Mast cells are granulocytes that require signaling from the receptor protein-tyrosine kinase Kit and its ligand stem cell factor (SCF) for their maturation and function. In addition to providing growth and survival signals, the Kit receptor is involved in crosstalk to β1 integrins leading to mast cell adhesion, spreading, and migration on fibronectin (FN). Previous studies reported the involvement of the non-receptor protein-tyrosine kinases Fps/Fes and Fer in signaling downstream of the high affinity IgE receptor in mast cells and identified cell migration defects in Fer-deficient bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs). Fps/Fes also becomes phosphorylated downstream of the Kit receptor in BMMCs, and this involves the action of the Src family kinase Fyn as an upstream activator of Fps/Fes. In this study, the Fps/Fes SH2 domain was observed to bind the phosphorylated Kit receptor in vitro, suggesting that the SH2 domain plays a role in the activation mechanism of Fps/Fes. To investigate the function of Fps/Fes in Kit signaling, BMMCs were generated from wild-type and Fps/Fes-null mice. Analysis of downstream effectors revealed that Fps/Fes is required for maximal p38 MAPK signaling. Further examination of Fps/Fes-deficient BMMCs revealed increases in adhesion, spreading, and a defect in cell polarization on full-length FN (a ligand for multiple β1 integrins), compared to wild-type BMMCs. Similar phenotypes are observed using an α5β1 integrin-specific FN fragment (9-11) as the matrix. Reduced phosphorylation of the putative Fps/Fes substrate HS1 (a cortactin homologue involved in actin regulation) is observed in Fps/Fes-deficient BMMCs, compared to control cells, and this may contribute to the observed cytoskeletal defects. Restoring Fps/Fes expression in Fps/Fes-deficient BMMCs by retroviral transduction results in a rescue of cell spreading, polarization, and chemotaxis defects to levels similar to those of wild-type cells. This thesis provides novel insights into the potential mode of Fps/Fes activation downstream of the Kit receptor, and a role for Fps/Fes in regulating crosstalk between Kit and α5β1 integrins to promote cytoskeletal reorganization and motility of mast cells. / Thesis (Master, Biochemistry) -- Queen's University, 2009-01-28 15:05:04.056

The analysis of this thesis is to examine whether foreign investors can fully rely on the standard of FPS in BITs for the protection of their investments in the territories of host States which has been mandated to States by international law. This question cannot be answered without giving insights into the content and structure of the origin of FPS standard and adopts a dynamic based-perspective of the interpretation of FPS under VCLT 1969, encompassing the relationship between FPS and CIL. It investigates the tribunals' interpretation of the clause using case laws and literatures to identify and explore the underlying explanatory process behind tribunals' case findings and outcomes. The study examines the critical realism that the obligation of FPS standard does not place absolute liability to a host State, rather the exercise of a reasonable degree of vigilance. It evaluates the controversy surrounding the relationships between FPS and FET, and illuminates on how the two standards may co-evolve which has led to various arbitral tribunals' divergence opinions interpretation of the two principles. The evaluation of the application of FPS to digital assets is dynamic in this research as it addresses the nature of threats investors face globally today over cyber attacks of digital investments. The thesis also emphasis on balancing up investors' rights and obligation, which explains the measures that States can apply to prevent foreign investors from engaging in illegitimate activities. Having look at all these issues, circumstances, and the controversies surrounding FPS standard, the result found is that there is a existence of a gap in this area of the law, that would mean that foreign investors cannot completely rely on the principle of FPS for the protection of their investments in the territories of the host unless this lacunae is properly filled by both the States and arbitral tribunals, especially the tribunals' interpretative meaning of the standard of FPS.

no / No Abstract

Jag har med denna litteraturstudie närmare undersökt begreppet immersion och dess koppling tillgränssnitt i digitala spel inom FPS-genren (First-Person Shooter). I studien presenteras först tidigare forskning som skett inom områdena för immersion, användargränssnitt samt digitala spel. Utifrån detta lyfts det sedan upp tre saker i problemformuleringen: att immersion kan påverka människor, att gränssnitt är en viktig länk mellan spelet och spelaren samt att genren även har en betydelse vid utformandet av gränssnitt. Syftet med studien har varit att undersöka aktuell teori vilket har ökat min förståelse för immersion, användargränssnitt samt digitala spel. En kvalitativ inriktad forskning med hermeneutiken som metod har använts vid utförandet avstudien. Jag presenterar i resultatkapitlet exempel på tre stycken spel i FPS-genren där det framkommer att två av dessa spelen har gränssnitt som stödjer immersion varav det tredje spelet har ett gränssnitt som bryter immersionen. Från resultatet har sedan fyra stycken riktlinjer extraherats med syftet att ge gränssnittsdesigners tydliga instruktioner om vad som gäller vid utvecklingen av gränssnitt som stödjer immersion i FPS-genren. Slutsatsen har med studien blivit att gränssnitt kan påverka immersion i både en positiv och negativ mening. / I have with this literature study closer studied the term immersion and it's connection to user interfaces within video games in the FPS-genre (First-Person Shooter). The study first presents previous research that has occurred in the fields of immersion, user interfaces and video games. Three things are then, from this, later lifted up in the problem specification, those three are, that immersion can affect people, that user interfaces are critical links between the gamer and the game and that the genre is significant in the development of a user interface. The purpose of the study has been to a research current theory which has expanded my knowledge in the fields of immersion, user interfaces and video games. A qualitative oriented research with hermeneutics as the methodology has been applied in the execution of the study. I then present, in the results chapter, three examples of games in the FPS-genre where it is found that two of these games have a user interface that supports immersion with the third game having a user interface that breaks immersion. The results have then been extracted into four guidelines with the purpose to give user interface designers clear instructions about what applies in the development of user interfaces that supports immersion in the FPS-genre. The conclusion of the study has then been that user interfaces can affect immersion in both a positive and in a negative way.

Användarupplevelse anses vara en viktig aspekt inom dagens spel och utgör en betydande roll för framgång inom branschen. Flertal funktioner bör beaktas vid utvecklingen av optimal upplevelse och eftersom spelindustrin ständigt utvecklas måste även människans kunskap om komponenterna som skapar den optimala upplevelsen utvecklas. För avhandlingen undersöks flow och immersion som komponenter av optimal upplevelse i syfte att skapa förståelse för aktiviteters potential att inducera optimala spelupplevelser inom FPS-spel. Samtidigt undersöks möjligheten att kombinera flow och immersion inom en teori, för att uppnå bättre förståelse för deras relation till varandra inom en spelmiljö. Teorin som presenteras är flow theory, vilken staterar att specifika sinnestillstånd kan observeras när användare utför uppgifter som hen har olika kompetensnivåer inom och som motsätter sig olika utmaningsnivåer. Upplevelsen av flow faller inom de sinnestillstånd som kan observeras, medan immersion ej observeras. Dock överlappar immersion och flow inom flertal av de aspekter som möjliggör flows plats inom teorin, således finns möjlighet för immersion att potentiellt identifieras inom den. För att undersöka detta används både kvantitativa och kvalitativa metoder i form av enkätundersökningar och intervjuer med spelare av FPS-spel. Resultaten visar att ingen specifik aktivitet inom dessa spel kan identifieras med högre nivåer av vare sig flow eller immersion och ingen ytterligare forskning inom ämnet genomfördes. Resultaten påvisade att potentiell immersion kan uppstå inom flertal sinnestillstånd inom flowteorin, dock varierade nivåerna av potentiell immersion mellan dem. Vänners närvaro ökar potentialen att uppleva immersion. / User experience is an important aspect of modern gameplay and plays an important role throughout the various parts that gaming has to offer. There are many features to regard in the development of the optimal gaming experience and as the industry continues to advance, our knowledge about the components of the optimal experience must advance with it. In this thesis flow and immersion as components of optimal user experience will be researched to gain an understanding for which activities within FPS-games show the most potential to induce these optimal gaming experiences. Whilst also attempting to combine them under one theory to achieve a better understanding of their relation to one another in a game setting. The theory presented is flow theory, which states that specific states of mind can be observed when users perform tasks in which they possess varying levels of competence and that oppose varying levels of challenge. The experience of flow is an observable state of mind within the theory, whilst immersion is not. However, immersion overlaps with multiple aspects of the flow experience that enables it to be part of this theory, thus enabling immersion's potential to be identified within it. To investigate this both quantitative and qualitative methods are used, consisting of surveys and interviews with gamers of FPS-style games. The results show that no specific activity within these games can be identified with higher levels of neither flow nor immersion and no further research on the subject was conducted. The results regarding immersion within the flow theory gave positive results. The potential to experience immersion was observed within multiple parts of the theory, even though the levels of potential immersion varied between the different areas. The results also showed that the presence of friends increased the potential to experience immersion.

Målet med detta examensarbete har varit att utveckla en app med en algoritm för att mäta rotationshastigheten hos en prototyp för en spirometerlösning till en låg kostnad för smart- telefoner. En förstudie har gjorts av smarttelefoners användbarhet för att mäta hälsotillstånd och vilka alternativa lösningar och algoritmer som finns för att mäta rörelsedetektion. I detta arbete har en app med en algoritm utvecklats för att detektera rörelser och mäta rotations- hastigheten hos spirometerprototypens turbin filmad med en smarttelefonkamera. För att metoden ska fungera är det viktigt att rotationshastigheten understiger hälften av kamerans fps (bilder per sekund). Rotationshastigheten hos turbinen måste därför begränsas och det behövs en kamera som klarar minst 120 fps för att fånga rörelserna i prototypens turbin.Arbetet har resulterat i en fungerande algoritm för att bestämma turbinens rotationshastighet. Den utvecklade algoritmen detekterar topparna i en PPG (photoplethysmogram). För att minska beräkningstiden och för att öka noggrannheten analyserar algoritmen färgintensiteten i ett begränsat område, ett s.k. ROI (Region of Interest) i varje bild. Det finns stora möjligheter att använda denna algoritm för att fortsätta utvecklingen av detta alternativa sätt att utföra spirometritester. / The goal with this bachelor thesis was to develop an application with an algorithm to measure the rotation speed of a prototype, as a low-cost solution for measuring spirometry with a smartphone. In a pilot study it was investigated how a smartphone can be used to measure health and what algorithms there are to detect motion in videos. After the pilot study an app with the function to record a video by using the camera of a smartphone and then use an algorithm to detect the rotation speed in the spirometry-prototype’s turbine was developed. To make it work it is important that the rotation speed is low enough so it does not exceed half of the cameras fps. Therefore, to capture the rotation speed of the spirometry-prototype’s turbine the rotation needs to be limited and a smartphone with a camera with at least 120 fps is required.The result of this work is an algorithm that can measure the rotation speed in the spirometry prototype turbine. The algorithm is detecting the peaks in a PPG. To minimize the computation time and to increase the accuracy the algorithm analyses the colour intensity over a ROI in every frame. There is great potential to use this algorithm to further develop this alternative method of measuring spirometry.

Frågeställningen som undersökningen ämnade ge svar på var huruvida aggressiv musik påverkar unga människors offensiva beteenden i FPS-spel. Med avstamp i forskning kring dataspel och musik som påverkningsfaktor i samhället samt som motivation i krig genomfördes research och en artefakt skapades. Undersökningen utfördes på ett tjugotal personer mellan 15-30 år vid olika tillfällen där varje informant ombads spela igenom ett FPS-spel lyssnandes till dels en heavy metallåt och dels ett stycke ljudeffekter. Den kvantitativa datan som mättes var antal skott, träffade fiender och puls vilket kompletterades av en enkät beträffande personliga uppgifter följt av en muntlig intervju. Med en klar majoritet som tenderade att avfyra fler skott, ha högre puls och som motiverade en mer inlevelsefull upplevelse till musiken drogs slutsatsen att aggressiv musik har en påtaglig påverkan i FPS-spel ur både fysiska och psykiska aspekter. Vid eventuell vidareutveckling av arbetet hade mätning på flertalet musik- och spelgenrer varit av intresse.

No description available.

Studier kring spel har under de senaste tio år fått stort genomslag i den akademiska världen. Datorspels påverkan på människans kognitiva förmågor har visat sig vara signifikant, även om övriga effekter av datorspel ännu diskuteras av forskare. Studier kring spel har gjorts, främst inom Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) genren, men även några First Person Shooter- spel (FPS) även om fokus då varit professionella spelare. Undersökningens fokus var att studera hur samarbete uppstår i spel då icke professionella datorspelare spelar spel, men även studera vilken roll samarbete har i publika spel. Olika datainsamlingsmetoder användes för att stärka eventuella resultat. Resultaten indikerade att flera faktorer i spel kunde ha inverkan på spelares förmåga att samarbeta trots att den viktigaste faktorn vid skapande av samarbete handlar om att göra varje enskild spelare till en viktig komponent för att laget som helhet ska uppnå ett givet mål, något som olika spel gör i olika grad.

In the Thesis, we propose a mechanism to dynamically adjust video parameters in an intelligent video surveillance network. Whenever there is an alarm or network encounters congestion, we could adjust video parameters including Frames per Second (FPS), Quality, and Picture Size to adapt to network bandwidth. For examples, we can adjust FPS when an alarm exists in the surveillance system; we can adjust the Quality or Picture Size by counting the total number of video packets received per second to obtain a smooth video when network is congested To demonstrate the proposed schemes, we implement these three adjustable parameters, Quality, Picture size, and FPS on a Linux platform. To do this, we establish a new HTTP connection from a client to a camera and then we develop the corresponding control messages issued by the client in order to change the video parameters. In addition, we implement a video recovery mechanism by measuring the differences in arrival time between every packet (referred to as diff). Finally, we observe with our proposed scheme whether the video quality can be smoother under different background traffics. In the video recovery mechanism, we utilize diff to decide whether a higher quality picture should be persisted or downgraded to a lower quality picture to avoid packet loss under network congestion.