This thesis rewievs present day research on the settlement of Östra Aros in central Sweden. The thesis deals with the period from late Iron age to about 1270 AD, when the Swedish archdiocese moved to the already existing early-medieval settlement of Östra Aros, thus becoming the medieval town of Uppsala. The basis of the thesis is the study of a variety of source materials, such as artefact studies, runestones, topography and the prehistoric and early medieval hinterland. The thesis centers on archaeological excavation data and dating of settlement structures, particularly focusing on the settlements establishment. Through a critical review of primarily the written record and the archaeological data, the settlements characteristics and functions are discussed, emphasising when and if the settlement could be described as a town, central- or trading place.

L'analyse du mouvement humain s'appuie généralement sur des techniques de suivi de marqueurs cutanés pour reconstruire la cinématique articulaire. Cependant, ces techniques d'acquisition présentent d'importantes limites dont les " artefacts de tissus mous " (i.e., le mouvement relatif entre les marqueurs cutanés et le squelette sous-jacent). La méthode d'optimisation multi-segmentaire viseà compenser ces artefacts en imposant aux trajectoires de marqueurs les degrés de liberté d'un modèle cinématique prédéfini. Les liaisons mécaniques modélisant classiquement les articulations empêchent toutefois une estimation satisfaisante de la cinématique articulaire. Cette thèse aborde des perspectives d'amélioration de la méthode d'optimisation multi-segmentaire pour l'estimation de la cinématique articulaire du membre inférieur,à travers différentes approches : (1) la reconstruction de la cinématique par suivi de la vitesse angulaire, de l'accélération et de l'orientation de centrales inertiellesà la place du suivi de marqueurs, (2) l'introduction d'un modèle articulaire élastique basé sur la matrice de raideur du genou, permettant une estimation physiologique de la cinématique articulaire et (3) l'introduction d'un modèle des artefacts de tissus mous " cinématique-dépendant ", visantà évaluer et compenser les artefacts de tissus mous simultanément avec l'estimation la cinématique articulaire. Ce travail a démontré la polyvalence de la méthode d'optimisation multi-segmentaire. Les résultats obtenus laissent espérer une amélioration significative de cette méthode qui devient de plus en plus utilisée en biomécanique, en particulier pour la modélisation musculo-squelettique / Human movement analysis generally relies on skin markers monitoring techniques to reconstruct the joint kinematics. However, these acquisition techniques have important limitations including the "soft tissue artefacts" (i.e., the relative movement between the skin markers and the underlying bones). The multi-body optimization method aims to compensate for these artefacts by imposing the degrees of freedom from a predefined kinematic model to markers trajectories. The mechanical linkages typically used for modeling the joints however prevent a satisfactory estimate of the joint kinematics. This thesis addresses the prospects of improvement of the multi-body optimization method for the estimation of joint kinematics of the lower limb through different approaches: (1) the reconstruction of the kinematics by monitoring the angular velocity, the acceleration and the orientation of magneto-inertial measurement units instead of tracking markers, (2) the introduction of an elastic joint model based on the knee stiffness matrix, enabling a physiological estimation of joint kinematics and (3) the introduction of a "kinematic-dependent" soft tissue artefact model to assess and compensate for soft tissue artefact concurrently with estimating the joint kinematics. This work demonstrated the versatility of the multi-body optimization method. The results give hope for significant improvement in this method which is becoming increasingly used in biomechanics, especially for musculoskeletal modeling

This dissertation considers whether photography as a language translates a transient moment into an embodied image. This is considered to be a mimesis of the moment as an aid for memory. By following a dialectic approach I posit a thesis based on the common sense perception of photography which states that photography is an artefactual mimesis aiding memory. After reflecting on Plato’s concept of writing as a pharmakon and Jacques Derrida’s deconstruction theory I establish an antithesis which proclaims that a photograph aids memory but also leads to the illusion of remembering past experiences. The synthesis is then presented which resolves the opposing ideas. This component argues that a photograph is a mimetic device that aids memory by presenting embodied fragmented reflections of time which can be used to create new meanings and memories. The dissertation concludes with a discussion that supports and integrates this argument with visual research. / Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology / M.A. (Visual Arts)

Det har blivit allt vanligare att vi idag använder våra mobila enheter till att besöka webben. I detta examensarbete undersöks vilka centrala designprinciper en designer bör eftersträva när avsikten är att förenkla användningen av en webbplats i en statisk och en rörlig situation via den mobila enheten. Examensarbetet innefattar en litteraturgenomgång, observationsintervjuer vid två tillfällen och en prototyputveckling. Det första intervjutillfället identifierade de grundläggande designprinciperna som sedan stod till grund för prototypen. Det andra intervjutillfället genomfördes mot prototypen med samma individer. Det som undersöktes var om de grundläggande designprinciperna förenklade användningen av en webbplats via den mobila enheten. En jämförelse mellan båda intervjutillfällena genomfördes för att sammanställa de centrala designprinciperna. / It has become increasingly common that we now use our mobile devices to visit the web. This thesis examines the central design principles a designer should strive for when it is intended to simplify the use of a website in a static and variable situation trough a mobile device. The thesis includes a literature review, interviews on two occasions and a prototype development. The first interviews identified the fundamental design principles which then became the basis for the prototype. The second interviews were conducted towards the prototype with the same individuals. It examined if the fundamental design principles simplified the use of a website trough the mobile device. A comparison of the two interviews was conducted to compile the central design principles.

This thesis focuses on the adaptation of formal education to people’s technology- use patterns, their technology-in-practice, where the ubiquitous use of mobile technologies is central. The research question is: How can language learning practices occuring in informal learning environments be effectively integrated with formal education through the use of mobile technology? The study investigates the technical, pedagogical, social and cultural challenges involved in a design science approach. The thesis consists of four studies. The first study systematises MALL (mobile-assisted language learning) research. The second investigates Swedish and Chinese students’ attitudes towards the use of mobile technology in education. The third examines students’ use of technology in an online language course, with a specific focus on their learning practices in informal learning contexts and their understanding of how this use guides their learning. Based on the findings, a specifically designed MALL application was built and used in two courses. Study four analyses the app use in terms of students’ perceived level of self-regulation and structuration. The studies show that technology itself plays a very important role in reshaping peoples’ attitudes and that new learning methods are coconstructed in a sociotechnical system. Technology’s influence on student practices is equally strong across borders. Students’ established technologies-in-practice guide the ways they approach learning. Hence, designing effective online distance education involves three interrelated elements: technology, information, and social arrangements. This thesis contributes to mobile learning research by offering empirically and theoretically grounded insights that shift the focus from technology design to design of information systems.

Cette thèse défend un modèle de l’entrepreneuriat en équipe en tant que processus dynamique, en évolution au niveau global et systémique, médiatisé par les TIC. Nous présentons l’entrepreneuriat en équipe comme une activité en contexte, qui s’incarne dans une culture, une histoire, un environnement, et qui se développe au travers même des moments d’interaction qu’elle génère. Ces moments de coopération et de coordination en équipes localisées, ou multi-localisées (Vacherand-Revel, 2017) constituent des espaces d’intersubjectivité (Zarifian 1996) dans lesquels différents artefacts entrent en jeu. Nous émettons l’hypothèse que ces artefacts dans l’activité vont participer activement au développement de l’activité entrepreneuriale innovante en servant de support à la formation des équipes, à l’élaboration des idées, et à la conception. Basées sur un protocole méthodologique qualitatif et développemental, nos analyses mettent en évidence plusieurs facteurs et ressources de l’activité, notamment le dispositif de formation entrepreneuriale, et les artefacts mobilisés par les acteurs. Ces artefacts dans l’activité (Adé, 2000), sont transformés en artefacts de l’activité au cours de processus de genèse instrumentale (Rabardel, 1995). Ils peuvent alors prendre un statut d’objets intermédiaires (Vinck, 1999, 2009) ou d’objets-frontières (Star, 2010, Vinck, 2009) au sein de l’activité. Les analyses montrent le rôle prépondérant de l’objet d’innovation, qui est l’œuvre commune de l’équipe. Il est à la fois un aboutissement et un point de départ permettant le développement des intentions de l’équipe et de la trajectoire du projet. L’objet d’innovation nait d’un processus de conception et de création (Almudever, 2012). Ces analyses montrent l’interdépendance des situations de coopération et de conception collective dans la formalisation de l’objet d’innovation. La nature du projet entrepreneurial, objet construit et en construction, souligne l’intérêt d’un dialogue entre théories de l’activité et théories de l’action. / This thesis defends a model of entrepreneurship as a dynamic, global and systemic process, mediated by technologies. We present entrepreneurship as an activity in context, embodied in a culture, a story, an environment, and which develops itself through interactions. The moments of cooperation and coordination in localized teams, or multi-localized teams (Vacherand-Revel, 2017) constitute spaces of intersubjectivity (Zarifian 1996) in which different artefacts are used. We hypothesize that these artifacts in the activity will actively participate in the development of innovative entrepreneurial activity by providing support for team training, idea development, and design. Based on a qualitative and developmental methodological protocol, the analysis highlights several factors and resources of the activity, in particular the entrepreneurial training device, and the artefacts mobilized by the actors. These artifacts in the activity (Adé, 2000) are transformed into artifacts of the activity during instrumental genesis processes (Rabardel, 1995). They can then take a status of intermediate objects (Vinck, 1999, 2009) or boundary objects (Star, 2010, Vinck, 2009) within the activity. The analysis shows the predominant role of the innovation object, which is a common production of the team. It is both an outcome and a starting point for the development of intentions and the trajectory of the project. The innovation object arises from a process of design and creation (Almudever, 2012). This research shows the interdependence of the situations of cooperation and collective design in the formalization of the innovation object. The nature of the entrepreneurial project – an object built and under construction - highlights the interest of a dialogue between Activity theory and Action theories.

This design science research proposes an IT artefact consisting of a website and a client application with the focus of letting users receive programming tasks which they will then try and solve, and have their solutions evaluated, thereby giving affirmation on their programming skills. The study sprung from the need to give programming novices confidence in their abilities to write sufficient code solutions to programming tasks. A delimitation was made to concentrate on the concepts covered by the course Fundamentals of Programming given by the Department of Informatics of Media at Uppsala University. The proposal successfully affirms its users coding confidence by assessing and communicating through gamified elements the correctness of the code solution to the user, thus enabling the heightening of the users motivation to continue learning programming skills. / Denna designvetenskapliga studie föreslår en IT artefakt bestående av en webbsida och en klientapplikation med fokus på att ge användare programmeringsuppgifter som de sedan ska försöka lösa och sedermera få evaluerade med feedback kring om deras lösning gav korrekt output. Studien utgick från behovet att ge programmeringsnybörjare bekräftelse på deras förmåga att skapa tillräckliga lösningar på koduppgifter. En avgränsning gjordes till att fokusera på de koncept som täcks av kursen Grundläggande programmering som ges av institutionen för Informatik & Media via Uppsala universitet. Förslaget bekräftar framgångsrikt användares kodningskunskaper genom att utvärdera och kommunicera resultaten via gamifierade element till användaren, vilket kan öka användarnas motivation att fortsätta utveckla sin programmeringsförmåga.

In manufacturing, metrological inspection is a time-consuming process. The higher the required precision in inspection, the longer the inspection time. This is due to both slow devices that collect measurement data and slow computational methods that process the data. The goal of this work is to propose methods to speed up some of these processes. Conventional measurement devices like Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs) have high precision but low measurement speed while new digitizer technologies have high speed but low precision. Using these devices in synergy gives a significant improvement in the measurement speed without loss of precision. The method of synergistic integration of an advanced digitizer with a CMM is discussed. Computational aspects of the inspection process are addressed next. Once a part is measured, measurement data is compared against its model to check for tolerances. This comparison is a time-consuming process on conventional CPUs. We developed and benchmarked some GPU accelerations. Finally, naive data fitting methods can produce misleading results in cases with non-uniform data. Weighted total least-squares methods can compensate for non-uniformity. We show how they can be accelerated with GPUs, using plane fitting as an example. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This thesis proposes elements for a cognitive anthropology of visual art. Most works of art are human-made objects that cannot be approached in purely functional terms, and as such they frustrate important cognitive expectations that people have about artefacts. For this reason, it is hypothesised that art triggers speculation about the artist’s intention, and that it is intuitively approached as a form of communication. By application of Bloom’s (1996) theory of artefact categorisation, and Sperber and Wilson’s (1986/1995) relevance theory of communication, a series of predictions are generated for art categorisation (or definition), art appreciation, and art cultural distribution. Two empirical studies involving more than 1,000 participants tested the most important of these predictions. In study 1, a relationship was found between how much a series of works of art were liked and how easy they were to understand. Study 2 comprised four experiments. In experiment 1, a series of hyperrealistic paintings were preferred when they were labelled as paintings than when they were labelled as photographs. In experiments 2a and 2b, a series of paintings were considered easier to understand and, under some conditions, were preferred, when they were accompanied by titles that made it easier to understand the artist’s intention. In experiment 3, a series of artefacts were more likely to be considered “art” when they were thought to have been created intentionally than when they were thought to have been created accidentally. The results of studies 1 and 2 confirmed the predictions tested, and are interpreted in the framework of relevance theory. The art experience involves speculation about the artist’s intention, and it is partly assessed as a form of communication that is constrained by relevance dynamics. Implications for anthropology of art, psychology of art, and the art world are discussed.

This project examines opportunities for history exhibition design practices. Research into museum studies and creative work in typography, photography, graphic design and architecture result in curation and design of a prototypical exhibit about the granite quarrying industry of Stonington, Maine.