Smartphones now account for the majority of all cell phones in use today [23]. Ubiquitous Internet access is a valuable feature offered by these devices and the vast majority of smartphone applications make use of the Internet in one way or another. However, the bandwidth offered by these cellular networks is often much lower than we typically experience on our standard home networks, leading to a less-than-optimal user experience. This makes it very challenging and frustrating to access certain types of web content such as video streaming, large file downloads, loading large webpages, etc. Given that most modern smartphones are multi-homed and are capable of ac- cessing multiple networks simultaneously, this thesis attempts to utilize all available network interfaces in order to achieve the aggregated bandwidth of each to improve the overall network performance of the phone. To do so, I implement a bandwidth aggregation system for iOS that combines the bandwidths of multiple devices located within close proximity of each other. Deployed on up to three devices, speedups of up to 1.82x were achieved for downloading a single, 10mb file. Webpage loading saw speedups of up to 1.55x.

The use of smartphone applications has taken over the way people interact with the world. The design of an application has become an important aspect in keeping the user engaged [22]. People are looking for applications that are easy to use and will get the job done. This thesis focuses on the design of a mobile application for iOS that recommends wine in various retail locations that match a user’s taste preferences. The goals of this thesis are to design an iOS application that recommends wine to consumers, improve upon the wine recommendation algorithms by acquiring more customer data, and analyze the market for consumer and retail need for such a wine recommendation system. The mobile implementation developed for this thesis will be used by a startup based in San Luis Obispo called The Bottlefly. The application will supplement a similar in-store kiosk version to reach wine consumers outside of retail locations in hopes of bringing them into retail locations to purchase wine. Multiple studies are presented to show the results of acquiring customer data for the wine recommendation system as well as user interface usability studies to acquire data about the usability of the application. Usability factors such as ease of use, application completeness, and willingness to use are measured and analyzed in this thesis. The results will help propel the application forward to make sure it meets customer expectations in order to get it ready for production in retail locations and the App Store.

Many dramatic and potentially powerful uses of information technology involveinterorganizational systems (IOS). These systems, defined as distributed computing systems thatsupport shared processes between firms, have become fundamental to business operations,spanning multiple activities in value/supply chains. They have opened avenues to unprecedentedcollaborative linkages between firms. As IOS-mediated relational networks are rapidly evolving,roles of IOS have progressively changed beyond those of efficiency and power functions.To fully appreciate modern roles of IOS in e-business, this dissertation addresses two keyresearch questions: (1) How do firms achieve competitiveness through IOS? (2) How do IOSinfluence competitive behaviors of the competing firms in intertwined electronic networks? Itdoes so by integrating three research streams – social network analysis, interorganizationalsystems, and competitive dynamics – into a model of competitive dynamics in electronicnetworks. This study focuses on the paired relationships between the three constructs of networkstructure, IOS use, and competitive action, and empirically investigates nine general hypotheses.Data collection focuses on second-hand data in the automotive industry. A total of 805collaborative relationships, 106 IOS technologies and applications, and 305 competitive actionsinvolving nine major automakers are collected. Data sources include databases, major tradepublications, Web sites, and industry indices. Data analysis includes network analysis, ANOVAtest, and correlation.Empirical results support the general contention that network structure and IOS use coevolveand influence competitive action. Building on these results, a framework characterizingIOS's roles in achieving firm competitiveness is concluded and advanced. This dissertation broadens our view of IOS's roles in e-business. It contributes to IS/IOS theory, methodology, and practice. First, this study examines IOS-mediated networks inmultiple levels, including firm-level, pair-level, and network-level. It provides new theoreticalconceptualizations of IOS's roles. Second, this study advances a new IT value measureaddressing limitations of the traditional measures. Third, it introduces a novel, usefulmethodology for data collection. Fourth, results from this study can guide a firm's e-businessinitiatives for using IOS as powerful tools for achieving firm competitiveness.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / In climatology it is of fundamental importance to make predictions about the behavior of certain variables. For this it is necessary that current and past behavior of these variables is known. In this context, the use of natural records, such as the growth rings of trees, has become a very effective tool because it covers data of longer time scale. The dendroclimatologia is the study of climate through the analysis of growth rings of trees and it is based on the determination of climatic factors that are acting in the study area and thus causing variations in thickness of growth rings. In general, dendrochronology is a simple and inexpensive work, but highly effective. In the present work, it was developed a study of the climate through the growth rings of trees of the species Araucaria angustifolia which chronologies were obtained of samples collected from Concordia / SC, Passo Fundo / RS and São Francisco de Paula / RS. It was used a total of 34 samples, 08 samples from Concord, 12 samples from Passo Fundo and 14 samples from São Francisco de Paula/RS. The variations in thickness of growth rings were investigated considering the variable rainfall recorded in the localities of Passo Fundo and Caxias do Sul / RS. The time series of the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) was also used in the study in order to know the influence of this phenomenon in the growth of trees. In the series of rings of tree growth it was applied a low-pass filter in order to remove long trends contained in this series. In the series of precipitation it was used a low-pass filter to period corresponding to SOI become evident. The method of Iterative Regression Analysis of Time Series (ARIST) was applied to the series in order to find common periods between growth rings and climate variables. The results showed that there is, in the time series of growth rings, signs similar to those found in the series of IOS with periods around 2 and 7 years. In the seasonal study, the results identified a trend of growing trees in the spring/summer. / Em climatologia é de fundamental importância que se faça previsões sobre o comportamento de certas variáveis. Para isso se faz necessário que o comportamento atual e passado dessas variáveis seja conhecido. Nesse contexto, o emprego de registros naturais, como os anéis de crescimento de árvores, se tornou uma ferramenta muito eficaz por abranger dados que cobrem uma longa escala temporal. A dendroclimatologia é o estudo do clima através da analise dos anéis de crescimento de árvores e se baseia na determinação de fatores climáticos que estão atuando no local de estudo e assim provocando variações nas espessuras dos anéis de crescimento. De forma geral, dendrocronologia é um trabalho simples e de baixo custo, porém bastante eficaz. No presente trabalho, foi desenvolvido um estudo do clima através dos anéis de crescimento de árvores da espécie Araucaria angustifolia. Obtiveram-se cronologias médias das amostras dos lenhos coletados em Concórdia/SC, Passo Fundo/RS e São Francisco de Paula/RS. Foi utilizado um total de 34 amostras, sendo 08 de Concórdia, 12 de Passo Fundo e 14 de São Francisco de Paula. As variações nas espessuras dos anéis de crescimento foram investigadas considerando-se a variável precipitação registrada nas localidades de Passo Fundo e Caxias do Sul/RS. A série temporal do Índice de Oscilação Sul (IOS) também foi empregada no estudo com a finalidade de se conhecer a influência desse fenômeno no crescimento das árvores. Nas séries temporais de anéis de crescimento de árvores usou-se o filtro passa-baixa, a fim de se remover longas tendências contidas nas séries. Nas séries de precipitação o uso do filtro passabaixa se deu para que as periodicidades correspondentes ao IOS se tornassem evidentes. O método de Análise de Regressão Iterativa de Séries Temporais (ARIST) foi aplicada à série a fim de encontrar períodos comuns entre os anéis de crescimento e variáveis climáticas. Os resultados mostraram que há, nas séries temporais dos anéis de crescimento, sinais semelhantes aos encontrados na série de IOS com períodos em torno de 2 e 7 anos. No estudo sazonal, os resultados identificaram uma tendência de crescimento das árvores na primavera/verão.

Är det möjligt att förlita sig på att de smarta mobiler som utnyttjar operativsystem bestående av Android, iOS eller Windows Phone, håller informationen skyddad från spridning om enheten blir stulen eller förläggs? Det här arbetet innefattar undersökandet av medföljande krypteringar för skydd av filer och dess innehåll på ett antal smarta mobiler som kör något av operativsystemen Android, iOS eller Windows Phone. En undersökning där resultatet blev att samtliga testade system är tämligen säkra utifall rätt förutsättningar finns tillhands, samt att mest varaktigast krypteringsalgoritmer innehas av Windows Phone i form av algoritmerna HMACSHA1 och HMACSHA256. / Is it possible to trust a smartphone running Android, iOS or Windows Phone, that it will keep the information protected if the unit is stolen or lost? This work is about if the provided encryptions for protecting files and its content on systems like Android, iOS or Windows Phone is enough secure or not. An investigation where the result showed that all tested systems are fairly secure, if the right conditions are met. The result also showed that the most enduring encryptions is held by Windows Phone with its HMACSHA1 and HMACSHA256 encryptions.

I dagsläget växer behovet av rätt information vid rätt plats, kontextbaserad information. Med hjälp av iBeacon kan man till en stor utsträckning förse det här behovet med en lösning. I uppsatsen undersöks användningsområden för iBeacon och idéer för hur man kan utveckla lösningar med hjälp av iBeacon. Ett koncept kommer att implementeras för att distribuera kontextbaserad information på mässor. Konceptet utvecklades till iOS och Android. Applikationerna tar hjälp av en webbtjänst för att underlätta distribueringen av information. Implementationerna beskrivs i detalj och viktiga designval diskuteras och motiveras. / In the present day the need for relevant information at the right time and place is growing; so called context-based information. By using iBeacon based solutions this need can be largely satisfied. This dissertation explores uses for iBeacon as well as providing ideas for development. One concept which has been implemented is a mobile application for distribution of context based information in "mobility-expos". The concept has been developed for iOS and Android. The applications use a web service to facilitate distribution of information. The implementation is described in detail and important design choices are discussed and motivated.

Böjsenor är senor i fingrarna som är kopplade till underarmens muskler. De läker långsamt efter en skada och kan därför gå av efter en reparation om patienten tränar för mycket eller för tungt. Vid för lite träning fastnar senan i omgivande vävnad och fingret blir stelt. Rehabiliteringen efter en böjsenskada pågår under minst tre månader efter operationen. Det kan därför bli svårt för patienter att upprätthålla motivationen och följa alla instruktioner korrekt under hela denna tid.   Syftet med projektet var att skapa en mobilapplikation som stödjer patienter i deras rehabilitering av en böjsenskada samt att implementera ett digitalt vinkelmätningsverktyg i applikationen. Applikationen utvecklades för både iOS- och Android-enheter med hjälp av deras officiella utvecklingsmiljöer, Android Studio och Xcode. Några funktioner som applikationen består av är en kalender med översikt av träningsplanen, möjligheten att utvärdera pass, möjligheten att skapa träningsprogram och exportera träningsdata. Applikationen innehåller även information om träningsinnehållet, kontaktinformation och allmänna råd till patienten.   Innan applikationen kan publiceras måste den testas på patienter för att få återkoppling om användarvänlighet och funktionalitet. De önskade funktionerna från uppdragsgivaren och målen uppnåddes med undantag av funktionen att lägga till möten som prioriterades bort. Det digitala vinkelmätningsverktyget implementerades för Android men inte för iOS. / Flexor tendons are tendons in the fingers that are connected to the muscles in the forearm. They heal slowly after an injury and can rupture again after the repair if the patient exercises too much or lifts too heavy. Insufficient exercise can cause the tendon to adhere to surrounding tissue, resulting in finger stiffness. Rehabilitation following a flexor tendon injury typically lasts for at least three months after surgery. Therefore, patients may find it challenging to maintain motivation and follow all instructions correctly throughout this period. The purpose of this project was to develop a mobile application that supports patients in their rehabilitation of a flexor tendon injury along with the implementation of a digital angle measuring tool. The application was developed for both iOS and Android devices using their official integrated development environments, Android Studio and Xcode. Some features that the application consists of are a calendar providing an overview of the training plan, the ability to evaluate sessions, the ability to create custom training programs and export training data. Additionally, the application contains information about the training content, contact details, and general advice for the patient. Before the application can be published, it needs to be tested on patients to gather feedback on user-friendliness and functionality. The desired features from the client and the goals for the project were achieved, apart from the meeting scheduling feature, which was deprioritized. The digital angle measuring tool was implemented for Android but not for iOS.

Education plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of any nation. Researchers, pedagogists, and teachers all over the world are constantly working towards improving the process of teaching at all levels of education in order to help impart knowledge in a more effective way. One of the most fundamental branches of education is mathematics. Unless a strong foundation is laid in childhood, it becomes difficult for adults to apply mathematics to their daily lives. Mathematics is such a field that it is integrated in most of our activities. Fractions, a mathematics topic, pose significant challenges for middle school students Although the students generally understand proper fractions (i.e., the numerator is smaller than the denominator), they find it very difficult to learn improper fractions (i.e., the numerator is greater than the denominator). One cannot do away with parts of mathematics curriculum, just because the concept is hard to grasp. The solution is to come up with alternative methods to teach these concepts, such that they are easier to understand and more fun to learn. This thesis describes a digital game-based solution for teaching fractions to middle school students using iOS mobile devices, i.e., iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. We developed a universal iOS game, called Candy Factory, which runs on all iOS mobile devices. The game assigns the student the role of the owner of a Candy Factory and tasks the student to manufacture a candy bar to match the kind and size of a customer order from a whole candy bar that is retrieved from the warehouse. The game is created to teach fractions based on the concept of partitioning and iterating. The student performs various activities such as partitioning, iterating, and measuring to produce the candy bar to satisfy the customer requirements. The game consists of three levels, which help the student progress smoothly from easier problems to more difficult ones. The Candy Factory game, not only helps students learn the fundamentals of fractions, but also makes the learning process enjoyable. / Master of Science

The purpose of this project is to create an iOS native mobile application for the Ability Sports & Education Festival at the California State University of San Bernardino. The iOS application will solve three business needs. First, it will allow participants to view the events, hours, schedules, coaches, and resources of the Ability Sports and Education Festival. Second, it will allow participants to route, search, and find event locations using ArcGIS. Lastly, it will allow participants to register for the event right from their phones.

Sputum induction by inhalation of hypertonic saline has been used for more than15 years. It has become one of the most intriguing methods to study airway inflammation. It is the only direct, non-invasive method for measuring airway inflammation indices.Sputum induction has been used in the diagnosis of many respiratory illnesses including asthma, chronic pulmonary obstructive disease, tuberculosis, chronic cough, lung cancer and Pneumocystis Carinii on patients who are unable to produce sputum spontaneously. There are currently many different methods used worldwide to induce sputum, but there is a lack of one generally accepted gold standard method. The proposed protocols for sputum induction proved to be safe, simple and produced satisfactory amount of expectorate. However, it did not contain enough cells from the lower respiratory tract and was contaminated by squamous cells when compared to another method based on the work of F. E. Hargreave. Investigation demonstrated that the use of impulse oscillometry, which requires no effort from patients, needs further research with larger study samples before it could be used instead of spirometry to evaluate airway obstruction. Initial methylene blue stain of the fresh expectorate smear was shown to be useful tool for identifying grossly contaminated sputum samples by squamous epithelial cells.Our first study group included 20 volunteers in good health. Sputum was induced by inhalation of 3% saline mist created by ultrasonic nebulizer at maximum output (4ml/min). Sputum induction intervals lasted 4-5 minutes with cumulative duration of induction about 4-15 minutes which was tolerated well. Lung function was evaluated for obstruction at baseline and every 5 minutes with spirometry and impulse oscillometry.The whole expectorated sample was processed and slides were stained with HEMA 3stain. With this method we were able to collect a mean of 6.1 ml expectorate. The mean total cell count was 804 000 with high proportion of squamous cells. The second study group included 5 volunteers in good health. This method utilized 3%, 4% and 5% saline mist for inhalation, 7 minutes each. Ultrasonic nebulizer was set at low output of 0.9 ml/min. This procedure was also tolerated well without major adverse effects. Lung function was evaluated at baseline and every 7 minutes for obstruction. Only dense portions of expectorate were selected and processed. Slides were stained with Wright stain. This method produced much more total cells with a mean of 3 385 000 per gram of sputum which came from the lower airways and were not contaminated by squamous cells. The second method was far superior producing adequate sputum sample with cells from the lower airways and minimal squamous cell contamination and will be used in our Breath Lab.