The primary aim of this study is to investigate the impact of an avatar to dog’s daily pet care for the quantified pet users. Furthermore, it explores the design challenges of creating a dog-like avatar for Human-Pet-Computer Interaction. Pawmoji, an emotionally expressive avatar, was designed as a supporting element on the interface to help users interpret the data and increase motivation. Pawmoji changes emotional states according to pet’s daily activities. The data from the device is conveyed to the user via changes in the emotional state of the avatar. This concept was evaluated by pet activity tracker users. In the evaluation, users interpreted the presented emotions of the dog-like avatar in a similar way to human emotions and generally identified the needs of their dogs with high accuracy. The study has also identified design challenges, such as representation and message delivery, and revealed the potential impact of the avatar in daily pet care activities: unpleasant emotions displayed by the avatar were found to be less motivating by the participants. The study shows that an emotionally expressive avatar has the potential to motivate the dog owners and increase awareness of the dog’s state and feelings during the pet-caretaking process. / Det primära syftet med den här studien är att undersöka en avatars påverkan på hundägares husdjursvård för den kvantifierade användaren. Vidare, en emotionell uttrycksfull hundliknande avatar skapades för att fungera som ett designkoncept. Pawmoji ändrar emotionella tillstånd i förhållande till djurets uppmätta aktiviteter. Data från enheten transporteras till användaren genom förändringar i avatarens emotionella tillstånd. Konceptet utvärderades genom en aktivitetsspårare för husdjur. I utvärderingen tolkade deltagarna känslorna som presenterades av den hundliknande avataren, på samma sätt som en människas känslor kan observeras och kunde generellt sett identifiera hundens behov med hög precision. Studien har också identifierat designutmaningar som framställning och mottagning av meddelande och upptäckte den potentiella påverkan avataren har i dagliga aktiviteter för husdjursvård: Obehagliga känslor som presenterades av avataren ansågs vara mindre motiverande för deltagarna. Studien visar att en emotionell uttrycksfull avatar har potentialen att motivera hundägarna och öka medvetenhet om hundens tillstånd och känslor under processen av djurskötning.

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Mémoire de maîtrise présenté en vue de l'obtention de la maîtrise en psychologie (M. Sc) / Contexte : L’hémianopsie homonyme (HH) a un impact significatif sur les activités quotidiennes, et les méthodes actuelles d’évaluation des personnes ayant une amputation du champ visuel ne permettent pas de combiner l’évaluation de la vision centrale et périphérique. Objectifs : Cette étude visait à valider un film d’animation innovant comme nouvel outil d’évaluation pour mesurer l’étendue du champ visuel aveugle, à établir une norme auprès d’une population contrôle en bonne santé visuelle et à déterminer le niveau de faisabilité du test. Méthodologie : La vidéo d’animation présentait une série de personnages à détecter. Elle était présentée sur 160° répartis sur 3 moniteurs d’ordinateur. Un eye-tracker était utilisé pour vérifier la stabilisation de la tête et le contrôle de la fixation. Quarante participants en bonne santé, âgés de 18 à 75 ans, ont été recrutés. Résultats : La plupart des animations ont été perçues par des participants contrôle sains, ce qui a permis d’établir une norme pour le test. Concernant l’appréciation du test, 60 % des participants l’ont beaucoup apprécié, 29 % l’ont aimé et 11 % ont eu une opinion neutre. Conclusion : Cet outil écologique évalue simultanément la vision centrale et la vision périphérique à l’aide d’un film d’animation. Avec des normes établies à partir d’une population générale ayant une vision saine et un accueil positif des participants, cet outil pourrait être utilisé pour évaluer et dépister les personnes suspectées d’avoir une HH, en particulier chez les enfants. / Background: Homonymous hemianopia (HH) has a significant impact on daily activities, and current methods of assessing people with visual field amputation don’t combine assessment of central and peripheral vision. Objectives: The aim of this study was to validate an innovative animated film as a new assessment tool for measuring the extent of the blind visual field, to establish a standard in a visually healthy control population, and to determine the test’s feasibility. Methodology: The animated video presented a series of characters that needed to be detected. It was presented in 160 degrees on 3 computer monitors. An eye tracker was used to check head stabilization and fixation control. Forty healthy participants aged between 18 and 75 were recruited. Results: Most of the animations were perceived by healthy control participants, helping to establish a standard for the test. In terms of appreciation of the test, 60% of participants liked it a lot, 29% liked it and 11% had a neutral opinion. Conclusion: This ecological tool simultaneously assesses central and peripheral vision using an animated film. With standards based on a general population with healthy vision and a positive reception from participants, this tool could be used to assess and screen people suspected of having HH, particularly in children.

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<p><strong>Background:</strong> A better application of evidence-based available therapies and optimal patient care are suggested to have a positive association with patient outcomes for cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients. Electronic integration of care tested in the Computerization of Medical Practices for the Enhancement of Therapeutic Effectiveness (COMPETE) Π study showed that a shared electronic decision-support system to support the primary care of diabetes improved the process of care and some clinical markers of the quality of diabetes care. On the basis of COMPETE Π trial, COMPETE Ш study showed that older adults at increased risk of cardiovascular events, if connected with their family physicians and other providers via an electronic network sharing an intensive, individualized cardiovascular tracking, advice and support program, enhanced their process of care – using a process composite score to lower their cardiovascular risk more than those in conventional care. However, results of the effect of intervention on composite process and clinical outcomes were not similar – there was no significant effect on clinical outcomes.</p> <p><strong>Objectives:</strong> Our objectives were to investigate the robustness of the results based the commonly used statistical models using COMPETE III dataset and explore the validity of the surrogate process composite score using a correlation analysis between the clinical outcomes and process composite score.</p> <p><strong>Methods:</strong> Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used as a primary statistical model in this study. Three patient-level statistical methods (simple linear regression, fixed-effects regression, and mixed-effects regression) and two center-level statistical approaches (center-level fixed-effects model and center-level random-effects model) were compared to reference GEE model in terms of the robustness of the results – magnitude, direction and statistical significance of the estimated effects on the change of process composite score / on-target clinical composite score. GEE was also used to investigate thecorrelation between the clinical outcomes and surrogate process composite scores.</p> <p><strong>Results:</strong> All six statistical models used in this study produced robust estimates of intervention effect. No significant association between cardiovascular events and on-target clinical composite score and individual component of on-target clinical composite score were found between the intervention group and control group. However, blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, and psychosocial index are significant predictors of cardiovascular events. Process composite score can both predict the cardiovascular events and clinical improvement, but the results were not statistically significant- possibly due to the small number of events. However, the process composite score was significantly associated with the on-target clinical composite score.</p> <p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> We concluded that all five analytic models yielded similar robust estimation of intervention effect comparing to the reference GEE model. The relatively smaller estimate effects in the center-level fixed-effects model suggest that the within-center variation should be considered in the analysis of multicenter RCTs. Process composite score may serve as a good predictor for CVD outcomes.</p> / Master of Science (MSc)

This Bachelor’s thesis, carried out by Isabelle Fredriksen at Blekinge Institute of Technology in collaboration with Embedded Art, aims to developa robust and user-friendly GPS tracker housing for cattle. The projectfocuses on improving livestock management through real-time monitoringand health surveillance, aiming to enhance animal welfare and operationalefficiency on farms. The project aims to design an innovative GPS housing that ensures secureattachment in a collar around a cow’s neck. It also seeks to optimize material selection for durability and minimal signal loss, as well as to develop anopening mechanism that protects internal components from environmentalimpacts. The project followed a structured product development processconsisting of a preliminary study, requirement specification, concept generation, concept evaluation, concept development, prototype development,and final evaluation. Through interviews and market surveys, importantrequirements for the product were identified, including ergonomic design tominimize stress and discomfort for the animals, as well as durable materialsthat can withstand various weather conditions. Three different design concepts were developed and evaluated. Several design iterations were assessed through a combination of practical tests oncattle and technical experiments, including tests for water resistance andsignal strength. The final design resulted in a modular housing, optimizedfor prolonged use without frequent maintenance. It includes a tightly sealing lid and robust fastening to ensure water resistance and protection ofinternal components. For future work, additional material testing should be performed to ensurethe final material choice is optimal for the intended environment. There isalso potential to integrate solar cells to extend battery life and reduce theneed for frequent battery replacements.

Submitted by CAMILO CARRANZA (carranzacamilo@gmail.com) on 2017-07-25T19:58:22Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Camilo_PhD_Thesis.pdf: 11035322 bytes, checksum: efe400c07b13cabff41e927078789c59 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luiz Galeffi (luizgaleffi@gmail.com) on 2017-07-26T18:31:30Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 carranzalopez_jc_dr_ilha.pdf: 11035322 bytes, checksum: efe400c07b13cabff41e927078789c59 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-26T18:31:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 carranzalopez_jc_dr_ilha.pdf: 11035322 bytes, checksum: efe400c07b13cabff41e927078789c59 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-06-05 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Nesta tese são investigadas, teórica e experimentalmente, a sincronização em fase e a sincronização em anti-fase de dois metrônomos oscilando sobre uma base móvel, a partir de um modelo aqui proposto. Uma descrição do funcionamento do mecanismo de escapamento dos metrônomos é feita, junto a um estudo da relação entre este e o oscilador de van der Pol. Também uma aproximação experimental do valor do amortecimento do metrônomo é fornecida. A frequência instantânea das respostas, numérica e experimental, do sistema é usada na analise. A diferença de outros trabalhos prévios, os dados experimentais têm sido adquiridos usando vídeos dos experimentos e extraídos com ajuda do software Tracker. Para investigar a relação entre as condições iniciais do sistema e seu estado final de sincronização, foram usados mapas bidimensionais chamados ‘basins of attraction’. A relação entre o modelo proposto e um modelo prévio também é mostrada. Encontrou-se que os parâmetros relevantes em relação a ambos os tipos de sincronização são a razão entre a massa do metrônomo e a massa da base, e o amortecimento do sistema. Tem-se encontrado, tanto experimental quanto teoricamente, que a frequência de oscilação dos metrônomos aumenta quando o sistema sincroniza-se em fase, e se mantém a mesma de um metrônomo isolado quando o sistema sincroniza-se em anti-fase. A partir de simulações numéricas encontrou-se que, em geral, incrementos no amortecimento do sistema levam ao sistema se sincronizar mais em fase do que em anti-fase. Adicionalmente se encontrou que, para dado valor de amortecimento, diminuir a massa da base leva a uma situação em que a sincronização em anti-fase é mais comum do que a sincronização em fase. / This thesis concerns a theoretical and experimental investigation into the synchronization of two coupled metronomes. A simplified model is proposed to study in-phase and anti-phase synchronization of two metronomes oscillating on a mobile base. A description of the escapement mechanism driving metronomes is given and its relationship with the van der Pol oscillator is discussed. Also an experimental value for the damping in the metronome is determined. The instantaneous frequency of the responses from both numerical and experimental data is used in the analysis. Unlike previous studies, measurements are made using videos and the time domain responses of the metronomes extracted by means of tracker software. Basins of attraction are used to investigate the relationship between initial conditions, parameters and both final synchronization states. The relationship between the model and a previous pendulum model is also shown. The key parameters concerning both kind of synchronization have been found to be the mass ratio between the metronome mass and the base mass, and the damping in the system. It has been shown, both theoretically and experimentally, that the frequency of oscillation of the metronomes increases when the system reaches in-phase synchronization, and is the same as an isolated metronome when the system synchronizes in anti-phase. From numerical simulations, it has been found that, in general, increasing damping leads the system to synchronize more in-phase than in anti-phase. It has also been found that, for a given damping value, decreasing the mass of the base results in the situation where anti-phase synchronization is more common than in-phase synchronization.