In enterprises, virtual collaboration is increasingly important due to digitalization and the rising relevance of knowledge work. Product costing is an example of a business domain that is characterized by a high demand for communication, coordination, and information exchange. Time and location-based restrictions underline the necessity of computer-assisted support in collaboration. The concept of Business Domain-Specific e-Collaboration presented in this thesis is an approach to integrate IT-support for virtual cooperation directly into the core processes of particular business domains and the corresponding enterprise systems. Derived from the example of the product costing domain, design principles for Business Domain-Specific e-Collaboration illustrate how such an integration can be achieved in various business domains.

INTER-SEGMENT COORDINATION VARIABILITY POST ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION SEPTEMBER 2015 DEVIN K. KELLY, B.S., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST M.S., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Dr. Joseph Hamill There is an increased risk for ipsilateral graft rupture and contralateral ACL rupture following ACL reconstruction surgery (ACLR) despite return to sport clearance. The reason for this increased risk is not well understood. Previous literature has shown that decreased coordination variability is indicative of an injured system regardless of the absence of pain. PURPOSE: To quantify inter-segment coordination variability during three portions of the stance phase of gait in athletes at three progressive time points post-surgery compared to the contralateral limb (NI) and healthy controls. METHODS: Three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic data were collected for 10 ACLR and 10 healthy athletes matched for age, gender, and activity level. The ACLR group was measured at 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and when cleared to run post-surgery. Kinematic data were used in a modified vector coding technique to determine inter-segment coordination variability of lower extremity couples of interest. Statistical significance was determined using two factor multivariate ANOVAs (limb x visit) for early (1-33%), mid (34-66%), and late (67-100%) stance with alpha level set at .05. Tukey post-hoc tests were performed where appropriate. RESULTS: ACLR athletes have decreased inter-segment coordination variability of the involved lower extremity during the late stance phase of gait compared to both the contralateral limb and healthy controls at 4 weeks post-surgery. By 12 weeks post-surgery there were improvements in joint function as exemplified by inter-segment coordination variability of the ACLR involved limb becoming similar to the healthy control limb. CONCLUSION: Inter-segment coordination variability during late stance in the present study is not an indication for the increased risk for ipsilateral graft rupture and contralateral ACL rupture in ACLR athletes.

A dependency on secrets is inherent in most IT systems, especially as they become increasingly complex and interdependent. Vast amounts of research have explored how to protect the confidentiality, integrity and authenticity of secrets through means such as encryption and authentication. These means are in themselves supported by secrets, and introducing those secrets is an area that has seen less exploration. Secrets are protected by secrets, and the secret at the top needs to be provided by one of the numerous methods with various advantages and disadvantages. This work follows a design science research approach to design a framework for comparing those methods of secure introduction, demonstrated through scenarios and practical exercises.

Business-IT alignment (BITA) has clearly become more important over the last decade. However, considerable difficulties remain when attempting to achieve a mature level of BITA. Therefore, research efforts which have resulted in a number of theoretical models have been able to help in devising and applying supportive tools for assessing different components of BITA. However, most of these efforts have either been produced in Anglo-Saxon countries or have been based on specific experiences in those countries. Consequently, they have tended to ignore a number of factors which differ in nature due to variations in cultural contexts. However, organisational culture has been given little consideration. Societal and organisational cultural aspects of BITA are particularly important because the majority of BITA models tend to focus more on the efficiency and effectiveness of BITA components rather than on trying to create ways in which how BITA can be achieved or maintained in different contexts. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to investigate the impact of societal and organisational culture on achieving BITA and influencing its maturity. The main result is an extended BITA model developed originally by Luftman, known as; Luftman’s Strategic Alignment Maturity Model (SAM), which is influenced by the organisational culture perspective. The research method and process advocated by Peffers et al. (2007) is used in the thesis to design the extended-SAM, consisting of six activities. The first of these activities involves identifying specific problems. This is achieved by an extensive literature survey of theories related to BITA, an explorative study of the impact of organisational culture on BITA and a classification of the general limitations of BITA. The second activity concerns the requirement for definitions of the designed artifact. The third activity is then specified in terms of designing the artifact; i.e. an extended-SAM. The design is based on constructed hypotheses of the potential impact of organisational culture elements (based on Smit et al.’s model (2008) on BITA attributes (based on SAM), and followed by an empirical study of 6 multinational organisations, for testing the hypotheses. Following that, in the fourth activity, various processes for extending SAM are demonstrated in different seminars within the IT management group at DSV, in conference papers and in different seminars of the Swedish research School of Management and Information Technology (MIT) (Forskarskolan Management och IT. In the fifth activity, the extended-SAM model is evaluated in 5 multinational organisations to test its practicality and utility. In the last activity, a journal paper (Paper III in the thesis) is presented to summarise all the processes. The communication is also carried out through pre-licentiate and the licentiate seminars. The extended-SAM shows in the result of the thesis that organisational culture is a clear factor that should be considered while assessing and studying BITA maturity. In addition, by considering organisational culture, assessing BITA is clearly shown as being more accurate and as reflecting a more detailed picture of the organisation’s BITA.

Users and providers benefit considerably from public Wi-Fi hotspots. Users receive wireless Internet access and providers draw new prospective customers. While users are able to enjoy the ease of Wi-Fi Internet hotspot networks in public more conveniently, they are more susceptible to a particular type of fraud and identify theft, referred to as evil twin attack (ETA). Through setting up an ETA, an attacker can intercept sensitive data such as passwords or credit card information by snooping into the communication links. Since the objective of free open (unencrypted) public Wi-Fi hotspots is to provide ease of accessibility and to entice customers, no security mechanisms are in place. The public’s lack of awareness of the security threat posed by free open public Wi-Fi hotspots makes this problem even more heinous. Client-side systems to help wireless users detect and protect themselves from evil twin attacks in public Wi-Fi hotspots are in great need. In this dissertation report, the author explored the problem of the need for client-side detection systems that will allow wireless users to help protect their data from evil twin attacks while using free open public Wi-Fi. The client-side evil twin attack detection system constructed as part of this dissertation linked the gap between the need for wireless security in free open public Wi-Fi hotspots and limitations in existing client-side evil twin attack detection solutions. Based on design science research (DSR) literature, Hevner’s seven guidelines of DSR, Peffer’s design science research methodology (DSRM), Gregor’s IS design theory, and Hossen & Wenyuan’s (2014) study evaluation methodology, the author developed design principles, procedures and specifications to guide the construction, implementation, and evaluation of a prototype client-side evil twin attack detection artifact. The client-side evil twin attack detection system was evaluated in a hotel public Wi-Fi environment. The goal of this research was to develop a more effective, efficient, and practical client-side detection system for wireless users to independently detect and protect themselves from mobile evil twin attacks while using free open public Wi-Fi hotspots. The experimental results showed that client-side evil twin attack detection system can effectively detect and protect users from mobile evil twin AP attacks in public Wi-Fi hotspots in various real-world scenarios despite time delay caused by many factors.

The aim of the study was to develop a platform to monitor and evaluate care homes using heterogeneous data sources for a French startup company. The study found that there was no current system to supervise healthcare resources in these facilities with live data. To address this, a digital platform was proposed that would integrate information from various sources, including IoT devices, existing software systems and digital documents. The proposed platform, which would be built from scratch, includes a data collection and processing system, and a blockchain to store the processed data. The platform would also include a dashboard with features, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and graphs for stakeholders to access.   The research would focus on the first two objectives of the proposed platform, which are design a platform for real time access to heterogeneous data sources and generate derivative dataset (generate transformed data set from the primary raw data set) with access but not visibility of the accessible zero knowledge heterogeneous data in secured way. Zero knowledge refers to fetching data from primary data sources and present it to users of in another format which can be understand easily, while hiding actual data and transforming mechanism (Goldreich, 2004). The proposed solution should be versatile and extensible to incorporate additional data sources and generate derivative datasets in a scalable manner. The study concludes that utilizing the Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM) to investigate and identify an ideal solution to the research topics is both challenging and stimulating. Additionally, the findings can be applied by other researchers working in related fields.   In summary, the proposed solution involves the development of a digital platform based on information system theories and technologies that will enrich the area of Information Systems for similar problems. The thesis will evaluate existing research on these theories and technologies and recommend the best solution by integrating the most suitable set of theories and technologies for the given problem. This will provide a practical solution for the immediate needs of the startup company and contribute to future research on similar problems.

Polymer conjugates offer a way to introduce materials into the body that would normally be rejected or cause toxicity. Two polymers are investigated in vivo for uses in chemotherapeutic delivery, protein therapeutics, and DNA transfection. A novel polymer, polyMPC, has the ability to increase doxorubicin loading and its solubility, and is conjugated in a way to release its payload in a low pH environment. Through its conjugation, blood clearance time of doxorubicin is increased, and thus tumor exposure to the drug is increased with a single administration. It can be administered at ten times the concentration of free doxorubicin, and three times the concentration of Doxil®, while decreasing the cardio-toxicity normally associated with doxorubicin administration. These results show that polyMPC has the potential to increase treatment efficacy of doxorubicin. With increased circulation time, MPC polymers have additional potential for protein delivery and variations of its design were tested in linear, branched and grafted states, which show limited affect on tissue weight. An additional polymer for use in DNA transfection, NLS2, demonstrated its lack of tissue toxicity when injected intramuscularly. While continued investigation into these polymers is required, this initial data indicates their promising uses as therapeutics.

I takt med att användandet av e-handelsplattformar växer tillkommer även högre krav på att underhållsjobb, till exempel generera filer och rensa loggar, förvaltas effektivt. Motillo, ett karlstadbaserat konsultföretag inriktade på e-handel och digitala affärer, använder e- handelsplattformen Litium. Underhållsjobb, som idag finns specifikt för jobb i Litium, måste i dagsläget hanteras genom en konfigurationsfil, vilket kan vara tidskrävande. Motillo vill kunna konfigurera och monitorera dessa underhållsjobb direkt i Litiums administratörsvy, back-office. Syftet med denna studie har för författaren varit att utveckla och utvärdera ett adminverktyg i Litiums back-office baserat på en kravställning som upprättats av uppdragsgivaren Motillo. Det utvecklade adminverktyget skulle öka möjligheten och insikten att konfigurera och monitorera underhållsjobb. Studien låg även till grund för de med intresse av att implementera en likande lösning som det utvecklade adminverktyget. För att utveckla adminverktyget tillämpades olika tekniker som innefattade bland annat ramverken React och ASP.NET Core MVC, olika verktyg för versionshantering och pakethantering, samt utveckling efter den agila arbetsmetoden Scrum. Metoder som MoSCoW, Think-aloud, expertutvärderingar, beta-tester samt ett användar-acceptanstest, i form av en semi-strukturerad intervju, tillämpades och genomfördes för att utvärdera det utvecklade adminverktyget mot slutanvändaren. Insamlad data i studien har varit av kvalitativ karaktär. Studien har även inspirerats av Design Science Research där författaren använt den som övergripande metod där övriga metoder mer konkret tillfogats.  Det utvecklade verktyget utvärderades mot den upprättade kravställningen, där endast funktionella krav utvärderades, samt uppfattningar om verktyget och dess potentiella förbättringsåtgärder. Slutanvändaren uppfattade artefakten som bra och de var, baserat på kravställningen, nöjda med resultatet av det utvecklade adminverktyget. Slutanvändaren uppfattade dock att det fanns förbättringspotential och vidareutvecklingsmöjligheter, som bland annat innefattade krav med lägre prioritet som inte genomförts. Dessa krav var krav som prioriterats W, på MoSCoW-skalan, alltså krav som var önskade men som inte kom att genomföras. Författaren kunde lista tre vidareutvecklingsförslag som var Ändra exekveringsintervaller i adminpanelen, Möjlighet att avbryta ett jobb från att vidare exekvera och Visa status för jobbet. Från resultatet kunde författaren även identifiera förbättringar för att öka spårbarheten av loggar, genom ytterligare filtreringsmöjligheter, samt en tydligare presentation av jobbstatus i form av en progress-bar. Författaren rekommenderar även att vidare undersökning om adminverktyget, gällande icke-funktionella krav samt det grafiska användargränssnittet, bör genomföras.

Allt fler företag letar efter effektiva sätt att utföra repetitiva uppgifter. Författaren kom i kontakt med företaget Etteplan, som manuellt granskar olika handlingar (dokument) för att hitta och notera eventuella felaktigheter. Uppdraget författaren fick av Etteplan bestod av att implementera en automatiseringslösning som automatiskt granskar dessa handlingar och identifierar eventuella felaktigheter i handlingens tabellhuvud, som sedan presenteras i en Excel-fil. Dessa felaktigheter kan vara att de olika fälten har fel format eller att fälten är tomma.Författarens syfte var att utveckla och utvärdera denna automatiseringslösning och ta reda på hur automatiseringslösningen mottogs av Etteplan, samt vilka förbättringsförslag som framkom. För att utveckla automatiseringslösningen har flera tekniker använts, som till exempel programmeringsspråket Python, OCR-verktyget PyTesseract och datorseende-biblioteket OpenCV. Automatiseringslösningen utvecklades och utvärderades iterativt med stöd av Design Science Research tillsammans med enhetstester, acceptanstester, ”tänka högt”-sessioner och semi-strukturerade intervjuer, där automatiseringslösningen testades av slutanvändaren på Etteplan. Under utvärderingssessionerna framkom bland annat uppfattningar om lösningens funktionalitet, utseende och layout samt förbättringsförslag. Studiens resultat indikerar att automatiseringslösningen uppfattades som positiv av slutanvändarna samt att den kan skapa mervärde på Etteplan. Ett flertal förbättringsförslag framkom, exempelvis att Excel-rapportens utformning kan förbättras. Det framkom även önskemål om ny funktionalitet, exempelvis att fler filformat skulle gå att granska, så som TIFF- och DWG-filer.

Human replication protein A (RPA) is an eukaryotic single-stranded DNA binding protein directly involved in a variety of DNA metabolic pathways including replication, recombination, DNA damage checkpoints and signaling, as well as all DNA repair pathways. This project presents 2 novel roles of RPA in the cellular response to DNA damage. The first elucidates the regulation of RPA and p53 interaction by DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and ATM- and Rad3-related (ATR) in homologous recombination (HR). HR and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) are 2 distinct DNA double-stranded break (DSB) repair pathways. Here, we report that DNA-PK, the core component of NHEJ, partners with DNA-damage checkpoint kinases ATM, and ATR to synergistically regulate HR repair of DSBs. The regulation was accomplished through modulation of the p53-RPA interaction. We show that upon DNA damage p53 and RPA are freed from the p53–RPA complex. This is done through simultaneous phosphorylation of RPA by DNA-PK, and p53 by ATR and ATM. Neither the phosphorylation of RPA nor that of p53 alone could dissociate the p53-RPA complex; furthermore, disruption of the release significantly compromised HR repair of DSBs. Our results reveal a mechanism for the crosstalk between HR and NHEJ repair through the coregulation of p53–RPA interaction by DNA-PK, ATM and ATR. The second part of this project reveals a novel role of RPA32 phosphorylation in suppressing the signaling of programmed cell death, also known as apoptosis. Our results show that deficiency in RPA32 phosphorylation leads to increased apoptosis after genotoxic stress. Specifically, PARP-1 cleavage, Caspase-3 activation, sub-G1 cell population, annexin V staining and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential were significantly increased in the phospho-deficient RPA32 cells (PD-RPA32). The lack of RPA phosphorylation also promoted activation of initiator Caspase-9 and effector Caspase-3 and -7. This regulation is dependent on the kinase activity of DNA-PK and is mediated by PUMA through the ATM-p53 pathway. Our results suggest a novel role of RPA phosphorylation in apoptosis that illuminates a new target that lies on the crossroads of DNA repair and cell death, a pivotal point that could be of importance for sensitizing cancer cells to chemotherapy.