Network security has always been an area of priority and extensive research. Recent years have seen a considerable growth in experimentation with biologically inspired techniques. This is a consequence of our increased understanding of living systems and the application of that understanding to machines and software. The mounting complexity of telecommunications networks and the need for increasing levels of security have been the driving factor. The human body can act as a great role model for its unique abilities in protecting itself from external, foreign entities. Many abnormalities in the human body are similar to that of the attacks in wireless sensor networks (WSN). This paper presents basic ideas drawn from human immune system analogies that can help modelling a system to counter the attacks on a WSN by monitoring parameters such as energy, frequency of data transfer, data sent and received. This is implemented by exploiting two immune concepts, namely danger theory and negative selection. Danger theory aggregates the anomalies based on the weights of the anomalous parameters. The objective is to design a cooperative intrusion detection system (IDS) based on danger theory. Negative selection differentiates between normal and anomalous strings and counters the impact of malicious nodes faster than danger theory. We also explore other human immune system concepts and their adaptability to Wireless Sensor Network Security.

Therapeutics targeting the PI3K (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase) and the Ras/MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinases) pathways have potential as non-toxic treatments for triple-negative breast cancer due to their frequent over-activation in several forms of cancer. Interestingly, the PI3K and Ras/MAPK pathways have been shown to incite cancer dormancy behavior individually and tumorigenic behavior in unison when induced in healthy breast epithelial cells (MCF-10A) in vivo. Tumorigenesis and metastasis are heavily reliant on the specific mechanical and adhesive properties of cells, including decreased stiffness, increased mechanosensitivity, and decreased adhesion. However, the describe cellular behaviors are poorly understood for dormant cancer phenotypes. Understanding the mechanical and adhesive behaviors of MCF-10A cells as a function of PI3K and/or Ras/MAPK pathway over-activation further explores the cross-talk enabling unique dormant and tumorigenic characteristics. Cellular viscoelasticity and adhesion were measured for MCF-10A cells with PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog) knockout and activated KRAS (Kristen rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog) overexpression to activate the PI3K and Ras/MAPK pathways respectively with atomic force microscopy. PTEN knockout alone has no observable influence on cell adhesion but resulted in softer cells with less organized cytoskeleton. Activated KRAS overexpression increased cell stiffness and cell adhesion regardless of PTEN expression level. Moreover, the overexpression of activated KRAS enhanced the sensitivity of cells to the substrate stiffness. The findings suggest that the cancer-associated pathways PI3K and Ras/MAPK regulate cell adhesion and mechanics to promote tumor formation and metastasis. More importantly, the results that signify mutations of different molecular pathways associated with cancer dormancy regulate cell mechanics differently suggests that cell stiffness is a biomarker that detects and differentiates different types of dormant cancers.

Politeness theory, developed by Brown and Levinson, has been applied to literature in linguistic research for in-depth analysis of discourse, whether written or spoken. Based on my understanding of politeness and the different politeness strategies suggested in the literature, this paper analyzes the different strategies mostly used by the main characters of the televised version of the novel North and South (1855), written by Elizabeth Gaskell, by focusing on some parts of the conversations in the televised version (2004), in terms of gender, social class and situation. The result shows that the film characters mostly resort to on-record and positive politeness strategies, while negative politeness and off-record strategies are less used in the conversations, which supports the story ambition to bridge gender and social gaps. The analysis demonstrates that much of our understanding of character motives in a novel/film relies on the way politeness strategies credibly reflect our experience and how strategies in interaction commonly work as theoretically described.

Inför riksdagsvalet 2018 syntes en ny aktör inom fältet för politisk marknadsföring; influencern. Denna studie är skriven i syfte att granska vilka strategier som används då influencers försöker påverka människor politiskt. Med fokus på personalisering och negativ politisk marknadsföring genomfördes en retorisk textanalys av åtta bloggar drivna av svenska influencers i syfte att besvara frågeställningen: Vilka strategier använder sig influencers av för att påverka människors politiska åsikter?  Studien resulterade i slutsatsen att både personalisering och negativ politisk marknadsföring är strategier som används då influencers försöker påverka människors politiska åsikter. Personalisering användes dock i högre grad vilket antas bero på att influencers också i en mer kommersiell marknadsföring använder sig av en personlig relation till sina följare när de vill sälja en produkt.

Perfectionism has long been recognized as a factor that is central to understanding psychological disorders, as it is significantly higher in the majority of psychological disorders compared to the general population. The construct of perfectionism was examined in this research by exploring differences between positive and negative perfectionism. The literature to date has focused almost exclusively on perfectionism as a maladaptive construct, with little research examining if perfectionism can be a positive factor. The implication of the study was to determine if some factors identified may be potentially important in future treatments targeted towards perfectionism, as there is some evidence to suggest that perfectionism may predict poorer response to standard cognitive behavioural treatment. This research compared three different groups; (i) a clinical group with diagnoses of anxiety and depression (n = 40); (ii) a group of athletes (n = 111) and (iii) a student control group (n = 101). The research consisted of 5 studies. In Study 1, evidence was found for the validity, consistency of factor structure and internal consistency of the Positive and Negative Perfectionism Subscale (PANPS; Terry-Short, Owens, Slade, & Dewey, 1995). In Study 2, clinical participants with a range of diagnoses were found to have significantly higher overall perfectionism and negative perfectionism compared to athletes and controls. Rigidity predicted higher positive perfectionism. Dichotomous thinking accounted for a large proportion of variance in negative perfectionism, and was argued to be an important factor distinguishing between positive and negative perfectionism. In Study 3, positive perfectionism was found to relate to faster performance time in athletes competing in triathlons, and negative perfectionism was not found to impede sporting performance. / The Big Five personality domains were investigated in Study 4, and Agreeableness was found to be a significant predictor of negative perfectionism in the clinical group. In comparing clinical and athlete groups, athletes had significantly lower Neuroticism, and higher Extraversion and Conscientiousness. Study 5 was a clinical descriptive study that examined motivation to change and cognitions about failure in a select sample of clinical participants with extreme high scores on negative perfectionism and athletes with extreme low scores. The clinical participants reported many negative consequences, yet despite this recognition, the majority reported they did not wish to change perfectionism. Also, as the level of negative perfectionism increased, the degree of diagnostic comorbidity increased. It was concluded that it may be more useful to distinguish between positive achievement striving and negative perfectionism rather than positive and negative perfectionism. Clinical implications were outlined which included targeting dichotomous thinking and resistance to change in the development of treatments for perfectionism.

This thesis identifies and extends techniques that can be linked to the principle of maximum entropy (maxent) and applied to parameter estimation in machine learning and statistics. Entropy functions based on deformed logarithms are used to construct Bregman divergences, and together these represent a generalization of relative entropy. The framework is analyzed using convex analysis to charac- terize generalized forms of exponential family distributions. Various connections to the existing machine learning literature are discussed and the techniques are applied to the problem of non-negative matrix factorization (NMF).

Most couples eagerly anticipate the birth of their first child. However, the transition to parenthood is also associated with significant lifestyle changes and approximately 50% of couples report a moderate to severe decline in relationship satisfaction and quality. Low relationship satisfaction is associated with increased couple conflict, individual psychological distress, negative parent-child relationships and poor child outcomes. Despite our increasing knowledge of the factors that predict enhanced couple adjustment, few evidence-based programs are available to assist couples' adjustment to parenthood. In this first randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of a flexible delivery psycho-education program, entitled 'Couple CARE for Parents', 71 pregnant couples were assessed on self-report and observational measures of couple relationship and individual functioning and then randomized into either the Couple CARE for Parents program (n = 35) or a comparison program (n = 36). Couple CARE for Parents was a six unit program, comprising of an antenatal workshop, two home visits and three telephone support calls, and included skill-training in key relationship processes that are predictive of couple relationship quality, with the addition of parenting and baby care information. Among intervention couples the typical decline in female relationship satisfaction was prevented, with only 13% of intervention females reporting a decline in relationship satisfaction from pregnancy to 5 months postpartum, compared to 42% of females in the comparison program. Observed couple communication also improved as a result of the intervention, with Couple CARE for Parents couples showing reliably lower rates of negative speaker and listener skills at post-intervention relative to comparison couples. Couples were highly engaged in Couple CARE for Parents and there was a low drop out rate across the 7 month intervention period. These findings are promising and add to the early intervention studies showing positive effects of couple-focused psycho-education during the transition to parenthood by demonstrating that flexible delivery programs are feasible and attractive to couples. Providing cost-effective couple relationship education to expectant and new parent couples opens another window of opportunity for health professionals and governments to minimize the rates of relationship distress and divorce and their associated negative effects on individual, couple and family functioning.

<p>Neuroticism and partner relationship quality are associated with happines. A Swedish longitudinal project was utilized to examine whether these two aspects together determine happiness. Adolescent neuroticism was measured at age 15 witht he High School Personality Questionnaire (HSPQ). Measurements of neurotic manifestations were adminstered at ages 15-18. Adult neuroticism was measured at age 37 using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-I). Measures of partner relationship quality and happiness were also administered. An adolescent neurotic dimension and partner relationship quality were related to happiness. Overall, neuroticism appears to be a better predictor of happiness with both direct and indirect effects through the influence on partner relationship quality.</p> / <p>Neuroticism och partnerrelationens kvalitet är två aspekter relaterade till människans livsglädje. Data från ett svenskt longitudinalprojekt användes för att undersöka om dessa tillsammans verkar avgörande för livsglädjen. Ungdomsneuroticism mättes vid 15 års ålder genom High School Personality Questionnaire (HSPQ). Neurotiska manifestationer mättes också mellan 15 och 18 års ålder. Den vuxnes neuroticism mättes sedan vid 37 års ålder med Eysencks Personality Questionnaire (EQP-I). Partnerrelationens kvalitet och livsglädje användes som utfallsmått. En neurotisk dimension från adolescensen och partnerrelationens kvalitet i vuxen ålder var relaterad till livsglädjen. Totalt sett tycks ungdomsneuroticism vara en av de tydligaste förutsägelserna för livsglädjen; dels genom direkt påverkan och dels genom indirekt påverkan via partnerreltionens kvalitet.</p>

<p>The purpose of this thesis is to investigate if there exists a superiority between developed and developing countries, which then in turn effects the negative consequences, for the local inhabitants of Thailand, that follow from mass tourism.</p><p>To be able to answer the questions that we have selected for this thesis, we chose to perform open interviews with six respondents which were all involved in the tourism industry in Thailand. Four of the interviews were carried out on location in Thailand. In order to deepen our understanding of the selected questions even further literary studies have been made as well. The theories we have chosen concern the topics of imperialism and figurations.</p><p>Our empirical material gave significant results. It showed that there is indeed an imbalance of power between the western world and Thailand. The relationship between the two exists due to an uneven distribution of economic resources, the majority of which can be found in the western world today. This means that tourists who possess these resources have the opportunity to travel to Thailand on their own terms, they get to dictate the journey to suit themselves. The desire to earn money is so great for the Thai people that there is hardly any concern for what consequences the tourism might cause. The relationship of power that exists between Thailand and the western world today is constantly reproduced. This leads to devastating consequences for Thailand and its inhabitants. Mass tourism generates consequences such as pollution of the environment, revenue leakage and prostitution.</p> / <p>Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka om det existerar en överordning mellan utvecklade och utvecklingsländer vilken i så fall påverkar de negativa konsekvenser som uppstår, för lokalbefolkningen, till följd av massturismen i Thailand.</p><p>För att finna svar på våra frågeställningar har vi valt att utföra öppna intervjuer med sex stycken respondenter som alla är verksamma inom turistindustrin i Thailand. Fyra av intervjuerna genomfördes på plats i Thailand. För att ytterligare fördjupa förståelsen för våra valda problemställningar har litteraturstudier genomförts. De teorier vi har valt att utgå från behandlar ämnena imperialism och figurationer.</p><p>Det insamlade materialet var mycket talande och visade att det råder ett maktförhållande mellan västvärlden och Thailand. Maktförhållandet existerar på grund av den ojämna fördelningen av ekonomiska tillgångar som råder i världen, tillgångar som idag till stor del återfinns i västvärlden. Detta innebär att turister som innehar dessa resurser har möjlighet att resa till Thailand och diktera villkoren för hur de önskar att resan bör se ut. Önskan om att tjäna pengar är, för thailändarna, så pass stor att det knappt förekommer någon reflektion över vilka konsekvenser turismen för med sig. Maktförhållandet som idag råder mellan Thailand och västvärlden reproduceras ständigt. Detta leder till förödande konsekvenser för Thailand och dess befolkning. Massturismen ger konsekvenser såsom miljöförstöring, inkomstläckage och prostitution.</p>

<p>Children’s ability to manipulate objects is the end-point of several important developments. To imagine objects in different positions greatly improves children’s action capabilities. They can relate objects to each other successfully, and plan actions involving more than one object. We know that one-year-olds can insert an object into an aperture. Earlier research has focused on the start and goal of such actions, but ignored the way in between. This thesis shows that children are unable to fit an object into an aperture unless they can imagine the different projections of the object and rotate it in advance. The problem of how to proceed with an object-aperture matching was studied in 14- to 40-month-old children with a box, different holes and a set of fitting wooden blocks. Study I focused on how to orient a single object to make it fit. Studies II and III added a second object or aperture, introducing choice. In Study I there was a huge difference between 18 and 22 months in solving the fitting problem. Successful insertion was related to appropriate pre-adjustments. The older children pre-adjusted the object orientation before arriving at the aperture(s). The younger used a feedback strategy and that did not work for this task. To choose was more difficult than expected; one must not only choose one alternative, but also inhibit the other. Fifteen-month-olds were unable to choose between sizes and shapes, 20-month-olds could choose between sizes, 30-month-olds could choose between sizes and shapes, but not even 40-month-olds could choose between objects with different triangular cross-sections. Finally, the relationships between an object and an aperture, supporting surface or form were investigated. When comparing tasks requiring relationships between an object’s positive and an aperture’s negative form, between a 3D and a 2D, and between two 3D-forms, we found that the main difficulties is relating positive and negative form.</p>