Setting the stage – embodied and spatial dimensions in emerging programming practices.

In the design of interactive systems, developers sometimes need to engage in various ways of physical performance in order to communicate ideas and to test out properties of the system to be realised. External resources such as sketches, as well as bodily action, often play important parts in such processes, and several methods and tools that explicitly address such aspects of interaction design have recently been developed. This combined with the growing range of pervasive, ubiquitous, and tangible technologies add up to a complex web of physicality within the practice of designing interactive systems. We illustrate this dimension of systems development through three cases which in different ways address the design of systems where embodied performance is important. The first case shows how building a physical sport simulator emphasises a shift in activity between programming and debugging. The second case shows a build-once run-once scenario, where the fine-tuning and control of the run-time activity gets turned into an act of in situ performance by the programmers. The third example illustrates the explorative and experiential nature of programming and debugging systems for specialised and autonomous interaction devices. This multitude in approaches in existing programming settings reveals an expanded perspective of what practices of interaction design consist of, emphasising the interlinking between design, programming, and performance with the system that is being developed

Peripheral Interaction for Sports - Exploring Two Modalities for Real-Time Feedback

We believe that sports is a domain that would both provide valuable input to the area of peripheral interaction, as well as benefit from peripheral interaction itself. We present two pilot studies on peripheral interaction for cross-country skiing and golf using vibration feedback and audio feedback respectively. We believe the results of these initial studies are encouraging and aim to pursue the concept of peripheral interaction for the sports domain

Beyond representations: towards an action-centric perspective on tangible interaction

In the light of theoretical as well as concrete technical development, we discuss a conceptual shift from an information-centric to an action-centric perspective on tangible interactive technology. We explicitly emphasise the qualities of shareable use, and the importance of designing tangibles that allow for meaningful manipulation and control of the digital material. This involves a broadened focus from studying properties of the interface, to instead aim for qualities of the activity of using a system, a general tendency towards designing for social and sharable use settings and an increased openness towards multiple and subjective interpretations. An effect of this is that tangibles are not designed as representations of data, but as resources for action. We discuss four ways that tangible artefacts work as resources for action: (1) for physical manipulation; (2) for referential, social and contextually oriented action; (3) for perception and sensory experience; (4) for digitally mediated action

Transcriptome Analyses of the Nematode-trapping Fungus Monacrosporium haptotylum

Nematode-trapping fungi are soil living organisms with the ability to infect and kill nematodes. These fungi have developed specialized infection structures, traps for the capture of nematodes. To be able to identify genes in nematode-trapping fungi that are involved in the infection of nematodes cDNA microarrays were constructed. The cDNA microarrays were printed with cDNA reporers obtained from expressed sequence tag (EST sequencing of four different cDNA libraries representing the mycelium and traps of the nematode-trapping fungus Monacrosporium haptotylum, as well as the fungus infecting the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans for 4 h and 24 h, respectively. In total, 8,466 EST seqences were generated from these libraries. Following an assembly of these sequences, 3,518 clones were amplified and printed on the array, 2,822 of fungal, 540 of worm, and 156 of unknown origin. In order to identify genes that are expressed and regulated during the development of traps, total RNA was isolated from knobs and mycelium and hybridized to the cDNA array. In spite of the fact that knobs and mycelium were grown in the same medium a total of 23.3% (657 of 2,822 of the gene representatives were differentially expressed in knobs as compared to mycelium. Several of the genes that were regulated in knobs showed sequence similarities to genes involved in development of plant pathogenic infection structures (appressoria). Typical for trap cells in nematodetrapping fungi is the presence of numerous dense bodies which are organelles related to peroxisomes. The transcriptional profiling of M. haptotylum traps identified one gene representative with homology to the peroxisomal membrane protein Pex11p from S. cerevisiae. This homolog was significantly upregulated in traps (knobs) as compared to mycelium. The Pex11p protein is known to have a role in peroxisome proliferation in yeast. In order to further characterize the M. haptotylum PEX11 homolog, th e full length cDNA was cloned and expressed in the yeast Hansenula polymorpha. The result showed that the M. haptotylum Pex11p could not functionally complement the pex11 mutant of H. polymorpha. In the third study, the changes in the transcripome of M. haptotylum were followed during the various stages of the infection. Isolated knobs from M. haptotylum were used in the infection of the nematode C. elegans. RNA was extracted from the infection samples at four different time-points corresponding to the varoius stages of of the infection (adhesion, penetration and digestion) and was subsequently used for hybridization to the cDNA array. RNA isolated from axenic knobs and noninfected nematodes were used as a reference sample in the hybridization of the cDNA array. In total, 58% (1,562) of the fungal genes represented on the array, were regulated in at least one of the stages of the infection. The most dramatic shift in the fungal transcriptome occurred after 4 h, a time-point associated with the penetration of the nematode

On the classification of ancient slags by microstructure examination

In this paper we will point at the possibilities of using the microstructure of iron-slags for the determination of a possible main type of production process used in early iron-making on a site, where production is indicated by slag remains in suitable amounts. For that purpose, four main types of furnace are presumed and shortly explained with regard to significant process details in heating, ore reduction and slag formation. The resulting slag microstructure is discussed for three of them. The leading structure element for identification is found to be micrograins of metallic iron. Concluding comments on the reliability of the method in comparison to certain calculation methods used by other workers are given in the final part

Establishing a reference interval for plasma fibrinogen in foals

Fibrinogen concentrations were analysed in EDTA preserved blood plasma samples from 34 thoroughbred foals born in 2001 and 2002 at one stud farm. The foals were between 0 and 240 days old at the time of the sampling, and there were 19 fillies and 12 stallions in the group. The foals were examined for clinical symptoms of disease and their body temperature was measured before blood was sampled from the jugular vein. From totally 156 blood samples, 31 were selected as originating from clinically healthy foals, and used to determine a reference range for thoroughbred foals. Samples originating from foals showing clinical symptoms of disease or an abnormal body temperature at the time of sampling, were classified as coming from unhealthy animals. The samples were transported to the Department of Clinical Chemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden. The fibrinogen concentration in plasma was determined using a commercial reptilase method (Fibrinogen Kinetic, F. Hoffmann-La Roche & Co, Diagnostica, Switzerland) and a Konelab 30 analyser (Konelab, Corporation, Espoo, Finland). The number of leukocytes was also determined in all samples (Cell-dyn 3500, Abott Diagnostics, Abott Park, IL, USA). The reference range (mean1.96 SD) for the studied group was estimated to 2.9-6.1 g/L (meanSD, 4.40.8 g/L). Although a small number of animals was used, the frequency distribution (Figure 1) indicated a normal distribution. Similar results were obtained when alternative methods were used to calculate a reference range. The estimated level of 2.9-6.1 g/L for the central 95% of this foal group is higher than the interval used for adult horses (1.8-4.2 g/L) in the present laboratory. This is important to consider when examining foals. A value that is evaluated as increased, may be perfectly normal for foals in general. Among the totally 31 clinically healthy foals, 19 (56%) showed increasing concentrations with age, 3 of them (9%) decreased, while 4 (12%) were unchanged. Sex did not seem to play any big role for fibrinogen levels when the 19 fillies and 12 stallions were compared. The fillies had a wider variation (min-max 2.6-6.3 for fillies, 3.6-5.5 for stallions, respectively), but the means for the two groups were comparable (4.5 g/L for fillies, 4.4 g/L for stallions). Fibrinogen development over time in foals with clinical disease was not thoroughly investigated. However, it seemed that the foals showing evidence of clinical disease, had the highest fibrinogen value at the first sampling occasion. This shows that fibrinogen is a fast reacting acute phase protein indicating an inflammatory reaction already when the owner first discovered signs of disease in this free ranging foals. Interestingly, this survey showed, that the fibrinogen levels of healthy foals did not differ much from the fibrinogen levels in foals with clinical disease. This underlines the importance for the veterinarian to always make a synthesis between clinical symptoms and results of blood analyses, as obviously some of the foals were ill when sampled although their fibrinogen levels were within the calculated reference range

Jogging at CHI

HCI is increasingly paying attention to sports, and more and more CHI attendees are aiming to maintain being physically active while attending CHI. In response, we offer a SIG on the topic of sports-HCI and conduct it in a sportive way: we will go out of the conference venue and jog around San Jose while discussing the role of HCI in relation to sports. The goal is to actively shape the future of the field of sports-HCI

Kvalitet som styringsparameter i kommunale barneverntjenester -hjelpemiddel eller hemsko

Denne oppgaven belyser hvordan kvalitet brukes som styringsparameter i norske barneverntjenester. Dette inkluderer en analyse av hvordan kvalitetsbegrepet defineres og operasjonaliseres, samt en kartlegging av hvordan måling og kontroll av fastsatte kvalitetsparametere gjøres. Oppgaven søker å finne ut av om kvalitet per i dag fungerer som styringsparameter, og eventuelt hvordan kvalitet sikres og kontrolleres, enten gjennom kvalitetsparametere, eller på annet vis. I tillegg vil oppgaven være et utgangspunkt for vurdering av veien videre når det gjelder kvalitetsstyring og sikring innen norske barneverntjenester. Oppgaven tar utgangspunkt i ISOstandardens inndeling i tre konkrete kvalitetsaspekter; prosess, strukturog resultatkvalitet. Oppgaven inkluderer også et skille mellom brukerforkus og kravsfokus. Kvalitet som styringsparameter blir i denne oppgaven sett i sammenheng med styringsprinsipper som blant annet målstyring, og drøftes i lys av prinsipal/agentteori. Utvikling og bruk av kvalitetsindikatorer er i denne forbindelse også et relevant aspekt som belyses. Forskningen har vært gjennomført som et trinnsvis forskningsopplegg, hvor en dokumentanalyse danner grunnlaget for åpne intervjuer med relevante instanser innenfor det kommunale barnevernet. Intevjuene og funnene fra dokumentanalyse samlet har dannet grunnlag for en kartlegging og en analyse av dagens situasjon. Dokumentanalysen har tatt for seg sentrale styringsog kontrolldokumenter fra relevante instanser som Barne, likestillings, og inkluderingsdepartementet, Helsedirektoratet og Riksrevisjonen, mens intervjuer har vært uført med de utførende instansene, altså kommuner og fylkesmenn. Studien er et case study, og er ikke generaliserbar. Dokumentanalysen avdekker en manglende omforent kvalitetsforståelse i norsk barnevern, med mange styringsparametere på prosesskvalitetsnivå. Gjennom intervjuene bekreftes dette inntrykket. I det formelle kvalitetsstyringsløpet var brukerbasert resulatatkvalitet i stor grad fraværende. Imidlertid ble det identifisert, gjennom intervjuene, et parallellt og uformelt kvalitetsstyringsløp, hvor fokuset i mye større grad var på brukerbasert resultatkvalitet. Oppgaven mener å kunne vise at de eksisterende styringsparadigmet som brukes og etterførlges i den formelle sfæren, tilsynelatende ble oppfattet som utilstrekkelig for å sikre kvalitet i de kommunale barneverntjenestene, men at det tomrommet som det offisielle rapporteringssystemet etterlater fylles inn gjennom uformell kvalitetssikring hos utøvende instanser. Med bakgrunn i en diskusjon rundt de utfordringer som er knyttet til å utvikle gode resultatkvalitetsindikatorer, og dagens todeling av kvalitetsstyring, konkluderer oppgaven med at implementering av kvalitetsindikatorer som styringsparameter ikke nødvendigvis vil medføre bedre sikring av kvalitet i norske barneverntjenester. This thesis studies how quality is used as a parameter in Norwegian child welfare services. This includes an analysis of how the concept of quality defined and operationalized, as well as a mapping of how the measurements and controls of specified quality parameters are done. The thesis seeks to determine whether quality currently works as a control parameter, and possibly how is quality assured and controlled, either through parameters or otherwise. In addition, the thesis is a starting point for assessing the way forward when it comes quality governance and quality assurance within Norwegian child welfare services. The basic understanding of quality in this thesis is based on the ISO standard's division of the concept into three specific quality aspects; process, structure and results. this thesis also incorporates a separation between results with regards to the user of the services and results in connections with fulfilling requirements. Quality as a parameter is in this thesis understood in the context of management principles such as balanced scorecards, and discussed in the light of principal/agent theory. The further development and use of quality indicators is also considered relevant in this context. The research has been carried out as a stepwise research project, where a document analysis forms the basis of open interviews which are completed with relevant bodies within the municipal child welfare. Findings from the interviews and the document analysis has been analysed together to form a picture of the current situation. The document analysis has focused on the central management and control documents from relevant bodies of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion, Health Directorate and OAG, while interviews have been with the executive bodies, municipalities and county governors.This research is a case study, and the findings cannot be generalized. The document analysis reveals a missing unified understanding of quality in Norwegian Child Welfare, with many parameters at the process quality level. Interviews confirmed this impression. In the formal quality governance and assurance, the user dimension was largely absent. However, as identified through interviews, a parallel and informal quality governance was in place, with a significant greater focus on userbased quality of results. The existing management paradigm which was officially used and followed in the formal sphere, was at the same time apparently perceived as insufficient to ensure quality in the municipal child welfare services. The void left was thus filled through informal and discretionary quality assurance. Based on a discussion around the challenges related to developing good result quality indicators, and the current dichotomy of quality management, the thesis concludes that implementation of quality indicators as a control parameter not necessarily will entail better assurance of quality in Norwegian child welfare services