A business intelligence application for interactive budget processes

Today budgeting occurs in all types of organizations, from authorities and municipalities, to private companies and non-profit associations. Depending on whether the organization is large or small it can look very different. In large organizations the budget can be such a comprehensive document that it is difficult to keep track of it. Furthermore, in large organizations, the budget work starts very early. Thus, an effective budget process could reduce resources, time and ultimately costs. This master’s thesis report describes a budget application built with the Business Intelligence software QlikView. With the application a budgeter can load desired budget data and through a QlikView Extension Object edit the loaded data and finally follow up the work of different budgets. The Extension Object has been implemented using JavaScript and HTML to create a GUI. The edited data is sent to a back-end interface built with one web server and one database server. To evaluate the usability of the Extension Object’s GUI and determine how the budget application works and to get feedback on the Extension Object and its functionality, a user study was performed. The result of the user study shows that the application simplifies budget processes and has great potential to help budgeters and controllers to increase their effectiveness

A business intelligence application for interactive budget processes

Today budgeting occurs in all types of organizations, from authorities and municipalities, to private companies and non-profit associations. Depending on whether the organization is large or small it can look very different. In large organizations the budget can be such a comprehensive document that it is difficult to keep track of it. Furthermore, in large organizations, the budget work starts very early. Thus, an effective budget process could reduce resources, time and ultimately costs. This master’s thesis report describes a budget application built with the Business Intelligence software QlikView. With the application a budgeter can load desired budget data and through a QlikView Extension Object edit the loaded data and finally follow up the work of different budgets. The Extension Object has been implemented using JavaScript and HTML to create a GUI. The edited data is sent to a back-end interface built with one web server and one database server. To evaluate the usability of the Extension Object’s GUI and determine how the budget application works and to get feedback on the Extension Object and its functionality, a user study was performed. The result of the user study shows that the application simplifies budget processes and has great potential to help budgeters and controllers to increase their effectiveness

Reading environments in preschool : Images of reading environments and preschool teachers reasoning when using reading environments to strengthen children's language development.

Syftet med denna studie är att öka förståelsen för hur man kan arbeta med läsmiljön för att stärka barns språkutveckling inom förskolan. De frågeställningar som undersökningen kommer att utgå ifrån är: Hur ser läsmiljön ut på de olika förskolorna? Hur resonerar förskollärare när det gäller användning av böcker för att stärka barns språkutveckling? I förskolans läroplan står det att barnen ska erbjudas en miljö som stimulerar och inspirera till nyfikenhet och nya lärande, “Språk och lärande hänger oupplösligt samman liksom språk och identitetsutveckling. Förskolan ska lägga stor vikt vid att stimulera varje barns språkutveckling och uppmuntra och ta till vara barnets nyfikenhet och intresse för den skriftspråkliga världen” (Lpfö 98 rev 2016, s. 7). Undersökningen utgår från en kvalitativ studie med en fenomenografisk ansats där sex förskollärare på olika förskolor har intervjuats genom en semistrukturerad metod.  Resultatet har grundat sig på förskollärarnas tankar, samt bilder på läsmiljöerna och framförts utifrån respondenternas svar. Svaren har sammankopplats med vad tidigare forskning lyft fram och även det sociokulturella teoretiska perspektivet. Studiens resultat visar att förskollärarnas intresse och medvetenhet, miljöns utformning och placering, böckernas tillgänglighet, utbud och innehåll, barns delaktighet samt läroplan har betydelse för en inspirerande och lärorika läsmiljö vilket kan bidra till att stärka barns språkutveckling

The Linkoping-Lund surgical experience with the HeartMate left ventricular assist system

Four transplant candidates fulfilling the Food and Drug Administration criteria for a permanent left ventricular assist device received a pneumatic HeartMate system as a bridge to heart transplantation. All patients survived and were fully rehabilitated at the time of transplantation, which was carried out 2 to 6 months after the initial operation. There were no major complications associated with the procedures. We are impressed by the effectiveness and safety of the device

Randomized controlled trial of surface peroneal nerve stimulation for motor relearning in lower limb hemiparesis

Objective: To compare the motor relearning effect of a surface peroneal nerve stimulator (PNS) versus usual care on lower limb motor impairment, activity limitation, and quality of life among chronic stroke survivors. Design: Single-blinded randomized controlled trial. Setting: Teaching hospital of academic medical center. Participants: Chronic stroke survivors (N=110; >12wk poststroke) with unilateral hemiparesis and dorsiflexion strength of ≤4/5 on the Medical Research Council scale. Interventions: Subjects were stratified by motor impairment level and then randomly assigned to ambulation training with either a surface PNS device or usual care (ankle-foot orthosis or no device) intervention. Subjects were treated for 12 weeks and followed up for 6 months posttreatment. Main Outcome Measures: Lower limb portion of the Fugl-Meyer (FM) Assessment (motor impairment), the modified Emory Functional Ambulation Profile (mEFAP) performed without a device (functional ambulation), and the Stroke Specific Quality of Life (SSQOL) scale. Results: There was no significant treatment group main effect or treatment group by time interaction effect on FM, mEFAP, or SSQOL raw scores (P>.05). The time effect was significant for the 3 raw scores (P<.05). However, when comparing average change scores from baseline (t1) to end of treatment (t2, 12wk), and at 12 weeks (t3) and 24 weeks (t4) after end of treatment, significant differences were noted only for the mEFAP and SSQOL scores. The change in the average scores for both mEFAP and SSQOL occurred between t1 and t2, followed by relative stability thereafter. Conclusions: There was no evidence of a motor relearning effect on lower limb motor impairment in either the PNS or usual-care groups. However, both the PNS and usual-care groups demonstrated significant improvements in functional mobility and quality of life during the treatment period, which were maintained at 6-month follow-up