The development of cholinergic neurons in mouse frontal cortex was studied both in vivo and in vitro by immunocytochemistry with an antibody to choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), the enzyme responsible for acetylcholine synthesis. While cortical cholinergic neurons have previously been characterized in rat cortex, up until very recently, intrinsic cortical cholinergic neurons were considered to be absent in mouse, and little is known about their development or phenotypic characteristics. The present study found no ChAT-positive neurons in mouse frontal cortex on postnatal day 0 (P0, the day of birth). On P7 there were few, faintly stained, ChAT-positive neurons. The numerical density of ChAT-positive neurons increased substantially with age, from none on P0, to 9.2 + 1.4 on P7, to 14.8 + 0.9 on P16, and 41.6 + 3.9 in adulthood. Considering that the numerical density of total neurons decreases during this postnatal period, the data represent a marked developmental increase in the percentage of cholinergic neurons. The development of cholinergic neurons showed very similar timelines in rat and mouse frontal cortex. Cultures prepared from mouse frontal cortex on embryonic day 16 were maintained for 25, 76, or 100 days in vitro (div). The percentage of ChAT-positive neurons was considerably higher than in vivo, ranging from a mean 28% to 31% across the three age (div) groups. With increasing age of the cultures, the numerical density of total neurons and ChAT-positive neurons decreased while the percentage of ChAT-positive neurons did not change significantly. These observations suggest some temporal stability in the cultures. Using dual immunofluorescence, ChAT-positive neurons were tested for colocalization with GAD or TH. The majority of ChAT-positive neurons colocalized with GAD, both in vitro and in vivo. However, ChAT did not colocalize with TH, either in vitro or in vivo. Our comparison of intact frontal cortex and cultures suggest that while the percentage of cholinergic neurons was greater in the cultures, the cholinergic neurons developed phenotypic similarities in vitro and in vivo.

“MeatSpace” is a group of related bodies of work including podcasts, prints and videos produced by working with simulation technologies such as “weak A.I.”, virtual reality, and 3d scans. Collectively the works explore how people relate to these technologies and how they relate to us. They share thematic or process-oriented sensibilities involving a series of rule-based steps that alternate between the procedural and the intentional. “Uncanny” is defined as strangely familiar. Something which falls in the Uncanny Valley feels wrong, but the reasons may be difficult to articulate. “MeatSpace” is an ongoing experiment to see where our own digital reflections fall in an uncanny spectrum of unsettling familiarity. I am continuously assessing the meaning of words like “consciousness" and “choice”, wondering if they are simply interpretations of randomness and determinism. So I search for genuine glimmers of agency in technologies from the present and the past to better understand my own. The groupings within “MeatSpace” are titled “The Intrinsia Chatbox” (podcast), “Outside the Chatbox” (podcast), “Sweet Space/Spatial Awareness”(prints, video, augmented reality), “Formulaics”(music videos), and “Texture Maps/Morph Maps” (prints, video). “MeatSpace” uses manipulation of photogrammetry, volumetric video capture, procedural music generation, animations made in virtual reality, and a video podcast which showcases conversations with chatbots. I see these as acts of collaboration and play with the digital world and it’s developing tools and inhabitants. These processes employ both randomness and control, operating between meatspace and the digital world, between comfort and the uncanny valley.

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The aim of this master’s thesis is design and implementation local chat system for mobile devices and smartphones. System contains main server, witch covers communication with application for smartphones and web server, witch covers communications with browsers and presentation application, witch goal is to presenting chat to area. Smartphone ap- plication is crated for Android, iOS, Windows Mobile and Symbian operating systems. Wifi network is used for communication and message sending and signal coverage area defines local chat. Messages are shown dynamically and it’s possible send them as user status to Facebook social network.

This paper assesses the relationship between Social Networking Sites (SNS) and the effect of its excessive use on a user’s spelling capabilities and academic performance by using a single-factor, multi-level between subjects design (One-way ANOVA). The One way Anova was applied to SNS use (independent variable) and spelling and academic performance (dependent variables). Furthermore, the independent variable consists of three levels, a few times a month or never, a few times a week and every day. Out of a possible 107 respondents a total of 56 respondents, distributed across the various groups, completed the test. A spelling test together with the academic records was used as an instrument to measure their spelling capabilities. The findings suggest that students that make excessive use of SNS performed worse in the spelling test than students that do not make use of SNS or make use of SNS a few times a month. In addition, it is established that the SNS use has no effect on spelling. Conclusions from this study are that social networking sites have many various impacts on the youth, some being positive and others negative. Although the end result was that SNS do not “significantly” affect your spelling capabilities it is suggested that further research be carried out on this topic on a larger and more representative sample. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Psychology / MA / Unrestricted

Today, it appears that information leaks and security breaches are common occurrences. The authors of this project consider security and privacy to be a very vital part regarding technical concepts, something that is being looked past way too much. The authors have in earlier courses during their studies at Mid Sweden University taken part of studies that shows that the average users want to protect their information, but at the same time, has trouble understanding how products handle said information. This led the authors of this report to develop an encrypted application with a user's privacy and ease of understanding in mind. The user should understand that their information is safe and why it is safe. The purpose of the project was to build a chat application with security of sent messages, minimal data collection and ease of use as top priorities. The goals of the project include together with the principles mentioned earlier that users with an interest should have security information easily available, messages should be cryptographically secure and that replacement of a user’s keys should be an easy process. During the project two iterations of user tests were done to ensure that the application was as easy to use as possible. The results of these tests are used to get insight into users' understanding and interest in information related to message encryption. The results are also used to reach a conclusion to whether the goals of the project have been reached. The results of the user tests point to users not caring a lot about the availability of information about used encryption methods, however the users that had an interest for this found the available information relatively easy to understand. After changes based on the feedback from the first iteration of user tests, most users found the application easy to use and intuitive. To compare security of sent messages comparisons are done with leading applications in encrypted communication, these applications include WhatsApp, Viber and Facebook Messenger. / Idag tycks informationsläckor i olika former ske frekvent med jämna mellanrum. Författarna av detta projekt anser att integritet och säkerhet är två väldigt vitala koncept inom tekniska sammanhang, något som tummas på allt för mycket. Författarna har under tidigare utbildning på Mittuniversitetet tagit del av undersökningar som pekar på att den genomsnittliga användaren vill skydda sin information, men samtidigt, har svårigheter att förstå hur produkterna hanterar nämnd formation. Därför ville författarna utveckla en krypterad tjänst som samtidigt värnar om användarens integritet. Användaren skall förstå att dennes information är i säkra händer, användarens händer. Projektet gick ut på att bygga en chattapplikation med säkerhet av skickade meddelanden, minimalt insamlande av data från användare och användarvänlighet som högsta prioriteter. Projektets mål inkluderar att intresserade användare ska ha säkerhetsinformation tillgänglig, att applikationen ska vara lättanvänd, meddelanden ska vara kryptografiskt säkra och ersättning av en användares nycklar ska vara en simpel process. Under projektets gång gjordes två iterationer av användartester för att se till att applikationen är så användarvänlig som möjligt. Resultaten av användartesterna pekar på att många användare inte är intresserade av att ha tillgänglig information om kryptering men att de användare som hade ett intresse för detta fann den tillgängliga informationen relativt lätt att förstå. Efter ändringar från första iterationen av användartester så fann majoriteten av användare applikationen intuitiv. För att jämföra säkerheten av skickade meddelanden så görs säkerhetsjämförelser med ledande applikationer inom krypterad kommunikation, dessa applikationer inkluderar WhatsApp, Viber och Facebook Messenger.

The South African education system is under a serious strain in relation to Mathematics attainment. Only 40% of learners in SA pass the final school leaving examination and only 5% of learners manage to pass Mathematics with more than 50%, according to The Economist (2014). In a bid to solve this problem the government proposes the use of ICTs (such as computer hardware and software, tablets, and smartphones) within teaching and learning. The assumption is ICTs can be utilised to address this important challenge and “facilitate ongoing improvement of educator skills” (The National Integrated ICT Policy White Paper: The White Paper, 2016: p.8). Research shows that teachers’ perceptions regarding the use of ICTs impact on their practices (Mwendwa, 2017; Munyengabe, Yiyi, He Haiyan, & Hitimana, 2017; Alharbi, 2012; Yuan & Chun-Yi Lee, 2012). This project intends to explore six grade 6 Mathematics teachers’ perceptions about whether and how pedagogy shifts with the use ICTs in the classrooms utilising Cultural Historical Activity Theory. This research utilises interviews as a method for the collection of empirical data to describe a group of research participants’ (or teachers’) perceptions who happen to be directly interviewed. These interviews have been conducted across two no-fee paying primary schools in the Western Cape Province (WCP), in South Africa (SA). Interviews were analysed along the CHAT dimensions: object, subject, tools, rules, community and division of labour to establish whether pedagogy altered along any of these dimensions. Findings indicate that teachers think pedagogy shifts in the ICT based lessons with division of labour becoming more fluid. Findings also show that the object of the activity system grows to encompass more than mere mathematical compression but also motivation, creativity and cognitive development. Besides, teachers stated that ICT based learning could assist learners in their mathematical attainment. This project is an investigation and not an intervention study. Recommendations are also suggested in this thesis for further research such as video-taping teaching and learning of mathematic contents and concepts in both traditional and computer-based classrooms. Further study in utilising classroom observations to focus on student-student interaction in relation to ICTs is also recommended.

The focus of this thesis is to investigate whether adding video communication inonline multiplayer video games will affect the game experience. The work uses usercentered design and a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. Literaturereview, pre-study questionnaire and semi-structured interviews are used to create aprototype of a video chat overlay that can be used in games. The prototype is thenused in a quasi-experiment to test if adding a video chat will result in better gameexperience. Participants in the experiment play the same online multiplayer videogame without and with video chat overlay and fill out a game experiencequestionnaire after each condition. The GEQ scores after the two conditions arecompared using a Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. Results showed that adding videochat did not improve the game experience significantly. If a video chat would becreated for use in video games, it is important to keep it simple and easy to use.Regarding the effect of video chat on game experience, with the prototype designedfor this work, the null hypothesis could not be rejected since there was no significantdifference in the game experience.

BACKGROUND: Most women within reproductive ages living in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, have limited or no access to education on sexual and reproductive health and contraception, yet about 1.9 billon women in LMICs own a mobile phone. The exposure to digital health services has the potential to contribute to improving awareness, influencing positive perceptions, beliefs and promoting SRH and contraception.AIM: To explore user views and perceptions on the Grace Health’s (a digital health service) ability to improve awareness on sexual reproductive health and contraception among Ghanaian, Nigerian and Kenyan women aged 18-35.METHODOLOGY: A qualitative design using phenomenography to interview women remotely on women’s perception of digital health services through their own experience with using the Grace health chat bot and app. Also, their views were sought on how other women are gaining awareness and impacts on sexual reproductive health and contraception from the digital health services.RESULTS: Seven categories on digital health services emerged, with key findings presented as Safe days, ovulation as contraception, impacts on SRH, Avoiding or seeking pregnancy and influence on perception.CONCLUSION: This qualitative study gives insight for research community, public health professionals, app designers, health care providers, stakeholders and civil society organisations in making decisions regarding the use of digital health service as strategic, innovative instruments for interventions in major key indicators of Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights.

Chat reference is becoming prevalent in academic libraries across the country. This paper details the experience of East Tennessee State University's Sherrod Library when initiating such a service at their institution during the 2001-2002 academic year, which began as a response to the addition of a new online degree program in the state. Software selection, staff training, management issues, and statistical data are presented. Data analyzed includes use patterns, types of questions, and categories of users. The paper details librarians' reactions to providing reference services in this format, including the problems encountered. It also offers suggestions for a more successful implementation.