The state of research on folksonomies in the field of Library and Information Science : a Systematic Literature Review

Purpose – The purpose of this thesis is to provide an overview of all relevant peer-reviewed articles on folksonomies, social tagging and social bookmarking as knowledge organisation systems within the field of Library and Information Science by reviewing the current state of research on these systems of managing knowledge. Method – I use the systematic literature review method in order to systematically and transparently review and synthesise data extracted from 39 articles found through the discovery system LUBsearch in order to find out which, and to which degree different methods, theories and systems are represented, which subfields can be distinguished, how present research within these subfields is and which larger conclusions can be drawn from research conducted between 2003-2013 on folksonomies. Findings – There have been done many studies which are exploratory or reviewing literature discussions, and other frequently used methods which have been used are questionnaires or surveys, although often in conjunction with other methods. Furthermore, out of the 39 studies, 22 were quantitative, 15 were qualitative and 2 used mixed methods. I also found that there were an underwhelming number of theories being explicitly used, where merely 11 articles explicitly used theories, and only one theory was used twice. No key authors on the topic were identified, though Knowledge Organization, Information Processing & Management and Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology were recognised as key journals for research on folksonomies. There have been plenty of studies on how tags and folksonomies have effected other knowledge organisation systems, or how pre-existing have been used to create new systems. Other well represented subfields include studies on the quality or characteristics of tags or text, and studies aiming to improve folksonomies, search methods or tags. Value – I provide an overview on what has been researched and where the focus on said research has been during the last decade and present future research suggestions and identify possible dangers to be wary of which I argue will benefit folksonomies and knowledge organisation as a whole

Reasons for developing or exiting business in the primary sector - A study of milk farmers in central-west Sweden

The aim of this research was to study empirically what characterize farms and farmers that choose to develop the milk production at their farms. The background was that several farms have exited milk production, which threatens both goals about rural development and also the activities of the dairies. Based on survey data from 313 milk producing farms in central-west Sweden and structural equation analysis, it was concluded that farms that are accustomed to changes will develop their milk production further. The results also showed that farms which are more dependent on their milk production are more likely to develop their milk production. Furthermore, it was indicated that satisfactory supply of qualified labour stimulates development of milk production, as do location of the farm at a longer distance from common facilities. The results also showed that the farmers who develop their farms have more positive expectations about profitability in milk production and are also less risk averse. Finally, the results indicated that information through trade magazines and similar oneway communication channels are used by those who develop their milk production and that farmers who develop their milk production are those who take actions to evaluate their strategic decisions more seriously.farm management, rural development, strategic decision making, Farm Management, Livestock Production/Industries,

Kan man minska användningen av fungicider med Inducerad resistens?

Potatisbladmögel som orsakas av oomyceten Phytophthora infestans rankas som den mest destruktiva skadegöraren inom jordbruket världen över. Den mest effektiva metoden för att bekämpa potatisbladmögel med idag är en frekvent användning av fungicider. Det kan dels vara skadligt för miljön och människors hälsa men även innebära stora ekonomiska kostnader. Aktivering av växtens egna försvar, så kallad inducerad resistens, kan vara ett miljövänligare och mer hållbart alternativ att bekämpa potatisbladmögel med. ß-aminobutansyra (BABA) , en aminosyra, inducerar växtens försvar och har visat sig effektiv i många växtslag däribland i potatis mot P. infestans. I det här försöket har BABAs effekt i kombination med två olika fungicider, Ranman och Revus testats. Potatissorterna som användes var Bintje (mottaglig) och Ovatio (partiell resistent). Plantorna behandlades med fungiciden och BABA, var för sig samt i olika kombinationer. Bladen infekterades därefter med P. infestans och diametern på lesionen mättes. Resultatet visar att det är möjligt att minska dosen fungicid och ändå få en fullgod effekt i både Bintje och Ovatio. 5 % av full dos Ranman i kombination med 95 % av full dos BABA visade sig vara lika effektiv som när enbart full dos Ranman applicerades. Steget till att använda BABA i odling är dock långt. Fler försök krävs både i växthus och i fält. BABAs effekt i fält kan vara mindre då växtens försvar till en viss grad redan kan vara inducerat. För att se vilka proteiner, kopplade till växtens försvar, som sekreteras i potatisblad efter behandling med BABA utfördes en analys av sekretomet. Analysen gjordes på plantor av sorterna Bintje och Ovatio. Plantorna behandlades med BABA och blad från dessa samt från en obehandlad kontrollplanta analyserades. Resultatet visar att förvarsproteinerna PR-1 och 1,3-ß-glukanas bildas i högre grad i en BABA-behandlad planta jämfört med i den obehandlade kontrollen. Detta visar att en del av BABAs inducering av potatisens försvar sker genom en direkt aktivering och inte enbart genom priming

Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarker Levels as Markers for Nursing Home Placement and Survival Time in Alzheimer's Disease

BACKGROUND: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers are associated with conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease (AD), but their predictive value for later end-points has been less evaluated with inconsistent results.OBJECTIVE: We investigated potential relationships between CSF amyloid-β1-42 (Aβ42), phosphorylated tau (P-tau), and total tau (T-tau) with time to nursing home placement (NHP) and life expectancy after diagnosis.METHODS: This prospective observational study included 129 outpatients clinically diagnosed with mild-to-moderate AD who underwent a lumbar puncture. The CSF biomarkers were analysed with xMAP technology. Dates of institutionalisation and death were recorded.RESULTS: After 20 years of follow-up, 123 patients (95%) were deceased. The participants with abnormal P-tau and T-tau (A+ T+ (N)+) died earlier than those with normal P-tau/abnormal T-tau (A+ T- (N)+) (mean, 80.5 vs. 85.4 years). Linear associations were demonstrated between lower Aβ42 and shorter time to NHP (p = 0.017), and higher P-tau and younger age at death (p = 0.016). No correlations were detected between survival after AD diagnosis and CSF biomarkers. In sex- and-age-adjusted Cox regression models, higher P-tau and T-tau were independent predictors of shorter lifespan after diagnosis. In multivariate Cox models, older age and lower baseline cognitive status, but not elevated tau, significantly precipitated both institutionalisation and death.CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that CSF biomarker levels plateau in the dementia phase of AD, which may limit their possible relationships with clinical end-points, such as NHP and survival time. However, the biomarkers reflect the central pathophysiologies of AD. In particular, pathologic tau is associated with more advanced disease, younger age at onset, and earlier death

Är ett nominellt BNP-mål lämpligt för Sverige?

The aim of this thesis is to analyze the arguments for and against different nominal GDP targets and to answer whether or not such a target might be appropriate for Sweden. My research question reads as follows: Is a nominal GDP target appropriate for Sweden? The theoretical arguments for and against nominal GDP targets have been analysed by conducting a literature study. The conclusion is that a nominal GDP price level target of 5 % might be appropriate for Sweden. It is probable that such a target would counteract bubbles during a boom and speed up economic recovery during recession. In the long run it should not lead to higher inflation. Furthermore it might be easier to communicate since raising nominal GDP does not meet the same resistance as raising inflation. The debate should be intensified and more research about alternative monetary policy rules has to be conducted

Fluid biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease - current concepts

The diagnostic guidelines of Alzheimer's disease (AD) have recently been updated to include brain imaging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers, with the aim of increasing the certainty of whether a patient has an ongoing AD neuropathologic process or not. The CSF biomarkers total tau (T-tau), hyperphosphorylated tau (P-tau) and the 42 amino acid isoform of amyloid beta (A beta 42) reflect the core pathologic features of AD, which are neuronal loss, intracellular neurofibrillary tangles and extracellular senile plaques. Since the pathologic processes of AD start decades before the first symptoms, these biomarkers may provide means of early disease detection. The updated guidelines identify three different stages of AD: preclinical AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD and AD with dementia. In this review, we aim to summarize the CSF biomarker data available for each of these stages. We also review results from blood biomarker studies. In summary, the core AD CSF biomarkers have high diagnostic accuracy both for AD with dementia and to predict incipient AD (MCI due to AD). Longitudinal studies on healthy elderly and recent cross-sectional studies on patients with dominantly inherited AD mutations have also found biomarker changes in cognitively normal at-risk individuals. This will be important if disease-modifying treatment becomes available, given that treatment will probably be most effective early in the disease. An important prerequisite for this is trustworthy analyses. Since measurements vary between studies and laboratories, standardization of analytical as well as pre-analytical procedures will be essential. This process is already initiated. Apart from filling diagnostic roles, biomarkers may also be utilized for prognosis, disease progression, development of new treatments, monitoring treatment effects and for increasing the knowledge about pathologic processes coupled to the disease. Hence, the search for new biomarkers continues. Several candidate biomarkers have been found in CSF, and although biomarkers in blood have been harder to find, some recent studies have presented encouraging results. But before drawing any major conclusions, these results need to be verified in independent studies

No diagnostic value of plasma clusterin in Alzheimer's disease.

There is an urgent need for biomarkers to enable early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It has recently been shown that a variant within the clusterin gene is associated with increased risk of AD and plasma levels of clusterin have been found to be associated with the risk of AD. We, therefore, investigated the diagnostic value of clusterin by quantifying clusterin using an ELISA in plasma from 171 controls, 127 patients with AD, 82 patients with other dementias and 30 patients with depression. We observed similar plasma clusterin levels in controls, AD patients and patients with other dementias, suggesting that plasma clusterin levels have no diagnostic value for AD. There was a slight, but significant, increase in plasma clusterin in patients with depression compared to all other groups tested, which may warrant further investigation

Hur vardagskonsumtionen blev iögonfallande - En studie om premiumisering

Sammanfattning Uppsatsens titel: Hur vardagskonsumtionen blev iögonfallande – en studie om premiumisering Seminariedatum: 2015-05-26 Kurs: FEKN90: Examensarbete på civilekonomprogrammet, 30 högskolepoäng Författare: Oskar Britting och Viktor Hansson Handledare: Annette Cerne Nyckelord: Premium, premiumisering, premiumlivsmedel, konsumentbeteende, personligt varumärke, kommodifiering, iögonfallande konsumtion Syfte: Att utifrån teorier om konsumentbeteende, undersöka rådande premuimiseringstrender, huruvida konsumenter genom vardagskonsumtion av premiumiserade livsmedel kan skapa önskad självbild och bygga personligt varumärke, samt vilka signaler denna konsumtion sänder gentemot konsumentens omgivning. Metod: Studien har genomförts med kvalitiv metod, hermeneutiskt synsätt, samt abduktiv ansats som kombinerar litteratur och teori med, för denna studie, insamlad empiri. Teori: Denna uppsats använder främst teorier om konsumentbeteende, vilka presenteras i fyra områden: premiumisering, Maslows behovstrappa, iögonfallande konsumtion, samt personligt varumärke. Empiri: Empirin är insamlad genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med nio (9) svenska konsumenter som regelbundet konsumerar livsmedel ur premiumsegmentet. Intervjuerna har genomförts på plats bestämd av respondenten, och presenteras i form av citat. Slutsats: Vad som driver konsumtion av premiumiserade livsmedel, är ett behov att visa upp denna konsumtion, och genom detta känna gemenskap, självförtroende, samt att bygga personligt varumärke. Detta byggs genom de signaler som konsumtionen sänder: medvetenhet, framgång och bilden av konsumenten som kännare.Abstract Title: How the Everyday Consumption Became Conspicuous – a Study About Premiumisation Seminar date: 2015-05-26 Course: FEKN90: Master Thesis in Science and Business Administration, 30 ECTS Authors: Oskar Britting and Viktor Hansson Supervisor: Annette Cerne Key words: Premium, premiumisation, premium foods, consumer behavior, personal branding, commodification, conspicuous consumption Purpose: Based on theories on consumer behavior, investigate the current premiumisation trends, whether consumers through everyday consumption of premiumised foods can create a desired self-image, and build a personal brand, as well as what signals this consumption sends to the consumer’s surrounding. Methodology: This study has been conducted with a qualitative method, a hermeneutic view, and abductive inference, combining literature and theory with the responses collected for this study. Theoretical perspectives: This thesis mainly uses theories from the field of consumer behavior, which are presented in four sections: premiumisation, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, conspicuous consumption, and personal branding. Empirical foundation: Empirical data has been collected through semi-structured interviews with nine (9) Swedish consumers, who regularly buy food from the premium segment. The interviews have been held at locations chosen by the respondents, and are presented in quotes. Conclusions: What drives the consumption of premiumised foods is a need to showcase this consumption, and through this get a feeling of belonging, self-confidence and to build a personal brand. This is built by the signals this kind of consumption emits: consciousness, success, and connoisseurship

A Quick Test of cognitive speed is sensitive in detecting early treatment response in Alzheimer's disease

Introduction There is a great need for quick tests that identify treatment response in Alzheimer's disease (AD) to determine who benefits from the treatment. In this study, A Quick Test of cognitive speed (AQT) was compared with the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) in the evaluation of treatment outcome in AD. Methods 75 patients with mild to moderate AD at a memory clinic were assessed with AQT and the MMSE at a pretreatment visit, at baseline and after 8 weeks of treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEI) initiated at baseline. Changes in the mean test scores before and after treatment were compared, as well as the number of treatment responders detected by each test, according to a reliable change index (RCI). Results After 8 weeks of treatment, the AQT improvement, expressed as a percentage, was significantly greater than that of the MMSE (P = 0.026). According to the RCI, the cut-offs to define a responder were ≥16 seconds improvement on AQT and ≥3 points on the MMSE after 8 weeks. With these cut-offs, both tests falsely classified ≤5% as responders during the pretreatment period. After 8 weeks of treatment, AQT detected significantly more responders than the MMSE (34% compared with 17%; P = 0.024). After 6 months of treatment, the 8-week AQT responders still showed a significantly better treatment response than the AQT nonresponders (22.3 seconds in mean difference; P < 0.001). Conclusions AQT detects twice as many treatment responders as the MMSE. It seems that AQT can, already after 8 weeks, identify the AD patients who will continue to benefit from ChEI treatment

Psychometric testing of a Swedish version of the Apathy Evaluation Scale

Background: Apathy, a prevalent and clinically relevant symptom in neurodegenerative disease, is often evaluated by the instrument Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES). However, this instrument has not been translated into Swedish, halting clinical and research efforts. Furthermore, previous studies lack analyses of some basic properties, such as the legitimacy of a total score, or have analysed dimensionality by questionable methods.Aim: To translate and psychometrically evaluate a Swedish version of the AES.Method: The AES was translated, and its psychometric properties were tested in the Swedish BioFINDER study, including cognitively well elderly, and subjects with mild cognitive or parkinsonian symptoms. Psychometric analyses were conducted according to classical test theory (CTT) and aimed to resemble those performed in the English original study by Marin et al. in 1991. Dimensionality was additionally analysed on a matrix of polychoric correlations and parallel analyses.Results: Data indicate that the Swedish AES performs satisfactorily regarding data completeness, scaling assumptions, targeting, and reliability. Principal component analyses (with parallel analysis) of polychoric correlation matrices identified a single component. Convergent and discriminative validity correlations accorded with a priori expectations.Conclusions: The study provides initial support that this Swedish AES performs similarly to the English original, and exhibits acceptable psychometric properties according to CTT, including supported unidimensionality, and may be adopted for use in clinical and research settings.Keywords: Apathy, Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES), neurodegenerative disease, neuropsychiatric assessment, psychometric