the model was not successfully incorporated in a plant-wide framework, further developments in that direction are required, as well as including the equalization of load in the model.

Hydraulic tanks have a variety of different tasks. The have to store the volume of oil needed for asymmetric actors in the system as well as to supply the system with preconditioned oil. This includes the deaeration as air contamination is affecting the overall system performance. The separation of the air in the tank is being realized mainly by passive methods, improving the guidance of the air and oil flow. The use of CFD models to improve the design of hydraulic tank is recently often discussed. In this paper, a design method for hydraulic tanks using CFD is presented and discussed. First the different requirements on a hydraulic tank are described as well as the motivation changing the tank designs. Additionally, a quick overview on different calculation models for the behavior of air in oil as well as the capabilities of CFD to reproduce them is given. After this the methodology of tank design applying CFD is presented. The method is then used in an example.

Estimation of antemortem body weight is difficult to ascertain from skeletal material. In this analysis, I examine 49 right tali. T-tests run on right and left tali from the same sample show no significant differences between the two sides. Incorporation of data from various individuals, including both males and females, allows for the statistical assessment obtained through Pearson's correlation coefficient between estimated antemortem body weight and 21 measurements conducted on the surface of the talus. All correlations ranged from R = -.1706 to +.4811, suggesting no strong relationship between estimated antemortem body weight and variables utilized in this analysis. A multiple regression was applied and provided an adjusted R square of +.2150. This suggests the measurements incorporated into the statistical run only accounted for twenty-one percent of the total variance in estimated body weight. The surface anatomy of the talus relates more to an interplay between form and function than to weight-bearing.

[EN] Model-Driven Development (MDD) promotes models as the cornerstone in the software development process, thereby displacing source code as the development process's main feature. Although this model-centric schema claims advantages over traditional software development (e.g., the code could be automatically generated from the models), it does not have the level of adoption that has been expected. The literature review reveals a broad agreement in the fact that end-users may develop and adapt systems themselves but the complexity in modeling standards and the lack of modeling skills prevents their active involvement in modeling tasks of existing MDD processes. To overcome this, end-users should be provided with different modeling languages that use concepts, which fit their particular skills, context and needs. This challenge is the main goal of this thesis, which is addressed by combining the End-user Development and the Model-Driven Development fields. This work starts with the involvement of end-users into the modeling tasks using a tool-supported visual modeling language that allows end-users to select and customize system features of pervasive systems using closer concepts for them. Afterwards, this thesis shows the necessity of enriching existing MDD processes for supporting the development of a new generation of software systems (e.g., smart health) that require expertise in a variety of domains. Consequently, different types of users (e.g., scientists, engineers and end-users) must actively participate in the description of model fragments that depend on their expertise using a different modeling language. Thus, users are able to collaborate to obtain a unified system description. At this point, it becomes necessary to provide mechanisms that transforms models fragments from one modeling language to another, delimits which model fragments are described by a different user, and integrates those model fragments. To provide this, the presented approach encompasses variability management in a novel way to enable collaborative modeling by supporting both the selection of model fragments of the system that may be described using a different modeling language, and the integration of those model fragments once they are described. Furthermore, interoperability mechanisms bridge two different modeling languages in a non-intrusive way with the structure of models by transforming the description of gaps. Thus, our proposal could enrich models of existing MDD processes with model fragments that have been described using a different modeling language, which could make users feel confident to adopt models for describing domain-specific content and could help to adopt MDD processes. The proposal has been validated in three case studies from different levels of complexity and domains: smart home systems, web information systems, and biomechanical protocols. The results have proven the applicability and feasibility of our approach to actively involve different types of users (end- users with software professionals, domain experts with software development experts, and doctors with biomedical engineers, respectively) in model descriptions of existing MDD processes using a different modeling language.<br>[ES] En el Desarrollo de Software Dirigido por Modelos (DSDM) los modelos son la piedra angular del proceso de desarrollo de software, desplazando así al código fuente como artefacto principal. Aunque este enfoque centrado en modelos ofrece ventajas sobre el desarrollo de software tradicional (por ejemplo, la generación de código de forma automática a partir de los modelos) no tiene el nivel de adopción esperado. La literatura científica revela un amplio acuerdo en el hecho de que los usuarios finales puedan ellos mismos desarrollar y adaptar los sistemas pero la complejidad de los estándares de modelado y la carencia de habilidades de modelado impide su participación activa en procesos DSDM existentes. Para lograrlo, los usuarios finales deben disponer de lenguajes de modelado diferentes con conceptos adaptados a sus habilidades, contexto y necesidades. Este desafío es el objetivo principal de esta tesis que se aborda combinando las ideas del desarrollo orientado al usuario final y el DSDM. Este trabajo comienza involucrando usuarios finales en tareas de modelado con una herramienta que les proporciona un lenguaje de modelado visual para seleccionar y personalizar características de un sistema pervasivo utilizando conceptos familiares para ellos. Después, esta tesis motiva la necesidad de enriquecer procesos de DSDM existentes para soportar el desarrollo de una nueva generación de sistemas software (por ejemplo, salud inteligente) que requieren conocimientos especializados en una variedad de dominios. Consecuentemente, diferentes tipos de usuarios (por ejemplo, científicos, ingenieros y usuarios finales) deben participar activamente en la descripción de fragmentos de modelos que dependen de su experiencia utilizando un lenguaje de modelado diferente. De este modo, los usuarios pueden colaborar para obtener una descripción del sistema unificada. En este punto, es necesario proporcionar mecanismos que transformen e integren los fragmentos de un lenguaje de modelado a otro y delimiten qué fragmentos se describen por un usuario diferente. Para proporcionar esto, la propuesta presentada utiliza la gestión de variabilidad de forma novedosa para permitir modelado colaborativo seleccionando fragmentos de un modelo del sistema que pueden ser descritos utilizando un lenguaje de modelado diferente y, la integración de esos fragmentos una vez que hayan sido descritos. Además, la propuesta utiliza mecanismos de interoperabilidad para conectar dos lenguajes de modelado diferentes transformando la descripción de los fragmentos de una manera no invasiva con su estructura. Por tanto, nuestra propuesta puede enriquecer los modelos de procesos DSDM existentes con fragmentos de modelos que han sido descritos con un lenguaje diferente y esto, podría hacer que los usuarios se sientan seguros al adoptar modelos para describir contenido de dominio específico y podría ayudar a adoptar procesos DSDM. La propuesta ha sido validada en tres casos de estudio con diferentes niveles de complejidad y dominios: sistemas para el hogar inteligente, sistemas de información web y protocolos biomecánicos. Los resultados han demostrado la aplicabilidad y viabilidad de nuestra propuesta para involucrar diferentes tipos de usuarios (usuarios finales con profesionales de software, expertos en el dominio con expertos en desarrollo de software y, médicos con ingenieros biomédicos, respectivamente) en descripciones de modelos de procesos DSDM existentes utilizando un lenguaje de modelado diferente.<br>[CAT] En el Desenvolupament de Programari Dirigit per Models (DPDM) els models són la pedra angular del procés de desenvolupament de programari, desplaçant així al codi font com a artefacte principal. Encara que aquest enfocament centrat en models ofereix avantatges sobre el desenvolupament de programari tradicional (per exemple, la generació de codi de forma automàtica a partir dels models) no té el nivell d'adopció esperat. La literatura científica revela un ampli acord en el fet que els usuaris finals puguen ells mateixos desenvolupar i adaptar els sistemes però la complexitat dels estàndards de modelatge i la falta d'habilitats de modelatge impedeix la seua participació activa en processos DPDM existents. Per a aconseguir-ho, els usuaris finals han de disposar de llenguatges de modelatge diferents amb conceptes adaptats a les seues habilitats, context i necessitats. Aquest desafiament és l'objectiu principal d'aquesta tesi que s'aborda combinant les idees del desenvolupament orientat a l'usuari final i el DPDM. Aquest treball comença involucrant usuaris finals en tasques de modelatge amb una eina que els proporciona un llenguatge de modelatge visual que permet als usuaris finals seleccionar i personalitzar característiques d'un sistema pervasiu utilitzant conceptes familiars per a ells. Després, aquesta tesi motiva la necessitat d'enriquir processos de DPDM existents per a suportar el desenvolupament d'una nova generació de sistemes programari (per exemple, salut intel¿ligent) que requereixen coneixements especialitzats en una varietat de dominis. Conseqüentment, diferents tipus d'usuaris (per exemple, científics, enginyers i usuaris finals) han de participar activament en la descripció de fragments de models que depenen de la seua experiència utilitzant un llenguatge de modelatge diferent. D'aquesta manera, els usuaris poden col¿laborar per a obtenir una descripció del sistema unificada. En aquest punt, és necessari proporcionar mecanismes que transformen i integren els fragments d'un llenguatge de modelatge a un altre i delimiten quins fragments es descriuen per un usuari diferent. Per a proporcionar açò, la proposta presentada utilitza la gestió de variabilitat de forma nova per a permetre modelatge col.laboratiu seleccionant fragments d'un model del sistema que poden ser descrits utilitzant un llenguatge de modelatge diferent i, la integració d'aqueixos fragments una vegada que hagen sigut descrits. A més, la proposta utilitza mecanismes d'interoperabilitat per a connectar dos llenguatges de modelatge diferents transformant la descripció dels fragments d'una manera no invasiva amb la seua estructura. Per tant, la nostra proposta pot enriquir els models de processos DPDM existents amb fragments de models que han sigut descrits amb un llenguatge diferent i açò, podria fer que els usuaris se senten segurs en adoptar models per a descriure contingut de domini específic i podria ajudar a adoptar processos DPDM. La proposta ha sigut validada en tres casos d'estudi amb diferents nivells de complexitat i dominis: sistemes per a la llar intel¿ligent, sistemes d'informació web i protocols biomecànics. Els resultats han demostrat l'aplicabilitat i viabilitat de la nostra proposta per a involucrar diferents tipus d'usuaris (usuaris finals amb professionals de programari, experts en el domini amb experts en desenvolupament de programari i, metges amb enginyers biomèdics, respectivament) en descripcions de models de processos DPDM existents utilitzant un llenguatge de modelatge diferent.<br>Pérez Pérez, MF. (2015). Achieving non-intrusive interoperability between models for involving users in modeling tasks [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/58429<br>TESIS

This research is aimed at the development and application of an immersive virtual reality environment (IVE) for performing assembly and maintenance simulations using the Jack® software package. The Flock of Birds™ motion tracking system is used to capture body postures of an immersed human and reproduce it in real-time in the virtual environment. The Cyberglove™ is used to capture finger movements in real-time for realistic grasp interaction. A comprehensive set of voice commands has been developed to provide significant functionality to allow one person to control the virtual environment while immersed in the environment, thereby improving ease of use and productivity. One of the most important applications is a method by which the immersed human can walk and fly through the virtual environment, thereby greatly expanding the envelope of the virtual environment navigable under the constraints imposed by the limited tracking volume. These capabilities have been used to investigate assembly simulation of the windshield deicer of a Cessna aircraft. After accomplishing successful improvement in fine tuning of the capabilities developed for VR, we aimed at employing the applicability of VR in field of ergonomics. Improvements include improving the ease of use of the capabilities developed so far as well as implementing new types of grasping, etc. One topic of research is the fidelity of the virtual environment in capturing and mapping immersed user postures on to digital humanoids. Different sensor configurations were being analyzed and multiple operators were used to arrive at the general conclusions and recommendations to maximize the accuracy of the postures. We are also implementing certain developments to enable an immersed user to experience the reach, visibility and ergonomics that are experienced by operators of different sizes for any given design of tooling and operations. The motions performed by the immersed operator were mapped to humanoids representing standard operators such as 5th, 50th or 95th percentile males and the postures adopted are subjected to ergonomic analysis.<br>Thesis (Ph.D.)--Wichita State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Development of the spinal cord involves coordination between exposure to localized extracellular signals and controlled activation of intracellular signaling pathways. This way, neuroepithelial cells firstly proliferate apically to increase the progenitor pool and, later on, initiate neurogenic divisions giving rise to a variety of neuronal cell types. Class IA PI3Ks are heterodimeric enzymes (catalytic+regulatory subunits) activated by receptors tyrosine kinase (RTKs) or G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) that, upon extracellular stimuli, modulate diverse target proteins through local production of PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 lipids. Vertebrates express three Class IA catalytic subunits (p110-alpha, p110-beta, and p110-delta), all important for the development of the central nervous system. However, it is unclear to what extent these p110-alpha isoforms have overlapping or distinct biological roles, and what exact functions they hold in neural development. Analysis of PI3Kalpha (p110-alpha-alpha+regulatory subunit) expression in the embryonic spinal cord revealed abundant mRNA and protein levels in cycling progenitors followed by restriction of PI3K-alpha exclusively to differentiating neurons. To examine the role of PI3K-alpha in progenitors and neurons, we interfered with normal PI3K-alpha regulation by expressing active mutants or knocking down of p110-alpha-alpha in the chicken neural tube. Loss of p110-alpha resulted in high apoptotic rates in both progenitors and neurons, sustaining a role for PI3K-alpha in neural survival as seen in other studies. Instead, uncontrolled upregulation of PI3K-alpha activity resulted in severely disrupted neural tubes, with abnormal cell masses in the luminal face of the neuroepithelium and ectopic mitosis. Additionally, we observed alterations in the neural lamination characterized by basement membrane breaches followed by enhanced neural migration and misoriented axonal growth. A thorough analysis of the tissue unveiled loss of polarity as the main cellular mechanism driving the luminal structural aberrations, suggesting a major role of PI3K-alpha in neuroepithelial apico basal polarity. Moreover, the rescue of the depolarization phenotype with a dominant negative form of RhoA proposes local regulation of the Rho family of small GTPases as the molecular mechanism responsible for the PIP3 dependent regulation of adherens junction dynamics. Alternatively, we found the neural overmigration caused by excess of PI3K-alpha activity explained by increased basal accumulation of PIP3, leading to actin based membrane protrusions and basement membrane breaches. Coherently, when we assessed the neural positioning after p110-alpha knock down, we detected neurons inserted in the proliferative layer and reduction of the neuronal cytoskeletal component beta III tubulin, suggesting that PI3K-alpha also modulates morphological maturation and apico basal positioning of differentiating neurons. Interestingly, PIP3 induced overmigration seemed to be carried out through local activation of other two members of the Rho GTPases, Cdc42 and Rac1. These results shed some light upon the PI3K-alpha/PIP3 specific roles during early neural tube development, stressing out its function in cell polarity. Furthermore, we propose a mechanism that may partially explain how the PI3K-alpha /PIP3 signaling is able to control different types of polarity corresponding to different developmental moments. This could help to understand the initial events leading to some neurodevelopmental disorders caused by hyperactivation of PI3K signaling.<br>El desarrollo de la médula espinal requiere una fina coordinación entre señales extracelulares y la activación de vías intracelulares específicas. De este modo se da una primera fase de proliferación de las células neuroepiteliales en la zona apical para aumentar el número de progenitores y una segunda fase de neurogénesis, a partir de la cual se originan diferentes tipos de neuronas. La clase IA de las PI3Ks se encuentra implicada en la transducción de señales a través de receptores tirosina quinasa (RTKs) o receptores acoplados a proteínas G (GPCRs). En respuesta a estímulos extracelulares, controlan la actividad de distintas proteínas diana a través de la producción local de lípidos PtdIns(3,4,5)P3. La clase IA de las PI3Ks, formada por enzimas heterodiméricas, consta de tres tipos de subunidades catalíticas (p110-alfa, p110-beta y p110-delta). Todas ellas son importantes para el desarrollo del sistema nervioso, sin embargo no están claras las funciones específicas de cada isoforma. El análisis de la expresión de PI3K a nivel de RNAm y proteína en la médula espinal embrionaria reveló una expresión diferencial según el estadío, siendo alta en progenitores antes de la neurogénesis y restringida a neuronas en estadíos más tardíos. Para estudiar su función en progenitores y neuronas, transfectamos formas activas de PI3K-alfa o suprimimos transitoriamente la p110-alfa en el tubo neural de embriones de pollo. La pérdida de p110-alfa provocó una alta tasa de apoptosis en ambas poblaciones, revelando su importancia en supervivencia. La sobreexpresión de la PI3K-alfa activa, en cambio, generó disrupciones muy severas del tejido neural caracterizadas por la presencia de masas celulares en la pared ventricular y mitosis ectópicas. En el lado basal, se observaron alteraciones en la laminación neuronal con células atravesando la lámina basal y crecimiento axonal aberrante. Nuestros resultados apuntan hacia la pérdida de polaridad como la principal causa de las aberraciones estructurales apicales, indicando que la PI3K-alfa tiene una función en la regulación de la polaridad apico basal. Asimismo, la PI3K-alfa parece implicada en la maduración del citoesqueleto neural y en el posicionamiento de las neuronas en el eje apico basal, funciones parcialmente mediadas por miembros de las Rho GTPasas.

<p> This study examines proposals made during planning talk&mdash;a speech act that has received little attention in previous literature&mdash;to determine the applicability of the stages of second language (L2) pragmatic development posited by Kasper and Rose (2002). Although Kasper and Rose suggest that formulas play a prominent role in L2 pragmatic development, few studies have considered the applicability of their stages to a non-formulaic speech act. The current study investigated proposal production in the planning talk of 69 participants: 46 learners of Spanish enrolled at five levels of instruction in a seven-week Spanish immersion program, 12 native Spanish speaking instructors in the same program, and 11 native English speaking undergraduate students at the same institution enrolled during the academic year. The L2 learners worked in groups of two or three as they planned three different role-plays during the seventh week of instruction. The native speakers met with the researcher in groups of two or three to complete the same role-plays in their first language (L1). A total of 1809 proposals and 351 supporting moves were produced in approximately four hours of planning talk. Analysis of transcriptions focused on the realization of the head-act strategies, deictic centering, internal and external modification, and the influence of the conversational context on the production of proposals. Results of this cross-sectional analysis suggest that learners do not pass through a formulaic stage when producing proposals in planning talk. The results also suggest that the learners' production of proposals exhibits a u-shaped curve as they adhere to L1 English norms at intermediate levels of proficiency before reflecting L1 Spanish norms at more advanced levels of instruction. L1 English influence was observed in the level of directness of the head-act strategies, the use of deictic centering, internal and external modification, and the influence of the conversational context. Results point to a new framework involving three universal stages of L2 pragmatic development in which L1 influence and pragmatic expansion are more salient. </p>

This thesis seeks to contribute to a theory of 'television literacy' - that is, of the understandings and competencies children employ in interpreting and using the medium - which is both social and developmental. The main focus of the research is on the way s in which these competencies are mobilised and defined in small-group talk. The data are drawn from a series of interviews with a core sample of ninety children in three different age groups, aged between seven and twelve. The groups were varied in order to provide for systematic comparisons in terms of age, social class, gender and ethnicity. Analysis of the data draws particularly on approaches derived from discourse analysis, and is related to hypotheses raised in previous research, particularly within the fields of cognitive psychology and media studies. The thesis begins with a review of the theoretical paradigms which have been employed in analysing the relationship between children and television, and a critical account of previous definitions of 'television literacy' within educational and psychological research. The second section of the thesis discusses some methodological problems associated with the status and interpretation of small-group interviews in this field. It goes on to offer an alternative analytical framework, which considers the relationships between the content of talk, the subject positions of speakers and the social relations of the interview group. The third section considers children's use of 'higher order' concepts which are the focus of media education, namely those of genre, representation, modality and agency. In each case, the analysis of empirical data is related to a critical review of previous research in the field. In the final section, conclusions and implications for future qualitative audience research and for media education are considered.

<p> The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of classroom-assigned tasks and responsibilities in middle school classrooms. This mixed methods research study focused on perceptions held by students and educational professionals, both classroom teachers and administrators, of the classroom-assigned tasks and responsibilities program in relation to overall classroom environment, overall school environment, and students&rsquo; sense of connectedness to the school. Quantitative data consisted of secondary data obtained from a survey taken by students exposed to the program and students not exposed to the program. Student survey results were compared to determine if a difference of perceptions existed between the two groups. Qualitative data were collected from educational professionals via electronic surveys and face-to-face interviews. Participant responses were documented and analyzed. The quantitative data showed no significant impact of the classroom-assigned tasks and responsibilities program related to students&rsquo; perceptions; however, the qualitative data pertaining to educators&rsquo; perceptions of the classroom-assigned tasks and responsibilities program demonstrated a multitude of positive effects of the program. According to the qualitative data, students exposed to the program exhibited a multitude of positive changes, whereas students not exposed to the program did not exude beneficial changes. The researcher concluded that although the quantitative data could not support the effectiveness of the classroom-assigned tasks and responsibilities program, the qualitative data provided enough evidence to support the validity of the program. </p>

It is generally thought that in amphibians, thyroid hormones (THs) regulate metamorphosis, while sex steroids (estrogens and androgens) regulate gonadal differentiation. However, inhibition of TH synthesis in frogs alters gonadal differentiation, suggesting instead that these two endocrine axes interact during development. Specifically, THs may be involved in male development, while estrogens may inhibit tadpole metamorphosis. However, we do not currently know the mechanisms that account for these interactions, let alone how such mechanisms may differ between species. To develop and test new hypotheses on the roles of sex steroids and THs, I first examined transcriptional profiles (mRNA) of enzymes and receptors related to sex steroids and THs during embryogenesis and metamorphosis in Silurana tropicalis. Tadpoles were exposed to either an estrogen synthesis inhibitor (fadrozole) or TH (triiodothyronine, T3) during early larval or tadpole development. Acute exposures of S. tropicalis to fadrozole or T3 during early development resulted in increased expression of androgen- and TH-related genes in whole body larvae, while chronic exposure to fadrozole during metamorphosis affected gonadal differentiation but did not affect tadpole development. On the other hand, acute exposure to T3 during metamorphosis increased the expression of androgen-related transcripts both in the brain and gonad. In S. tropicalis, the results suggested that cross-talk is primarily in one direction (i.e., effect of THs on the reproductive axis) with a strong relationship between TH and androgen status. Lastly, I established developmental transcript profiles and investigated T3 regulation of brain and gonad transcripts in Engystomops pustulosus. I then compared these results with S. tropicalis and an earlier study in Lithobates pipiens. While each species developed with similar profiles, they differed in their response to T3. Exposure to T3 resulted in either an increase in androgen-related genes (S. tropicalis) or a decrease in estrogen-related genes (E. pustulosus and L. pipiens). In conclusion, these data demonstrated that cross-talk mechanisms differ among these three evolutionary separate species, but in all cases, T3 appears to affect the balance of sex steroids, stimulating the androgen system and providing potential mechanisms of the masculinising effects of THs. These results will contribute to understanding the mechanisms of hormone interactions and their evolutionary basis in frogs.

This thesis examines how playful language functions in the friendship talk of preadolescent girls.By experimentation and manipulation of language, speakers negotiate turbulence to accomplish a variety of actions which highlight the talk-as-play function.The analytical focus is on speaker's negotation of talk in and out of play and non play. The methodology is synthesised from interactional sociolinguistics, ethnographic and Conversational Analysis approaches. Findings demonstrate that alliance building is accomplished in a diversity of forms which contribute to the overall game-like key of preadolescent girls' talk.Findings are relevant to applied linguistic and development psychology.The study offers new insights into the acquisition of gendered language practice.<br>Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The changing landscape of demographics, technology, and diversity in the learning environment is challenging schools around the world to rethink their approaches to the implementation of high-quality teaching practices. Classroom practices are becoming more complex because educators have to ensure that their students are well-equipped with 21st century skills (e.g., Darling-Hammond, 2010; Dede, 2010; Griffin, McGaw, & Care, 2012). Educators, curriculum developers, and school administrators need to be more than experts in pedagogy. They are now required to keep up with current ideas, innovative instructional practices, and the results of a variety of educational reform efforts. Believing that teachers’ beliefs are the most important psychological construct with regard to instructional practices (Pajares, 1992) and that teachers’ beliefs are related to their choice of classroom practices and, ultimately, the students’ performance (Bybee, Taylor, Gardner, Van Scotter, Powell, Westbrook, & Landes, 2006; Staub & Stern, 2002), the author of this study utilizes the international data set of the Teaching and Learning International Study (TALIS) 2013 to examine the associations between teachers’ constructivist beliefs, their self-efficacy beliefs, professional activities, and the school principals’ instructional leadership as related to lower secondary school teachers and principals in South Korea, Finland, and Mexico. These three countries represent the high and low performers in the global index of cognitive skills and educational attainment (Pearson, 2014). An account of their educational practices will provide some insights for stakeholders in school systems across nations. Nevertheless, it is important to understand that each country has unique teaching and learning conditions, and that conclusions reached in relation to such conditions do not apply across nations. A series of hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) studies were performed for the present work to provide evidence-based information with practical implications to school administrators and educational policymakers regarding the development and implementation of leadership programs and teacher professional development. Additionally, an understanding of how the constructivist beliefs associate with the level of self-efficacy and professional activities will assist curriculum developers in higher educational institutions in the development of quality teacher preparation programs for the future teaching workforce.

<p> This dissertation reports on a study of two widely used eleventh grade ELA textbooks for the opportunities they provide students to construct knowledge through writing. Data included every writing task in both textbooks (158 tasks) as well as the corresponding texts. Data analysis focused on (a) how cognitive demand, textual grist, and elaborated communication contribute to the rigor of a writing task, (b) how authentic the tasks are to the discipline of ELA, and (c) how writing tasks position students as intellectual authorities. This study contributes a new approach to determine the quality of ELA writing tasks and a detailed assessment of the writing tasks in the most widely used ELA textbooks. The findings from this study showed differences in the quality of ELA writing tasks types (text-based, non text-based, and creative writing), with text-based tasks ranking the highest quality for cognitively demanding work. Findings also showed that textual grist and opportunities for elaboration in addition to cognitive demand are essential factors when determining the overall rigor of text-based writing tasks (i.e., analyzing text-based ELA writing tasks for cognitive demand alone may inflate the rigor of the task). Further findings on writing task quality describe the level of disciplinary authenticity and intellectual authority contained in ELA textbook writing tasks and why these features are important in determining the quality of ELA writing tasks. The findings from this study suggest the importance of using a disciplinary-specific theory of task quality, including a three-part model of rigor, disciplinary authenticity, and intellectual authority, to assess the quality of ELA writing tasks. Additionally, this study provides suggestions for practitioners including how teachers might revise and supplement ELA textbook writing tasks in order to support student writing.</p>

Children, 12 to 24 months of age, were presented with three tasks: two detour problems and a spatial task. The aim of the study was to assess the performance on each task and to consider the relationship between performance on the two detour problems and the relationship between spatial knowledge and detour ability. The two detour tasks (the lever task and the bent wire task) shared a common feature in that the object rather than the subject had to be moved in the detour. The results of the lever task indicated that age, experimental group (three lever designs were used) and the sex of subjects were influential variables. Analysis of the bent-wire data showed that as hypothesised age was the most important variable, accounting for qualitative and quantitative differences in performance. The results from the detour tasks were discussed with reference to the attainment of skilled behaviour and the relationship between cognitive development and detour ability. Spatial task results indicated that performance was related to age and that the type of error recorded was also related to the age of the subject. The hypothesised relationship between the two detour tasks was not supported by the data. Furthermore, the anticipated relationship between detour ability and spatial knowledge failed to emerge. These results were discussed in relation to the issue of developmental synchrony and the structuralist's view of development.

Protocol: The study reported information from case records of 17 new mothers and their children who received an agency's services. Mother's expectations about their child's accomplishment of four developmental tasks (controlled crying, walking, toilet training and accepting discipline) were compared with mother's practices over a four to five year period.Participants: Seventeen adult women (currently 18 years and older) who were mothers of newborns and who received continuous agency services during a four to five year period agreed to participate in the case record review.Information Handling: When mother's signed release form was returned, the agency made the mother's case record available for selecting information pertinent to the study questions. The investigator focused on the caseworker's anecdotal notes of home visits, written narrative interviews, biannual goal-setting forms, and the Denver Developmental Screening Tests (Denver II) related to the mother and baby.Analysis: Information was grouped around two major themes. One theme was the mothers' expectation statements and mothers' practices about their child's development. The other major theme was the description of the caseworker's informal educational techniques and role modeling of appropriate behaviors.Conclusions: The most common developmental patterns were: Eleven of 17 mothers held expectations about their behaviors related to controlled crying; seven of 17 mothers' expectations matched their child's age for walking; nine of 17 mothers' behaviors didn't match their expectations related to toilet training their child; and seven of 17 mothers' behaviors matched their expectations with regard to accepting discipline.The most common pattern was that the case worker provided appropriate amounts of literature; discussed development, both general and focused, at numerous home visits; administered and discussed developmental testing approximately every six months; referred and coordinated developmental delay treatments; and assist the mother in providing the treatment plans.<br>Department of Educational Studies

The present study investigated the specific temporal progression, from less to more serious, that 5-6 year old children follow in their deviant talk and behavior during peer interaction. To investigate temporal progressions in deviant talk and behavior, the peer interactions of 267 children were videotaped at three different time points (fall, winter and spring) during the kindergarten school year. Each child’s behavior during peer interaction at each time point was coded into several independent categories of deviancy reflecting different levels of severity. Transitional probability matrices describing temporal changes in both the severity and variety of deviant talk were calculated for the transitions from fall to winter, and from winter to spring. Analyses of these transitional matrices indicated at least some systematic changes in the variety and severity of deviant talk over time. A tendency to remain at the same level or to increase in severity and variety of deviant talk over time appeared to predominate over a pattern of regression in the severity and variety of deviant talk. The observed progressions were somewhat larger for boys than for girls, and occurred earlier in the year for boys than for girls. The present study indicates that the exchange of deviant talk or peer deviancy training occurs and is a dynamic social process as early as the beginning of elementary school. The findings support the potential preventive benefits of interventions that target child deviant talk and peer deviancy training well before the transition to adolescence.<br>Thesis (Ph.D.)--Wichita State University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Psychology<br>"July 2007."

This thesis involves an investigation of the value of traditional and self-generated fairy tales for children's educational and emotional development. The study draws on theories of analytical psychology and on models derived from structuralism. An analysis of two Icelandic traditional fairy tales, Golden Tooth and The Story of Princess Pussycat, is undertaken on a psychological and a narrative level. A comparison is made between the narrative structure of the tales and the structure of psychic processes identified in them. The study is taken further with an analysis of eleven fantasy tales generated during a field study by a group of ten to eleven year old Icelandic children. The mode of expression of the tales is also compared to the style, motifs, notion of time, setting, and characters, as they appear in traditional Indo-European fairy tales. The variants of the two traditional fairy tales analysed originate from Fljötshlic' a region in the south of Iceland. A study of the background, upbringing and personality of four women, who shared and brought further the story telling tradition in this area, is undertaken with the aim of throwing light on the nature of fairy tales and their transmission. The study suggests that patterns operating in the process of individuation, that is differentiation, transformation and integration, are embedded in the structure of traditional fairy tales. Furthermore it is proposed that this theory can be expanded to tales of fantasy generated by children of today. It is argued that the manifestation of these patterns in fairy tales embodies qualities that invite a creative operation in the interaction of children's conscious and unconscious psyche, thus simultaneously stimulating their directed and undirected modes of thinking, which is essential for the development of the creative, individual personality

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur pedagoger i förskolan arbetar med sagor som ett hjälpmedel till barns språkliga och emotionella utveckling. För att göra detta har jag använt kvalitativa intervjuer med fem pedagoger på tre olika förskolor. Jag har utgått från det sociokulturella perspektivet i mina intervjuer för att undersöka hur samarbetet mellan pedagoger och barn ser ut i sagoarbetet. Mitt resultat visar att pedagogerna är överens om att litteraturen är mycket viktig för barnens utveckling och att det finns många olika metoder som man kan använda sig av i arbetet med sagorna. Pedagogerna var överens om att man måste variera arbetssättet för att göra sagorna mer levande och därmed väcka barnens intresse för litteratur.<br>The purpose of this study is to examine how teachers in preschool are working with fairy tales as a tool for children's linguistic and emotional development. To do this, I used qualitative interviews with three preschool teachers in two different preschools. I have my base in the socio-cultural perspective in my interviews to examine how cooperation between educators and children appear in the story work.My results show that the teachers agree that literature is very important for children's development and that there are many different methods that you can use in the work of the tales. The teachers agreed on the need to vary the approach to make the stories more vivid and thereby arousechildren's interest in literature.

This study examined correlations between four dimensions of maternal scaffolding, maternal beliefs and values, children’s temperament, and children’s performance and use of self‑regulation strategies on problem‑solving tasks. There are two foci of this study: examining factors that predict the quality of maternal scaffolding, and assessing the relationship between quality of maternal scaffolding and children’s problem solving. Participants consisted of 10 mother‑child dyads in the experimental group and 10 children in the control group. Using a pre- and post‑test design, children were given near and far transfer independent problem‑solving tasks. The experimental group also worked with their mothers on one task during a scaffolded interaction. Maternal beliefs predicted quality of maternal scaffolding, and quality of maternal scaffolding predicted children’s monitoring during the post‑test. Mothers’ scaffolding techniques appear to be related to their beliefs about parenting and educating children, and children appear to learn certain self‑regulation strategies during optimal scaffolded interactions.