Arbetets syfte är att undersöka hur deltagande processer med inslag av teknologin Internet of Things (IoT) formar den samtida konsten. Detta genom en fallstudie av projektet Över sundet. Som metod används deltagande observationer och semi-strukturerade intervjuer, då författaren är en av projektets processledare och curators. Över sundet är ett samarbete mellan Helsingborgs stad, Helsingör kommun och två konstnärsgrupper. Tillsammans med städernas invånare ska konstnärerna skapa en ljusinstallation som använder sig av IoT. Med hjälp av teori angående etik, deltagande konst och pedagogik från Claire Bishop visar arbetets analys att projektets process är användbar och positiv men kan likväl gynna konstprojekt utan fokus på teknik. Arbetets analys använder sig också av Lev Manovichs begrepp ”culture interface” och drar slutsatsen att ljusinstallationen är en hybrid av kulturformer. En annan slutsats är att installationen formas av de datakällor som städernas invånare bidrar med. Utan invånarnas data och medskapande roll, berättar konstinstallationen inget narrativ.

<p>    </p> <p>Programs that use loops to operate over arrays and matrices are generally known as <em>regular programs</em>. These programs appear in critical applications such as image processing, differential equation solvers, and machine learning. Over the past few decades, extensive research has been done on composing, verifying, and applying scheduling transformations like loop interchange and loop tiling for regular programs. As a result, we have general frameworks such as the polyhedral model to handle transformations for loop-based programs. Similarly, programs that use recursion and loops to manipulate pointer-based data structures are known as <em>irregular programs</em>. Irregular programs also appear in essential applications such as scientific simulations, data mining, and graphics rendering. However, there is no analogous framework for recursive programs. In the last decade, although many scheduling transformations have been developed for irregular programs, they are ad-hoc in various aspects, such as being developed for a specific application and lacking portability. This dissertation examines principled ways to handle scheduling transformations for recursive programs through a unified framework resulting in performance enhancement. </p> <p>Finding principled approaches to optimize irregular programs at compile-time is a long-standing problem. We specifically focus on scheduling transformations that reorder a program’s operations to improve performance by enhancing locality and exploiting parallelism. In the first part of this dissertation, we present PolyRec, a unified general framework that can compose and apply scheduling transformations to nested recursive programs and reason about the correctness of composed transformations. PolyRec is a first-of-its-kind unified general transformation framework for irregular programs consisting of nested recursion and loops. It is built on solid theoretical foundations from the world of automata and transducers and provides a fundamentally novel way to think about recursive programs and scheduling transformations for them. The core idea is designing mechanisms to strike a balance between the expressivity in representing the set of dynamic instances of computations, transformations, and dependences and the decidability of checking the correctness of composed transformations. We use <em>multi-tape </em>automata and transducers to represent the set of dynamic instances of computations and transformations, respectively. These machines are similar yet more expressive than their classical single-tape counterparts. While in general decidable properties of classical machines are undecidable for multi-tape machines, we have proven that those properties are decidable for the class of machines we consider, and we present algorithms to verify these properties. Therefore these machines provide the building blocks to compose and verify scheduling transformations for nested recursion and loops. The crux of the PolyRec framework is its regular string-based representation of dynamic instances that allows to lexicographically order instances identically to their execution order. All the transformations considered in PolyRec require different ordering of these strings representable only with <em>additive </em>changes to the strings. </p> <p>Loop transformations such as <em>skewing </em>require performing arithmetic on the representation of dynamic instances. In the second part of this dissertation, we explore this space of transformations by introducing skewing to nested recursion. Skewing plays an essential role in producing easily parallelizable loop nests from seemingly difficult ones due to dependences carried across loops. The inclusion of skewing for nested recursion to PolyRec requires significant extensions to representing dynamic instances and transformations that facilitate <em>performing arithmetic using strings</em>. First, we prove that the machines that represent the transformations are still composable. Then we prove that the representation of dependences and the algorithm that checks the correctness of composed transformations hold with minimal changes. Our new extended framework is known as UniRec, since it resembles the unimodular transformations for perfectly nested loop nests, which consider any combination of the primary transformations interchange, reversal, and skewing. UniRec opens possibilities of producing newly composed transformations for nested recursion and loops and verifying their correctness. We claim that UniRec completely subsumes the unimodular framework for loop transformations since nested recursion is more general than loop nests. </p>

A novel scheme of optimizing the individual components of a phase locked loop (PLL) which is used for stable clock generation and synchronization of signals is considered in this work. Verilog-A is used for the high level system design of the main components of the PLL, followed by the individual component wise optimization. The design of experiments (DOE) approach to optimize the analog, 45nm voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) is presented. Also a mixed signal analysis using the analog and digital Verilog behavior of components is studied. Overall a high level system design of a PLL, a systematic optimization of each of its components, and an analog and mixed signal behavioral design approach have been implemented using cadence custom IC design tools.

The Stream API was added in Java 8. With the help of lambda expressions (anonymous functions), streams enable functional-style operations on sequences of elements. In this project, we evaluate how streams perform in comparison to imperative loops in terms of execution time, from the perspective of how streams are commonly used in public GitHub repositories. Additionally, two algorithms are implemented with and without streams, to assess the impact of stream usage on algorithmic performance. Parallel streams are only examined briefly due to their infrequent usage. We find that sequential streams in general are slower than imperative loops. However, stream performance heavily relies on how many elements are being processed, which is referred to as input size. For input sizes smaller than 100, most stream pipelines are several times slower than imperative loops. Meanwhile, for input sizes between 10 000 and 1 000 000, streams are on average only 39% to 74% slower than loops, and in some cases, they even slightly outperform them. Additionally, we observe that using streams when implementing algorithms in some cases leads to much slower execution times, while in other cases, it barely affects the execution time at all. We conclude that stream performance primarily depends on input size, presumably because of the high overhead abstraction cost of creating streams, but their performance also depends on other factors, such as operation type and pipeline length. / Med Java 8 introducerades streams. Med hjälp av lambda-uttryck (anonyma funktioner) möjliggör streams användandet av funktionella operationer på sekvenser av element. I detta projekt mäter vi hur streams presterar i jämförelse med imperativa loopar med hänsyn till exekveringstid, från perspektivet av hur streams vanligen används i publika GitHub-projekt. Parallella streams undersöks endast i begränsad utsträckning, på grund av hur sällan de används. Resultaten visar att streams överlag är långsammare än imperativa loopar. Skillnaden i prestanda beror dock starkt på indatastorleken, det vill säga hur många element som streamen bearbetar. För indatastorlekar mindre än 100 element är streams ofta flera gånger långsammare än deras imperativa motsvarigheter. Samtidigt är streams i genomsnitt endast 39% till 74% långsammare än imperativa motsvarigheter för indatastorlekar mellan 10 000 och 1 000 000 element, och i några fall är de till och med något snabbare än imperativ kod. Vidare observerar vi att användning av streams vid implementation av algoritmer i vissa fall leder till mycket längre exekveringstider, medan det i andra fall knappt påverkar exekveringstiden alls. Vi drar slutsatsen att prestandan av streams främst beror på indatastorlek, men också på andra faktorer, såsom operationstyp och hur många operationer som används i en pipeline.

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<p dir="ltr">The dissertation explored children’s shape composition and decomposition with Legos and how it can provide insights into their later computational thinking (CT). It emphasized the alignment between spatial reasoning and CT, particularly through the activities of identifying and fixing discrepancies in Lego structures. The research demonstrated first-grade students' ability to engage in spatial activities, offering a window into their potential CT processes. Current mathematics standards emphasize the need for activities that enhance spatial reasoning skills. Early spatial reasoning development, often through playful activities like Lego construction, plays a significant role in later academic success. The dissertation integrated several theoretical frameworks of spatial reasoning, including learning trajectories of shape composing, classification of spatial reasoning and the central conceptual structures of spatial reasoning. These frameworks provided a foundation for understanding how children develop spatial reasoning skills through construction play, aligning with CT practices. The study involved twelve first-grade students from a Midwestern elementary school. It employed a qualitative research design, consisting of an assessment session and two Lego sessions. The Lego sessions were designed to explore students' spatial reasoning and their ability to identify and fix discrepancies in Lego structures or in step-by-step building manuals, reflecting debugging in programming. Key findings included various strategies students used to identify and fix discrepancies in Lego structures, such as rotating, flipping, and rebuilding Lego bricks. Students struggled to coordinate multiple spatial features, especially when they need to use multiple reference points to fix the location of Lego bricks. The study revealed that students used symmetry and repeating patterns as strategies to identify discrepancies, suggesting an early form of loops, a key component of CT. Additionally, the strategies used were similar to those found in programming, indicating that spatial reasoning activities can support the development of debugging skills. The findings highlighted the importance of incorporating spatial reasoning activities in early education to support the development of CT skills. The alignment between mathematical practices and CT suggests that early exposure to spatial activities can lay the groundwork for more advanced CT skills including loops. This dissertation provided valuable insights into how children's interactions with Legos can serve as a window into their future computational thinking abilities. By focusing on the processes of identifying and fixing discrepancies, the research bridged the gap between spatial reasoning and CT, offering practical implications for educators aiming to integrate CT into early childhood education.</p>

<p>Gene expression is a complex process by which genetic information flow from genes to proteins. Factors regulating gene expression are diverse ranging from sequence elements on DNA, to various types of RNA, to proteins. These factors are categorized into two main categories, <em>cis</em>-acting elements and <em>trans</em>-acting elements. <em>PHO84</em> is a budding yeast gene that was previously reported to be regulated by its cognate antisense transcripts both in <em>cis</em> and in <em>trans</em>. The antisense transcripts of <em>PHO84</em> are a group of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). In my project, I performed RNA-seq and TT-seq analysis to investigate the global correlation of sense/antisense pairs, which showed that the model of sense/antisense negative correlation is not always true for <em>PHO84</em> locus as well as others. I conducted a series of gene expression analysis experiments to decipher the mechanisms regulating <em>PHO84</em> gene, which showed that the 3’ untranslated region (3’UTR) of <em>PHO84</em> plays a regulatory role in the sense expression, an activity not linked to the antisense transcript levels. I also performed a genetic screen to identify <em>trans</em>-acting protein factors that promote the 3’UTR-dependent regulation at <em>PHO84</em> locus.</p> <p>Taken together, I provided insights on both <em>cis</em>- and <em>trans</em>-acting elements controlling the expression of the model gene <em>PHO84</em>. Such information can be taken further and be applied to other higher organisms, with possible implication in the identification of key players in human diseases arising from gene expression dysregulation. </p>

Integrabilität hat sich als ein wichtiges Konzept erwiesen, um die Grenzen einer störungstheoretischen Beschreibung zu überwinden und ein tiefer gehendes Verständnis von speziellen vierdimensionalen Quantenfeldtheorien zu erlangen. Die der Integrabilität zugrunde liegende algebraische Struktur ist der Yangian, welchen man als eine unendlichdimensionale Erweiterung einer Lie-Algebra auffassen kann. In der vorliegenden Arbeit untersuchen wir die Yang’sche Symmetrie von super Wilson Schleifen und Fischnetz Feynman Graphen. Im ersten Teil dieser Arbeit diskutieren wir Maldacena–Wilson Schleifen in N=4 SYM Theorie. Unter Ausnutzung der nicht-chiralen Superraumbeschreibung des N=4 SYM Modells konstruieren wir den supersymmetrisch vervollständigten Schleifenoperator, welcher dual ist zu einer durch den vollen AdS5xS5 Superstring beschriebenen Minimalfläche. Wir zeigen, dass dieser Schleifenoperator sowohl globale superkonforme als auch lokale kappa Symmetrie besitzt, wobei wir letztere zur 1/2 BPS Eigenschaft der bosonischen Maldacena–Wilson Schleife in Beziehung setzen. Weiterhin berechnen wir den Einschleifenerwartungswert des Operators und beweisen dessen Endlichkeit. Anschließend beschäftigen wir uns detailliert mit der Yang’schen Symmetrie von glatten super Maldacena–Wilson Schleifen. Wir untersuchen anhand einer generischen Eichtheorie die verschiedenen Möglichkeiten, die Yang’schen Generatoren zu realisieren und begründen unsere Wahl einer Darstellung in Form von eichkovarianten Operatoreinsetzungen. Unter Verwendung dieser Darstellung beweisen wir nachfolgend die Yang’sche Invarianz des vollen Einschleifenerwartungswertes der super Maldacena– Wilson Schleife. Im zweiten Teil dieser Arbeit beschäftigen wir uns mit Fischnetz Feynman Graphen, welche aus viervalenten Vertizes bestehen, die durch skalare Propagatoren miteinander verbunden sind. Wir zeigen, dass diese Diagramme zu allen Schleifenordnungen eine konforme Yang’sche Symmetrie aufweisen und konstruieren explizit die Yang’schen Generatoren, die diese Diagramme vernichten. Für Vielschleifendiagramme gelingt uns Letzteres durch eine Umformulierung der Symmetrie in Form von Eigenwertgleichungen inhomogener Monodromiematrizen, aus deren Entwicklung sich die Generatoren ablesen lassen. Die Yang’sche Symmetrie impliziert, dass Fischnetz Integrale partielle Differenzialgleichungen erfüllen, deren Form wir anhand des Boxintegrals illustrieren. / Quantum integrability has turned out to be an important concept in overcoming the limitations of perturbation theory and reaching a more profound understanding of particular four-dimensional quantum field theories. The algebraic structure that underlies integrability in field and string theory is the Yangian, which can be understood as an infinite-dimensional extension of a Lie algebra. Here, we investigate the Yangian symmetry of super Maldacena–Wilson loops and fishnet Feynman graphs. In the first part of this thesis, we discuss Maldacena–Wilson loops in N=4 SYM theory. Utilizing the non-chiral superspace formulation of the N=4 SYM model, we construct the full supersymmetric completion of this operator, which is the natural object dual to a minimal surface described by the full AdS5xS5 superstring. We show that the super loop operator enjoys global superconformal as well as local kappa symmetry, the latter being related to the 1/2 BPS property of the bosonic Maldacena–Wilson loop. Using a convenient type of transversal gauge, we establish the operators one-loop expectation value and prove it to be finite. We then perform a detailed study of the Yangian symmetries of smooth super Maldacena–Wilson loops. Focusing on a generic gauge theory setup, we analyze in detail the different options for representing the Yangian generators and argue for a representation in terms of gauge-covariant operator insertions. Subsequently, we utilize this approach to prove the Yangian invariance of the full one-loop expectation value. The second part of this thesis is devoted to the study of four-dimensional fishnet Feynman graphs, which are built from four-valent vertices that are joined by scalar propagators. We show that these diagrams feature a conformal all-loop Yangian symmetry, which we phase in terms of generators annihilating these graphs as well as in terms of inhomogeneous monodromy eigenvalue relations. The Yangian symmetry results in novel differential equations for this family of largely unsolved Feynman integrals and we shall study their form by considering the box integral as an example.