People with impaired physical or mental ability often find it challenging to negotiate crowded or unfamiliar environments, leading to a vicious cycle of deteriorating mobility and sociability. In particular, crowded environments pose a challenge to the comfort and safety of those people. To address this issue we present a novel two-level motion planning framework to be embedded efficiently in portable devices. At the top level, the long term planner deals with crowded areas, permanent or temporary anomalies in the environment (e.g., road blocks, wet floors), and hard and soft constraints (e.g., "keep a toilet within reach of 10 meters during the journey", "always avoid stairs"). A priority tailored on the user's needs can also be assigned to the constraints. At the bottom level, the short term planner anticipates undesirable circumstances in real time, by verifying simulation traces of local crowd dynamics against temporal logical formulae. The model takes into account the objectives of the user, preexisting knowledge of the environment and real time sensor data. The algorithm is thus able to suggest a course of action to achieve the user’s changing goals, while minimising the probability of problems for the user and other people in the environment. An accurate model of human behaviour is crucial when planning motion of a robotic platform in human environments. The Social Force Model (SFM) is such a model, having parameters that control both deterministic and stochastic elements. The short term planner embeds the SFM in a control loop that determines higher level objectives and reacts to environmental changes. Low level predictive modelling is provided by the SFM fed by sensors; high level logic is provided by statistical model checking. To parametrise and improve the short term planner, we have conducted experiments to consider typical human interactions in crowded environments. We have identified a number of behavioural patterns which may be explicitly incorporated in the SFM to enhance its predictive power. To validate our hierarchical motion planner we have run simulations and experiments with elderly people within the context of the DALi European project. The performance of our implementation demonstrates that our technology can be successfully embedded in a portable device or robot.

In this thesis, we study the degree of the canonical map of surfaces of general type. In particular, we give the first examples known in the literature of surfaces having degree d=10,11, 13, 14, 15, and 18 of the canonical map. They are presented in a self-contained and independent way from the rest of the thesis. We show also how we have discovered them. These surfaces are product-quotient surfaces. In this thesis, we study the theory of product-quotient surfaces giving also some new results and improvements. As a consequence of this, we have written and run a MAGMA script to produce a list of families of product-quotient surfaces having geometric genus three and a self-intersection of the canonical divisor large. After that, we study the canonical map of product-quotient surfaces and we apply the obtained results to the list of product-quotient surfaces just mentioned. In this way, we have discovered the examples of surfaces having degree d=10,11,14, and 18 of the canonical map. The remaining ones with degrees 13 and 15 do not satisfy the assumptions to compute the degree of the canonical map directly. Hence we have had to compute the canonical degree of these two families of product-quotient surfaces in a very explicit way through the equations of the pair of curves defining them. Another work of this thesis is the classification of all smooth surfaces of general type with geometric genus three which admits an action of a group G isomorphic to \mathbb Z_2^k and such that the quotient is a projective plane. This classification is attained through the theory of abelian covers. We obtained in total eleven families of surfaces. We compute the canonical map of all of them, finding in particular a family of surfaces with a canonical map of degree 16 not in the literature. We discuss the quotients by all subgroups of G finding several K3 surfaces with symplectic involutions. In particular, we show that six families are families of triple K3 burgers in the sense of Laterveer. Finally, in another work we study also the possible accumulation points for the slopes K^2/ \chi of unbounded sequences of minimal surfaces of general type having a degree d of the canonical map. As a new result, we construct unbounded families of minimal (product-quotient) surfaces of general type whose degree of the canonical map is 4 and such that the limits of the slopes K^2/ \chi assume countably many different values in the closed interval [6+2/3, 8].

The primary purpose of this study is to determine the occurrence of drug therapy adjustment in people with substance use disorder receiving medication-assisted treatment when admitted to an acute care facility for a comorbid condition. The secondary purpose is to understand the correlation between the presence of adjustment of therapy for substance use disorder and influence on recovery from comorbid conditions. A literature review exploring drug therapy for addicted individuals during hospitalization was performed using various databases, search terms included *substance use disorder or *substance abuse or *illicit drug use or *drug abuse or *MAT or *maintenance therapy, combined with *inpatient or *hospital or *acute care or *admission. The data was conformed into tables that synthesized the relationship between drug therapy adjustment for individuals with substance use disorder during an acute care admission. Initial review of the articles revealed 78 articles relative to the topic, 16 of those articles met inclusion criteria and were selected for a detailed analysis. Studies suggest the need for provider education and guidelines for treating individuals receiving MAT in an acute care facility. While individuals with substance use disorder often use acute care services, their medication-assisted treatment is rarely acknowledged or adjusted. Many studies focus on individuals with substance use disorder, yet, addressing medication-assisted therapy is still inconsistent, and lacks official guidelines.

Wood construction platforms are a common method for inexpensive, temporary soil stabilization under heavy machinery; however, platforms are not typically thought of as an engineered product. Review of literature has shown that only one design method is currently available and is specific to one type of platform configuration. The purpose of this thesis is to develop a design method that is simple, versatile and accurate. The proposed design method was intentionally developed so that the designer would have input in multiple areas of the design. Instrumentation allowed for increased insight into the mechanical behavior of the platforms. The objective of this research is to use measured strain, load, and deflection in conjunction with fundamental engineering mechanics principles to predict a single platform’s mechanical behavior on the ground. Results from this method compare favorably with the only other design guide available and improves the knowledge base by developing design guidance for any type of wood construction platform.

I denna studie har jag undersökt hur kulturella föreställningar och normer om genus och klass påverkar hur vi ser på kropp, aktivitet och rum. Jag undersöker hur våra föreställningar om genus och klass har kodat våra kroppar och de aktiviteter som vi utför.För att undersöka detta riktar jag blicken mot matlagning och kök från 1900-talets början till 2016. Genom att studera hur kroppar kodas genom kulturella uttryck såsom skönlitteratur, kokböcker och tidskrifter förstås hur vi ser på olika kroppar. Hur vi ser på olika kroppar påverkar hur vi ser på de aktiviteter som dessa kroppar gör och på vilka aktiviteter som en viss kropp bör göra. Detta påverkar i sin tur hur vi skapar, ser på och använder rum. Rummets kodning påverkas således av vilka kroppar som utför vilka aktiviteter i rummet.Syftet med studien är att se på rum, inte som en neutral bakgrund till vardagslivet, utan som reflekterande av kulturella föreställningar och normer. / In this study, I examined how cultural beliefs and norms about gender and class have a ected how we view the body, activity and room. I examine how our notions of gender and class code our bodies and the activities that we perform.To investigate this I direct my gaze towards cooking and kitchen from the early 1900s to 2016. By studying how bodies are coded through cultural expressions such as literature, cookbooks and magazines we can move toward an understanding of how we look at di erent bodies. How we look at di erent bodies a ect how we look at the activities that these bodies do and what activities a certain body should do. is in turn a ects how we create, look at and use rooms. Room are coded by which bodies that carry out the activities in the room. e purpose of the study is to look at the room, not as a neutral backdrop to everyday life, but as a re ection of cultural beliefs and norms.

This candidate thesis contains a qualitative study of how Sweden markets its gastronomicculture internationally through nation branding. The study was conducted through adeductive research approach. Through nation branding, Sweden has become the new, littlestar on the gastronomic world scene. Sweden markets by using storytelling where importantactors seek to show an idyllic picture of a picturesque Sweden as a destination. The profile,which deals with concepts such as healthy, fresh, ethical and sustainable, strives to paint apicture that deals with nature, sustainability, the environment, the quality of food ingredientsand its world-renowned innovative chefs. Sweden has undergone a major change since theturn of the millennium. Swedes have left part of their external perspective, and started to lookmore inward to get inspiration. The new Nordic cuisine is the philosophy that has driven thechange in how Swedes view the quality and uniqueness of their kitchen. Sweden markets thisvigorously to the outside world, in the hope of attracting tourists and investors, but also toincrease the export of its food and drink. The effects that these industries have on Sweden'seconomy cannot be underestimated. By creating memorable and unique meal experiences forthe visiting meal tourists, Sweden differs from other destinations. Attracting foreign investorsand international companies is no easy task, as there is already a picture of Swedishgastronomy in other countries. Changing perceptions takes time and requires awell-developed strategy. In order to obtain primary data, several people with expertise ingastronomy, cultural anthropology and marketing have been interviewed in this study. Manyof these people represent various organizations and institutions that market Swedishgastronomy and meal tourism. The theory formation in this study touches on the topics ofstorytelling, nation branding and profiling. This study explains what the Swedish mealculture is, what the brand looks like and how Sweden markets it. The conclusion is that theSwedes have been too withdrawn to market their meal culture and food and beverageproduction. However, it seems to be about to change and Swedish cuisine is gaining morerecognition around the world. There is a great potential that is untapped. / Denna kandidatuppsats innehåller en kvalitativ studie av hur Sverige marknadsför singastronomiska kultur internationellt genom nation branding. Studien har genomförts genomen deduktiv forskningsansats. Genom nation branding har Sverige blivit den nya, lillastjärnan på gastronomiska världsscenen. Sverige marknadsför genom att använda storytellingdär viktiga aktörer söker visa upp en idyllisk bild av ett pittoreskt Sverige som destination.Profilen, som handlar om begrepp som hälsosam, fräscht, etiskt och hållbart strävar efter attmåla en bild som handlar om natur, hållbarhet, miljö, kvalitet på livsmedelsingredienser ochom dess världskända innovativa kockar. Sverige har sedan millennieskiftet genomgått en storförändring. Svenskar har lämnat en del av sitt externa perspektiv, och börjat titta mer inåt föratt få inspiration. Det nya nordiska köket är den filosofi som har drivit förändringen av hursvenskar ser på kvaliteten och det unika i sitt kök. Sverige marknadsför detta kraftfullt tillomvärlden, i hopp om att locka turister och investerare, men också för att öka exporten av sinmat och dryck. Effekterna som dessa branscher har på Sveriges ekonomi kan inteunderskattas. Genom att skapa minnesvärda och unika måltidsupplevelser för de besökandemåltidsturisterna skiljer sig Sverige från andra resmål. Att attrahera utländska investerare ochinternationella företag är ingen lätt uppgift, eftersom det redan finns en bild i andra länder avsvensk gastronomi. Att förändra uppfattningen tar tid och kräver en välutvecklad strategi. Isyfte att skaffa primärdata har flera personer med expertis inom gastronomi,kulturantropologi och marknadsföring, intervjuats i denna studie. Många av dessa personerrepresenterar olika organisationer och institutioner som marknadsför svensk gastronomi ochmåltidsturism. Teoribildningen i denna studie berör ämnena storytelling, nation branding ochprofilering. Denna studie förklarar vad den svenska måltidskulturen är, hur varumärket ser utoch hur Sverige marknadsför den. Slutsatsen är att svenskarna har varit alltför tillbakadragnaför att marknadsföra sin måltidskultur och mat- och dryckesproduktion. Det verkar dock varapå väg att förändras och det svenska köket får mer erkännande runt om i världen. Det finns enstor potential som är outnyttjad.

The AEgIS experiment pursues the ambitious goal of measuring for the first time the gravitational pull on neutral antimatter. The envisioned method consists in producing a beam of cold anti-hydrogen and measuring the deflection of its free fall by means of a Moiré deflectometer. To do so the pulsed production of abundant cold anti-hydrogen is paramount, therefore the charge exchange production mechanism has been elected as the most promising candidate production method. Performing the charge exchange anti-hydrogen production requires access to an abundant source of cold positronium which can be achieved by the employment of oxide-coated nanochanneled silica plates (NCPs). We spend chapter 1 formulating a classical model of positronium production and thermalisation in NCPs and validating it by testing it against the available experimental data. In chapter 2 we describe the measurement of the energy spectrum of positronium produced by nanochanneled plates using the beam produced by the SURF machine. We then compare the measured energy spectra with the model proposed in chapter 1 showing, in the comparison, the indication of a transition during thermalisation process to a regime where quantum phenomena become significant. We describe in detail in chapter 3 several positronium spectroscopy measurements that we performed during the course of the last three years by employing the positron beam line of the experiment AEgIS. We will the proceed to illustrate an improved version of the detrending technique commonly employed in signal analysis which, applied to the analysis of SSPALS spectra, improves the achievable precision on the experimental results. In chapter 4 we describe an innovative approach that we are currently pursuing to employ the detector FACT, part of the AEgIS apparatus, to confirm the successful production of anti-hydrogen.

The thesis is composed by three sections, each devoted to the study of a specific problem in the setting of PI spaces. The problem analyzed are: a C^m Lusin approximation result for horizontal curves in the Heisenberg group, a limit result in the spirit of Burgain-Brezis-Mironescu for Orlicz-Sobolev spaces in Carnot groups and the differentiability of Lipschitz functions in Laakso spaces.

Carbon mat thermoplastics (CMT) consisting of 12.7 mm or 25.4 mm long, 7.2 micrometer diameter, chopped carbon fibers in a polypropylene (PP) or poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) thermoplastic matrix were manufactured using the wetlay technique. This produces a porous mat with the carbon fibers well dispersed and randomly oriented in a plane. CMT composites offer substantial cost and weight savings over typical steel construction in new automotive applications. In production vehicles, automotive manufacturers have already begun to use glass mat thermoplastic (GMT) materials that use glass fiber as the reinforcement and polypropylene as the matrix. GMT parts have limitations due to the maximum achievable strength and stiffness of the material. In this study the glass fibers of traditional GMT are replaced with higher strength and higher stiffness carbon fibers. The tensile strength and modulus and the flexural strength and modulus of the CMT materials were calculated for fiber volume fractions of 10-25%. Additionally, the length of the fiber (12.7 mm or 25.4 mm) was varied and four different fiber treatments designed to improve the bond between the fiber and the matrix were tested. It was found that the fiber length had no effect on the mechanical properties of the material since these lengths are above the critical fiber length. The tensile and the flexural moduli of the CMTs were found to increase linearly with the FVF up to 25% FVF for some treatments of the fibers. For the other treatments the linearly increasing trend was valid up to 20% FVF, then stiffness either stayed constant or decreased as the FVF was increased from 20% to 25% . The strength versus FVF curves showed trends similar to those of the modulus versus FVF curves. It is shown that choosing an appropriate sizing can extend the usable FVF range of the CMT by at least 5%. Published micromechanical relations over-predicted the tensile modulus of the composite by 20-60%. An empirical fiber efficiency relation was fit to the experimental data for the tensile modulus and the tensile strength giving excellent agreement with the experimental results. Flow tests simulating the compression molding process were conducted on the CMT to determine what factors affect the flow viscosity of the CMT. The melt viscosity of the neat PP was measured using cone and plate rheometry at temperatures between 180°C–210°C and was fit with the Carreau relation. The through thickness packing stress of the CMT mat was measured for FVFs of 8-40% and was found to follow a power law behavior based on the local bending of fibers up to a FVF of 20.9%. Above this FVF the power law exponent decreases, and this is attributed to fracture of some of the fibers. Heated platens were used to isothermally squeeze the CMT at axial strain rates of 0.02-6 s^-1. The plot of the load-displacement behavior for the 10% FVF CMT was similar in shape to that for a fluid with a yield stress. For FVFs of 15-25% the load-displacement curves showed a load spike at the beginning of the flow, then followed the curve for a fluid with a yield stress. The matrix was burned off the squeezed samples, and the remaining carbon mat was dissected and visually inspected. It was found that fiber breakage increased and fiber length decreased as the FVF of the sample was increased. / Ph. D.

The problem this study addresses is the relationship among the constructs content knowledge, beliefs, and previous experiences of prospective elementary teachers. The 36 participants in the study, 35 females and one male, were recent graduates from a five-year Elementary Education licensure program at a major university located in the Mid-Atlantic region. A correlational research design was used to investigate the relationships that might exist among the three constructs using Praxis I Pre-professional Math test scores, Beliefs Survey scores, and Previous Mathematics Experience Questionnaire [PMEQ] scores. Scores from the Praxis I Pre-professional Math test were self-reported and verified by the Licensure Coordinator in the Center for Teacher Education [CTE]. Scores for the Beliefs Survey and Previous Mathematics Experience Questionnaire [PMEQ] were collected from the survey and questionnaire completed by each participant and the data were analyzed using SPSS software. A frequency distribution was constructed for the Praxis I Math Test scores, the Beliefs Survey scores, and the PMEQ scores. A Pearson correlation was constructed to analyze the relationship among the following variables: Praxis I Math Test, beliefs, and previous mathematics experiences (feelings, teaching tools, and quantity of math courses taken). An alpha level of .05 was used for all statistical tests. A significant positive correlation was found to exist between Praxis I Math Test scores and feelings about mathematics using a two-tailed test indicating that prospective elementary math teachers who have higher Praxis I math test scores tend to report having more positive feelings about mathematics. A significant negative correlation was found to exist between beliefs and teaching tools using a two-tailed test. This indicates a tendency by prospective teachers to favor more relational beliefs when their previous experiences included the use of a wide variety of teaching tools. The prospective teachers' responses to the essay question and interview questions support their stated beliefs about the importance of teachers emphasizing relational understanding. On their essay responses, all 36 participants indicated a desire to provide a relational oriented learning-environment in their future classrooms. The findings in the study support the notion that the prospective teachers in this group with stronger content knowledge tended to report more positive feelings about mathematics. They also tended to favor a relational teaching/learning environment if they had experiences using a wide variety of teaching tools. No significant correlation was found to exist between any of the other variables that were tested. / Ph. D.