The operation of discourse as a motive for critical practice : a Bakhtinian perspective

This thesis offers a Bakhtinian perspective on the operation of discourse in critical practice. Bakhtin's account of the individual's relation to language provides the basis for an examination of the ways in which discourse operates as a constraint upon and motive for acts of interpretation. In this my thesis breaks with the dominant use of Bakhtinian theory in which it is deployed as a means of analysing the operation of discourse in literary texts. In what follows I begin with an account of Bakhtin's sociolinguistics. Having established the theoretical framework for my analysis I move on to characterise the discourses of the heteroglossia in Britain in the period 1900 to 1930. For ease of analysis my account is divided into two sections. In the first of these the discourses operating at the societal level are discussed whilst the second section is concerned with the discourses which operated in literary critical circles at this time. In the third section of this work I offer an intermediate synthesis via an analysis of the operation of the discourses identified in preceding section in the practice of leading literary critics from this era. This section also enables me to offer a fuller account of the various discourses informing critical practice at this time. In the fourth section I examine the criticism generated by Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness in the period 1899 to 1930 and offer a detailed account of the ways in which the discourses identified in previous sections operate as constraints upon the act of criticism. More general works on Conrad from this period are also analysed. In my Conclusion I step back from the minutiae of critical practice and offer an account of some of the problems associated with adopting a Bakhtinian perspective on the processes of criticism. I end with a brief statement of the value of Bakhtinian theory as a basis for critical practice

Organizational strategy, technology and public participation in municipal planning

Research focused on public participation in municipal planning typically seeks to evaluate and improve methods for integrating community input into planning decision processes. Research in the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to enhance citizen engagement includes, for example, visual or geographical forms of engagement as well as approaches for adapting social technologies to public discursive methods. The continued development of social technologies coupled with increasingly large streams of citizen-generated data intensify both the potential and the perils of ICTs in public participation. Direct, real-time citizen communications lies in stark contrast to the increasing noise and information density in citizen communications and municipal data collection, for example. Such trends create dichotomies and emerging complexities that require new perspectives and models for examining the potential and barriers for citizen engagement in municipal planning decision processes. This research advances academic discourse surrounding public participation in municipal government by examining the organizational role and perspectives of municipal leaders. Key-informant interviews were conducted with 23 municipal leaders in Ontario, Canada. The findings informed the development of an inter-disciplinary component model that positions public participation as a strategic imperative. The component model was applied as a framework to generate insights from a second phase of research, namely a survey of municipal leaders across Canada. The survey findings identify broad deficiencies in municipal participatory capacity, as indicated by significant gaps between, for example, municipal leadership vision for an active, informed public in contrast to municipal structures, processes, analyses, and technologies in support of the vision. Finally, visualization methods were used to identify gaps and opportunities in municipal participatory capacity, and to compare the results across different types and sizes of Canadian municipalities. The organizational component model and visualization tools for public participation capacity developed in this thesis illustrate the interplay between structural organizational factors, managerial behaviors, and ICTs related to municipal public participation. These contributions suggest new approaches for municipal planners faced with the challenges of enhancing public participation capacity within their increasingly complex and information-rich contexts.

METRO - The role and future perspectives of Cohesion Policy in the planning of Metropolitan Areas and Cities. Annex II: The role of Metropolitan areas within the EU cohesion policy

This Annex to the final Report presents and discusses in a comparative manner the evidence collected in the nine case studies that have been explored in the framework of the ESPON Targeted Analysis METRO – The role and future perspectives of cohesion policy in the planning of Metropolitan Areas and Cities (Annexes III to XI). More in detail, the document synthesizes and compares the information collected by the various research teams through the application of the project’s analytical protocol and as a consequence of their continuous interaction with the respective stakeholders. The report is organised following the three main policy questions that have been driving the analysis: PQ1 | What role do metropolitan areas and cities play in the development, management and implementation of the European Union (EU) cohesion policy? PQ2 | What is the added value of the EU cohesion policy in the planning and implementation of metropolitan policies? PQ3 | What role does the EU cohesion policy play in consolidating metropolitan governance and cooperation? These questions are answered through the comparative analysis and assessment of the territorial and institutional contexts in which the nine stakeholders involved in the projects are active: Metropolitan City of Turin (CMTo), Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB), Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA), Brno Metropolitan Area (BMA), Metropolitan Area of Gdańsk-Gdynia-Sopot (MAG), Metropolitan City of Florence (CMFi), Métropole de Lyon (MdL), Brussels-Capital Region (BCR), Riga Metropolitan Area (RMA)

An Exploratory Study of Patient Falls

Debate continues between the contribution of education level and clinical expertise in the nursing practice environment. Research suggests a link between Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing (BSN) nurses and positive patient outcomes such as lower mortality, decreased falls, and fewer medication errors. Purpose: To examine if there a negative correlation between patient falls and the level of nurse education at an urban hospital located in Midwest Illinois during the years 2010-2014? Methods: A retrospective crosssectional cohort analysis was conducted using data from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) from the years 2010-2014. Sample: Inpatients aged ≥ 18 years who experienced a unintentional sudden descent, with or without injury that resulted in the patient striking the floor or object and occurred on inpatient nursing units. Results: The regression model was constructed with annual patient falls as the dependent variable and formal education and a log transformed variable for percentage of certified nurses as the independent variables. The model overall is a good fit, F (2,22) = 9.014, p = .001, adj. R2 = .40. Conclusion: Annual patient falls will decrease by increasing the number of nurses with baccalaureate degrees and/or certifications from a professional nursing board-governing body

Promocijas darbs

Elektroniskā versija nesatur pielikumusPromocijas darba mērķis ir sniegt skaidru priekšstatu par bezvadu sensoru tīklu testgultnes platformu izmantošanu un funkcionalitāti, analizēt, kādi testgultnes platformu uzlabojumi ir nepieciešami lai atbalstītu bezvadu sensoru tīklu pētniecību un izstrādi līdz 7. tehnoloģiju gatavības līmenim, kā arī izstrādāt un novērtēt identificētos uzlabojumus. Uzlabojumi ir izstrādāti EDI TestBed testgultnes platformai un novērtēti pamatojoties uz pieciem pabeigtiem un diviem vēl notiekošiem reāliem izmantošanas gadījumiem, diapazonā no 3. līdz 7. tehnoloģiju gatavības līmenim. Katram uzlabojumam tiek sniegtas vadlīnijas un prasības, lai to varētu iekļaut jebkurā saderīgā testgultnes platformā. Promocijas darbā tiek definēts termins "testgultnes platforma" un pamatota šī termina nepieciešamība. Atslēgvārdi: BST; IoT; testgultne; testgultnes platforma; pārskats; sistemātiskais pārskats; bezvadu sensoru tīkli; lietu internetsThe aim of this thesis is to provide a clear view of the usage and functionality of testbed facilities for wireless sensor networks, to analyze what improvements to testbed facilities are needed to support research and development of wireless sensor networks up to Technology Readiness Level 7 and to develop and evaluate the identified improvements. The improvements have been developed for the EDI TestBed facility and evaluated on the basis of five completed and two ongoing real use cases, ranging from Technology Readiness Level 3 to Technology Readiness Level 7. Guidelines and requirements are provided for each improvement so that it can be incorporated into any compatible testbed facility. The thesis defines the term "testbed facility" and justifies the need for this term. Keywords: WSN; IoT; testbed; testbed facility; review; systematic review; wireless sensor networks; internet of things

A Conceptual Model using Ambient Assisted Living to Provide a Home Proactive Monitoring System for Elderly People in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The growth in the ageing population is rapidly increasing and their care cost will be a challenging issue in the future. The number of elderly people worldwide (defined as those aged 60 years and older) was 202 million in 1950; this number has since quadrupled to reach 901 million and is expected to triple again by 2100. In particular, the number of elderly people in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is increasing rapidly, from 5% of the total population in 2015 to a forecasted 20.9% by 2050. Clearly, the cost of taking care of elderly people is already a challenge, but it will be very difficult to meet in the future, when it will lead to a much higher expenditure on healthcare facilities. Furthermore, although elderly people are vulnerable to a decline in their health, they do not wish to live as they did in the 1970s to 1990s. Instead, their desire is to live independently in their own homes and continue to practice normal activities. In fact, Saudi culture is changing, and the children tend not to live with their parents as they used to. However, the literature review indicates that there is a lack of professionally designed systems that can fulfil the growing needs or requirements of elderly people in the KSA. These demographic changes raise a number of challenges related to the elderly people’s quality of life, including health, autonomy, care, social communication, and the utilisation of institutional services. These challenges require novel approaches to provide dependable self-adapting technological innovations. The era of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has changed the world of the ageing population. Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) aims to improve the quality of life of elderly people, and to provide them with technologies and services that support their daily activities, help them to live longer and remain independently at home. The aims and objectives of this research are to review Ambient Assisted Living Technology, to provide examples of relevant technologies and applications, and to examine attitudes and perceptions of elderly people towards using AAL technologies in the KSA. This research also explores the factors of AAL, identifying those that affect the adoption of these technologies in the KSA, by conducting a systematic review, and using quantitative and qualitative analyses. The questionnaire results showed that elderly Saudi Arabians are willing and intending to accept and use AAL technologies, and that there are many factors that influence their adoption and use of AAL technologies. This provides an insight for solutions to the provision of support for their independent living. Thus, we developed a conceptual model using AAL to provide a Home Proactive Monitoring System (AALHPMS) that supports the stakeholders in adopting AAL technologies. We envisage that the AALHPMS can fulfil the needs and requirements of elderly people, motivate healthcare providers to implement AAL technologies, and assist the Saudi Government to make suitable provision for issues associated with the ageing population. In addition, a knowledge-based-system was built using a rule-based system. Experiments using Smart watches were conducted to monitor the heart rates. Further experiments using ZigBee, Bluetooth beacons, and surveillance cameras technology were also undertaken for monitoring the movement of elderly persons at their home. A website was also developed to disseminate knowledge related to ageing population and AAL technology in Saudi Arabia

EmC-ICDSST 2019: 5th International Conference on Decision Support System Technology - ICDSST 2019 & EURO Mini Conference 2019 on "Decision Support Systems: Main Developments & Future Trends"

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Journal of Telecommunications and Information Technology

kwartalni

An investigation of the mirroring of supply chain configuration modularity, and product modularity in contemporary supply chains

The introduction of new to market products is a challenge, in high technology markets, where speed and product variation are key considerations. High technology companies require the ability to simultaneously combine operational excellence, customer intimacy and product leadership. A lack of coordination between new product development (NPD), product planning and supply chain configuration (SCC) is a recognised cause of many early-life product failures. This research has one objective: to increase our understanding of the role of modularity in linking SCC and NPD decisions. The research incorporates general systems theory (GST) and knowledge-based theory (KBT), in mirroring product modularity (PM) and SCC modularity (SCCM) within contemporary supply networks. A systematic literature review (SLR) advocates the use of modular design, in linking these concepts and boosting the rate of innovation. The literature indicates that product architecture (PA) and SCC tend to be mirrored in modularity levels, post product launch, and this mirroring is desirable. The literature identified a gap in how SCCM is conceptualised, and how this mirroring manifests itself. These gaps are addressed in the empirical research conducted in project two, where the SCCM construct was developed and used to assess the manifestation and benefits of PM and SCCM mirroring across ten products (UoA) in five case companies across four industry sectors. Mirroring is evident, in six of the UoA, the remaining four UoA exhibit a medium level of mirroring, post product launch. The contribution to theory is a conceptualisation of SCCM where supply chain tiering is a main indicator. Propensity for modules to decouple; early supplier involvement, and a mirrored product and SCC life cycle perspective are the three causal linkages which enable mirroring of PM and SCCM post product launch. The SLR identified the use of co-development (CD), feedback (FC) and feedforward anticipatory control (FAC) at concept design to increase the mirroring of PM and SCCM, post product launch. In project three hypotheses were tested which advocate the use of these mechanisms, and the associated underlying mechanisms were investigated. The findings indicate use of CD and FAC, but a lack of FC, and mirroring support for platform design. The contribution to practice is an intervention framework applied at the concept stage that improves the coordination between NPD, SCC and product planning for new to market products