Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a common disorder involving repeated cessations of breathing due to airway collapse, causing disruption of sleep cycles. The condition is under-diagnosed and the side effects are many and varied. Currently, the ‘gold standard’ diagnostic tool for OSA is a polysomnogram (PSG) which is carried out overnight in a hospital using multiple sensors. A PSG is expensive to set-up, run and analyse, and some subjects experience different sleep patterns due to the artificial conditions of the sleep laboratory. The aim of this thesis was to find a parsimonious and easy-to-collect set of signals (from the superset of signals recorded in sleep clinics) and other related information (such as demographics), and a set of automated methods that reliably determine which subjects are suitable for standard treatments, i.e. classify subjects requiring treatment (moderate OSA, severe OSA) from those not requiring treatment (normal, snorer, mild OSA), using a smartphone. Data were collected from 1354 subjects in the home using the Grey Flash polysomnographic recording device (Stowood Scientific Instruments, Oxford, UK). Analysis of the audio signal was initially performed using standard speech processing methods, where individual events were annotated and classified. The results achieved (accuracy (Ac) = 69.6%) using this approach were lower than those required for clinical acceptance. In all subsequent work in the thesis, subjects were classified from entire recordings rather than events. Multiscale entropy (MSE) was used to identify non-linear correlations in the audio data and quantify the irregularity of the data over many time scales. The inter-snore interval (ISI) was developed, motivated by clinical intuition. MSE and ISI were then applied to both actigraphy and photoplethysomgraphy (PPG) data, and different combinations of features were analysed. The features which displayed the highest predictive accuracy were derived from the PPG signal (Ac = 89.2%). This work demonstrated that, although audio- and actigraphy-based OSA screening is possible, to achieve clinically acceptable performance PPG remains an important key factor in diagnosis.

In the play store today, users are shown download count, app rating, reviews, screenshots etc. when deciding to download an application, and it’s shown very conveniently. If the users however are interested in viewing privacy in- formation about the application, it is multiple clicks away and there is no default in how to display it. This is where privacy indicators come in handy. With privacy indicators, data can be analyzed and displayed to the user in a way they understand, even if they don’t understand what the data itself means and what is dangerous. This however comes with the challenge of deciding what is dangerous and what is not. This report creates and implements an app store with added privacy infor- mation displayed to the user in the form of a privacy indicator and some detailed information about each application. To test the effectiveness of the privacy indicator, a small scale study was conducted where it was discovered that users who were not already interested in privacy didn’t pay much at- tention to it, while those who were took it more into account when deciding to download applications.

Denna studie handlar om förskollärarens erfarenheter av hur lärplattan kan integreras i det pedagogiska arbetet i förskolan och vilka möjligheter de erfar finns för barns lärande och utveckling när de använder lärplattan. Som metod valdes intervju där fem förskollärare som arbetar i tre olika förskolor i Västra-Götalandsregionen har intervjuats.  Undersökningen visar att olika förskolor ligger i olika utvecklingsfaser i sitt integrationsarbete av lärplattan i verksamheten. Förskollärarna är positiva till införandet av lärplattan i förskolan och använder den tillsammans med barnen till olika aktiviteter såsom att söka information, skapande aktiviteter, matematik och språk. Undersökningen visar också att förskollärarna anser att lärplattan behöver användas som en ”del i helheten”, dvs. som ett stödmaterial och ett kompletterande verktyg till övriga arbetssätt. Enligt förskollärarna behöver lärplattan används tillsammans med barnen till pedagogiska syfte snarare än tidsdrivande verktyg, dvs. barnens tillgång till lärplattan i förskolan skiljare från hur de använder lärplattan hemma. Dessutom visar undersökningen att lärplattan bidrar till olika möjligheter till barns utveckling och lärande. Barnen får utveckla sitt sociala samspel språk, matematik, kreativitet, motorik etcetera, enligt förskollärarna.

Master of Science / Department of Computer Science / Mitchell L. Neilsen / Smart glasses, like smart phones, have separate operating systems, and can execute many different kinds of software and games. Smart glasses can be used to add a schedule, map navigation, interact with friends, take photos and videos, and make video calls with friends through voice control. They can support wireless network access through a mobile communication network. Bluetooth is a radio technology that supports short-range communication between of the devices. It can exchange information between devices including mobile phones, wireless headsets, laptops, etc. Bluetooth technology can effectively simplify the communication between mobile devices. This thesis focuses on smart glasses applications for high-throughput phenotyping which requires a data monitor, data synchronization, Bluetooth service, and voice control between devices. On the Android side, the application, which is extended, is called Field Book. The new software called Field Book AR, includes a data monitor module and a Bluetooth server module to achieve data exchange with smart glasses. On the smart glasses side, the application is called DataReceiver. It receives voice commands from users and controls the actions of Field Book AR. Also, when Field Book detects data changing, it accepts new data and shows changes to the users.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-12T17:39:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 arquivo4124_1.pdf: 3386615 bytes, checksum: 887405364b06567071c02908397d1a31 (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / A globalização é um agente indutor do crescimento urbano, que não ocorre de forma planejada e sustentável. O desenvolvimento desordenado provoca a ocupação indevida do solo, que trás consequências às áreas de preservação. As implicações produzidas pela ocupação indevida das margens dos cursos d água produzem como resultados principais: a abreviação dos processos de erosão, o assoreamento dos rios, a deterioração da qualidade da água e a redução da biodiversidade aquática e terrestre local. O presente trabalho visou analisar no estuário do rio Paraíba o impacto da degradação das Áreas de Preservação Permanente na estruturação das comunidades de peixes, através do estudo comparativo entre duas margens equivalentes e em estados distintos de preservação. Utilizando-se de 320 metros de redes de emalhar em cada margem estudada, foi possível realizar a caracterização da comunidade íctica das mesmas. Foram capturados no total, 506 indivíduos distribuídos em 28 espécies, pertencentes a 15 famílias. A espécie com a presença mais marcante nas duas margens foi a Anchoviella sp., conhecida como manjubinha. Na margem degradada (MD) foram capturados 39 indivíduos, distribuídos em nove espécies, pertencentes a sete famílias, sendo que a família Ariidae e Carangidae apresentaram a maior riqueza de espécies e a família Engraulidae, maior número de indivíduos. Na margem não degradada (MND) foram capturados 467 indivíduos, divididos em 24 espécies pertencentes a 14 famílias, onde a família Ariidae obteve a maior riqueza e a Engraulidae a maior abundância. Vale salientar que do total de espécies capturadas na MND, 19 espécies não são encontradas na margem degradada (MD). Em contrapartida, das espécies identificadas na MD, quatro não foram capturadas na MND. Desta maneira, o índice de similaridade aponta o valor de 30% entre as margens. Para possibilitar uma melhor interpretação comparativa, foi necessário retirar dos dados a espécie Anchoviella sp. para as duas margens, uma vez que a sua enorme abundância provocava uma distorção dos dados não permitindo um melhor vislumbre das diferenças entre as margens. A ausência da manjubinha nos dados dos índices gerais mostrou outro comportamento dos valores destes parâmetros. O índice de diversidade, a diversidade máxima e a equitabilidade mostraram-se superiores para a margem não degradada, confirmando o que já era esperado e apontado nas bibliografias. Por meio dos índices ecológicos supracitados, foi possível distinguir as comunidades ícticas das duas margens e supõe-se que o bom estado de conservação da vegetação de mangue da margem não degradada proporciona às diversas espécies de peixes um ambiente complexo, rico em alimentos e abrigos. Recomenda-se que este estudo seja realizado no período de um ano, levando em consideração as alterações sazonais dos parâmetros ambientais

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-12T17:41:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 arquivo6430_1.pdf: 3418578 bytes, checksum: 539be5902a36af09098f1e75a723711a (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005 / A necessidade de estudos sobre pequenas bacias hidrográficas motivou a realização desta pesquisa para identificar os usos dos recursos hídricos e florestais e sua relação com as Áreas de Preservação Permanente (APP) na bacia do riacho Gameleira, afluente do rio Tapacurá, em Pernambuco. Com este objetivo, lançou-se mão de estudos cartográficos e de geoprocessamento, de visitas de campo e de levantamento secundário de informações técnicas e da legislação ambiental e correlata. Foram obtidos os resultados relativos à caracterização da hidrografia, hidrologia, uso e ocupação do solo da bacia, com a geração dos respectivos mapas temáticos. De posse destes resultados foi realizada a análise dos conflitos de uso dos recursos hídricos e florestais nas APP, à luz da legislação ambiental federal, estadual e municipal. A bacia do riacho Gameleira possui área de drenagem de 16,30 km2, com comprimento total dos canais de 40,00 km e curso principal com 11,12 km. A caracterização dos usuários de água identificou que a maior demanda é para a irrigação, sendo a captação feita por poços, cacimbas ou a fio d água, enquanto que o armazenamento é feito por meio de açudes nas grandes propriedades. A análise de qualidade da água constatou que não existe salinidade, porém o teor de oxigênio dissolvido é baixo em algumas estações, as quais estão relacionadas com a interferência antrópica, além da presença de coliformes em algumas estações, indicando que a água era imprópria para alguns dos usos existentes na bacia, como consumo humano e cultivo de hortaliças. A caracterização do uso e ocupação do solo identificou a predominância de áreas com atividade agropecuária e desmatamentos, enquanto que as áreas de florestas apresentaram-se em percentual muito reduzido. Considerando-se a sub-bacia do Alto Gameleira, verifica-se o mesmo padrão de uso e ocupação do solo, constatando-se nas Áreas de Preservação Permanente (APP) o não atendimento às faixas marginais de proteção, segundo o que dispõe a legislação específica. Os resultados obtidos encontram-se conflitantes com os princípios do desenvolvimento sustentável, fato este que motivou a apresentação de algumas proposições que visam recuperar a qualidade ambiental a médio e longo prazo

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder pathologically characterized by deposition of ß-amyloid (Aß) peptides as plaques in the brain. Central to this AD pathology is mismetabolism of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). Recent studies suggest that flavonoids, a class of secondary plant metabolites, may be useful for the prevention and treatment of a variety of neurodegenerative diseases. The studies detailed herein, investigate the ability of two such classes of flavonoids, green tea derived catechins and 5,7-dihydroxyflavones, to modulate APP metabolism in "Swedish" mutant APP (APPsw) models of AD. Studies showed that green tea derived (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) effectively reduced Aß generation and resultant amyloidosis both in vitro and in vivo. In concert with these findings, EGCG markedly promoted non-amyloidogenic APP proteolysis via activation of the putative a-secretase, a-disintegrin-and-metalloprotease-10 (ADAM10). Furthermore, luteolin and various related 5,7-dihydroxyflavones, effectively reduced Aß generation and resultant amyloidosis both in vitro and in vivo, as well. Data revealed that luteolin decreased amyloidogenic γ-secretase APP proteolysis via presenilin-1 (PS1) carboxyl-terminal fragment (CTF) phosphorylation. Elucidation of these flavonoids' cellular/molecular mechanisms also revealed their potential for opposing neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) pathology, another hallmark of AD. These data raise the possibility that flavonoid administration to AD patients may prove to be viable and effective prophylactic strategy.

Mobile and web application security, particularly concerning the area of data privacy, has received much attention from the public in recent years. Most applications are installed without disclosing full information to users and clearly stating what they have access to. This often raises concerns when users become aware of unnecessary information being collected or stored. Unfortunately, most users have little to no technical knowledge in regard to what permissions should be granted and can only rely on their intuition and past experiences to make relatively uninformed decisions. DroidNet, a crowdsource based Android recommendation tool and framework, is a proposed avenue for the technically incapable. DroidNet alleviates privacy concerns and presents users with permission recommendations of high confidence based on the decisions from expert users on the network who are using the same applications. The framework combines an interactive user interface, used for data collection and presenting permission recommendations to users, with a transitional Bayesian inference model and multiple algorithms used for rating users based on their respective expertise levels. As a result, the recommendations that are provided to users are based on aggregated expert responses and their confidence levels. This work presents the completed DroidNet project in its entirety, including the implementation of the application, algorithms, and user interface itself. Additionally, this thesis presents and utilizes a unique collection of real-world data from actual Android users. The primary goal of this work is to evaluate the effectiveness and accuracy of DroidNet's recommendations and to show that regular mobile device users can benefit from crowdsourcing.

Logical statements are prevalent in mathematics, the sciences, law, and many areas of everyday life. The most common logical statements are conditionals, which have the form “If H..., then C...,” where “H” is a hypothesis (or condition) to be satisfied and “C” is a conclusion to follow. Reasoning about conditionals is a skill that is only superficially understood by most individuals and depends on four main conditional contexts (e.g., intuitive, abstract, symbolic, or counterintuitive). The purpose of this study was to test a theory about the effects of context ordering on reasoning about conditionals. To test the theory, the researcher developed, tested, and revised a virtual manipulative educational mathematics application, called the Learning Logic App. This study employed a convergent parallel mixed methods design to answer an overarching research question and two subquestions. The overarching research question was “How does the order of teaching four conditional contexts influence reasoning about conditionals?” The two subquestions examined this influence on reasoning in terms of performance and perceptions. This study involved two phases. During Phase I, 10 participants interacted with the Learning Logic App in a clinical setting. The researcher used information gathered in Phase I to revise the Learning Logic App for Phase II. During Phase II, 154 participants interacted with the Learning Logic App in a randomly assigned context ordering in an online setting. In both phases, the researcher collected quantitative and qualitative data. After independent analyses, the researcher made meta- inferences from the two data strands. The results of this study suggest that context ordering does influence learners’ reasoning. The most beneficial context ordering for learners’ performance was symbolic-intuitive-abstract-counterintuitive. The most beneficial context ordering for learners’ perceptions was intuitive-abstract-counterintuitive-symbolic. Based on these results, the researcher proposed a new context ordering: symbolic-intuitive-abstract-counterintuitive-symbolic. This progression incorporates a catalyst at the beginning (symbolic context) which aids the learner in reassessing their prior knowledge. Then, the difficulty of the contexts progresses from easiest to hardest (intuitive-abstract-counterintuitive-symbolic). These findings are important because they provide an instructional sequence for teaching and learning to reason about conditionals that is beneficial to both learners’ performance and their perceptions.

This dissertation presents a new approach to static analysis for security vetting of Android apps, and a general framework called Argus-SAF. Argus-SAF determines points-to information for all objects in an Android app component in a flow and context-sensitive (user-configurable) way and performs data-flow and data dependence analysis for the component. Argus-SAF also tracks inter-component communication activities. It can stitch the component-level information into the app- level information to perform intra-app or inter-app analysis. Moreover, Argus-SAF is NDK/JNI- aware and can efficiently track precise data-flow across language boundary. This dissertation shows that, (a) the aforementioned type of comprehensive app analysis is utterly feasible in terms of computing resources with modern hardware, (b) one can easily leverage the results from this general analysis to build various types of specialized security analyses – in many cases the amount of additional coding needed is around 100 lines of code, and (c) the result of those specialized analyses leveraging Argus-SAF is at least on par and often exceeds prior works designed for the specific problems, which this dissertation demonstrate by comparing Argus-SAF’s results with those of prior works whenever the tool can be obtained. Since Argus-SAF’s analysis directly handles intercomponent and inter-language control and data flows, it can be used to address security problems that result from interactions among multiple components from either the same or different apps and among java code and native code. Argus-SAF’s analysis is sound in that it can assure the absence of the specified security problems in an app with well-specified and reasonable assumptions on Android runtime system and its library.