Classical Continuous System Simulation (CSS) is restricted to modelling continuous flows, and therefore, cannot correctly realise a conceptual model with discrete objects. The development of Full Potential CSS solves this problem by (1) handling discrete quantities as discrete and continuous matter as continuous, (2) preserving the sojourn time distribution of a stage, (3) implementing attributes correctly, and (4) describing different types of uncertainties in a proper way. In order to apply Full Potential CSS a new software, StochSD, has been developed. This thesis evaluates StochSD's ability to model Full Potential CSS, where the points 1-4 above are included. As a test model a well-defined conceptual epidemic model, which includes all aspects of Full Potential CSS, was chosen. The study was performed by starting with a classical SIR model and then stepwise add the different aspects of the Conceptual Model. The effects of each step were demonstrated in terms of size and duration of the epidemic. Finally, the conceptual model was also realised as an Agent Based Model (ABM). The results from 10 000 replications each of the CSS and ABM models were compared and no statistical differences could be confirmed. The conclusion is that StochSD passed the evaluation.

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TITLE: Distance Teaching of Natural History During Emergency Measures in the 2nd Half of the School Year 2019/2020 AUTHOR: Martin Panský DEPARTMENT: Department of Biology and Environmental Studies SUPERVISOR: Ing. Jan Andreska, PhD. ABSTRACT: The topic of the diploma thesis is a distance teaching of natural history at primary schools during emergency measures in the second half of the school year 2019/2020, when, in response to a pandemic situation, the physical presence of pupils in schools was banned, both in the Czech Republic and in the most of the countries in the world. This was a completely new situation, to which it was necessary to respond flexibly and systemically in order for teaching to continue to work, at least to a limited extent. The aim of the work was to summarize the experience of science and biology teachers at primary schools in the Czech Republic coming from distance education in the second half of the school year 2019/2020. Moreover this thesis is focuing on naming critical points in distance education of given subjects, defining distance learning opportunities and examining whether such a situation will have further implications for the future form of our education. To meet these goals, I decided to conduct an extensive questionnaire survey, in which I managed to get over 700...

Comment caractériser les liens entre les récits mobilisant la figure du patient zéro et la production de cette dite figure? La notion de récit ici abordée, étant particulièrement inspirée de Ricoeur (1983), fait essentiellement du récit une configuration narrative et médiatique cherchant à imiter une temporalité donnée. La notion de figure, quant à elle, dépasse l’opposition classique entre l’abstrait et le concret; la figure est le lieu où se rencontrent représentations concrétisées et entités idéelles afin de se « figurer » mutuellement. Le référent de la figure, n’étant pas une abstraction figée dans le temps, est constamment en proie au réassemblage, à la transformation et à l’effacement des éléments qui la constituent. Je qualifie de figuration ce processus temporellement déployé. Par le biais de ma perspective narrative, ce sont les récits médiatisés, surtout en temps d’épidémies/pandémies, que je tiens pour éléments d’assemblage de la figuration du patient zéro en regard des deux dernières décennies. Ainsi, j’ai pu conclure que la personnification y est certainement son mode d’instanciation le plus récurrent et celle-ci s’exécute habituellement par le biais d’une désignation – de qui s’agit-il? – jumelée à une performance personnificatrice – de quelles actions s’agit-il? De plus, une étude intermédiale du parcours de cette figuration a permis de faire ressortir l’hypermédialité relativement constante de l’écrit en son sein. En dernier lieu, pour synthétiser l’évolution de la figuration du patient zéro au cours du laps de temps concerné, j’ai proposé d’aborder celle-ci via trois processus transformateurs : la dé-personnification, la distanciation et la pluralisation. / How can we characterize the links between the stories mobilizing the figure of patient zero and the production of this so-called figure? The notion of story discussed here, being particularly inspired by Ricoeur (1983), essentially makes the story a narrative and media configuration seeking to imitate a given temporality. The notion of figure, for its part, goes beyond the classical opposition between the abstract and the concrete; the figure is the place where concretized representations and ideal entities meet in order to "figure" each other. The referent of the figure, not being an abstraction frozen in time, is constantly plagued by the reassembly, transformation and erasure of the elements that constitute it. I call this temporally deployed process figuration. Through my narratively informed perspective, it is the mediatized stories, especially during times of epidemic/pandemic, that I hold as elements of assembly of the figuration of patient zero within the scope of the last two decades. Thus, I was able to conclude that personification is certainly its most recurrent mode of instantiation and this is usually carried out through a designation – who is it? – paired with a personifying performance – what actions are those? In addition, an intermedial study of such figuration has above all made it possible to highlight the relatively constant hypermediality of the writing form within it. Finally, to synthesize the evolution of the figuration of patient zero during the time span concerned, I proposed to approach it through three transformative processes: de-personification, distancing and pluralization.

[pt] Durante a pandemia de COVID-19, medidas de redução do contato social vêm sendo utilizadas para evitar aglomerações de pessoas na tentativa de contenção do avanço da doença e da consequente sobrecarga dos serviços de saúde. Soluções em saúde digital têm tido significativa importância ao serem empregadas em diversas frentes neste momento de crise humanitária. Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo apresentar o relato sobre o projeto, implementação, uso e revisão de uma plataforma de telessaúde para preparação e resposta à COVID-19 em um município brasileiro. O estudo se configura como uma pesquisa-ação, subsidiada por uma revisão de escopo da literatura para identificação de funcionalidades e características a serem consideradas em um sistema de saúde digital empregado em cenários de surtos, epidemias e pandemias. Posteriormente, uma análise de relevância e priorização das funcionalidades e características é realizada no contexto da localidade estudada através do método multicritério de apoio à decisão Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Como resultados, propõe-se um framework para um sistema de saúde digital direcionado ao enfrentamento de surtos, epidemias e pandemias, que serviu como base para avaliação da plataforma de telessaúde desenvolvida e pode ser utilizado para direcionar outros estudos em desastres epidêmicos. Além disso, tem-se a oferta de um produto tecnológico em auxílio ao enfrentamento da pandemia de COVID-19 em um município brasileiro, gerando impacto social pela constatação empírica de desafios e boas práticas vivenciadas no emprego de um sistema de saúde digital para preparação e resposta a um desastre epidêmico. / [en] During the COVID-19 pandemic, measures to reduce social contact have been used to prevent crowds of people trying to contain the spread of the disease and the consequent burden on health services. Digital health solutions have been of significant importance when used on several fronts at this time of humanitarian crisis. This research aims to present a report on the design, implementation, use and review of a telehealth platform for preparedness and response to COVID-19 in a Brazilian municipality. The study is based on an action research, supported by a scoping review of the literature to identify functionalities and characteristics to be considered in a digital health system used in outbreak, epidemic and pandemic scenarios. Subsequently, a relevance and prioritization analysis of functionalities and characteristics is carried out in the context of the studied location using the multicriteria decision support method Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). As a result, we propose a framework for a digital health system aimed at coping with outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics, which served as a basis for evaluating the developed telehealth platform and can be used to drive other studies in epidemic disasters. In addition, we offer a technological product to help facing the COVID-19 pandemic in a Brazilian municipality, generating social impact through the empirical observation of challenges and good practices experienced in the structuring and operationalizing of a digital health system to preparedness and response to an epidemic disaster.

The growth of online content has paved the way for independent creators to produce their own videos. Platforms like YouTube have empowered the users to distribute such content and continues to be a major player in the world of video on demand. A substantial part of the production is music, which has been notoriously difficult to license given the complex ownership situations. This has enabled companies like Epidemic Sound to provide an alternative solution that reduces the hassle of licensing down to acquiring a subscription. The large user base that these companies have results in them needing in-house developed tools to manage their licensing. These tools can often be less adapted to their intended internal users, as the major usability work is directed to customer facing products. This thesis addresses the issues of not adapting in-house developed tools to the end users’ needs by focusing on evaluating the current interface and produce a design proposal for how these tools can be designed to better serve the user. Semi-structured interviews were held with 7 participants who used the tool in their day to day work. These were then analyzed and the findings were incorporated into a non-functional prototype developed in Figma. This prototype was subsequently evaluated and the results indicated that the major key to heighten the perceived usability of the tool was to present the information gathered in a clear and structured way. / Tillväxten av onlinebaserat innehåll har drivit fram en ny typ av enskilda videokreatörer. Platformar som YouTube har erbjudit användarna att distribuera innehåll och är fortsatt en stor spelare inom streaming. En väsentlig del av produktionen är musik, något som har varit ökänt svårt att licensera givet den komplexa ägarskapet. Detta har öppnat en möjlighet för företag som Epidemic Sound att erbjuda en alternativ lösning som reducerar problemet ner till att införskaffa en prenumeration. Den stora användarbasen som dessa företag har resulterar i att de behöver utveckla egna verktyg för att hantera sin licensering. Dessa verktyg är ofta inte anpassade för deras tilltänkta, interna användare då majoriteten av användbarhetsarbetet fokuserar på produkter för slutkunden. Den här avhandlingen adresserar detta genom att utvärdera det nuvarande användargränssnittet och producera ett designförslag för hur dessa verktyg kan designas med användaren i åtanke.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) are two of the most prevalent swine pathogens that have impacted the global swine industry for decades. Both are RNA viruses with increasing heterogeneity over the years, making a vaccine solution ever so challenging. Modified live-attenuated vaccines (MLVs) have been the most common approach, but the long-term safety regarding their potential for pathogenic reversion still needs to be addressed. Subunit based vaccines have been the focus of numerous development studies around the world with renewed interest in their promising prospects in both safety and efficacy. Our lab has developed a unique approach to use hepatitis B virus core capsid protein (HBcAg) as a vaccine delivery vehicle for either PRRSV or PEDV viral epitope antigens. Recombinantly produced HBcAg forms an icosahedral capsid virus-like particle (VLP) that has 240 repeats in a single assembled particle. By inserting different epitope antigens from these porcine pathogens into the particle, we can achieve repetitive antigen presentation to the host's immune system by taking advantage of the polymeric nature of VLP. The first animal study evaluated the efficacy of 4 VLP based vaccine candidates against PRRSV in mice. These 4 vaccines incorporated 2 B-cell epitopes (61QAAIEVYEPGRS72 and 89ELGFVVPPGLSS100) and 2 T-cell epitopes (117LAALICFVIRLAKNC131 and 149KGRLYRWRSPVIIEK163) from PRRSV structural proteins GP3 and GP5 respectively. Candidate GP3-4 was able to stimulate a significant viral neutralizing response in mouse sera against two PRRSV strains, one being heterologous, demonstrating its potential of cross-protection against PRRSV. The second animal study took an optimized VLP vaccine candidate against PEDV from previous development studies in mice, and assessed its efficacy through a comprehensive pregnant gilt vaccination and neonatal piglet challenge model. The vaccine candidate incorporated B-cell epitope 748YSNIGVCK755 from the PEDV spike protein. It was able to elicit significant viral neutralization antibody titer in gilt milk at 3 days post-farrowing (DPF), and provided nursing piglets with clinical relief in terms of morbidity, viral shedding, small intestinal lesions, and 10 days post-challenge (DPC) survival rate. / Doctor of Philosophy / Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) are two pathogens that infect pigs, resulting in immense economic losses to the global pork production industry every year. Both viruses have large diversity with various strains due to mutations that have occurred over the years. This makes vaccine development that aims at combating the pathogens even more challenging. One common vaccine strategy has been immunizing animals with modified live viruses with decreased pathogenicity. Naturally, long term safety of this option has been a concern. A much safer vaccine approach that is purely protein based has attracted renewed interest around the world. Protein based vaccines lack genetic materials from the viruses and are not able to replicate inside the host. Our lab has developed a platform that uses protein-based particles (VLPs) originated from the hepatitis B virus (HBV), and incorporates short pieces of proteins from either PRRSV or PEDV to train host's immune system to recognize these pathogens, and hopefully to prevent future infection. For the first animal study, we tested 4 VLP vaccine candidates against PRRSV in mice and discovered that mouse serum from one candidate GP3-4 was able to prevent infection of 2 distinct PRRSV strains in petri dishes, paving the way for further development. For the second animal study, we took an optimized VLP vaccine candidate against PEDV from previous mouse studies, and evaluated its performance in pigs. We immunized pregnant mother pigs with the vaccine before they gave birth, then experimentally infected newborn piglets with the virus. Piglets from the vaccinated mothers showed improved clinical signs and faster recovery from the infection.

As the world observes a new pandemic with COVID-19, it is clear that pathogens can spread rapidly and without recognition of borders. Outbreaks will continue to occur, and so the diseases’ transmission method must be thoroughly understood in order to minimize their impact. Some infections, such as influenza, tuberculosis and measles are known to be spread through droplets in the air. In a confined space the concentration can grow as more droplets are released. This study examined a simulated confined space modelled as a hospital waiting area, where people who could have underlying conditions congregate and mix with potentially infectious individuals. It further investigated the impact of the volume of the waiting area, the number of people in the room, the placement of them as well as their weight. The simulation is an agent-based model (ABM), a computational model with the purpose of analysing a system through the actions and cumulative consequences of autonomous agents. The presented ABM features embodied agents with differing body weights that can move, breathe and cough in a ventilated room. An investigation into current epidemiological models lead to the hypothesis that one may be implemented as a corresponding ABM, where it could possibly also be improved upon. In this paper, it is shown that all parameters of the Gammaitoni and Nucci model can be taken into account in an ABM via the MASON library. In addition, proof is produced to suggest that some flaws of the epidemiological model can be mended in the ABM. It is demonstrated that the constructed model can account for proximity between susceptible people and infectors, an expressed limitation of the original model. / När världen observerar en ny pandemi, COVID-19, är det tydligt att patogener kan spridas fort och utan hänsyn till landsgränser. Utbrott kommer att fortsätta ske och därför måste sjukdomarnas överföringsmetod förstås, så att deras påverkan kan minimeras. Det är känt att vissa infektioner, såsom influensa, tuberkulos och mässling kan spridas via droppkärnor i luften. I ett begränsat utrymme kan koncentrationen växa när fler droppar tillförs. Denna studie utvärderar ett simulerat begränsat utrymme modellerat som ett väntrum på ett sjukhus, där människor som kan ha underliggande sjukdomar samlas och beblandar sig med potentiellt smittsamma individer. Inverkan av volymen av väntrummet, antalet personer i rummet, var de var placerade i rummet samt deras vikt undersöktes också. Simuleringen är en agent-baserad modell (ABM), en beräkningsmodell med syftet att analysera ett system genom handlingarna och kumulativa konsekvenserna av självstyrande agenter. Personer med olika kroppsvikt som kan röra sig, andas och hosta i ett ventilerat rum simuleras i denna ABM. Efterforskning av aktuella epidemiologiska modeller leder till hypotesen att en sådan skulle kunna implementeras som en motsvarande ABM, där den möjligtvis också kan förbättras. I denna rapport kommer det att uppvisas att alla parametrar av Gammaitonioch Nucci-modellen kan tas hänsyn till i en ABM via MASON biblioteket. Därtill produceras bevis som pekar på att vissa brister i den epidemiologiska modellen kan hämmas i denna ABM. Det demonstreras att den konstruerade modellen kan beakta distansen mellan mottagliga personer och smittsamma, vilket är en känd begränsning i originalmodellen.