Exploring strategies for developing doctorateness: a diagnostic theory-based tool for supervisors’ self-evaluation. In S. Leshem (ordf.), Developing Doctorateness. Symposium

We report here on a diagnostic tool for improving doctoral supervision that supervisors in training at Lund University use to develop strategies for supporting their student’s learning. The tool has been developed by combining two theoretical models, an empirically generated model of orientations to doctoral supervision (Lee, 2008) and a meta-perspective on professional learning (Dall'Alba & Sandberg, 2006), with supervision strategies that has emerged in our study of supervisors in training. In this session we will present the tool and how it has been developed in our workshops for supervisors. Such workshops are mandatory for doctoral supervisors at Lund University and are held across all eight faculties as well as within single faculties. The number of supervisors that has attended is exceeding 500. We will also demonstrate how we use the tool to help supervisors explore their supervision strategies and departmental practices for doctoral education. References Dall'Alba, G., & Sandberg, J. 2006. Unveiling Professional Development: A Critical Review of Stage Models. Review of Educational Research, 76.3. 383-412. Lee, A. 2008. How are doctoral students supervised? Concepts of doctoral research supervision. Studies in Higher Education, 33. 3. 267-281

Efficient Bayesian Optimization for Target Vector Estimation

We consider the problem of estimating a target vector by querying an unknown multi-output function which is stochastic and expensive to evaluate. Through sequential experimental design the aim is to minimize the squared Euclidean distance between the output of the function and the target vector. Applying standard single-objective Bayesian optimization to this problem is both wasteful, since individual output components are never observed, and imprecise since the predictive distribution for new inputs will be symmetric and have negative support. We address this issue by proposing a Gaussian process model that considers the individual function outputs and derive a distribution over the resulting 2-norm. Furthermore we derive computationally efficient acquisition functions and evaluate the resulting optimization framework on several synthetic problems and a real-world problem. The results demonstrate a significant improvement over Bayesian optimization based on both standard and warped Gaussian processes

ANGSD:analysis of next generation sequencing data

BACKGROUND: High-throughput DNA sequencing technologies are generating vast amounts of data. Fast, flexible and memory efficient implementations are needed in order to facilitate analyses of thousands of samples simultaneously. RESULTS: We present a multithreaded program suite called ANGSD. This program can calculate various summary statistics, and perform association mapping and population genetic analyses utilizing the full information in next generation sequencing data by working directly on the raw sequencing data or by using genotype likelihoods. CONCLUSIONS: The open source c/c++ program ANGSD is available at http://www.popgen.dk/angsd. The program is tested and validated on GNU/Linux systems. The program facilitates multiple input formats including BAM and imputed beagle genotype probability files. The program allow the user to choose between combinations of existing methods and can perform analysis that is not implemented elsewhere. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12859-014-0356-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Risk and benefit assessment of herring and salmonid fish from the Baltic Sea Area

This report is an English translation of a report published in Swedish 2011. The aim of this risk and benefit assessment is to determine the public health consequences of 2 different risk management options: a continuation of the Swedish exemption from maximum limits of dioxins/PCBs for certain fish from the Baltic Sea area, or a cessation of the exemption. The assessment is focused on children and women in childbearing age, important risk groups for negative health effect of dioxin/PCB exposure. Possible health benefits of consumption of fish due to intake of long-chain fatty acids EPA+DHA and vitamin D were also considered. About 6% of women in childbearing age is estimated to consume BS herring twice a month or more, which is related to dioxin/PCB intake above the tolerable weekly intake. When scaled to the total Swedish population, this represents about 100,000 women in the ages of 18-45 with high consumption. About 4-5% of children in Sweden consume BS herring once a month or more, corresponding to about 45,000 children in Sweden. Scenario calculations suggest that a continued exemption from the maximum limits for BS herring can, in the worst case, result in thousands of more children and young women exceeding the TWI than would be the case if Sweden had no exemption. For wild salmonid fish from the Baltic Sea area TWI is exceeded at an average consumption of a few portions a month among women in childbearing ages. Among children the TWI is exceeded already at a regular consumption of less than once a month. A cessation of the exemption would not lead to any limitations of the beneficial intake of nutrients, since BS herring and salmon not complying with the maximum limits would be replaced by BS herring and salmon complying with the limits. In conclusion, a cessation of the exemption from maximum limits would be more beneficial from a public health point-of view than a continued exemption

Risk-taking attitudes in the Norwegian population: Implications for the recruitment to the Armed Forces

The presence of risks is a crucial and unavoidable feature of many military contexts and should be recognized by the military in recruitment and skill acquisition. Moreover, the military system is part of the society at large and thus influenced by the general values and norms that exists. This is particularly the case in Norway, one of the few countries left with compulsory military service and the only NATO country with female conscription. The article examines risk-taking attitudes in eight dimensions (ethical, existential, financial, intellectual, performance-related, physical, political, and social) in a representative sample (n=1,000) of the Norwegian population. While significant main effects were found for both gender and age, no differences were revealed among the youngest women and men (age 15-24). The results are discussed in relation to potential implications for recruitment into the Armed Forces.Risk-taking attitudes in the Norwegian population: Implications for the recruitment to the Armed ForcespublishedVersio

Risk-Taking and Sensation Seeking in Military Contexts: A Literature Review

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Risk-taking attitudes and behaviors in the Norwegian population: the influence of personality and background factors

The article presents the results of an investigation where the main purpose was to see how willingness to take risks is distributed in the general adult population relative to socio-demographic background and personality. A representative sample (n = 1000) of the population 15 years and older was interviewed about socio-demographic background, personality type (Big Five, EPQ, Sensation Seeking) and willingness to take risks. We used a new scale containing eight dimensions, covering social, intellectual, achievement, political, economic, physical, ethical and existential types of risk. The results showed that people in general were risk averse in relation to physical, ethical, economic and existential risks but had a balanced bell-shaped distribution of scores on the other risk dimensions. There was a moderate to low positive correlation between all eight risk-taking dimensions except achievement risk versus ethical risk. Males were more willing to take risks than females on six of eight dimensions. Younger were more willing than older to take risks on all eight risk dimensions. Higher educational level influenced risk-taking positively in more than half of the dimensions, not only one’s own educational level but also father’s and even more mother’s educational level. There was a positive correlation with household income on three dimensions. All sensation seeking subscales and total sensation seeking correlated positively with all risk-taking dimensions. There were positive correlations with most risk-taking scales on EPQ’s Extraversion and Psychoticism and Big Five’s Extraversion, Stableness and Openness. Agreeableness and Conscientiousness had negative correlation with several risk-taking dimensions. A logistic regression model, identifying the 25 percent highest scorers on total risk-taking, found that being male and scoring high on sensation seeking were the most important predictors. Furthermore, high scores on the Big Five sub-scales Extraversion and Openness, as well as the Eysenck EPQ sub-scales Extraversion and Psychoticism predicted high willingness to take risks.publishedVersio

A service based estimation method for MPSoC performance modelling

This paper presents an abstract service based estimation method for MPSoC performance modelling which allows fast, cycle accurate design space exploration of complex architectures including multi processor configurations at a very early stage in the design phase. The modelling method uses a service oriented model of computation based on Hierarchical Colored Petri Nets and allows the modelling of both software and hardware in one unified model. To illustrate the potential of the method, a small MPSoC system, developed at Bang & Olufsen ICEpower a/s, is modelled and performance estimates are produced for various configurations of the system in order to explore the best possible implementation