Alterations in the dopaminergic system have been implicated in both animal and human obesity. However, to date, a comprehensive model on the nature and functional relevance of this relationship is missing. In particular, human data remain equivocal in that seemingly inconsistent reports exist of positive, negative or even no relationships between dopamine D2/D3 receptor availability in the striatum and measures of obesity. Further, data on receptor availability have been commonly interpreted as reflecting receptor density, despite the possibility of an alternative interpretation, namely alterations in the basal levels of endogenous dopaminergic tone. Here, we provide a unifying framework that is able to explain the seemingly contradictory findings and offer an alternative and novel perspective on existing data. In particular, we suggest (i) a quadratic relationship between alterations in the dopaminergic system and degree of obesity, and (ii) that the observed alterations are driven by shifts in the balance between general dopaminergic tone and phasic dopaminergic signalling. The proposed model consistently integrates human data on molecular and behavioural characteristics of overweight and obesity. Further, the model provides a mechanistic framework accounting not only for the consistent observation of altered (food) reward–responsivity but also for the differences in reinforcement learning, decision-making behaviour and cognitive performance associated with measures of obesity.

Generering av el med hjälp av solen står idag för en väldigt liten andel av Sveriges totala genereringav el. För att komma upp till en högre nivå krävs inte enorma solcellsparker över hela Sverige, utan tvärtom skulle det kunna gå att använda redan befintliga tak. Det förhållandet är bara ett av flera som påvisar behovet av större kunskapsspridning om dagens energisystem och solcellsteknik. Det finns också ett behov av ökad kunskap om karaktäristiska svenska hus- och taktyper och om vad som är möjligt att göra med varierande slag av solcellsteknik, för att konvertera de olika hustypernas tak till en liten energikälla. Ren solenergi kan inte ensam konkurrera ut fossila bränslen, men det finns god potential för en mycket högre andel av den än vad som är installerat idag. Wallenstam AB är ett energimedvetet fastighetsbolag som bland annat är verksamma i Göteborg. Deras intresse av förnybar energi och av att ersätta fossilt bränsle med mer miljövänlig teknik gav upphov till ett samarbete mellan författaren och Wallenstam AB. Arbetets första del syftar till att inbringa mer och fördjupad kunskap inom ämnet solceller och solcellsanläggningar. Syftet med arbetets andra del är att undersöka vilka möjligheter och hinder det finns med solcellsinstallationer på några olika typiska svenska fastighetstyper. En projektering genomförs på tre olika fastighetstyper i Göteborgsområdet; en industri/kontorslokal, ett modernt flerbostadshus och en fastighet i centrala Göteborg med både bostäder och kommersiell verksamhet. Målet är att utifrån varje fastighets förutsättningar finna den eller de mest lämpade solcellspanelerna för respektive fastighet med avseende på ekonomisk fördelaktighet, estetik samt i vad som är tekniskt möjligt utifrån exempelvis tidigare installerade energisystem. Rapporten och dess resultat är skapat utifrån litteraturstudier, platsbesök på fastigheter, mätningar på ritningar och satellitkartor, beräkningar för hand, samt modellering i PVsyst. Fortlöpande diskussion med personer inom solenergibranschen har också hållits. För att beräkna respektive anläggnings elproduktionskostnad samt för känslighetsanalyser används en webbaserad beräkningsapplikation, tillhörande rapporten El från nya och framtida anläggningar 2014. Huvudresultat är att endast två av de tekniskt möjliga anläggningarna har en elproduktionskostnad som är i närheten av det jämförande elpriset på 0,75 kr/kWh. Det är de polykristallina solcellsanläggningarna på Kvillebäcken 3:1 och Mölnlycke 1:1. Beräkningarna visar på att anläggningarna med polykristallina solcellspaneler på Kvillebäcken 3:1 och Mölnlycke Fabriker 1:1 är riktigt konkurrenskraftiga om kalkylräntan sänks från 4 % till 2 %, eller om investeringskostnaderna minskar med 15 %. På fastigheten Inom Vallgraven 26:8 ligger samtliga elproduktionskostnader över en krona per kilowattimme, men installation av solcellsteknik på en sådan central byggnad skulle kunna ha ett marknadsföringsvärde. / Generation of electricity by use of solar irradiation is today a very small part of the total electricity generation in Sweden. It is not necessary to build a great amount of solar parks all over Sweden to reach a higher level, it could instead be possible by using already existing rooftops. That is one of the situations that indicates the need of a greater knowledge dissemination, about today’s energysystem and the technology of photovoltaics. It also exists a demand of knowledge about characteristic Swedish houses and rooftops. To convert the different kinds of rooftops to small powersources, there is also a demand of knowledge about installations that is possible to do with different kinds of photovoltaics. Although, solar power alone cannot compete with fossil fuels, but it should have a good possibility to reach a much higher level than what exists today. Wallenstam AB is anenergy-conscious company within the real estate business in Gothenburg. Their interests in renewable energy and their ambition to replace fossil fuel with more environment-friendly technology facilitated this cooperation.The first part of the report aims to get more and deeper knowledge about the subject photovoltaics and solar plants. The second part of the report aims to investigate what possibilities and impediments there is with photovoltaic installations at different kinds of typical Swedish houses. A planning work is made at three different types of buildings in the area of Gothenburg. One at an industry/office space, one at a modern apartment block and one at a central building in Gothenburg that has both apartments and commercialized activity. The goal is to find the most suitable photovoltaic installation to each of the three buildings, based on economic advantageousness, appearance and esthetic, and the possibilities with the technology of earlier installed energy systems.The report and the result are formed on the basis of literature studies, site visits at the buildings, measurements at drawings and satellite maps, calculations by hand and modelling in the software PVsyst. Many discussions with people in the solar energy industry were also held. To calculate the Levelized Cost Of Energy (LCOE) and to perform the sensitivity analysis, a web-based calculator was used. The web-based calculator belongs to the report El från nya och framtida anläggningar 2014. The main result shows that only two of the possible photovoltaic installations gets a LCOE that is competitive relative the comparative electricity price at 0,75 SEK/kWh. Installations with polycrystalline solar panels at Kvillebäcken 3:1 and Mölnlycke 1:1. The result also shows that the two installations with polycrystalline solar panels at Kvillebäcken 3:1 and Mölnlycke Fabriker is really competitive if the capital interest rate is reduced from 4 % to 2 %, or if the investment cost isreduced by 15 %. At the property Inom Vallgraven 26:8, the LCOE for all possible installations are over one Swedish krona per kilowatt hour, but an installation with solar panels at a central building like that could have a marketing value. It would also show Wallenstams standpoint for renewable energy, new technology and a sustainable energy system.

Current research suggests schools face many barriers in effectively monitoring student's response to behavioral interventions in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the FastBridge - Direct Behavior Rating (FastBridge-DBR), a brief, novel progress monitoring measure, designed to assess student behavioral change in response to a classroom behavioral intervention. Twenty-four elementary teacher-student dyads implemented a daily progress report intervention to promote positive student behavior during pre-specified classroom activities. FastBridge-DBR data were then collected for three target behaviors (i.e., Academic Engagement, Disruptive Behavior, Withdrawal) and compared to Systematic Direct Observation (SDO) data. Five change metrics (i.e., absolute change, percent of change from baseline, improvement rate difference, Tau-U, effect size; Gresham, 2005) were used to examine sensitivity to change. The Usage Rating Profile - Assessment (URP-A) was used to evaluate teacher acceptability of FastBridge-DBR. FastBridge-DBR scores were highly correlated with SDO data, demonstrating evidence of concurrent validity. FastBridge-DBR change metrics were significantly correlated with SDO change metrics. Additionally, while teachers provided high acceptability ratings for FastBridge-DBR, there was a lack of association between teachers' ratings of acceptability and student behavioral change. Implications for practice, study limitations, and areas of future research are discussed.

In cluster randomized trials (CRTs), groups of participants are randomized as opposed to individual participants. This design is often chosen to minimize treatment arm contamination or to enhance compliance among participants. In CRTs, we cannot assume independence among individuals within the same cluster because of their similarity, which leads to decreased statistical power compared to individually randomized trials. The intracluster correlation coefficient (ICC) is crucial in the design and analysis of CRTs, and measures the proportion of total variance due to clustering. Missing data is a common problem in CRTs and should be accommodated with appropriate statistical techniques because they can compromise the advantages created by randomization and are a potential source of bias. In three papers, I investigate statistical approaches for handling missing data in CRTs. In the first paper, I carry out a systematic review evaluating current practice of handling missing data in CRTs. The results show high rates of missing data in the majority of CRTs, yet handling of missing data remains suboptimal. Fourteen (16%) of the 86 reviewed trials reported carrying out a sensitivity analysis for missing data. Despite suggestions to weaken the missing data assumption from the primary analysis, only five of the trials weakened the assumption. None of the trials reported using missing not at random (MNAR) models. Due to the low proportion of CRTs reporting an appropriate sensitivity analysis for missing data, the second paper aims to facilitate performing a sensitivity analysis for missing data in CRTs by extending the pattern mixture approach for missing clustered data under the MNAR assumption. I implement multilevel multiple imputation (MI) in order to account for the hierarchical structure found in CRTs, and multiply imputed values by a sensitivity parameter, k, to examine parameters of interest under different missing data assumptions. The simulation results show that estimates of parameters of interest in CRTs can vary widely under different missing data assumptions. A high proportion of missing data can occur among CRTs because missing data can be found at the individual level as well as the cluster level. In the third paper, I use a simulation study to compare missing data strategies to handle missing cluster level covariates, including the linear mixed effects model, single imputation, single level MI ignoring clustering, MI incorporating clusters as fixed effects, and MI at the cluster level using aggregated data. The results show that when the ICC is small (ICC ≤ 0.1) and the proportion of missing data is low (≤ 25\%), the mixed model generates unbiased estimates of regression coefficients and ICC. When the ICC is higher (ICC > 0.1), MI at the cluster level using aggregated data performs well for missing cluster level covariates, though caution should be taken if the percentage of missing data is high.

This thesis evaluated a new speech rhythm measure, the Lexical Judgement Task (LJT), by conducting a series of cross-sectional studies. It was examined whether the LJT could be used with children from different age groups, whether associations between speech rhythm sensitivity, phonological awareness and reading skills could be observed and whether speech rhythm sensitivity could predict reading skills cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Study 1 piloted the LJT with 5- to 9-year-old children and assessed the relationship between poor and good readers‟ speech rhythm sensitivity and their reading skills. Analyses showed that poor readers performed lower on the task compared to good readers, indicating that reduced stress sensitivity was related to lower reading proficiency. Examination of the task indicated potential fatigue effects, thus the task was shortened, which resulted in a 12-item tasks that was used through the remainder of the studies. Children between 4- and 11-years old were assessed in three following studies and results showed differential associations between stress sensitivity and reading (related) skills; indicating an involvement of maturation in stress sensitivity‟s development but also highlighting that stress sensitivity is involved in reading skills differently across varying ages. The final study in this thesis examined the longitudinal effect of stress sensitivity on reading skills and it was found that stress sensitivity was not able to account for growth in reading skills, independently from vocabulary or phonological processing skills; although concurrently unique variance in reading skills was accountable to stress sensitivity. Overall, this thesis highlights the importance of stress sensitivity in children‟s reading development, offers supporting evidence for previously found associations between this skills and reading abilities and demonstrates the need to incorporate speech rhythm sensitivity in theoretical reading development models.

The following thesis presents the results of a mixed-design study (quasi-experimental and true experimental) testing an integrated model of human risk-taking behavior, defined statistically as a preference for variance in outcomes. The research presented examines the relationships among early-life environmental conditions (i.e., harshness and unpredictability), life-history strategy, and risk-taking behavior for primary resources under various "resource-budget" conditions consisting of deprivation and non-deprivation in two areas: (1) Social-inclusion and (2) caloric "Energy-budget." Two hundred and forty seven (N=247) university students participated in the research. In session one, participants completed multiple questionnaires assessing levels of environmental harshness and unpredictability experienced during development and individual life-history strategy. In session two, participants were pseudo-randomly assigned to experience laboratory induced deprivation or non-deprivation in one of two possible areas: Social-inclusion or caloric "Energy-budget." Following the experimental manipulations, participants played two different behavioral risk-taking tasks: (1) The Wheel Spin Risk Task which required participants to select between a low variance "safe" wheel and a high variance "risky" wheel in an attempt to earn either points or food rewards (depending upon study condition). (2) The Operant Risk Taking Task which required participants to select between a low variance "safe" keyboard key which produced constant rewards and a high variance "risky" keyboard key which produced variable rewards (points or food, depending upon study condition). The results of the multivariate analyses supported main effects only (no moderation) between the characteristics of the early-life environment, life-history strategy, and the experimental manipulations on risk-taking behavior. Specifically, early-life harshness was significantly associated with a faster life-history strategy in participants. Participants with a faster life-history strategy were significantly more likely to select the risky spin wheel on the Wheel Spin Risk Task than were slower life-history strategy participants who were more likely to select the safe spin wheel. Furthermore, participants who experienced the deprivation experimental manipulations behaved more risky on the Operant Risk-Taking Task (for reward amount) than did participants exposed to the non-deprivation manipulations in the study. Interestingly, this effect was domain-general in that deprivation in either Social-inclusion or Energy-budget was associated with risk taking for both social points and for food rewards. The results of this study suggest that life-history strategy is predictive of instrumental risk-taking behavior for reward amount and that deprivation in adaptive areas like Social-inclusion and Energy-budget enhances risk-taking behavior for primary rewards in a domain-general manner as opposed to a domain-specific manner.

<p>Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 1983, härtill 5 uppsatser</p> / digitalisering@umu

Thesis (MCurr)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to explore the perceived need among nurses from different cultures in a private hospital in Saudi Arabia for a program to teach cultural sensitivity. The hypotheses for this study were:  Diverse bio- and demographical/cultural/educational backgrounds of nursing staff have an input on their cultural knowledge and sensitivity of care given in the hospital  The amount of occurrence reports generated due to cultural differences and clashes indicate the need for a program to teach cultural sensitivity. A descriptive quantitative study was done, using a self administrative questionnaire on a randomly selected sample 15.8% (n=200) of the population (N=1272) of registered nurses. The data was collected by structured questionnaires with sections requiring the following:  Biographical information (age, gender, nationality)  Amount of experience in nursing of patients with diverse cultures  Nursing education received about caring for patients of diverse cultures  Cultures of colleagues and patients in the hospital  Whether incidents occur because of cultural differences  Amounts of incident reports generated by each respondent per month The study is descriptive and made use of non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis, Mann- Whitney U and Chi-square computations to determine relationships between the answers of the different respondents to be able to come to a conclusion about the research question. The study reflects a youthful component of nurses from very diverse cultures working in the hospital, with a large variety of patients of equally diverse cultures. Only 1:5 of the nurses felt that they have enough knowledge about each others’ and their patients’ cultures. Recommendations for the implementation of a program for cultural sensitivity are the end result of this study. The ultimate goal for such a program is culturally sensitive nursing where the patients would experience that their culture has been considered in the planning and implementation of their nursing care. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doelwit van hierdie navorsing was om te bepaal of geregistreerde verpleegkundiges van verskillende kulture by ’n privaat hospitaal in Saudi Arabië die behoefte ervaar en herken vir die aanleer van kulturele sensitiwiteit. Die hipoteses van die navorsing was soos volg:  Diverse bio- en demografiese/kulturele/opvoedkundige agtergrond van verpleeglui sal hul kulturele kennis en dus kultuur sensitiewe verpleging in die hospitaal beinvloed.  Die aantal insidente wat voorkom oor kultuurverskille en botsings is ‘n aanduiding vir die nodigheid van ‘n program om kulturele sensitiwiteit aan te leer. ’n Beskrywende navorsingsontwerp met ‘n kwantitatiewe benadering is in die studie gevolg. ’n Vraelys wat deur die respondente self voltooi moes word, is ingevul deur die ewekansige verkose steekproef van 15.8% (n=200) van die bevolking van geregistreerde verpleegkundiges (N=1272).Die gestruktureerde vraelys het afdelings bevat wat die volgende inligting verlang het:  biografiese inligting (ouderdom, geslag, nasionaliteit),  hoeveelheid ondervinding van verpleging van ander kulture,  verpleegonderrig ontvang in die hantering van pasiёnte met diverse kulture,  kulture van kollegas en pasiёnte in die hospitaal,  of daar insidente voorkom weens kultuur verskille,  hoeveelheid insidentverslae wat elke deelnemer moet invul per maand. Die studie is beskrywend van aard en daar is gebruik gemaak van nie-parametriese Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U en Chi-kwadraat berekeninge om verhoudinge tussen die antwoorde van die verskillende respondente te bepaal en om tot ‘n gevolgtrekking te kom oor die navorsingsvraag. Die resultate van die navorsing toon dat daar ’n jonger komponent van geregistreerde verpleegkundiges van baie diverse kulture in die hospitaal werk met ‘n groot verskeidenheid van pasiente van ewe diverse kulture. Slegs 1:5 van die verpleegkundiges in die steekproef het gevoel dat hulle oor die nodige kennis beskik m.b.t. mekaar en hul pasiёnte se kulture. Aanbevelings vir die implementering van ’n program vir kulturele sensitiwiteit is die eindresultaat van hierdie navorsing. Die uiteindelike doel van so ‘n program is kultureel sensitiewe. verpleegsorg waar pasiёnte ervaar dat hul kultuur aangespreek word in die beplanning en implementering van sulke sorg

The purpose of this research work is to demonstrate the feasibility of creating a quick response decision platform for middle management in industry. It utilises the strengths of current, but more importantly creates a leap forward in the theory and practice of Supervisory and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems and Discrete Event Simulation and Modelling (DESM). The proposed research platform uses real-time data and creates an automatic platform for real-time and predictive system analysis, giving current and ahead of time information on the performance of the system in an efficient manner. Data acquisition as the backend connection of data integration system to the shop floor faces both hardware and software challenges for coping with large scale real-time data collection. Limited scope of SCADA systems does not make them suitable candidates for this. Cost effectiveness, complexity, and efficiency-orientation of proprietary solutions leave space for more challenge. A Flexible Data Input Layer Architecture (FDILA) is proposed to address generic data integration platform so a multitude of data sources can be connected to the data processing unit. The efficiency of the proposed integration architecture lies in decentralising and distributing services between different layers. A novel Sensitivity Analysis (SA) method called EvenTracker is proposed as an effective tool to measure the importance and priority of inputs to the system. The EvenTracker method is introduced to deal with the complexity systems in real-time. The approach takes advantage of event-based definition of data involved in process flow. The underpinning logic behind EvenTracker SA method is capturing the cause-effect relationships between triggers (input variables) and events (output variables) at a specified period of time determined by an expert. The approach does not require estimating data distribution of any kind. Neither the performance model requires execution beyond the real-time. The proposed EvenTracker sensitivity analysis method has the lowest computational complexity compared with other popular sensitivity analysis methods. For proof of concept, a three tier data integration system was designed and developed by using National Instruments’ LabVIEW programming language, Rockwell Automation’s Arena simulation and modelling software, and OPC data communication software. A laboratory-based conveyor system with 29 sensors was installed to simulate a typical shop floor production line. In addition, EvenTracker SA method has been implemented on the data extracted from 28 sensors of one manufacturing line in a real factory. The experiment has resulted 14% of the input variables to be unimportant for evaluation of model outputs. The method proved a time efficiency gain of 52% on the analysis of filtered system when unimportant input variables were not sampled anymore. The EvenTracker SA method compared to Entropy-based SA technique, as the only other method that can be used for real-time purposes, is quicker, more accurate and less computationally burdensome. Additionally, theoretic estimation of computational complexity of SA methods based on both structural complexity and energy-time analysis resulted in favour of the efficiency of the proposed EvenTracker SA method. Both laboratory and factory-based experiments demonstrated flexibility and efficiency of the proposed solution.

This Thesis addresses issues that lie at the intersection of two broad philosophical projects: inferentialism and contextualism. It discusses and defends an account of the logical concepts based on the following two ideas: 1) that the logical concepts are constituted by our canonical inferential usages of them; 2) that to grasp, or possess, a logical concept is to undertake an inferential commitment to the canonical consequences of the concept when deploying it in a linguistic practice. The account focuses on the concept of universal quantification, with respect to which it also defends the view that linguistic context contributes to an interpretation of instances of the concept by determining the scope of our commitments to the canonical consequences of the quantifier. The model that I offer for the concept of universal quantification relies on, and develops, three main ideas: 1) our understanding of the concept’s inferential role is one according to which the concept expresses full inferential generality; 2) what I refer to as the ‘domain model’ (the view that the universal quantifier always ranges over a domain of quantification, and that the specification of such a domain contributes to determine the proposition expressed by sentences in which the quantifier figures) is subject to a series of crucial difficulties, and should be abandoned; 3) we should regard the undertaking of an inferential commitment to the canonical consequences of the universal quantifier as a stable and objective presupposition of a universally quantified sentence expressing a determinate proposition in context. In the last chapter of the Thesis I sketch a proposal about how contextual quantifier restrictions should be understood, and articulate the main challenges that a commitment-theoretic story about the context-sensitivity of the universal quantifier faces.