From "being to the self" to "become to be": on development of autonomy construction in nursing students

Objective: To understand nursing student's self-consciousness and his/her autonomy in the discipline of fundamentals of professional care in the context of a liberating pedagogical proposal. Methodology. This qualitative, case-based research in the model of Ludke and André involved 14 students participating in the discipline. Data were collected by non-participatory observation and analysis of documents. Field observation was conducted from March to July 2010 and data were collected according to the proposal of Minayo: pre-analysis, exploration of material and treatment of results. Results. We constructed two thematic units of analysis: from "being to the self" and exercise of "become to be". Conclusion. When nursing students feel more liberty, they have the opportunity to substitute the scary prospect of learning something new material to something that motivates their curiosity and leads them to become more autonomous.

Water transfer from São Francisco river to semiarid northeast of Brazil: technical data, environmental impacts, survey of opinion about the amount to be transferred

The transposition of the São Francisco River is considered one of the greatest engineering works in Brazil of all time since it will cross an extensive agricultural region of continental dimensions, involving environmental impacts, water, soil, irrigation, water payment and other multidisciplinary themes. Taking into account its importance, this subject was incorporated into a discipline of UFSCar (Federal University of São Carlos - Brazil) named "Pollution and Environmental Impacts". It was noted strong reaction against the project, even before the presentation. To allow a critical analysis, the first objective was to compile the main technical data and environmental impacts. The second objective was to detect the three most important aspects that cause reaction, concluding for the following reasons: assumption that the volume of water to be transferred was much greater than it actually is proposed in the project; lack of knowledge about similar project already done in Brazil; the idea that the artificial canal to be built was much broader than that proposed by the project. The participants' opinion about "volume to be transferred" was raised quantitatively four times: 2-undergraduate students; 1-graduate; 1-outside community. The average resulted 14 times larger than that proposed in the project, significant according to t-test. It was concluded that the reaction to water transfer project is due in part to the ignorance combined with a preconceived idea that tend to overestimate the magnitude of environmental impacts.

”I expect never to be understood while I live” Ateismi ja ihmisoikeudet Ernestine L. Rosen (1810–1892) ajattelussa

Tässä tutkielmassa käsittelen ateismia ihmisoikeusaktivisti Ernestine L. Rosen (1810–1892) ajattelussa. Ernestine Rose syntyi ja varttui nykyisen Puolan alueella juutalaisghetossa. Varakkaan rabin tyttärenä hän sai juutalaistytöksi poikkeuksellisen laajan koulutuksen, mutta jo varhain hän luopui uskostaan ja myöhemmin julistautui eksplisiittisesti ateistiksi. Lähdettyään kotimaastaan hän matkusti ympäri valistuksen tuulien muovaamaa Eurooppaa, opiskeli ja päätyi lopulta Englantiin, jossa hän tutustui utopistisosialisti Robert Oweniin ja liittyi tämän seuraajiin owenisteihin. Englannista hän muutti vuonna 1836 Yhdysvaltoihin, missä hän teki pääasiallisen uransa universaalien ihmisoikeuksien puolestapuhujana. Hän toimi orjuuden vastaisessa liikkeessä ja taisteli sekä naisten oikeuksien että uskonnottomuuden puolesta. Lähestyn tutkimuskysymystäni ateismin merkityksestä pääasiassa Ernestine Rosen julkisten puheiden ja lehtikirjoitusten kautta. Rosen julkista elämää lukemalla ja kontekstualisoimalla pyrin ymmärtämään sitä, mitä ateismi merkitsi Roselle ja hänen ihmisoikeusajattelulleen. Määrittelen työni uskonnottomuuden kulttuurihistoriaksi. Tarkastelen ateismia elettynä kokemuksena, tapana ymmärtää, jäsentää ja olla osa ympäröivää todellisuutta. Keskeisessä roolissa tutkimuksessani on myös sukupuoli, joka määritti 1800-luvulla Rosen valtaaman julkisen tilan vahvasti maskuliiniseksi tilaksi, kun naisen alueeksi määrittyi yksityisen piiri, koti. Uskonnon ja uskonnottomuuden suhde osoittautui työssäni moniulotteiseksi. Erottautumalla sanoin ja teoin juutalaisuudesta Rose rakensi itselleen ateistin identiteetin, mutta hänen ymmärryksensä juutalaisuudesta erosi kuitenkin protestanttitaustaisten vapaa-ajattelijoiden käsityksestä ja muovasi hänen uskontokritiikkiään omaan suuntaansa. Vahvasti antiklerikaaliseen, mutta uskonnolliseen retoriikkaan nojanneissa reformiliikkeissä hänen retoriikkaansa näyttäytyi myös poikkeuksellisena. Ateismi toi haasteita hänen uralleen, koska naiseuteen kytkeytyi vahvasti ajatus uskonnollisuudesta: uskonnoton nainen oli luonnonoikku ja uhka yhteiskunnalliselle järjestykselle. Samalla ateismista kummunnut näkökulma oli Roselle vahvuus, joka loi uudenlaisia ajattelumahdollisuuksia, jotka kuitenkin kytkeytyivät vahvasti ajan kulttuuriin ja käsityksiin.

Defining of the material models for stainless steels to be used in FE modeling

The aim of this work is to study the results of tensile tests for austenitic stainless steel type 304 and make accurate FE-models according to the results of the tests. Tensile tests were made at Central Research Institute of Structural Material, Prometey at Saint Petersburg and Mariyenburg in Russia. The test specimens for the tensile tests were produced at Lappeenranta University of Technology in a Laboratory of Steel Structures. In total 4 different tests were made, two with base material specimens and two with transverse butt weld specimens. Each kind of a specimen was tested at room temperature and at low temperature. By comparing the results of room and low temperature tests of similar test specimen we get to study the results of work hardening that affect the austenitic steels at below room temperature. The produced specimens are to be modeled accurately and then imported for nonlinear FEM- analyzing. Using the data gained from the tensile tests the aim is to get the models work like the specimens did during the tests. By using the analyzed results of the FE-models the aim is to calculate and get the stress-strain curves that correspond to the results acquired from the tensile tests.

”What an awesome time to be a fan!” ‒ Kokemuksellisuuden muodostuminen Batman: Yön Ritari -elokuvan markkinointiin kehitetyssä ARG-pelissä

Tutkimukseni käsittelee kokemuksellisuuden muodostumista Batman: Yön Ritari -elokuvan markkinointiin kehitetyssä ARG-pelissä. ARG-peli eli vaihtoehtotodellisuuspeli on pervasiivinen peli, joka välittyy osallistujille reaaliaikaisesti erilaisten arkipäiväisten viestimien kautta immersiivisyyttä ja yhteisöllisyyttä korostaen. Vuorovaikutukseen perustuva ARG-peli on kokemus, joka muodostuu yhteistyössä pelintekijöiden ja osallistujien välillä. Tutkimuksen keskeisenä tavoitteena on tarkastella Why So Serious? -pelin kokemuksellisuutta luovia elementtejä sekä pelintekijöiden että pelaajien näkökulmasta. Tutkimusaineistoni koostuu verkkoaineistosta. Käsittelen tutkimuksessani kahta peliyhteisön kannalta merkittävää keskustelufoorumia, joissa osallistujat kokivat ja pelasivat peliä yhteisönä ja yksilöinä. Tutkimusmetodini pohjautuu fenomenologis-hermeneuttiseen metodiin: tarkastelen ARG-pelin kokemuksellisuutta tulkitsemalla osallistujien kirjallisia ilmaisuja ilmiöön liittyvä teoriatausta tukenani. Tutkimukseni on aineistolähtöinen ja etenee kronologisesti. Pelin kokonaiskuvan muodostamisessa olen hyödyntänyt osallistujien luomaa wikisivustoa, mikä toimi pelin aikana sekä informaatiokanavana että peliä dokumentoivana mediana. Vaikka käsittelemäni ARG-peli ei edustanut perinteistä ARG-peliä muun muassa heikon tarinallisuutensa vuoksi, se muodosti osallistujilleen hyvin voimakkaan kokemuksen. Why So Serious? -pelin kokemuksellisuus pohjautui hyvin pitkälti Batman-brändin tunnettuuteen ja populaarikulttuuriseen arvoon sekä nimekkäisiin fiktiivisiin hahmoihin, jotka yhdessä houkuttelivat osallistujia uppoutumaan pelin vaihtoehtotodellisuuteen. Keskinäisestä kilpailustaan huolimatta peliyhteisöt muodostivat jäsenilleen kollektiivisen identiteetin tunteen, minkä lisäksi muun muassa pelin dokumentointi ja spekulointi laajensivat osallistujien kokemusta. Yksilötasolla ensikertalaisuus vaikutti vahvasti pelin muodostamaan kokemukseen: kokemus oli voimakkaampi niille pelaajille, jotka osallistuivat ARG-peliin ensimmäistä kertaa. Why So Serious? -pelistä tuli ainutkertaisuudessaan osa Batman-brändin historiaa, mikä vahvisti pelin osallistujilleen tuottamaa kokemusta. 2000-luvun kuluttaja etsii elämyksiä ja myös markkinoinnin on mukauduttava – sekä uudistuttava – kuluttajien kasvavien vaatimuksien mukaan. Tutkimukseni on yksi esimerkki onnistuneesta, 2000-luvun kuluttajille suunnatusta markkinointikampanjasta.

Office File Formats – What’s to be Done?

Poster at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Training graduate students to be teachers

Pedagogic education of graduate students, when and where it exists, is restricted to theoretical courses or to the participation of the students as teachers' assistants. This model is essentially reproductive and offers few opportunities for any significant curriculum innovation. To open an opportunity for novelty we have introduced a new approach in "Biochemistry Teaching", a course included in the Biochemistry Graduate Program of the Biochemistry Department (Universidade Estadual de Campinas and Universidade de São Paulo). The content of the course consists of a) choosing the theme, b) selecting and organizing the topics, c) preparing written material, d) establishing the methodological strategies, e) planning the evaluation tools and, finally, f) as teachers, conducting the course as an optional summer course for undergraduate students. During the first semester the graduate students establish general and specific educational objectives, select and organize contents, decide on the instructional strategies and plan evaluation tools. The contents are explored using a wide range of strategies, which include computer-aided instruction, laboratory classes, small group teaching, a few lectures and round table discussions. The graduate students also organize printed class notes to be used by the undergraduate students. Finally, as a group, they teach the summer course. In the three versions already developed, the themes chosen were Biochemistry of Exercise (UNICAMP), Biochemistry of Nutrition (UNICAMP) and Molecular Biology of Plants (USP). In all cases the number of registrations greatly exceeded the number of places and a selection had to be made. The evaluation of the experience by both graduate and undergraduate students was very positive. Graduate students considered this experience to be unique and recommended it to their schoolmates; the undergraduate students benefited from a more flexible curriculum (more options) and gave very high scores to both the courses and the teachers.

A priori estimation of accuracy and of the number of wells to be employed in limiting dilution assays

The use of limiting dilution assay (LDA) for assessing the frequency of responders in a cell population is a method extensively used by immunologists. A series of studies addressing the statistical method of choice in an LDA have been published. However, none of these studies has addressed the point of how many wells should be employed in a given assay. The objective of this study was to demonstrate how a researcher can predict the number of wells that should be employed in order to obtain results with a given accuracy, and, therefore, to help in choosing a better experimental design to fulfill one's expectations. We present the rationale underlying the expected relative error computation based on simple binomial distributions. A series of simulated in machina experiments were performed to test the validity of the a priori computation of expected errors, thus confirming the predictions. The step-by-step procedure of the relative error estimation is given. We also discuss the constraints under which an LDA must be performed.

Radial frequency stimuli and sine-wave gratings seem to be processed by distinct contrast brain mechanisms

An assumption commonly made in the study of visual perception is that the lower the contrast threshold for a given stimulus, the more sensitive and selective will be the mechanism that processes it. On the basis of this consideration, we investigated contrast thresholds for two classes of stimuli: sine-wave gratings and radial frequency stimuli (i.e., j0 targets or stimuli modulated by spherical Bessel functions). Employing a suprathreshold summation method, we measured the selectivity of spatial and radial frequency filters using either sine-wave gratings or j0 target contrast profiles at either 1 or 4 cycles per degree of visual angle (cpd), as the test frequencies. Thus, in a forced-choice trial, observers chose between a background spatial (or radial) frequency alone and the given background stimulus plus the test frequency (1 or 4 cpd sine-wave grating or radial frequency). Contrary to our expectations, the results showed elevated thresholds (i.e., inhibition) for sine-wave gratings and decreased thresholds (i.e., summation) for radial frequencies when background and test frequencies were identical. This was true for both 1- and 4-cpd test frequencies. This finding suggests that sine-wave gratings and radial frequency stimuli are processed by different quasi-linear systems, one working at low luminance and contrast level (sine-wave gratings) and the other at high luminance and contrast levels (radial frequency stimuli). We think that this interpretation is consistent with distinct foveal only and foveal-parafoveal mechanisms involving striate and/or other higher visual areas (i.e., V2 and V4).

THE ROLE OF CULTURAL AWARENESS IN BUILDING CHINESE HEALTH FOOD BRANDS Using Netnography in Searching Cultural Arguments to Be Used for Marketing Health Foods in China

Despite the complexity of the Chinese culture consumer product businesses should apply them in building brands for Chinese markets. There are reasons to believe that cultural values and attitudes affect the buying behavior of Chinese consumers. Companies that wish to create brands in China should therefore be aware of the prevailing cultural values and consumer attitudes. This thesis will examine which values and attitudes mostly affect Chinese consumers of health food products. The study will be done by conducting a netnography. Because netnography is actually a collection methods rather than a single method, other auxiliary methods will also be applied. These methods are emotion, language and sentiment analysis (ELS analysis). Emotion analysis will be conducted because cultural values are mostly built on emotional basis. Sentiment analysis will assist in recognizing the key factors that help to locate values and attitudes. Because the netnography will be conducted in Chinese web forums by a non-native researcher, linguistic aspects should also be analyzed in parallel with emotions and sentiment analysis. The study shows that the Chinese consumers of health food products put much importance on functional, analytical and collectivistic attitudes as well as social and psychological values. Of all the twelve cultural values defined, the role of family rose above all. Also perseverance, frugality, guanxi and harmony were highly presented. The attitudes were found by recognizing certain attitude factors. Of all the factors, health foods’ functional benefits and aesthetic content together with consumers’ value consciousness surpassed other factors. Besides these results that can be applied by foreign health food companies willing to enter Chinese consumer markets, also academia can benefit this new approach for conducting ethnographies online.

”The Best is Yet to Be” – Ensimmäisen maailmansodan perustelu ja tarkoitus pastori William Edward Sellersin teoksissa (1915, 1917)

Tutkielma tarkastelee millä tavoin pastori William Edward Sellers perustelee ensimmäistä maailmansotaa kahdessa sodan aikana julkaisemassa teoksessaan. Sellersin tekstit selventävät Britannian nonkomformististen kirkkojen kantaa sotaan. Lisäksi ne toimivat esimerkkinä siitä minkälaisten teemojen ympärillä keskustelua käytiin sodan ajan Britannian kotirintamalla. Tutkielma perustuu Sellersin teoksiin With our Fighting Men (1915) ja With our Heroes in Khaki (1917). Sellersin teokset ovat monin tavoin konventionaalisia käsitellessään sotaa ja sen tapahtumia, hänen teoksistaan on kuitenkin löydettävissä selkeä tarkoitus. Sellersin teosten sanoma on, että sota oli traaginen tapahtuma, jolla oli tärkeä tarkoitus. Sota oli Jumalan tahto ja kristillisen maailman puolustamista. Sodan perustelu ja tarkoituksellisuus nivoutuvat Sellersillä muutoksen ajatukseen. Hänen mukaansa sodassa keskeistä oli sotilaiden laajamittainen kristillinen herääminen ja sen seuraukset. Sota loi uudenlaisia ”oikeita” ja parempia kristittyjä ja uudisti myös kristinuskoa ekumenian kautta. Sodassa tapahtuvat muutokset olivat Sellersin mukaan edellytys sodan voittamiselle, mutta myös tie uuteen maailmaan. Miehen ja uskon uudistuminen oli tärkeää ja tulisi Sellersin mukaan muokkaamaan sodan kautta koko Britannian yhteiskuntaa. Sota oli osa Jumalan suunnitelmaa ja keino Britannian uskonnolliseen uudistumiseen. Sodassa kaatuneet sotilaat olivat välttämätön uhraus tämän uuden maailman puolesta. Tutkielmassa tulee esille, kuinka Sellersin tekstit perustelevat sotaa luoden sille uskonnollisia, fatalistisia ja apokalyptisiä merkityksiä. Tutkielma vahvistaa väitettä konservatiivisten kristillisten tahojen patrioottisesta tematiikasta ja nonkomformistien toiveista laajan uskonnollisen heräämisen suhteen. Se toimii esimerkkinä siitä, millä tavoin konservatiiviset kristilliset tahot toivoivat sodan tuovan muutoksen modernisoituvaan ja maallistuvaan Britanniaan.

Learning to be literate : parental empowerment in early literacy interventions

Considerable research has focused on the success of early intervention programs for children. However, minimal research has focused on the effect these programs have on the parents of targeted children. Many current early intervention programs champion family-focused and inclusive programming, but few have evaluated parent participation in early interventions and fewer still have evaluated the impact of these programs on beliefs and attitudes and parenting practices. Since parents will continue to play a key role in their child's developmental course long after early intervention programs end, it is vital to examine whether these programs empower parents to take action to make changes in the lives of their children. The goal of this study was to understand parental influences on the early development of literacy, and in particular how parental attitudes, beliefs and self efficacy impact parent and child engagement in early literacy intervention activities. A mixed method procedure using quantitative and qualitative strategies was employed. A quasi-experimental research design was used. The research sample, sixty parents who were part of naturally occurring community interventions in at- risk neighbourhoods in a south-western Ontario city participated in the quantitative phase. Largely individuals whose home language was other than English, these participants were divided amongst three early literacy intervention groups, a Prescriptive Interventionist type group, a Participatory Empowering type group and a drop-in parent- child neighbourhood Control group. Measures completed pre and post a six session literacy intervention, on all three literacy and evidence of change in parental empowerment. Parents in all three groups, on average, held beliefs about early literacy that were positive and that were compatible with current approaches to language development and emergent literacy. No significant change in early literacy beliefs and attitudes for pre to post intervention was found. Similarly, there was no significant difference between groups on empowerment scores, but there was a significant change post intervention in one group's empowerment score. There was a drop in the empowerment score for the Prescriptive Interventionist type group, suggesting a drop in empowerment level. The qualitative aspect of this study involved six in-depth interviews completed with a sub-set of the sixty research participants. Four similar themes emerged across the groups: learning takes place across time and place; participation is key; success is achieved by taking small steps; and learning occurs in multiple ways. The research findings have important implications for practitioners and policy makers who target at risk populations with early intervention programming and wish to sustain parental empowerment. Study results show the value parents place on early learning and point to the importance of including parents in the development and delivery of early intervention programs. groups, were analyzed for evidence of change in parental attitudes and beliefs about early literacy and evidence of change in parental empowerment. Parents in all three groups, on average, held beliefs about early literacy that were positive and that were compatible with current approaches to language development and emergent literacy. No significant change in early literacy beliefs and attitudes for pre to post intervention was found. Similarly, there was no significant difference between groups on empowerment scores, but there was a significant change post intervention in one group's empowerment score. There was a drop in the empowerment score for the Prescriptive Interventionist type group, suggesting a drop in empowerment level. The qualitative aspect of this study involved six in-depth interviews completed with a sub-set of the sixty research participants. Four similar themes emerged across the groups: learning takes place across time and place; participation is key; success is achieved by taking small steps; and learning occurs in multiple ways. The research findings have important implications for practitioners and policy makers who target at risk populations with early intervention programming and wish to sustain parental empowerment. Study results show the value parents place on early learning and point to the importance of including parents in the development and delivery of early intervention programs.

Water-power at Niagara Falls to be successfully utilized : its objects, facilities and resources, inducements for manufacturers, etc. /

The lithograph, "General view of lands, tunnel and docks of Niagara River Hydraulic Tunnel, Power and Sewer Company," called for p. [4] in the Index, has been removed and encapsulated, and is shelved separately.

A compressed view of the points to be discussed, in treating with the United States of America : with an appendix /

Appendix: On the conduct of the government of United States towards the Indian tribes: p.[129]-139.

An Act to authorise the stock held by private parties in the Welland Canal to be purchased on behalf of the Province [Welland Canal Stock Bill], 1841

The bill is a proposal by the government to purchase Welland Canal stock held in private hands. The bill was read for the first time on Wednesday 4 August, 1841, and received second reading on 10th August, 1841. One hundred and fifty copies were printed of the bill. This example was addressed to Samuel Street at the Falls of Niagara, by William Hamilton Merritt, September 1841.