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>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Three-dimensional (3D) graphic representations of geographic environments have become commonplace in a range of elds. These representations are often an attempt to represent both geographic forms, as well as the relationships that exist between them. In contrast to other elds, the use of 3D geological models in the visualisation of the subsurface environment is relatively new. Additionally, these 3D geological models are traditionally created through the painstaking process of manual development methods. As such, the models developed are unable to fully utilise the wealth of geological data that is collected during subsurface exploration. Therefore, the objective of this research was to create a 3D geological prototype that allowed for the visualisation of underground resource reservoirs in a faster, easier and more aesthetically appealing manner. To achieve the objectives of this research, the problem was tackled holistically by considering both the theoretical and practical components of the research. Some theoretical components that were considered are: well log wireline log data composition, the information that can be extracted from each well log component, geological data interpolation as well as geological visualisation. Utilisation of the theoretical component of this research facilitated the development of a programme that modelled and visualised sub-surface environments. The programme applied the information from numerous well log datasets and interpolated the various geological layers that could be found within a region.

This article draws analogies between the activities of statisticians and of chefs. It suggests how these analogies can be used in teaching, both to help understanding of what statistics is about and to increase motivation to learn the subject.

Teaching good software development practices is difficult, both in theory and in practice. Time management and project organization are skills often left by the wayside by students too focused on the coding itself. Educational research has been invested in developing strategies to combat these bad habits. In order to provide better support for interventions discouraging bad development habits, more data about student development is needed. The purpose of this research is to design and implement software to collect data continuously as students work on programming projects and provide it in useful forms to instructors and researchers so that they may make headway in designing new curricula, assignments, and interventions that better help students to succeed. The DevEventTracker is a software system that interfaces with existing Web-CAT services to track student development data continuously, without any student effort. Development and compilation events are tracked within the Eclipse IDE through a plugin and sent to a Web-CAT server. Code snapshots corresponding to each event are also committed to a server-side repository. The system provides a dashboard as a set of instructor-visible web pages that display useful data in generated charts and tables. Data are presented in both class overview and individual student summaries. The system presented will enable future research in education and specifically in intervention development. Particularly, the system can be used to allow instructors to identify students who have a tendency to procrastinate and design more effective interventions. / Master of Science

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There is a growing interest in autonomous driving systems that can safely rely on multiple sensors including GNSS, IMU, Radar and LiDAR to navigate with high accuracy, integrity, continuity, and availability in complex urban environments. Many existing data sets, collected with multi-sensor platforms, focus on validating different variations of visual localization algorithms like SLAM, place recognition, object detection and visual odometry that help navigate in sky-obstructed and GNSS-denied environments. However, GNSS still plays a vital role in providing the most assured navigation solution. In this thesis, we develop a robust system intended for collecting data sets that will support the design of tightly integrated navigation algorithms and the analysis of integrity risk using GNSS coupled with IMU, Radar, and LiDAR in challenging automotive environments. GNSS pseudorange, doppler, and carrier phase and IMU acceleration and angular velocities are measurements that the system is specifically designed to collect for sensor-fusion algorithm refinement. In addition, time synchronization between sensors is crucial in data sets validating tightly integrated navigation, especially in applications with high dynamics. However, there is no widely accepted accurate and stable method for synchronizing clocks between different sensor types. We implement a common-clock synchronization and a hardware-trigger clock synchronization between multiple sensors. We then collect a preliminary data set to compare the accuracy and stability of sensor time-tagging using a GNSS-receiver-generated hardware trigger versus using a local-clock ROS-based time stamping. We evaluate the impact of these synchronization methods on mapping accuracy performance. / Master of Science / There is a growing interest in vehicles that can drive themselves without human intervention. Typically, these vehicles must rely on different types of sensors that perceive the environment in different ways and complement each other to navigate complex environments. Many algorithms have been developed to use the measurements from these sensors to accurately determine the vehicle position, velocity and orientation with high accuracy. Many existing data sets intended to validate these algorithms focus on sensors that use visual perception to navigate. In this thesis, we develop a robust data collection system to support (a) the validation of innovative navigation system design that make full use of complementary sensor properties and (b) the quantification of how much trust we can put into the navigation solution. In addition, tight integration of these sensors requires accurate timing of the measurements across multiple sensors. However, there is no widely accepted method of synchronizing clocks between multiple sensor types. We implement a first method in which all sensor information is time-stamped using a common clock, and a second method in which one sensor sends a pulse to another to synchronize their two clocks. To compare the accuracy and stability of these synchronization methods, we collect a preliminary data set.

The purposes of this study were: (1) to develop a systematic approach to fiscal data collection and (2) to analyze these data to determine the cost of selected trade and industrial education programs in Virginia. The four vocational-technical centers utilized in the study were selected according to: (1) geographic location and (2) years of operation. Centers chosen were urban and rural, representing three geographical regions of the State of Virginia. The objectives of this study were: (1) to set forth in general terms the components of cost analysis for selected trade and industrial education programs in Virginia, (2) to identify the cost of specific selected trade and industrial education programs in Virginia, (3) to present the methodology for a systematic approach for fiscal data collection in selected trade and industrial education programs in Virginia, and (4) to present cost data which may be utilized by administrators and local directors of vocational education in evaluating selected trade and industrial education programs. Limitations of the study were: (1) all data were based on actual expenditures for a one year period, (2) vocational-technical centers were selected which had been in operation for at least four years, (3) only regular trade and industrial education programs were utilized in this study, and (4) transportation of students and amortization of equipment were not included in this study. Expenditure items used in the study were determined by a panel of experts who agreed that the expenditures were attributable to vocational education costs. All expenditures utilized in this study were included in the list approved by the panel. The study required personal examination of records and reports maintained by: (1) vocational-technical centers, (2) local school agencies, and (3) the Division of Vocational Education, State Department of Education. Fiscal data were retrieved and analyzed by vocational-technical centers and by specific programs which permitted a per student cost to be attained. The study revealed that: (1) instructional salaries comprised the largest percentage of the total expenditures, (2) maintenance appeared to be very low in the percentage of total cost, (3) 68.4 percent of total costs was borne by the local school district and 31.6 percent was borne by the state, (4) the program with the largest percentage of total cost was Practical Nursing, (5) centers offering more programs experienced a lower per student cost than centers offering fewer programs, (6) there was a range of per student expenditure from $528.11 to $832.56, with an average per student cost of $692.27 for all four centers, and (7) the range of costs per student for all programs at all centers was from $296.55 to $1,096.03. Because of diverse accounting and expenditure methods found in local school districts the necessary forms for fiscal data collection and analyses were developed. The systematic approach and design was as follows: (1) determine which are bonafide costs, (2) condense the aforementioned classification list to fit the local accounting system, (3) collect data, (4) determine sources of funding, (5) prorate cost, (6) compute total cost for each expenditure classification, (7) compute total cost for each program area, (8) compute the unit costs, and (9) list student cost by programs. A self-contained packet for the systematic approach and analysis utilized in the study was developed and is included in Chapter 5 for use by local directors of vocational education. / Ed. D.

Background: Pain is a common consequence of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). While research into pain in SCI is vast, examining musculoskeletal pain (MSKP) and low back pain (LBP) are limited. This thesis aims to investigate these categories of pain in incomplete SCI (iSCI). The experience of pain is known to affect quality of life (QoL) and function. The impact of the experience of pain, particularly of LBP, on both the QoL and function are examined in this research. While research in similar fields is predominantly conducted in single nation populations this research is set out to study three different nations. Method: The following were part of this study: • A systematic literature review on the prevalence on chronic back pain (BP), LBP and MSKP in SCI. • A translation, and preliminary validation, into Greek of the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM version III). • A cross-national survey conducted in the USA, UK and Greece. Questionnaires included the short-form McGill Pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ), EQ-5D and the SCIM III. They were collected either online or via post and 219 questionnaires were analysed. Results: The papers included in the systematic literature review were considerably heterogeneous not allowing meta-analysis to be made. 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the total number of participants in the studies were used. Among people with pain the prevalence of chronic MSKP (CMSKP) was 49% (95%CI 44%, 55%), of chronic BP (CBP) was 47% (95%CI 43%, 50%) and chronic LBP (CLBP) was 49% (95%CI 44%, 55%). GR-SCIM III maintains its unidimensionality and has acceptable internal consistency (α=0.78). Concurrent/criterion validity for the two cross-examined subscales were strong for “self-care” (ρ=-0.78) and moderate for “mobility” (ρ=-0.58). Unidimensionality was also confirmed for the English version of SCIM III, which had accepted internal consistency (α=0.79) and strong concurrent/criterion validity for “self-care” (ρ=-0.75) and moderate for “mobility” (ρ=-0.45). The survey results showed that the prevalence of current LBP is 67.9% (95%CI 61%, 73%) and of MSKP is 38.8% (95%CI 32%, 45%). LBP was of moderate intensity and most commonly described as “aching”. People who report pain, LBP or MSKP reported worse QoL. The impact of LBP on QoL was greater than that of pain in general or MSKP. The increased intensity of LBP correlated with worse function. Among the three participating countries, people from the UK had the worst experience of pain and LBP, classified themselves with the worst health status and reported the worst functional independence. Conclusion: This study offers the first systematic review on CLBP, CBP and CMSKP in SCI. It is unique in using SCIM III by self-report and into Greek. The results show that LBP is highly present in iSCI affecting both QoL and function. Both the GR-SCIM III and the SCIM III are reliable for use, however studies are needed to examine further their psychometric properties. The findings of the study fit with features of the currently used patients’ rehabilitation models.

Thesis--Uppsala. / Extra t. p. with thesis statement inserted.