Human olfaction is significantly linked to memory, emotion, and learning. As the global population ages, subsequent physical and cognitive decline substantiates a need for more accessible technologies that improve quality of life for older adults. Olfactory disfunction, known to increase with age, is indicative of depression and loneliness, afflictions already prevalent among older communities. Reminiscence therapy presents a unique opportunity to combat loneliness utilizing olfactory cues. Calling on theories of embodied and tangible interaction, this thesis proposes the design of an olfactory radio, leveraging the strong connection between smell and memory to prompt reminiscence while reducing loneliness through the exchange of ‘scent-stories’. Results of the study highlight the potential of olfactory interaction to create meaningful, embodied experiences for older adults while promoting social connection. The paper concludes with a call for more multimodal and tangible approaches to human-computer interaction that better address the bodies for whom we design.

Human capability to recall episodic memories depends on how much time has passed since the memory was encoded. This dependency is described by a memory retrieval curve that reflects an interesting phenomenon referred to as a reminiscence bump - a tendency for older people to recall more memories formed during their young adulthood than in other periods of life. This phenomenon can be modelled with an attractor neural network, for example, the firing-rate Bayesian Confidence Propagation Neural Network (BCPNN) with incremental learning. In this work, the mechanisms underlying the reminiscence bump in the neural network model are systematically studied. The effects of synaptic plasticity, network architecture and other relevant parameters on the characteristics of the reminiscence bump are systematically investigated. The most influential factors turn out to be the magnitude of dopamine-linked plasticity at birth and the time constant of exponential plasticity decay with age that set the position of the bump. The other parameters mainly influence the general amplitude of the lifespan retrieval curve. Furthermore, the recency phenomenon, i.e. the tendency to remember the most recent memories, can also be parameterized by adding a constant to the exponentially decaying plasticity function representing the decrease in the level of dopamine neurotransmitters. / Människans förmåga att återkalla episodiska minnen beror på hur lång tid som gått sedan minnena inkodades. Detta beroende beskrivs av en sk glömskekurva vilken uppvisar ett intressant fenomen som kallas ”reminiscence bump”. Detta är en tendens hos äldre att återkalla fler minnen från ungdoms- och tidiga vuxenår än från andra perioder i livet. Detta fenomen kan modelleras med ett neuralt nätverk, sk attraktornät, t ex ett icke spikande Bayesian Confidence Propagation Neural Network (BCPNN) med inkrementell inlärning. I detta arbete studeras systematiskt mekanismerna bakom ”reminiscence bump” med hjälp av denna neuronnätsmodell. Exempelvis belyses betydelsen av synaptisk plasticitet, nätverksarkitektur och andra relavanta parameterar för uppkomsten av och karaktären hos detta fenomen. De mest inflytelserika faktorerna för bumpens position befanns var initial dopaminberoende plasticitet vid födseln samt tidskonstanten för plasticitetens avtagande med åldern. De andra parametrarna påverkade huvudsakligen den generella amplituden hos kurvan för ihågkomst under livet. Dessutom kan den s k nysseffekten (”recency effect”), dvs tendensen att bäst komma ihåg saker som hänt nyligen, också parametriseras av en konstant adderad till den annars exponentiellt avtagande plasticiteten, som kan representera densiteten av dopaminreceptorer.

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Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-10T11:07:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PAULO MORAIS DE OLIVEIRA.pdf: 1266403 bytes, checksum: 01eea97e123846e71dd70d541f62f60c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-14 / This research undertakes bibliographical analysis of the work of each of the useless, Mário Peixoto, focusing their status as art making his literary and artistic aspects. This happens from the ironic game of idle word that the human existential point of view, this compendium is weak in resisting the psychic and physical changes imposed by time; that, for art, constitute fertile ground for the realization of the product in without his suscitação is the result of a purpose. Here, the useless is observed the possible significance understanding that the literary character is marked by fluidity that tends to unusual shafts dictated by memories. The puzzling why so excellent production still remain unscathed, the marginal situation of Peixoto and, more strongly, interest in exploring the reminiscences in literature were attractive preponderant for this study. The text is organized into three chapters being the first situante the work in his transcendent condition, addressing aspects of the baseline useless each in their carrier status of relevant artistic character. Thus, they are knitted having comentos analytical parameter by modern criticism. Based on the concept of rhizome proposed by Giles Deleuze and Felix Guattari in A Thousand Plateaus, in the second chapter, the work is analyzed from the point of view of it, the constitution of the plot, distorts sharply by default not show linear narrative sequence can be read at random. The third chapter is themed looks and voices in the sea of Peixoto observed beginning at Orlando like a character whose constitution takes jutting inside; where what matters is emphatically the "useless" - crossed voices and preserved the added hearings and reiterations of happened and feelings translated into literary language. Also, the recollections made in images, words in presenting the unspeakable. / Esta pesquisa empreende análise bibliográfica da obra O inútil de cada um, de Mário Peixoto, focando sua condição de arte em feitura e seus aspectos artísticos literários. Isso se dá a partir do jogo irônico da palavra inútil que, do ponto de vista existencial-humano, neste compêndio, representa fragilidade em resistir as alterações psíquicas e físicas impostas pelo tempo; que, para a arte, constituem campo fértil para a realização do ser no produto sem que sua suscitação seja fruto de uma finalidade. Aqui, o inútil é observado pelas significâncias possíveis, entendendo que o personagem é marcado pela fluidez que tende seguir os caminhos ditados pelas lembranças. O intrigante porquê de tão excelente produção ainda manter-se incólume, a situação marginal de Peixoto e, mais fortemente, o interesse por explorar as reminiscências na produção literária foram atrativos preponderantes para realização deste estudo. O texto está organizado em três capítulos, sendo o primeiro situante da obra em sua condição de transcendência, abordando aspectos basais de O inútil de cada um em sua condição de portador de relevante caráter artístico. Dessa forma, são tecidos comentos analíticos tendo por parâmetro a crítica contemporânea. Com base na concepção de rizoma proposta por Giles Deleuze e Felix Guattari em Mil Platôs, no segundo capítulo, a obra é analisada a partir do ponto de vista de que ela, na constituição do enredo, desvirtua acentuadamente do padrão, por não apresentar sequência narrativa linear, podendo ser lido de forma aleatória. O terceiro capítulo tem como tema os olhares e vozes no mar de Peixoto, principiando por constatar Orlando como um personagem cuja constituição se dá sobressaindo seu interior; que é o inútil vozes cruzadas e preservadas das somadas audições e reiterações dos acontecidos e sensações traduzidos em linguagem literária. Também, as rememorações tornadas em palavras-imagens na apresentação do indizível.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

本研究以幸福感作為成功老化的指標，試圖探究高齡者本身的感恩性情及正向回憶形式對其幸福感的影響。 研究一採「個別差異」的觀點，研究者認為相較於一些隨著老化而改變的生活狀況變項（如，身體健康、日常生活功能、經濟狀況、社交活動等因素），高齡者本身的感恩性情及正向回憶形式應更能影響其自評幸福的程度。研究者主要以調查法的方式，對355名55歲以上的高齡者進行團體或個別形式的量表施測。研究結果顯示，感恩性情及正向回憶形式的確與幸福感有密切的關聯，即使在控制基本人口及生活狀況變項的影響後，感恩性情及正向回憶形式仍有助於提升個體的幸福感（其可增加的預測變異量介於6.0%~9.6%）。研究一也將幸福感的三個成分（生活滿意度、正向情緒及負向情緒）分別做為依變項，進一步探討可能的中介模式，結果發現：（1）「正向回憶形式」能完全中介感恩性情對正、負向情緒的影響，但僅能部分中介感恩性情對生活滿意度的影響。而（2）「感恩情緒」則能完全中介感恩性情對正向情緒的影響，但僅能部分中介感恩性情對生活滿意度的影響，卻完全無法中介感恩性情對負向情緒的影響。此外，正向回憶形式與感恩情緒兩中介變項各有其獨特的中介效果，無法相互取代。 研究二則採取實驗法的方式進行，用以檢視感恩情緒與幸福感的因果關係。受試者為75名參與終身學習的高齡者，研究者嘗試以不同感恩情緒的激發方式，來設計適合於高齡者的幸福感提升方案。有些高齡者被要求聚焦在現在生活中的感恩經驗（日常感恩組），有些則是寫出過去生命裡的感恩事件（人生感恩組），研究者認為當高齡者在回憶書寫這些感恩經驗時，可再經驗及品嚐感恩情緒。另有兩組高齡者則分別被要求書寫現在生活中的重要事件（日常要事組）或僅單純回答問卷、不進行其他書寫（無操弄控制組）來做為對照組。研究者對這些不同組別，分別進行分析，探討這些不同操弄對高齡者幸福感是否有提升的作用。研究結果顯示，經過七週的書寫後，相較於「無操弄控制組」，「日常感恩組」在正向情緒上有提升的現象，但在生活滿意度及負向情緒則未出現明顯差異。進一步分析顯示，幸福感中正向情緒的提升效果完全透過感恩情緒連動正向情緒而得。然而該效果頗為短暫，在研究結束後於一個月所做的追蹤調查就發現該效果已然消失。研究結果也顯示，「人生感恩組」並未能提升幸福感，其可能的原因或許是因為過去人生的感恩經驗已經太過遙遠，因此無法讓高齡者真正再次經驗到感恩情緒，所以也無法有效地提升個體的幸福感。另外，研究者也發現了一個頗為有趣的結果，就是「日常要事組」造成的影響與「日常感恩組」相似，研究者認為之所以會出現這樣的結果，主要是因為「日常要事組」的受試者其所書寫的「要事」多半為正向事件，因此提高了其幸福的感受。 綜合上述兩個研究的結果，研究者認為，感恩及正向回憶形式對高齡者是否能有較佳的幸福感確實有一定程度的影響，且若能引導高齡者多注意其日常生活中值得感恩的事情或是正向事件，將能使其感受到更多的正向情緒，也有助於幸福感的提升。換言之，即使到了老年階段，只要用對了方法，要擁有幸福快樂的銀髮生涯其實並不難！ / This research, adopting positive emotion, negative emotion, and life satisfaction as the criteria of subjective well-being, tried to examine the effects of grateful disposition and the positive type of reminiscence on successful aging. In study1, the researcher proposed that grateful disposition and the positive type of reminiscence, among other life situation variables which changed with age (e.g., health condition, functions of daily life, economic status, and social activities), could predict the well-being of the elderly. Three hundred and thirty five participants who are over the age of 55 were surveyed in groups or individually. The results were as predicted, grateful disposition and the positive type of reminiscence could predict the well-being of the elderly, even after controlling for some basic life situation variables, they still could explain 6.0% and 9.6% of variance respectively. The mediation effects were also examined and results indicated that, (1) "the positive type of reminiscence” could completely mediate the effects of grateful disposition on positive and negative emotion, but only partially mediated the effects of grateful disposition on life satisfaction; (2) “grateful emotion” completely mediated the effect of grateful disposition on positive emotion, and partially mediated the effect of grateful disposition on life satisfaction, but did not mediate the effect of grateful disposition on negative emotion. Furthermore, these two mediator variables, the positive type of reminiscence and grateful emotion, had its own specific mediating effect, and could not replace each other. In Study 2, an experiment was conducted to examine the causal relationship between grateful emotion and well-being of the elderly. Seventy five elders who actively participated in life-long education classes were recruited. They were assigned to one of four different experimental conditions and received different instructions. The first condition was called the daily gratitude condition and participants were told to write down the grateful experience from their current daily lives. The second condition was called the life gratitude condition and participants were asked to recall the grateful events from their past. Participants in the third condition were told to write down their daily important events. In the last condition, which is also the control condition, participants were asked to fill up questionnaires only. The results indicated that, after seven weeks of writing, the elderly in the daily gratitude condition had significant more positive emotion than those who in the control condition. However, the effect was quite short-lived and it disappeared one month later after the writing manipulation. The results also indicated that writing down grateful events from the past did not enhance the subjective well-being, the elderly in the condition showed neither significantly higher positive emotion nor higher life satisfaction than those who in the control condition. It might be because these events were too far away to elicit the present emotion and feeling effectively. In addition, the result also revealed an interesting finding about the daily important events group. The elderly in this condition showed same degree of positive emotion and well-being as those who in the daily gratitude condition. It might be due to the fact that the elders who were asked to write down important daily events did record more positive events than negative events. In summary, it can be concluded that, gratitude and the positive type of reminiscence did have impact on the well-being of the elderly. We can successfully promote the elders’ well-being by leading them to savor their daily grateful events. We believe, even stepping into elderhood, people are still capable of pursuing their own well-being and can live a good life, if only they choose the right way!

Submitted by Cristhiane Guerra (cristhiane.guerra@gmail.com) on 2016-08-02T15:37:29Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 4741735 bytes, checksum: 1f38d537f634c6aff1a89ae7ed9c6907 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-02T15:37:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 4741735 bytes, checksum: 1f38d537f634c6aff1a89ae7ed9c6907 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-15 / This paper investigated the career and contributions of the educator, archivist and writer Clemilde Torres Pereira da Silva to the memory-institutions of Paraíba. This is the unveiling of the narratives and the stories remembered and resignified by the educator about her performance in the context of memory-institutions of Paraíba. To this end, we investigated her career paths from 1942, a period starting with the beginning of her studies in the city of Bananeiras (PB), through 2013, in which she was working as Director of Afonso Pereira Archive, founded by herself in 1998, in the city of João Pessoa (PB). Categorized in the field of theoretical and methodological approach of the New Cultural History and guided by the premises of Oral History, this study aimed to unveil, through thematic interviews, the reminiscences of Clemilde Torres about her family origins, her education and her early works as an archivist. Here we described the engagement of the educator as archivist in the spaces in which she worked and the consolidation of her professional career in the memory-institutions of Paraiba, especially Afonso Pereira da Silva Archive. The study revealed that the educator performed a contributive educative action to society and to education, as she produced and made available information through documents of different ages. Finally, we highlighted her contribution as a writer of historical narratives that facilitate the reconstruction of the past, shedding light to the educational practice of Clemilde Pereira in memory preservation spaces. / Este estudo investigou a trajetória profissional e as contribuições da educadora, arquivista e escritora Clemilde Torres Pereira da Silva às instituições-memória da Paraíba. Trata-se do desvelamento das narrativas, das histórias lembradas e ressignificadas pela educadora sobre sua atuação no âmbito das instituições-memória da Paraíba. Para tanto, foram investigados seus percursos profissionais construídos entre 1942, período que compreende o início de sua formação profissional realizada na cidade de Bananeiras (PB), até o ano de 2013, período em que permanecia atuando como diretora do Arquivo Afonso Pereira, fundado pela educadora em 1998, na cidade de João Pessoa (PB). Inscrito no campo da abordagem teórico-metodológica da Nova História Cultural e guiado pelas premissas da História Oral, este trabalho, buscou desvelar, por meio de entrevistas temáticas, as reminiscências de Clemilde Pereira sobre sua origem familiar, sua formação inicial e seus primeiros trabalhos da atuação como arquivista. Nele, foi descrito o engajamento da educadora como arquivista nos espaços em que atuou e a consolidação da trajetória profissional nas instituições-memória da Paraíba, sobretudo no Arquivo Afonso Pereira da Silva. O estudo revelou que a educadora desempenhou uma ação educativa contributiva à sociedade e à educação ao desempenhar um trabalho de produção e de disponibilização da informação através de documentos épocas distintas. Por fim, foram evidenciadas suas contribuições como escritora de narrativas históricas que favorecem a reconstrução do passado, ensejando luz à prática educativa de Clemilde Pereira nos espaços de preservação da memória. Palavras-chave:

Submitted by JÚLIO HEBER SILVA (julioheber@yahoo.com.br) on 2017-05-05T18:28:41Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Alexandre Berndt - 2017.pdf: 8776827 bytes, checksum: 84620ac9e8e5215641a51c3dbe7b2731 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-05-08T15:57:20Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Alexandre Berndt - 2017.pdf: 8776827 bytes, checksum: 84620ac9e8e5215641a51c3dbe7b2731 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-08T15:57:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Alexandre Berndt - 2017.pdf: 8776827 bytes, checksum: 84620ac9e8e5215641a51c3dbe7b2731 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-04-05 / Outro / The use of gamification as a motivation, engagement, and interaction technique for mobile applications has become popular, boosted by smartphones and the ability of these devices to deliver compelling game designs. In the context of health, the use of gamification elements has contributed to the motivation and engagement to medical treatments and to the change of habits and well-being of patients of all ages. The elderly are a growing portion of the population and age-related diseases are becoming common, among them are dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease. When the patient is elderly, extra difficulties can be added to motivation and to medical treatments supported by computerized tools. However, identifying the minimum gaming elements needed and the time spent to develop these applications restrict their production. This work proposes an architecture of components for the development of mobile applications to support reminiscence therapy of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, aiding in the motivation and engagement to the therapeutic process, amplifying the positive effects caused by reminiscence therapy, leading to a well-being feeling and to retarding the symptoms caused by Alzheimer’s disease. We have identified seventeen elements of gamification integrated to the architecture defined and implemented. Two application prototypes Were developed to exemplify and validate the gamification architecture proposal. / O uso da gamificação como técnica de motivação, engajamento e interação de aplicações móveis tem se tornado popular, impulsionado pelos smartphones e a capacidade destes dispositivos oferecerem designs de jogos atraentes. No contexto da saúde o uso de elementos de gamificação tem contribuído na motivação e engajamento aos tratamentos médicos e à mudança de hábitos e bem-estar dos pacientes de todas as idades. Quando o paciente a ser assistido é idoso, dificuldades extras podem ser acrescidas à motivação e engajamento a tratamentos médicos. A gamificação contribui para tornar mais atrativo apicativos computacionais de apoio terapêutico. No entanto, identificar os elementos de jogos mínimos necessários e o tempo despendido para desenvolver estes aplicativos, restringem a sua produção. Este trabalho propõe uma arquitetura de componentes, para desenvolvimento de aplicações móveis gamificadas de apoio à reminiscência de pacientes com a doença de Alzheimer, auxiliando na adesão ao processo terapêutico, ampliando os efeitos positivos provocados pela terapia de reminiscência, ligados à sensação de bemestar e no retardo dos sintomas provocados pela doença de Alzheimer. Foram identificados dezesete componentes de gamificação integram a arquitetura definida e implementada. Dois protótipos de aplicativos foram desenvolvidos para exemplificar e validar a proposta de arquitetura de gamificação.

Det västerländska samhället genomsyras av ålderistiska föreställningar som påverkar hur äldre bemöts inom den psykoterapeutiska vården. Ett tydligt exempel på när starka åldersnormer kommer i bruk är i relation till äldres sexualitet och intima relationer. Syftet med den här studien är att ge en översiktlig bild av hur sexualitetsrelaterade frågor behandlats i tidigare forskning kring reminiscensmetoder med äldre. Resultatet tolkas utifrån ett socialkonstruktivistiskt perspektiv med inspiration av Foucault. Materialet visar att forskningen inom området främst intresserar sig för sexuella minoritetsgruppers erfarenheter. Vidare lyfts utvecklandet av resilienta egenskaper hos målgruppen och vikten av att ta ålderkohorters särskilda erfarenheter i beaktande. Utöver detta diskuteras värdet av att professionella anammar ett kritiskt förhållningssätt till sin egen roll. För att undvika att äldre individers livsberättelser tolkas baserat på oreflekterade normativa uppfattningar efterlyses det i materialet mer forskning och kunskap på området. En central paradox som materialet visar är risken för att stereotypa föreställningar om ålderdom och äldres sexualitet reproduceras genom att problematiken åskådliggörs. Slutsatsen är dock att det är nödvändigt att bygga vidare på denna forskning för att ge professionella verktyg till att börja ifrågasätta vissa idéer som är knutna till åldersnormer - hos klienter såväl som hos sig själva. / Ageist assumptions pervade the Western society of today and affect the way older people are treated in psychotherapeutic care. One clear example of when powerful age-related norms come into play is in regard to sexuality and the intimate relationships of older people. The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of how sexuality-related issues have been addressed in previous research on reminiscence methods with older people. The results are interpreted from a social constructivist perspective, inspired by the ideas of Foucault. The material shows that research in this field mainly explores the experiences of sexual minority groups. The study also illustrates the development of resilient characteristics in the target group and the importance of taking specific experience of different age cohorts into account. In addition, the value of professionals adopting a critical approach to their own role is discussed. In order to avoid older people's life stories being interpreted based on unchallenged normative perceptions, the material calls for more research and knowledge in the field. A central paradox that the material illustrates is the risk that stereotypical notions of old age and sexuality of older people are reproduced by illuminating the problem. The conclusion is, however, that it is necessary to build on this research to provide professionals with adequate tools, so that they learn to question certain ideas that are linked to age-related norms - those of clients as well as their own views.

Understanding the brain and its functions is achallenging undertaking. To facilitate this work, brain-inspiredtechnology may be used to examine cognitive phenomena to acertain extent, by replacing real biological brains with simulations.The aim of this project was to provide insights intohow different kinds of plasticity modulation affected long-termmemory recall through the use of a computational model. Aneural network was constructed based on the existing BayesianConfidence Propagation Neural Network (BCPNN) model andtrained with binary patterns representing memories acquiredover a lifetime. By varying network plasticity parameters forselected patterns and performing recall of “aging” memories,greater effects were observed in recall statistics for modulationearly in the lifetime in comparison with modulation of later ages.From the experiments conducted in this study it was possible toconclude that selective modulation of learning affected the longtermrecall of all memories in the simulation. / Att förstå hjärnan och alla dess funktionerär en stor utmaning. För att underlätta detta arbete kanhjärninspirerad teknologi i viss utsträckning användas för attstudera kognitiva fenomen, genom att ersätta biologiska hjärnormed simuleringar. Syftet med denna studie var att ge en insikt ihur olika typer av modulering av synaptisk plasticitet påverkadeett simulerat biologiskt långtidsminne genom användning av endatoriserad modell. Ett neuralt nätverk implementerat med eninlärningsregel av typen Bayesian Confidence Propagation NeuralNetwork (BCPNN) konstruerades och användes för att träna och återkalla binära mönster, representerande minnen förvärvadeunder en livstid. Nätverkets synaptiska plasticitet varierades underträning av utvalda mönster och därefter utfördes återkallningav “åldrade” minnen. Testerna påvisade effekt på nätverketsförmåga att korrekt återkalla lagrade minnen. Det visade sigäven att modulering utförd på tidiga simulerade åldrar jämförtmed modulering av senare åldrar under livstiden hade störrepåverkan på långtidsminnet. Från resultaten var det möjligtatt konstatera att selektiv plasticitetsmodulering under inlärningpåverkade nätverkets förmåga att korrekt återkalla samtligabinära mönster i simuleringen. / Kandidatexjobb i elektroteknik 2021, KTH, Stockholm