This thesis traces the inception and evolution of a combined collaborative action research project and living theory action research project. Six academic staff members attempted to improve our practice of generating locally relevant research in a university psychology clinic. This process impacted not only on the lives of the participants, but facilitated the enactment of the three tasks of universities and so influenced the lives of the student and residential communities to whom we had a responsibility. This thesis explores two research questions that formed the first part of the study, namely: “How can we improve the functioning of Itsoseng Psychology Clinic?” and “How can we increase our research output?” The second part of the study was a self-study action research project in which I examined my attempts to improve my academic practice by inquiring into my practice of facilitating the collaborative action research project as a peer support initiative. In the form of my living theory, this thesis therefore also explored my answers to the questions: “How can I facilitate a peer support research initiative?” and “How can I improve my academic practice through facilitating such an initiative?” I take a macro-level view of the relationship between a university and surrounding communities and discuss within the South African context three discernable mandates or tasks that universities fulfil: teaching, research and community engagement. I discuss the relevance of this study to psychology and specifically university psychology clinics as potential interface between the university and the surrounding community when enacting community engagement as the third academic task. I also discuss the implications of this study to action research methodology and the concept of transformation in emancipatory research. The main argument of my living theory of my academic practice is that the formation and nurturing of a regular, supportive and critical audience in the form of peer support research meetings contributed to the transformation of resources into assets when we worked towards improving the service delivery and local relevance of a university psychology clinic. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Psychology / unrestricted

Surgeon expertise can be difficult to capture through direct robot programming. Deep imitation learning (DIL) is a popular method for teaching robots to autonomously execute tasks through learning from demonstrations. DIL approaches have been previously applied to surgical automation. However, previous approaches do not consider the full range of robot dexterous motion required in general surgical task, by leaving out tooltip rotation changes or modeling one robotic arm only. Hence, they are not directly applicable for tasks that require rotation and dual-arm collaboration such as debridement. We propose to address this limitation by formulating a DIL approach for the execution of dual-arm surgical tasks including changes in tooltip orientation, position and gripper actions.<br><br>In this thesis, a framework for multi-step surgical task automation is designed and implemented by leveraging deep imitation learning. The framework optimizes Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) for the execution of the whole surgical tasks while considering tooltip translations, rotations as well as gripper actions. The network architecture proposed implicitly optimizes for the interaction between two robotic arms as opposed to modeling each arm independently. The networks were trained directly from the human demonstrations and do not require to create task specific hand-crafted models or to manually segment the demonstrations.<br><br>The proposed framework was implemented and evaluated in simulation for two relevant surgical tasks, the peg transfer task and the surgical debridement. The tasks were tested under random initial conditions to challenge the robustness of the networks to generalize to variable settings. The performance of the framework was assessed using task and subtask success as well as a set of quantitative metrics. Experimental evaluation showed favorable results for automating surgical tasks under variable conditions for the surgical debridement, which obtained a task success rate comparable to the human task success. For the peg transfer task, the framework displayed moderate overall task success. Quantitative metrics indicate that the robot generated trajectories possess similar or better motion economy that the human demonstrations.

A number of studies have found that pupils, both newly arrived and other pupils who speak Swedish as a second language, have difficulties with mathematical tasks that consist of a few or more lines of text. It often seems to be a matter of mainly linguistic problems that are related to word and reading comprehension, that is, understanding and interpretation of formal concepts and words in the second language. Multilingual pupils who have recently migrated to Sweden from their home countries, but also pupils with foreign backgrounds who have lived in Sweden for several years - or in some cases, their entire lives - show lack of recognition in terms of cultural and traditional contexts. This study examines the difficulties and possibilities that were created when eight different multilingual pupils were being presented with text-rich mathematical tasks (word problems), but also focuses on examining the resources used during said process where the pupils read, interpreted and tried to solve given tasks. As the study is based on qualitative research, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The basis of the interviews consists of six word problems with related questions where the students had to think, reason and reflect upon the language being used in the tasks as well as the content, context and mathematical problems presented. The study has a theoretical approach based in both the social semiotics and the Language as Resource-model, of which both have been used to analyze the empirical material obtained from the interviews. In social semiotics, meaning-making is explained as a social practice that is created through interaction with the surrounding social and cultural contexts. While gathering and analyzing material, the so called “semiotic resources” were thus being observed, that is, the resources being used to communicate, interpret and create meaning of, for example, in this case, mathematical word problems. The results indicate that multilingual pupils use a variety of resources such as code-switching, translanguaging, drawing pictures, marking numbers and more while working with word problems. In addition to this, they also utilize the interviewer/teacher as a resource to, for example, read out information to them, explain concepts and words they do not understand et cetera. Multilingual pupils thus create bridges in several dynamic ways to overcome their difficulties and rather turn them into possibilities.

The Nogo-A protein belongs among the most important regulatory molecules in the brain, regulating development of neuronal and glial cells, axon guidance and adult synaptic plasticity. Although it has been studied mainly as an obstacle to axon regeneration after CNS injury, it plays a role in many pathological conditions, including neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases. This work offers a literature review of the current knowledge about functions of Nogo-A and related proteins, and then recapitulates the results of experiments focused on the impact on decreased expression of Nogo-A on behavior in a transgenic rat model. The most important finding is that the Carousel Maze performance, tapping higher cognitive functions such as cognitive coordination and cognitive flexibility, is remarkably impaired in this model, while other cognitive functions, such as spatial navigation and both spatial and non-spatial memory are spared in the Nogo-A deficient rats. The results are discussed in the context of a hypothesis linking Nogo-A mutations or abnormal expression to human schizophrenia. We conclude that the Nogo-A deficient rats constitute a very promising animal model of schizophrenia and deserve further attention. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

Syftet med studien är att få en inblick i hur matematiska läroböcker, riktade till förskoleklass, kan bidra till utvecklingen av en problemlösningskompetens. Detta gjordes genom att undersöka omfattningen och placeringen av problemlösningsuppgifter i läroböcker riktade till förskoleklass. Med hjälp av ett tidigare beprövat ramverk kunde vi kategorisera uppgifter från sex olika läroböcker genom en kvantitativ innehållsanalys. Resultatet visade att problemlösningsuppgifter var underrepresenterade i alla läroböckerna och att högst procent problemlösningsuppgifter var placerade som en första deluppgift och minst procent som avslutande uppgifter. Vid de tillfällen där läroböckerna explicit markerat att det handlade om problemlösning var majoriteten av uppgifterna problemlösningsuppgifter. Samtliga läroböcker ansågs innehålla för låg andel problemlösningsuppgifter för att i tillräcklig mån kunna bidra till utvecklandet av en problemlösningskompetens. Placeringen av problemlösningsuppgifterna i läroböckerna var generellt positiv för att kunna bidra till ökat problemlösningskompetens. Att problemlösningsuppgifter dominerar där det beskrivs handla om problemlösning anses vara positivt, dock återfanns ändå 29,5% andra uppgifter, vilket kan skapa en skev bild av vad problemlösning är. / The purpose of the study is to gain an insight into how mathematical textbooks, aimed for preschool class, can contribute to development of a problem-solving competence. This was done by examining the extent and location of problem-solving tasks in textbooks aimed for preschool class. Using a previously proven framework, we were able to categorize data from six different textbooks through a quantitative content analysis. The results showed that problem-solving tasks were underrepresented in all textbooks and that the highest percentage of problem-solving tasks was placed as a first sub-task and the lowest percentage as concluding tasks. At the times when the textbooks explicitly stated that it was a problem-solving task, the majority of the tasks were problem-solving tasks. All textbooks were considered to include too low a share of problem-solving tasks, for it to be able to contribute to the development of a problem-solving competence. The placement of the problem-solving tasks in the textbooks was generally positive, in the meaning that it enabled them to contribute to increased problem-solving competence. Problem-solving dominates where it is described to be a problem-solving task which is considered positive, however, 29.5% other tasks were still found, and that can create a skew picture of what problem-solving is.

Studien tar avstamp i de livliga diskussioner om specialpedagogens roll, uppdrag och arbetsuppgifter som förekommer i bland annat pedagogisk litteratur, tidskrifter och digitala forum. Syftet med studien är att belysa vilka arbetsuppgifter en specialpedagog, verksam inom förskola, grundskola och gymnasieskola i Sverige, bör utföra. Studien har en kvantitativ ansats och data samlades in med hjälp av anonyma digitala enkäter som besvarades av examinerade specialpedagoger. Resultatet visar att specialpedagoger är eniga om att en mångfald av arbetsuppgifter bör ingå i uppdraget. Resultatet visar också att specialpedagoger blir ombedda att utföra många arbetsuppgifter som de inte anser borde ingå i deras uppdrag. Av studien framgår att specialpedagoger önskar en tydligare rolldefinition och de lyfter rektors betydelse för detta. Studien kan utgöra ett bidrag till debatten om rollen och bidra till att klargöra behovet av tydliggjorda roller samt i förlängningen leda till ökad samsyn kring rollerna i skolan. / The study is based on the lively discussions about the special educational needs coordinator's role, assignments and tasks that occur in educational literature, journals and digital forums among others. The purpose is to shed light on which tasks a special educational needs coordinator, active in preschool, primary school and upper secondary school in Sweden, should perform. The study has a quantitative approach and data was collected using anonymous digital surveys. The respondents were graduated special educational needs coordinators. The result shows that special educational needs coordinators agree that a variety of tasks should be included in the assignment. The result also shows that they are asked to perform many tasks that they do not consider should be included in the assignment. The study shows that the special educational needs coordinators want a clearer role definition and they emphasize the importance of the principal in this. The study can constitute a contribution to the debate about the role, help to elucidate the need for clarified roles and in the long run lead to increased consensus about roles in school.

In a world that moves more towards the digital every day, we will in this study investigate how the auditing process is affected by automation of the auditing tasks and how the auditor’s professional role can be affected if the auditing tasks get automated. The area of application is primarily on the whole auditing process and the auditing tasks and not on the specific tasks the auditor has, even though many of the tasks are mentioned as examples. Also, if artificial intelligence eventually will replace the auditor in the future. Two interviews were held in order to see how program developers believe the future for the auditor will look like from a technical perspective and what is technically possible to develop. Also, three interviews were held in order to see the authorized auditors’ point of view and if they already have started to notice change and how much change they can expect in the near future. The purpose of this study is to investigate how automation is affected by automation of the auditing tasks and how the auditor’s professional role is affected if the auditing tasks get automated. To achieve our purpose, we investigated the parts that the auditor and the program developer think or know can be automated and the consequences that affect the auditor. The conclusion of the study differs from other studies that only have interviewed auditors, in which they have reached the conclusion that the profession will not change much in the next few years. Our conclusion is that the auditor profession will reshape as the years go by if the laws are adjusted, which can be a slow process but is likely to happen. We also think we will see an increased demand for IT-auditors as the programs get more complicated and that technological knowledge is required to understand how these programs and systems work. / I en värld som rör sig alltmer mot det digitala undersöks, i denna studie, hur revisionsprocessen påverkas av automatisering av revisionsuppgifter samt hur revisorers yrkesroll påverkas om revisionsuppgifter automatiseras. Tillämpningsområdet är framförallt på revisionsprocessen och revisionsuppgifter i helhet och inte på revisorns specifika arbetsuppgifter även om flertalet arbetsuppgifter nämns som exempel. Samt om den artificiella intelligensen eventuellt kan ta över revisorns roll i framtiden. I denna studie har två intervjuer genomförts i syfte att se hur programutvecklarna ser revisorns framtid ur ett mer tekniskt perspektiv och vad som är tekniskt möjligt att utveckla. Tre intervjuer hölls också med syftet att fånga de auktoriserade revisorernas perspektiv för att se om de redan börjat märka av förändring och hur stor förändring de kan förvänta sig inom den närmsta tiden. Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka hur revisionsprocessen påverkas av automatisering av revisionsuppgifter samt hur revisorers yrkesroll påverkas om revisionsuppgifter automatiseras. För att uppnå vårt syfte undersökte vi vilka delar av revisorns yrke som revisorer och programutvecklare tror eller vet kan automatiseras samt vilka konsekvenser som påverkar revisorn. Slutsatsen i vår studie skiljer sig aningens mot tidigare studier där de främst intervjuat revisorer, samt att de flesta kommer fram till att revisorns roll i det stora hela förblir relativt oförändrad. Vi kom fram till att revisorns yrkesroll kan komma att omformas med åren allt eftersom lagar och regler justeras, vilket kan vara en trögrörlig process men att det med sannolikhet kommer att ske. Vi ser även att IT-revisorer kommer bli mer efterfrågade allt eftersom programmen blir mer komplicerade samt att mer teknologisk kunskap krävs för att förstå hur dessa program och system fungerar

The Nogo-A protein belongs among the most important regulatory molecules in the brain, regulating development of neuronal and glial cells, axon guidance and adult synaptic plasticity. Although it has been studied mainly as an obstacle to axon regeneration after CNS injury, it plays a role in many pathological conditions, including neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases. This work offers a literature review of the current knowledge about functions of Nogo-A and related proteins, and then recapitulates the results of experiments focused on the impact on decreased expression of Nogo-A on behavior in a transgenic rat model. The most important finding is that the Carousel Maze performance, tapping higher cognitive functions such as cognitive coordination and cognitive flexibility, is remarkably impaired in this model, while other cognitive functions, such as spatial navigation and both spatial and non-spatial memory are spared in the Nogo-A deficient rats. The results are discussed in the context of a hypothesis linking Nogo-A mutations or abnormal expression to human schizophrenia. We conclude that the Nogo-A deficient rats constitute a very promising animal model of schizophrenia and deserve further attention. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

The network "Developing Quality in Mathematics Education II" is a continuation of the associated project "Developing Quality in Mathematics Education" (http://www.dqime.unidortmund. de). In this project participate universities, teacher education institutions and schools from 11 European countries. Cross-cultural cooperation and exchange of ideas, materials, teachers and pupils support developing quality in mathematics education, especially in the area of mathematical modelling. The quality and application of the developed learning materials is also guaranteed by using, comparing and modifying them in eleven different countries. This comparison leads to an agreement about contents of mathematical learning and teaching in eleven European countries. Thus we want to establish a "European Curriculum for the teaching and learning of mathematics" in the 21st century. A special feature of this project is the strong connection between theory and practice and between the research and development of mathematics education. In this project our Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics of Comenius University Bratislava manage testing of translated teaching materials at the high school „Gymnazium Sturovo“. We know that using ICT and didactical software in schools is almost present and wide spread. So we try to focus on several possibilities in solving real-life tasks using this technologies, regard to the fact technologies are hard upon the young generation of students.

The Comenius Network Project “Developing Quality in Mathematics Education II” funded by the European Commission consists of partners from schools, universities and teacher training centres from eleven European countries. One advantage of the project is the mutual exchange between teachers, teacher trainers and researchers in developing learning material. To support the teachers most effectively the researchers asked the teachers what they wanted the researchers to do. The answer was also a question: How can we identify (good) modelling tasks? A discussion ensued in the research group of this project which resulted in a list of descriptors characterising modelling tasks. This paper focuses on the theoretical background of mathematical modelling and will thereby substantiate the list of descriptors for modelling tasks.