Knowledge Tracing aims to predict future performance of users of learning platforms based on historical data, by modeling their knowledge state. In this task, the target is a binary variable representing the correctness of the exercise, where an exercise is a word uttered by the user. Current state-of-the-art models add attention layers to autoregressive models or rely on self-attention networks. However, these models are built on publicly available datasets that lack useful information about the interactions users have with exercises. In this work, various techniques are introduced that allow for the incorporation of additional information made available in a dataset provided by Astrid Education. They consist of encoding a time dimension, modeling the skill needed for each exercise explicitly, and adjusting the length of the interaction sequence. Introducing new information to the Knowledge Tracing framework allows Astrid to craft a more personalized experience for its users; thus fulfilling the purpose and goal of the thesis. Additionally, we perform experiments to understand what aspects influence the models. Results show that modeling the skills needed to solve an exercise using an encoding strategy and reducing the length of the interaction sequence lead to improvements in terms of both accuracy and AUC. The time-encoding did not lead to better results, further experimentation is needed to include the time dimension successfully. / Mänsklig kunskap är ett försök att förutsäga användarnas framtida prestanda på lärandeplattformar baserat på historiska data, genom att modellera deras kunskaps tillstånd. I denna uppgift är målet en binär variabel som representerar överensstämmelsen av övningen. Nuvarande state-of-the-art-modeller lägger till uppmärksamhetslager på autoregressiva modeller eller förlitar sig på self-attention-nätverk. Dessa modeller bygger dock på offentligt tillgängliga databaser som saknar användbar information om de interaktioner som användare har med övningar. I detta arbete introduceras olika tekniker som gör det möjligt att inkludera ytterligare information som görs tillgänglig i en databas som tillhandahålls av Astrid Education AB. De består av att koda en tidsdimension, modellera färdigheten som krävs för varje övning explicit och justera interaktionssekvenslängden. Genom att introducera ny information i ramverket för kunskapstracing tillåter Astrid att skapa en mer personlig upplevelse för sina användare; därmed uppfyller syftet och målet med denna avhandling. Dessutom genomför vi experiment för att förstå vilka aspekter som påverkar modellerna. Resultaten visar att modellering av färdigheter med en kodningsstrategi och reducering av interaktionssekvenslängden leder till förbättringar både vad gäller noggrannhet och AUC. Tidskodningen ledde inte till bättre resultat, ytterligare experimentering krävs för att inkludera tidsdimensionen på ett framgångsrikt sätt.

This dissertation examines the impact of trauma on information-seeking behaviors and decision-making processes. Essay 1 includes a qualitative analysis of the transcripts obtained from interviews with four military service members diagnosed with PTSD. The results showed that 75% of this small sample population exhibited addictive behavior that was presented in their information behaviors. All four members indicated that the excessive extent to which they seek information is related to the perceived importance of the information and their level of trust in the sources. Low trust in information sources increases the number of sources searched for validation in this population. Essay 2 involved the collection and analysis of survey data. The results of the stepwise backward regression show that two trauma variables (adult sexual assault, sudden fear) have a significant combined negative effect on decision-making in this population. The analysis and results of a different survey are presented in Essay 3. The stepwise logistic regression analysis results conducted on the summated scales developed showed a strong positive link between trust in scientific experts for scientific information and the dichotomous dependent variable trust in social media for news. The research conducted in this dissertation extends the understanding of how trauma affects people's information-seeking habits and decision-making processes. The findings have implications for how to communicate, policies relevant to information dissemination, and mental health measures. Future research is suggested to understand these behaviors and potential treatments better.

No description available.

With the newly deployed fifth-generation telecommunications system and upcoming sixth-generation, high-gain antennas with hemispherical scanning capabilities are of high interest. Phased array antennas allow for fast scanning capabilities with electronic beam-steering. In an effort to reduce the number of antenna elements while maintaining the antenna aperture size, the element spacing is increased. However sparse arrays introduce grating lobes in the radiation pattern. An interesting solution to reduce the grating lobes is to integrate a lens with the array. Further, simulating the radiation pattern with a ray-tracing algorithm and the geometrical optics approximation makes for fast simulation times. The presented ray-tracing algorithm in this work speeds up the simulation by 43 times compared to a two-dimensional full-wave simulation. To model the full radiation pattern the rays are shot out from a single point across a set angular space. To emulate an element pattern the rays are excited with a set amplitude distribution. Here, two different methods of obtaining the amplitude are presented and compared to a two-dimensional full-wave COMSOL model. The lens is made from a dielectric, constructed from the conics equation with applied conformal matching layers. The ray path and phase distribution are calculated with Snell's law, the amplitude distribution at the lens aperture is calculated through the ray tube theory, and the radiation pattern with the Kirchhoff Diffraction formula. To optimize the lens shape and an array offset, the ray-tracing algorithm is coupled with a Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm. Two different arrays are used in this thesis, the first constructed from open-ended waveguides and the second using sub-arrays of the same waveguides. The optimized lens for the first array shows that a grating lobe suppression between 1.1-2.0 dB is achievable with a main lobe reduction between 0.2-0.3 dB for scanning to -20 degrees. For the array with sub-arrays, the main lobe suppression is between 0.3-0.9 dB, with a grating lobe suppression of up to 4.0 dB. / Med det nyligen lanserade femte generationens telekommunikationssystem och den kommande sjätte generationen är högförstärkningsantenner med halvsfäriska skanningsmöjligheter av stort intresse. Fasade array-antenner möjliggör snabb skanningskapacitet med elektronisk strålstyrning. I ett försök att minska antalet antennelement samtidigt som antennöppningens storlek bibehålls, ökas elementavståndet. Men glesa arrayer introducerar gallerlober i strålningsmönstret. En intressant lösning för att minska gallerloberna är att integrera en lins med arrayen. Vidare, simulering av strålningsmönstret med en strålspårningsalgoritm och den geometriska optiska approximationen ger snabba simuleringstider. Den presenterade strålspårningsalgoritmen i detta arbete snabbar upp simuleringen med 43 gånger jämfört med en tvådimensionell helvågssimulering. För att modellera hela strålningsmönstret skjuts strålarna ut från en enda punkt över ett fast vinkelutrymme. För att efterlikna ett elementmönster exciteras strålarna med en inställd amplitudfördelning. Här presenteras två olika metoder för att erhålla amplituden och jämförs med en tvådimensionell fullvågs-COMSOL-modell. Linsen är gjord av ett dielektrika konstruerat från koniska ekvationen med applicerade konforma matchande lager. Strålvägen och fasfördelningen beräknas med Snell-lagen, amplitudfördelningen vid linsöppningen beräknas genom strålrörsteorin och strålningsmönstret med Kirchhoff-diffraktionsformeln. För att optimera linsformen och en arrayförskjutning är strålspårningsalgoritmen kopplad med en Particle Swarm algoritm. Två olika arrayer används i denna avhandling, den första konstruerad av vågledare med öppen ände och den andra med hjälp av sub-arrayer av samma vågledare. Den optimerade linsen för den första arrayen visar att en gallerlobsundertryckning mellan 1,1-2,0 dB kan uppnås med en huvudlobsreduktion mellan 0,2-0,3 dB för skanning till -20 grader. För arrayen med sub-arrayer är undertryckningen av huvudloben mellan 0,3-0,9 dB, med en gallerlobundertryckning på upp till 4,0 dB.

No description available.

The juxtaglomerular niche occupied by renin cells (RCN) plays an important role in glomerular repair but the precise temporal and spatial interrelations remain unclear. This study proposes the hypothesis of a local intra-extraglomerular regenerative feedback system and establishes a new quantifiable system for RCN responses in individual glomeruli in vivo. A strictly intraglomerular twophoton laser-induced injury model was established. Labeled renin cells (RC) in transgenic renin reporter mice were fate-traced in healthy and injured glomeruli over several days by intravital microscopy and quantified via new three-dimensional image processing algorithms based on ray tracing. RC in healthy glomeruli demonstrated dynamic extraglomerular protrusions. Upon intraglomerular injury the corresponding RCN first increased in volume and then increased in area of dynamic migration up to threefold compared to their RCN. RC started migration reaching the site of injury within 3 hours and acquired a mesangial cell phenotype without losing physical RCN-contact. During intraglomerular repair only the corresponding RCN responded via stimulated neogenesis, a process of de novo differentiation of RC to replenish the RCN. Repeated continuous intravital microscopy provides a state-of-the-art tool to prove and further study the local intraglomerular RCN repair feedback system in individual glomeruli in vivo in a quantifiable manner.

In recent years, there has been a huge increase in the use of satellite communications. This has led to a need for more capacity, which can be solved by moving towards higher frequency bands in search of higher bandwidths. However, the use of higher frequencies entails higher link losses, which makes it essential to use highly directional and steerable antennas. Traditionally, phased array antennas have been used for this kind of application. Nevertheless, they have a limitation in the maximum scan angle due to their effective aperture, which causes a gain reduction following the cosine of the scanning angle. A way of improving the scan range is to add a dielectric radome on top of the array. However, high computational times are needed to simulate this kind of structure using full-wave simulations. For this reason, the first part of this work is focused on adapting and improving an in-house Ray Tracing tool for the particular application under study. The tool computes the path the rays follow from the array to the aperture of the radome using geometric optics, then calculates the amplitude of the electric field at the aperture using ray tube theory, and finally determines the antenna’s radiation pattern using Kirchhoff’s diffraction formula. Moreover, some features have been added to the code to be able to compute the directivity, calculate the absorption and reflection losses, simulate multilayer radomes, and change the array elements’ radiation patterns. A model in Comsol has been developed to validate the results obtained using the Ray Tracing tool and all its added features. Finally, several optimizations have been carried out to increase the scanning range while maintaining a maximum height, and ensuring it complies with the regulatory masks for satellite communications. The optimizations have been performed both using a Particle Swarm Optimizer and manually. / Under de senaste åren har det skett en stor ökning av satellitkommunikations användning. Detta har lett till ett behov för högre kapacitet, vilket kan lösas genom att flytta till högre frekvensband på jakt efter högre bandbredder. Högre bandbredder innebär dock högre länkförluster som gör det oumbärligt att utnyttja rikt- och styrbara antenner. Ursprungligen har fasstyrda antenner använts för denna typ av tillämpning. Ändå finns en begränsning av den maximala skanningsvinkeln på grund av deras effektiva yta som leder till en minskning av förstärkning som är beroende på avsökningsvinkelns cosinus. För att kunna förbättra skanningsintervallen skulle man kunna lägga till en dielektrisk radom ovanpå arrayen. Höga beräkningstider krävs dock att simulera strukturen med helvågssimuleringar. Av denna anledning fokuserar den första delen av denna uppsats att anpassa och förbättra ett internt strålspårnings verktyg för den särskilda applikationen under studie. Verktyget beräknar vägen strålarna tar ifrån arrayen till radomens öppning med hjälp av geometrisk optik, därefter kalkyleras det elektriska fältets amplitud enligt strålrörsteori och till sist fastställs antennens strålningsmönster som definieras av Kirchhoffs diffraktionsformel. Dessutom har vissa funktioner lagts till i koden för att kunna beräkna riktningen, absorptions- och reflektionsförlusterna, simulera flerskiktsradomer och ändra arrayelementens strålningsmönster. En modell i Comsol har utvecklats för att validera resultaten som producerades av strålspårning verktyget och alla dess extra funktioner. Till sist, flera optimeringar har genomförts för att öka skanningsområdet som kan bibehålla en maximal höjd och säkerställa efterlevnaden med regleringsmaskerna för satellitkommunikationerna. Optimeringarna har utförts både manuellt och med hjälp av en partikelsvärmoptimerare. / En els últims anys hi ha hagut un increment majúscul en l’ús de les comunicacions per satèl·lit. Això s’ha traduït en la necessitat de més capacitat, la qual pot ser coberta si ens movem cap a bandes de freqüència més altes, buscant un major ample de banda. Tot i això, l’ús de freqüències més elevades comporta unes majors pèrdues en l’enllaç, les quals fan essencial l’ús d’antenes altament directives i amb capacitat d’escaneig. Tradicionalment, els arranjaments d’antenes de fase gradual han estat utilitzats per aquest tipus d’aplicacions. Tanmateix, tenen una limitació del màxim angle d’escaneig a causa de la seva obertura efectiva, la qual causa una reducció del guany seguint el cosinus de l’angle d’escaneig. Una manera de millorar el rang d’escaneig és afegint un radom dielèctric al damunt de l’arranjament d’antenes. No obstant això, es necessita un alt temps de computació per simular aquest tipus d’estructures amb simuladors d’ona completa. Per aquesta raó, la primera part d’aquest treball està enfocada a adaptar i perfeccionar una eina de traçat de rajos pròpia per l’aplicació en estudi. L’eina calcula el camí que els rajos segueixen des de l’arranjament d’antenes fins a l’obertura del radom utilitzant òptica geomètrica, a continuació computa l’amplitud del camp elèctric a l’obertura mitjançant la teoria del tub de rajos i finalment determina el patró de radiació de l’antena utilitzant la fórmula de difracció de Kirchhoff. Addicionalment, algunes funcions han estat afegides al codi per tal de poder computar la directivitat, calcular les pèrdues d’absorció i reflexió, simular radoms multicapa i canviar els patrons de radiació dels elements de l’arranjament. Un model en Comsol ha estat desenvolupat per tal de validar els resultats obtinguts emprant l’eina de traçat de rajos i totes les seves funcions. Finalment, vàries optimitzacions han estat dutes a terme per tal d’incrementar el rang d’escaneig mantenint una altura màxima i assegurant que es compleix amb les màscares reguladores de comunicacions per satèl·lit. Les optimitzacions han estat realitzades utilitzant tant un optimitzador per eixam de partícules com manualment.

The objective of this work is to enhance the awareness of the indoor propagation behaviour, by a set of investigations including simulations and measurements. These investigations include indoor propagation behaviour, local mean power estimation, proposing new indoor path loss model and introducing a case study on 60 GHz propagation in indoor environments using ray tracing and measurements. A summary of propagation mechanisms and manifestations in the indoor environment is presented. This comprises the indoor localization techniques using channel parameters in terms of angle of arrival (AOA), time of arrival (TOA) and received signal strength (RSS). Different models of path loss, shadowing and fast fading mechanisms are explored. The concept of MIMO channels is studied using many types of deterministic channel modelling such as Finite Difference Time Domain, Ray tracing and Dominant path model. A comprehensive study on estimating local average of the received signal strength (RSS) for indoor multipath propagation is conducted. The effect of the required number of the RSS data and their Euclidian distances between the neighbours samples are investigated over 1D, 2D and 3D configurations. It was found that the effect of fast fading was reduced sufficiently using 2D horizontal’s arrangement with larger spacing configuration. A modified indoor path loss prediction model is presented namely effective wall loss model (EWLM). The modified model with wall correction factors is compared to other indoor path loss prediction models using simulation data (for 2.4, 5, 28, 60 and 73.5 GHz) and real-time measurements (for 2.4 and 5 GHz). Different operating frequencies and antenna polarizations are considered to verify the observations. In the simulation part, EWLM shows the best performance among other models. Similar observations were recorded from the experimental results. Finally, a detailed study on indoor propagation environment at 60 GHz is conducted. The study is supported by Line of Sight (LoS) and Non-LoS measurements data. The results were compared to the simulated ones using Wireless-InSite ray tracing software. Several experiments have confirmed the reliability of the modelling process based on adjusted material properties values from measurements.

No description available.

Deciding together is common in our everyday life. However, the process of this joint decision-making plays out across different levels, for example language, intonation, or non-verbal behaviour. Here we focused on non-verbal interaction dynamics between two participants in probability discounting. We applied a gamified decision-making task in which participants performed a series of choices between a small but safe and a large but risky reward. In two experiments, we found that joint decision-making resulted in lower discounting and higher efficiency. In order to understand the underlying mechanisms in greater detail, we studied through which process this variation occurred and whether this process would be modulated by the social distance between both participants. Our findings suggested that socially close participants managed to reduce their discounting by interactive processes while socially distant participants were influenced by the social context itself. However, a higher level of efficiency was achieved through interactive processes for both groups. In summary, this study served as a fine-grained investigation of collaborative interaction processes and its significant impact on the outcome of choices with probabilistic consequences.