Kundelønnsomhetsanalyser - lønner det seg? : en kvantitativ studie av norske foretak

Denne utredningen ser på sammenhengen mellom kundelønnsomhetsanalyser og foretaksprestasjoner. Utredningen finner at beslutninger tatt på bakgrunn av kundelønnsomhetsinformasjon har en positiv påvirkning på foretaksprestasjonene. Bruk av kundelønnsomhetsanalyser har derimot ingen effekt når det samtidig blir sett på beslutninger. Videre ser det ut til at jo mer detaljert og reliabel kundelønnsomhetsmetoden er, jo bedre er påvirkningen på foretaksprestasjonene. Det blir også avdekket at de tre fremtidsrettede kundelønnsomhetsmetodene som blir omtalt i akademia, i praksis blir opplevd som én enkelt metode. Denne metoden har både et fremtidsrettet fokus, samtidig som den tar hensyn til historisk lønnsomhetsinformasjon.nhhma

Differences in Speech Perception and Production Networks Between Persons who stutter and Controls

Previous research has demonstrated atypical lateralization and brain asymmetry in persons who stutter (PWS). It has also been demonstrated that PWS show atypical activation patterns when processing language stimuli. We wanted to investigate differences between PWS and controls in speech perception and production processing tasks. Dichotic listening (DL) and soundmorph fMRI paradigms were applied to obtain functional measures. In addition we investigated structural differences by using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and analysing our data with voxel-based morphometry (VBM). The results indicate that stuttering is related to abnormal activation patterns in both speech perception and production. There were bilateral differences in activation between PWS and controls in both the soundmorph paradigm and the DL production task. However, in the DL paradigm, the results were only significant with an uncorrected p-value. We also found lower fractional anisotropy (FA) (at an uncorrected level) in PWS in left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), indicating dysfunctional connectivity, but no differences in grey matter. The results lend support towards functional abnormalities in speech lateralization, and to a differential involvement of the dorsal stream of speech processing in PWS. The results also lend support to the notion of a strong involvement of STS in speech perception in both PWS and controls. However, these this study is part of an ongoing project, and the findings may change as more data is collected.Forskning har vist atypisk lateralisering og strukturell hjerneasymmetri hos personer som stammer (PSS). I tillegg har man funnet atypiske hjerneaktiveringsmønstre hos stammere under ulike oppgaver som involverer språkprosessering. Formålet med vår studie var å undersøke forskjeller mellom en gruppe med PSS og en kontrollgruppe under utførelse av talepersepsjons- og taleproduksjonsoppgaver. Funksjonelle avvik ble undersøkt med to fMRI-paradigmer, dikotisk lytting (DL) og soundmorph. Strukturelle avvik ble undersøkt med "diffusion tensor imaging" (DTI) og voxelbasert morfometri (VBM). Resultatene indikerer at stamming er knyttet til avvikende hjerneaktiveringsmønstre, både i talepersepsjon og taleproduksjon. Vi fant bilaterale forskjeller i aktivering i PSS og kontrollgruppen i både soundmorph- og DL-paradigmene, selv om funnene i DL bare er signifikante med ukorrigert p-verdi. Strukturundersøkelsene viste lavere grad av fraksjonell anisotropi (FA) (med en ukorrigert p-verdi) i venstre inferior frontale gyrus (IFG) hos PSS - en indikasjon på dysfunksjonell konnektivitet, men ingen forskjeller i grå materie. Resultatene gir støtte til hypoteser om avvikende aktivering i talelateralisering, og ulik involvering av den dorsale taleprosesseringsstrømmen hos PSS. Funnene støtter også oppfatningen om sterk involvering av superior temporal sulcus (STS) i talepersepsjon hos både PSS og kontrollgruppen. Det understrekes imidlertid at våre funn er del av et større pågående prosjekt, og kan bli endret ettersom mer data innhentes.PSYK300PRPSY

On cross joining de Bruijn sequences

We explain the origins of Boolean feedback functions of nonlinear feedback shift registers (NLFSRs) of fixed order n generating de Bruijn binary sequences. They all come into existence by cross joining operations starting from one maximum period feedback shift register, e.g., a linear one which always exists for any order n. The result obtained yields some constructions of NLFSRs generating maximum period $2^n-1$ binary sequences

Ground Truth Collection for Mining Explosions in Northern Fennoscandia and Northwestern Russia

We concluded comprehensive ground truth collection at the Khibiny, Olenegorsk, Kovdor, and Zapolyarnyi mines, and have basic information on 2,052 explosions. In the past two years we used this ground truth information to extract waveform data from the ARCES array and a number of regional stations (KEV, LVZ, APA) as well as from six stations that we deployed along two lines stretching between the Khibiny Massif mines and the region around the ARCES array. We calculated P/S ratios using the ARCES array data for many of these events comprising several source types (compact underground explosions, underground ripple-fired explosions, surface ripple-fired explosions). We found that the P/S ratios of small compact underground explosions in mines of the Khibiny Massif are systematically lower than the P/S ratios of large ripple-fired surface explosions. We had anticipated that smaller underground shots would appear more like single well-coupled explosions, thus having higher P/S ratios than large ripple-fired explosions. A possible explanation for this phenomenon is that the compact underground explosions in these mines are designed to fracture and drop a large quantity of ore from the ceiling of a horizontal shaft. The potential energy released by the falling ore may express as shear wave energy, which may be considerably greater than the (P wave) energy released directly by the explosive. We concluded the deployment of the six stations along the Khibiny-ARCES lines this past summer; this year we are examining the data from these stations to see how P/S ratios vary with range from the source. We have an update on the P/S ratio analysis contrasting different source types, with the addition of an analysis of range dependence using data from the temporary stations. The portable stations were redeployed in the fall of 2004 to the Kiruna and Malmberget underground mines in northern Sweden. The stations deployed in Malmberget also record events from the surface mining operations at the Aitik mine, located some 15 km from Malmberget mine. The data from these stations will allow comparisons of seismic waveforms resulting from different types of shooting practices at different locations within the mines. These stations will provide ground truth on a large number of explosions at these mines allowing future analyses of the dependence of discriminants on source type, possibly assessing the portability of results obtained with the Khibiny explosion observations

Differences in Speech Perception and Production Networks Between Persons who stutter and Controls

Previous research has demonstrated atypical lateralization and brain asymmetry in persons who stutter (PWS). It has also been demonstrated that PWS show atypical activation patterns when processing language stimuli. We wanted to investigate differences between PWS and controls in speech perception and production processing tasks. Dichotic listening (DL) and soundmorph fMRI paradigms were applied to obtain functional measures. In addition we investigated structural differences by using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and analysing our data with voxel-based morphometry (VBM). The results indicate that stuttering is related to abnormal activation patterns in both speech perception and production. There were bilateral differences in activation between PWS and controls in both the soundmorph paradigm and the DL production task. However, in the DL paradigm, the results were only significant with an uncorrected p-value. We also found lower fractional anisotropy (FA) (at an uncorrected level) in PWS in left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), indicating dysfunctional connectivity, but no differences in grey matter. The results lend support towards functional abnormalities in speech lateralization, and to a differential involvement of the dorsal stream of speech processing in PWS. The results also lend support to the notion of a strong involvement of STS in speech perception in both PWS and controls. However, these this study is part of an ongoing project, and the findings may change as more data is collected