Power Explorer – a casual game style for encouraging long term behavior change among teenagers

When it comes to motivating teenagers towards energy awareness, new approaches need to be considered. One such is the use of pervasive games connected to the players own energy consumption. Earlier work has confirmed this to be a highly effective approach. The question however remains if post game effects on behavior can be achieved. In this paper we try to answer this by trying out a slightly different design compared to previous work. The hypothesis is that a more casual game play and a richer learning interaction enabled by building the game on a real time sensor system could stimulate more lasting effects. Electric consumption data after the 7 days evaluation on a test group of 15 players shows tentative indications for a persistent post game effect compared to the control group of 20 households. Findings also show a statistically significant positive change in the players’ attitude towards saving energy compared to the same group. Findings, at the same time, also indicate a negative effect on the player’s attitude toward environmental questions in general

Persuasive design of a mobile energy conservation game with direct feedback and social cues

Pervasive gaming has the potential of transforming the home into a persuasive environment in which the user can learn about appliances and their electricity consumption. Power Explorer is a mobile game with a special sensing approach that provides real-time electricity measurements and feedback when the user switches on and off devices in the home. The game was developed based on persuasive principles to provide an engaging means to learn about energy with positive and negative feedback and social feedback from peers on real energy actions in the home. We present the design and rationale of this game and discuss how pervasive games can be viewed from a persuasive and learning point of view

Who enrols and graduates from web-based pharmacy education - Experiences from Northern Sweden

Introduction: As a response to the shortage of prescriptionists in Northern Sweden, a web-based Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy program was introduced at Umeå University in 2003. This study explored who is likely to enrol and graduate from the web-based bachelor program and whether the program has addressed the shortage of prescriptionists in rural Northern Sweden. Methods: Data from three different sources were included in this study; the initial cohort including students admitted to the program in 2003 (survey), the entire cohort including all people admitted to the program between 2003 and 2014 (university\u27s admissions data) and the alumni cohort including graduates who participated in an alumni survey in 2015. Results: A typical student of the web-based pharmacy program is female, over 30 years of age, married or in a de-facto relationship and has children. Furthermore, the students graduating before 2009 were more likely to live in Northern Sweden compared to those graduating later. Discussion and conclusion: The results indicate that the introduction of a web-based bachelor of pharmacy program at Umeå University was to some extent able to address the shortage of prescriptionists in Northern Sweden. Web-based education may potentially help address the maldistribution of health professionals by providing flexible education opportunities

Tumors of the adrenal glands : genetic and diagnostic aspects

Adrenal tumors have varying clinical presentation, malignancy rates and patient morbidity. Adrenal cortical carcinomas (ACCs) are malignant tumors originating from the adrenal cortex. Pheochromocytomas (PCCs) arise from the adrenal medulla and abdominal Paragangliomas (PGLs), a highly related tumor type, arise in paraganglia mostly in the abdominal area. The genetic background of these tumors has been persistently studied, still knowledge is lacking regarding tumor development and genotype-phenotype relation. In Paper I, NF1 protein expression was investigated in an attempt to clarify a possible association between NF1 mutational status and immunohistochemical staining for NF1. The results showed absent NF1 immunoreactivity in most PCCs. A clear majority of the NF1 mutated cases showed no NF1 immunoreactivity, however that was also seen in the NF1 wild-type cases. From this study we conclude that immunohistochemistry is not an efficient screening tool to detect NF1 mutated cases in clinical practice. In Paper II and III, TERT promoter methylation densities were investigated in PPGLs and ACCs. Telomerase activation have been shown in these tumor types, however only some cases with telomerase activation could be explained by TERT promoter mutations. In PPGLs TERT promoter hypermethylation was found in metastatic PGLs. In ACCs hypermethylation of the TERT promoter region was found compared to normal adrenal samples and hypermethylation was associated with worse clinical outcome. Also, TERT copy number gain was observed in ACCs. We concluded that epigenetic alterations of TERT occur in PPGLs and ACCs and are associated with worse clinical outcome. In Paper IV, histological signs of malignant behavior and mRNA expressional profiles were compared in PPGLs. The results pointed out Chromogranin B (CHGB) as the gene most significantly associated to malignant histological patterns and downregulation of CHGB was found in PPGLs with metastatic disease. Immunohistochemistry showed that weak CHGB expression was associated with histologically malignant behavior. Also, plasma levels of CHGB were lower in PPGLs with histologically aggressive disease. We concluded that CHGB is a possible marker for malignant disease in PPGLs. In Paper V, analysis of whole-exome sequencing data from our cohort as well as from the TCGA database revealed several variants in the calcium voltage-gated channel subunit gene CACNA1H. A total of seven variants were detected in the study. CACNA1H expression was found to be lower in tumor tissue as compared to normal adrenal medulla. In the TCGA database a correlation was found between CACNA1H methylation levels and CACNA1H expression. We concluded that variants in CACNA1H are a possible novel genetic event in PPGL and also a possible link between the genetic background of PPGLs and tumors of the adrenal cortex where CACNA1H mutations have also been found. Overall this thesis gives some clarity to the knowledge gaps in the molecular background of tumors of the adrenal glands

Traces of impact in crystalline rock : a summary of processes and products of shock metamorphism in crystalline rock with focus on planar deformation features in feldspars

Chockmetamorfa strukturer i alkalifältspater har genom studier i polarisationsmikroskop identi-fierats i graniter från Siljan- nedslagskrater. De mikroskopiska strukturer som observerats omfattas av; deformation bands, ladder textures, planar fractures, ”long deformation features", samt planar deformation features (PDFs). Stufferna härstammar från samma bergart, Järna graniten, från olika tryckintervaller inom siljankratern. Studiens resultat varierar för prover från olika tryckintervall, en avsevärd större mängd deformations strukturer återfanns i provet som beräknas tillhöra det högsta tryckintervallet 15-20 GPa. Long deformation features och Planar deformation features är de enda deformations strukturer som observerats i prover från det lägre tryckintervallet 10-15 Gpa. Provet från det högsta tryckintervallet visade sig även innehålla en mycket större diversitet av deformationsstrukturer.Shock metamorphic features have been identified in alkali feldspars within granitic rock samples from the Siljan impact structure in Sweden. Observed features include deformation bands, ladder textures, “V-textures” planar fractures, “long deformation features”, and true planar deformation features (PDFs). The studied samples are of the same lithology but come from different shock pressure intervals and the results vary for samples within different pressure intervals. The majority of the deformation features have been observed in the sample from the highest shock pressure interval; 15-20 GPa. Long deformation features and planar deformation features are the only two deformation features observed in samples from the lower shock pressure interval 10-15 GPa. A much higher fre-quency of deformation structures have also been observed in the sample derived from the highest pressure interval

Vascular Healing after Coronary Stenting Evaluated by Optical Coherence Tomography

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a novel intracoronary imaging application for the assessment of native lesions and coronary stents. The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of frequency-domain OCT (FD-OCT) based on experiences of the Satakunta Central Hospital (I). Early vascular healing was evaluated after implantation of endothelial progenitor cell capturing (II) and bio-active titanium-nitride-oxide coated stents (III) in two studies, each with 20 patients. Vascular healing was also compared after implantation of bio-active and everolimus-eluting stents on 28 patients after 9-month follow-up (IV). Long-term vascular healing of bio-active and paclitaxel-eluting stents was assessed in the last study with 18 patients (V). The results indicate that FD-OCT is safe and feasible (I). Both bio-active and endothelial progenitor cell capturing stents showed near-complete endothelialisation after one-month follow-up, which is desirable when prolonged dual anti-platelet therapy needs to be avoided after stenting (II and III). Endothelialisation of bio-active stents showed a predictable pattern at mid-term and long-term follow up (IV and V). Endothelialisation of everolimus-eluting stents was not complete at 9 months follow-up, which may suggest that interruption of dual antiplatelet therapy at this time point may not be safe (IV). Finally, delayed vascular healing may be present in patients treated with paclitaxel-eluting stents as long as 4 years from implantation, which reinforces the previously raised concerns on the long-term safety of this device (V).Sepelvaltimon paranemisen arvioiminen valokerroskuvauksella stenttauksen jälkeen Valokerroskuvaus on uusi suonensisäinen kuvantamismenetelmä sepelvaltimoiden ja sepelvaltimostenttien tutkimiseen. Väitöskirjatyön tarkoituksena oli arvioida menetelmän turvallisuutta ja käyttökelpoisuutta Satakunnan keskussairaalan kokemusten perusteella (I). Suonen varhaista paranemista arvioitiin endoteelisolujen esiasteita houkuttelevan stentin (II) sekä bioaktiivisen, titaanityppioksidilla päällystetyn stentin (III) asennuksen jälkeen kahdessa osatyössä, joissa kummassakin oli 20 potilasta. Verisuonen paranemista verrattiin myös bioaktiivisen stentin sekä everolimuusia vapauttavan lääkestentin välillä 9 kuukauden seurannan jälkeen 28 potilaalla (IV). Suonen pitkäaikaisparanemista verrattiin bioaktiivisen stentin ja paklitakselia vapauttavan lääkestentin välillä 18 potilaalla (V). Tulokset osoittavat, että sepelvaltimon valokerroskuvaus on turvallinen ja käyttökelpoinen (I). Sekä bioaktiivinen että endoteelisolujen esiasteita houkutteleva stentti endotelisoituivat lähes täydellisesti kuukaudessa, mikä on edullista, jos pitkäkestoista verihiutaleiden kaksoisestolääkitystä halutaan välttää (II ja III). Bioaktiivinen stentti endotelisoitui ennustettavalla tavalla keskipitkän ja pitkän seuranta-ajan jälkeen (IV ja V). Everolimuusia vapauttavan stentin endotelisaatio ei ollut täydellistä 9 kuukauden seurannassa, mikä voi viitata siihen, ettei verihiutaleiden kaksoisestolääkityksen keskeyttäminen tässä vaiheessa ole turvallista (IV). Lopuksi, verisuonen viivästynyttä paranemista todettiin jopa neljän vuoden kuluttua paklitakselia vapauttavan stentin asennuksesta, mikä vahvistaa aiemmin heränneitä epäilyjä tämän stentin turvallisuudesta (V).Siirretty Doriast

Shifting Design Capability to Third-Party Developers: An affordance Perspective on Platform Boundary Resources

Boundary resource theory has emerged as conceptual tool for understanding the complex relationship between platform owners and third-party developers. Drawing on existing theories of boundary objects and boundary spanning competence it suggests that platforms offer influence over external ecosystems, yet keeps it at arm’s length. To exercise such governance, however, platform owners have to figure out how to design boundary resource to transfer design capability to third-party developers. Addressing this challenge, we analyze a digital platform initiative in the automotive industry from an affordances perspective. By doing so, we have explore what platform boundary resources allow developers to achieve, rather than what they are. As a main obstacle in the transfer of design capability, we found that platform owners’ perceptions of what a specific boundary resource affords often differ from third-party developers understanding of the same resource

Digital and Conventional Matchmaking – Similarities, Differences and Tensions

Matchmaking is a process of complex resource allocation where firms are intermediaries of supply and demand between actors in an ecosystem. Digital platforms have brought matchmaking into the spotlight in IS research by their ability to scale and improve the quality of matching. In this paper, we outline four principles of digital matchmaking from digital platform theory. We continue by illustrating these principles in an empirical case-study of conventional matchmaking in the Swedish forest industry. We seek to improve the understanding of matchmaking by identifying similarities and differences of digital and conventional matchmaking. We then discuss tensions that may emerge for the conventional matchmaker facing digitalization. We contribute to theory of changing organizing logic associated with digital technology adoption and to practice by outlining what it takes becoming a digital matchmaker

STRATEGI THINK-TALK-WRITE UNTUK MENINGKATKAN KEMAMPUAN REPRESENTASI MATEMATIK

Tujuan tulisan ini adalah menjelaskan pengaruh stategi Think-Talk-Wnte gflF) terhadap kemampuau represantasi matematik siswa. Parjelasar ter-qebut menggunakan metode pustaka. Kesimpulan yang diperoleh adalah strategi TIW berpengaruh terhadap kemampuan representasi maternatih baik representasi internal maupun eksternal. Siswa dapat mempresentasikan ide-ide matemaika dengau berbagai bentuk (elisternal) pemahaman suatu konsep (internal) dan terbentuknl

An Ansatz for undecidable computation in RNA-world automata

In this Ansatz we consider theoretical constructions of RNA polymers into automata, a form of computational structure. The basis for transitions in our automata are plausible RNA-world enzymes that may perform ligation or cleavage. Limited to these operations, we construct RNA automata of increasing complexity; from the Finite Automaton (RNA-FA) to the Turing Machine equivalent 2-stack PDA (RNA-2PDA) and the universal RNA-UPDA. For each automaton we show how the enzymatic reactions match the logical operations of the RNA automaton, and describe how biological exploration of the corresponding evolutionary space is facilitated by the efficient arrangement of RNA polymers into a computational structure. A critical theme of the Ansatz is the self-reference in RNA automata configurations which exploits the program-data duality but results in undecidable computation. We describe how undecidable computation is exemplified in the self-referential Liar paradox that places a boundary on a logical system, and by construction, any RNA automata. We argue that an expansion of the evolutionary space for RNA-2PDA automata can be interpreted as a hierarchical resolution of the undecidable computation by a meta-system (akin to Turing's oracle), in a continual process analogous to Turing's ordinal logics and Post's extensible recursively generated logics. On this basis, we put forward the hypothesis that the resolution of undecidable configurations in RNA-world automata represents a mechanism for novelty generation in the evolutionary space, and propose avenues for future investigation of biological automata