Trace elements are involved in many biological processes and serve important functions to maintain the normal development of the central nervous system (CNS). In the CNS, iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) are some of the most important elements that play critical roles as catalysts, cofactors, and structural components for many cellular enzymes and proteins. The deficiency or excess of these metals may lead to various neurological disorders. Demyelination is a condition of loss of myelin and leads to neurological diseases like Multiple Sclerosis. Myelin consists of transition metals and hence it would be interesting to study concentrations of these elements in normal and demyelinated models. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) is a popular non-destructive technique applied in trace element studies. The principle involves exciting a sample and detecting characteristic X-rays, which provide information on elemental concentrations in the sample. In the present studies the feasibility of XRF for trace element studies was explored. A total of 120 samples of brain and spinal cord tissues were collected from Long Evans (control) and Long Evans Shaker (dysmyelinated)–an incomplete formation of myelin sheaths–rats at ages of 3 weeks and 16 weeks. The samples were excited using x-rays from an Energy Dispersive X-Ray Diffraction (EDXRF) set-up. The spectral data was collected using an Silicon Drift Detector (SDD) and the resultant data were analysed to see if statistically significant changes in concentrations were present in the samples. The results were discussed and suggestions for future work were made. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Objectives: 1) To examine the effectiveness of Audiovisual (AV) interventions at reducing preoperative anxiety (PA) and its associated outcomes in children undergoing surgery; 2) To assess the psychometric properties of a new scale, the Children’s Perioperative Multidimensional Anxiety Scale (CPMAS); 3) To examine the feasibility and acceptability of a novel tablet-based intervention, Story-Telling Medicine (STM), for reducing children’s PA; 4) To examine the relation between temperament and PA in the surgical context. Methods: A systematic review of studies where the primary outcome was children’s PA was conducted (Study 1). A study of the reliability and validity of the CPMAS were assessed at preoperative assessment (T1), on the day of surgery (T2), and 1 month postoperatively (T3) was also undertaken (Study 2). The feasibility and acceptability of STM were then examined and compared its effect to Usual Care (UC) (Study 3). Finally, children’s temperament was examined using the Colorado Childhood Temperament Inventory at T1 along with the CPMAS assessed at T1 and T2 (Study 4). Results: Fourteen of the 18 studies led to reductions in children’s PA (Study 1). The CPMAS demonstrated good internal consistency, stability and convergent validity across all visits (Study 2). The participant recruitment and study procedures were shown to be feasible and children in the STM group demonstrated greater reductions in CPMAS compared to the UC group (Study 3). Shyness predicted lower PA at T1, while sociability predicted higher PA at T1 and T2 (Study 4). Conclusions: AV interventions appear useful but full-scale RCTs of these treatments are required to pinpoint those that are most effective. The CPMAS is a promising tool for evaluating children’s PA and preliminary evidence suggests that STM is a feasible intervention for reducing children's PA. Finally, our findings highlight the importance of considering individual differences in predicting anxiety in the surgical setting. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Preoperative anxiety affects up to 5 million children in North America annually and is associated with many adverse psychological, behavioural, and health effects. These problems not only produce significant distress for children and families, but can have immediate and long-term effects on a child’s mental health and development. Current methods to reduce preoperative anxiety in children (e.g., medications and psychological preparation programs) are limited by their expense and/or time-intensive nature. In an attempt to reduce children’s preoperative anxiety and its associated negative outcomes, this work examined the usefulness of audiovisual interventions in reducing children’s preoperative anxiety, sought to develop a new instrument to measure children’s preoperative anxiety, tested a new tablet-based application to reduce children’s preoperative anxiety, and examined the relation between children’s temperament and preoperative anxiety. The goal is to improve the surgical experience for children and families, and to reduce psychological and physical problems in children undergoing surgery.

Выпускная квалификационная работа (магистерская диссертация) посвящена исследованию оценке эффективности и финансовому обоснованию политики повышения конкурентоспособности промышленной компании. Предметом исследования выступают финансово-экономические отношения по поводу обеспечения конкурентоспособности производственной организации. Основная цель магистерской диссертации состоит в развитии теоретических и методических установок по оценке конкурентоспособности производственной компании, проведения анализа хозяйственной деятельности компании, предложить дополнение к существующим методам оценки конкурентоспособности. В заключении обозначены рекомендации по повышению конкурентоспособности для объекта исследования. / Final qualifying work (master's thesis) is devoted to the study of efficiency evaluation and financial justification of the policy of increasing the competitiveness of an industrial company. The subject of the study are the financial and economic relations on the competitiveness of the production organization. The main purpose of the master's thesis is to develop theoretical and methodological guidelines for assessing the competitiveness of the production company, the analysis of economic activity of the company, to offer an addition to the existing methods of assessing competitiveness. In conclusion, the recommendations to improve the competitiveness of the object of study.

Background: Digital mental health interventions (DMHI) hold promise for addressing mental health needs on a large scale. Among these interventions, Internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT) has proven effective in tackling various mental health issues. However, the effectiveness of these interventions is hindered by a lack of sustained user engagement. A lack of knowledge on what specific iCBT content is the most engaging and the absence of a standardized approach to measure engagement hampers progress in this area. Aim: To conduct an evaluation of engagement based on usage data to learn which and what kind of iCBT content from a self-tailored blended iCBT application is the most engaging in order to inform strategies and enhance efforts to improve the overall effectiveness of the intervention. Methods: An observational, quantitative study of real-world usage data was conducted to evaluate engagement levels across various iCBT modules available in the app. Four engagement metrics were obtained from the users´ usage data: Adherence Rate, Rate of Max. Progress, Return Rate, and Average Time Spent to create rank and compare engagement levels across the iCBT modules. Results: The results included data from the 1st of January to the 30th of April of 2023 for 138 iCBT modules. The mean engagement score for all iCBT modules was 56.41±9.85, with a median of 57.30 and a range of 67.97. The most engaging iCBT modules were “Thought traps and questioning thoughts” (81.4), “A model for social anxiety” (80.5), and “Safety Behaviors” (78.1). The most engaging iCBT module classifications were “Social phobia” (92.10), “Depressive disorder” (80.70), and “Post-traumatic stress disorder” (80.40). Conclusions: Based on real-world usage data of patients, it was possible to determine the extent to which users engaged with different iCBT modules comprehensively. The findings shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of the iCBT modules regarding engagement levels. The quantitative evaluation of “in the wild” patient usage data proved useful for assessing engagement levels of specific content within the app.

The thesis investigates the feasibility of automated decision-making (ADM) in project management from two perspectives - technical feasibility, analysed through a comprehensive literature review, and organisational acceptance, evaluated through empirical evidence. To address technical feasibility, the literature study is used, and it underscores the significance of data-driven decision-making and the impact of advancements in machine learning. Organisational acceptance is investigated with thematic analysis, and the complementary method employed is semi-structured interviews, allowing for in-depth insights from experienced project managers. The analysis reveals that project integration, cost, and risk management exhibit considerable potential for ADM integration, whereas schedule, resource, and procurement management demonstrate varying levels of applicability. In contrast, scope, quality, communication, and stakeholder management are deemed less feasible due to their complex nature and the critical involvement of skilful project managers. As a result, the study advocates a balanced approach to ADM implementation, combining automated capabilities with human expertise. Its contributions lie in the formalisation and categorisation of ADM applications, addressing the challenges, and providing valuable insights for practical ADM adoption in project management.

The Apple Watch is capable of recording single-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs). To incorporate such devices in routine medical care, the reliability of such devices to obtain precordial leads needs to be validated. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and reliability of a smartwatch (SW) to obtain precordial leads compared to standard ECGs. We included 100 participants (62 male, aged 62.8 ± 13.1 years) with sinus rhythm and recorded a standard 12-lead ECG and the precordial leads with the Apple Watch. The ECGs were quantitively compared. A total of 98 patients were able to record precordial leads without assistance. A strong correlation was observed between the amplitude of the standard and SW-ECGs’ waves, in terms of P waves, QRS-complexes, and T waves (all p-values < 0.01). A significant correlation was observed between the two methods regarding the duration of the ECG waves (all p-values < 0.01). Assessment of polarity showed a significant and a strong concordance between the ECGs’ waves in all six leads (91–100%, all p-values < 0.001). In conclusion, 98% of patients were able to record precordial leads using a SW without assistance. The SW is feasible and reliable for obtaining valid precordial-lead ECG recordings as a validated alternative to a standard ECG.

Some of the recently released smartwatch products feature a single-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) recording capability. The reliability of obtaining 3-lead ECG with smartwatches is yet to be confirmed in a large study. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and reliability of smartwatch to obtain 3-lead ECG recordings, the classical Einthoven ECG leads I-III compared to standard ECG. To record lead I, the watch was worn on the left wrist and the right index finger was placed on the digital crown for 30 s. For lead II, the watch was placed on the lower abdomen and the right index finger was placed on the digital crown for 30 s. For lead III, the same process was repeated with the left index finger. Spearman correlation and Bland-Altman tests were used for data analysis. A total of 300 smartwatch ECG tracings were successfully obtained. ECG waves’ characteristics of all three leads obtained from the smartwatch had a similar duration, amplitude, and polarity compared to standard ECG. The results of this study suggested that the examined smartwatch (Apple Watch Series 4) could obtain 3-lead ECG tracings, including Einthoven leads I, II, and III by placing the smartwatch on the described positions.

Traffic congestion is a central problem in transportation systems, especially in urban areas. The rapid development of Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) and new traffic infrastructure technologies provides a promising solution to solve this problem. This work focuses on the safety-critical optimal control of CAVs in autonomous traffic systems. The dissertation starts with the roundabout problem of controlling CAVs travelling through a roundabout so as to jointly minimize their travel time, energy consumption, and centrifugal discomfort while providing speed-dependent safety guarantees. A systematic approach is developed to determine the safety constraints for each CAV dynamically. The joint optimal control and control barrier function (OCBF) controller is applied, where the unconstrained optimal control solution is derived which is subsequently optimally tracked by a real-time controller while guaranteeing the satisfaction of all safety constraints. Secondly, the dissertation deals with the feasibility problem of OCBF. The feasibility problem arises when the control bounds conflict with the Control Barrier Function (CBF) constraints and is solved by adding a single feasibility constraint to the Quadratic Problem (QP) in the OCBF controller to derive the feasibility guaranteed OCBF. The feasibility guaranteed OCBF is applied in the merging control problem which provably guarantees the feasibility of all QPs derived from the OCBF controller. Thirdly, the dissertation deals with the performance loss of OCBF due to the improperly selected reference trajectory which deviates largely from the complete optimal solution especially when the vehicle limitations are tight. A neural network is used to learn the control policy from data retrieved by offline calculation from the complete optimal solutions. Tracking the learnt reference trajectory with CBF outperforms OCBF in simulation experiments. Finally, a hierarchical framework of modular control zones (CZ) is proposed to extend the safety-critical optimal control of CAV from a single CZ to a traffic network. The hierarchical modular CZ framework is developed consisting of a lower-level OCBF controller and a higher-level feedback flow controller to coordinate adjacent CZs which outperforms a direct extension of the OCBF framework to multiple CZs without any flow control in simulation.

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