Virtual environment (VE) technology offers a viable training option for developing knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSA) within domains that have limited live training opportunities due to personnel safety and cost (e.g., live fire exercises). However, to ensure these VE training systems provide effective training and transfer, designers of such systems must ensure that training goals and objectives are clearly defined and VEs are designed to support development of KSAs required. Perhaps the greatest benefit of VE training is its ability to provide a multimodal training experience, where trainees can see, hear and feel their surrounding environment, thus engaging them in training scenarios to further their expertise. This work focused on enhancing situation awareness (SA) within a training VE through appropriate use of multimodal cues. The Multimodal Optimization of Situation Awareness (MOSA) model was developed to identify theoretical benefits of various environmental and individual multimodal cues on SA components. Specific focus was on benefits associated with adding cues that activated the haptic system (i.e., kinesthetic/cutaneous sensory systems) or vestibular system in a VE. An empirical study was completed to evaluate the effectiveness of adding two independent spatialized tactile cues to a Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain (MOUT) VE training system, and how head tracking (i.e., addition of rotational vestibular cues) impacted spatial awareness and performance when tactile cues were added during training. Results showed tactile cues enhanced spatial awareness and performance during both repeated training and within a transfer environment, yet there were costs associated with including two cues together during training, as each cue focused attention on a different aspect of the global task. In addition, the results suggest that spatial awareness benefits from a single point indicator (i.e., spatialized tactile cues) may be impacted by interaction mode, as performance benefits were seen when tactile cues were paired with head tracking. Future research should further examine theoretical benefits outlined in the MOSA model, and further validate that benefits can be realized through appropriate activation of multimodal cues for targeted training objectives during training, near transfer and far transfer (i.e., real world performance).

This work explored the role of spatial grouping, set size, and stimulus probe modality using a recall task for visual, auditory, and tactile information. The effects of different working memory (WM) loading task modalities were also examined. The Gestalt spatial organizing principle of grouping showed improvements in response times for visual and tactile stimulus probes with large set sizes and apparently allowed participants to effectively chunk the information. This research suggests that tactile information may use spatial characteristics typically associated with visual information, as well as sequential characteristics normally associated with verbal information. Based on these results, a reformulation of WM is warranted to remove the constraints of the input modality on processing types. The input modalities appear to access both a spatial sketchpad and a temporally-based sequence loop. Implications for multisensory research and display design are discussed.

Suicide surpassed homicide to be the second leading cause of death among people 10-24 years old in the United States \cite{1}. This statistic is alarming especially when combined with the more than eight distinctly different types of clinical depression among society today \cite{2}. To further complicate this health crisis, let’s consider the current worldwide isolating pandemic often referred to as COVID-19 that has spanned 12 months. It is more important than ever to consider how we can get ahead of the crisis by identifying the symptoms as they set in and more importantly ahead of the decision to commit suicide. To capitalize on the modern shift to electronic-based interactions \cite{1}, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) methods to aid in identification have been previously implemented in Virtual Human interviewing platforms. This effort examines these existing approaches and includes an independent survey that is used to solve the gap in early identification of depression and suicidal ideation using a virtual human interviewing platform by soliciting honest, open, and current feedback from Soldiers on how to optimize such a system to encourage its use in the future. Specifically, the analysis of the survey results identify critical gaps from a participants perspective to be security, customization's, and error handling recommended to be included in future development of the EMPOWER (Enhancing Mental Performance and Optimizing Warfighter Effectiveness and Resilience: From MultiSense to OmniSense) platform. These recommendations are provided to the USC-ICT EMPOWER team to be included in the next prototype and system test.

Syftet med föreliggande studie är att undersöka förskollärares erfarenheter kring att använda digitala verktyg i sin språkutvecklande undervisning. I studien tydliggörs vilka digitala verktyg som används av förskollärare, hur de används samt vilka möjligheter och utmaningar som tillkommer. I den senaste revideringen av förskolans läroplan har digitalisering fått en växande betydelse i förskolan, vilket även speglar samhällets digitala utveckling. Genom kvalitativa intervjuer har vi interagerat med respondenterna på ett djupare plan för att kunna undersöka deras erfarenheter av ämnet. Den insamlade empirin har sedan satts i kontext till ett designteoretiskt perspektiv och relevanta begrepp. Kortfattat visade resultatet av vår studie att förskollärarna främst använder lärplattan och projektorn som ett supplement i sin språkutvecklande undervisning. Genom appar och kompletterande material i undervisningen får barnen utveckla sitt språk på olika sätt. Slutsatsen visar att förskollärarna beskriver olika möjligheter med att använda digitala verktyg i den språkutvecklande undervisningen. Dessa är att teckenläror kombineras och att undervisningen blir mer varierad. Det framgår också att barn idag har förkunskaper om digitala verktyg hemifrån vilket förskollärarna ser som en möjlighet. Utmaningar som kompetens, tidsbrist och kostnadsfrågor visar sig vara ett hinder för att utbildningen i förskolan ska bli likvärdig.

Gas filled microbubbles (MBs) stabilized by a shell (e.g. lipids) are commonly used as ultrasound (US) contrast agents. Attaching biomolecules to the surface of MBs allows for molecular US imaging of various diseases. With the increased interest in targeted US imaging, new platforms to prepare disease-targeted MBs are necessary. Furthermore, attaching signaling agents to MBs creates multi-modal imaging opportunities, enhancing visualization and quantification of disease biomarkers. In this thesis, MBs labeled with 99mTc and/or rhodamine dye by taking advantage of the strong interaction between biotin and streptavidin are reported. Radiolabeling of MBs was achieved in good radiochemical yield (~ 30%). 99mTc-labeled MBs were targeted to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) using an anti-VEGFR2 antibody and to prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) using small-molecule based PSMA inhibitors. In vitro evaluations showed successful binding of MBs to the target while in vivo targeting assessments were unsuccessful. New strategies to target MBs to the site of interest were then developed through the use of the bioorthogonal reaction between tetrazine (Tz) and trans-cyclooctene (TCO). A biotinylated derivative of Tz was loaded on streptavidin coated MBs to create a Tz-derivatized MB (MBTz). Targeting MBTz to extracellular markers of cancer such as VEGFR2, PSMA and urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) in vitro was achieved using TCO-conjugated antibodies. In vivo targeting was successful for VEGFR2 and PSMA, but not uPAR. Translating the new strategy to other US contrast agents was then investigated. Gas vesicles (GVs) produced in halobacteria were conjugated with TCO using amide-coupling chemistry. A 99mTc-labeled derivative of Tz was loaded on TCO-GVs (RCY= 59%) and their distribution assessed by SPECT/CT imaging and ex vivo tissue counting. Having established a convenient platform to conjugate molecules to GVs and MBs, future work focuses on developing a new generation of human compatible molecular US imaging probes. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The rapid advancements in the field of machine learning and artificial intelligence has led to the emergence of technologies like the Brain Computer Interface (BCI), which has revolutionized rehabilitation protocols. However, given the neural basis of BCIs and the dependence of its performance on cognitive factors, BCIs may be used to characterize the functional capacity of the user. A resting state segment can also be considered for characterization of the functional network integrity, creating a two part framework that probes the functional networks and their cognitive manifestations. This thesis explores such a two part framework using a simultaneous EEG-fMRI setup on a healthy population. The BCI accuracies for all subjects increased over the course of the scan and is thought to be due to learning processes on the subject's part. Since such learning processes require cognitive faculties such as attention and working memory, these factors might modulate the BCI performance profile, making it a potential metric for the integrity of such cognitive factors. The resting state analysis identified four EEG Microstates that have been previously found to be associated with verbal, visual, saliency and attention reorientation tasks. The proportion of each microstate that composed the corresponding fMRI resting state networks (RSN) were identified, opening up the potential for predicting fMRI-based RSN information, from EEG microstates alone. The developed protocol can be used to diagnose potential conditions that negatively affect the functional capacity of the user by using the results from this study as healthy control data. This is the first known BCI based system for characterization of the user's functional integrity, opening up the possibility of using BCIs as a metric for diagnosing a neuropathology. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Syftet med studien är att undersöka förskollärares beskrivningar av barnens möjlighet till att multimodalt språka i förskolan. Studiens frågeställningar som besvarats är: Hur beskriver de intervjuade förskollärarna att de möjliggör multimodalt språkande för barn i förskolan? och Hur beskriver de intervjuade förskollärarna att barnen erbjuds material att multimodalt språka med i förskolan?. Studien är genomförd med hjälp av en kvalitativ metod med tre dyadiska intervjuer med verksamma förskollärare. Kress teori om barns meningsskapande med fokus på mötet mellan individer, används som teoretisk inramning för denna studie. Data har bearbetats genom tematisk analys.  Resultatet visar att förskollärare beskriver att de erbjuder barn möjlighet att använda ett brett utbud av material som finns tillgängligt. Förskollärarna beskriver vikten av att introducera material i förskolan och att de behöver lyssna in barnen för att möjliggöra multimodalt språkande.

The airline sector is facing a new reality post-covid, where leisure travel is increasing around the world. Furthermore, there is a change which permeates the entire western world, where the postmodern society increasingly advocates emotional qualities over rational qualities in organizations. Furthermore, external communication in the form of ad campaigns plays an important role in not only establishing grounds for legitimacy, but also establishing a projected image for organizations. Regarding the shift to an emotional and charismatic based reality, as well as the new trend in air travel, the aim of this study is to investigate how Scandinavia's flag carrier SAS expresses its image in ad campaigns, and to seek how they attempt to obtain charismatic legitimacy. We analyze five multimodal texts from two different ad campaigns to conduct a social semiotic multimodal comparative study. The multimodal texts are retrieved from SAS 2014-campaign “We Are Travelers”, and their latest campaign “Journeys That Matter”, launched fall of 2022. The analysis is backed by Michael Halliday’s theory on social semiotics, and it also operationalizes a postmodern take on attribution theory, which seeks implementations of charismatic legitimation in both ad campaigns. Based on attribution theory, as well as the multimodal analysis, we identify themes within “We Are Travelers” of business travelers being collectivized, and themes in “Journeys That Matter” of human diversity and warmth. Furthermore, none of the ad campaigns portray the qualities needed to consider SAS as being charismatically legitimate, although “Journeys That Matter” reaches closer in that regard.

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