Therapeutic Activities among Residents with Dementia at a Nursing Home

The researcher conducted this study through analyzed data from qualitative, semi-structured interviews with an interdisciplinary team at a nursing home. All participants had experience working with residents with dementia that participated in therapeutic activities at the nursing home. The major themes that emerged from the data analysis include: a) staff perspective of meaningful therapeutic activities for residents with dementia, b) therapeutic activities contribute to mood improvement, c) therapeutic activities stimulate the mind, d) therapeutic activities impact stress and anxiety, e) room for improvement of therapeutic activities, f) therapeutic activities allow residents with dementia to grow, g) motivation of residents to participate and engage and, h) improved quality of life. The findings provided beneficial information through staff members’ perspective about how therapeutic activities can contribute to the well-being of residents with dementia which assisted the researcher in examining ways that these findings can assist in implications for additional social work research

Therapeutic Activities among Residents with Dementia at a Nursing Home

The researcher conducted this study through analyzed data from qualitative, semi-structured interviews with an interdisciplinary team at a nursing home. All participants had experience working with residents with dementia that participated in therapeutic activities at the nursing home. The major themes that emerged from the data analysis include: a) staff perspective of meaningful therapeutic activities for residents with dementia, b) therapeutic activities contribute to mood improvement, c) therapeutic activities stimulate the mind, d) therapeutic activities impact stress and anxiety, e) room for improvement of therapeutic activities, f) therapeutic activities allow residents with dementia to grow, g) motivation of residents to participate and engage and, h) improved quality of life. The findings provided beneficial information through staff members’ perspective about how therapeutic activities can contribute to the well-being of residents with dementia which assisted the researcher in examining ways that these findings can assist in implications for additional social work research

An antiferromagnetic and insulating leaky integrate-and-fire neuron and its application

Ettersom størrelsen på transistorer begynner å tilsvare utstrekningen til et par atomer, blir det stadig vanskeligere å holde tritt med Moore's lov. Samtidig forskes det på nye metoder for mer energieffektiv maskinvare. Krysningen mellom analog og nevromorf prosessering gir muligheter til å utløse en overgang til et nytt regime innen datateknologi, med datamaskiner som er spesialisert til å løse spesifikke oppgaver. I denne masteroppgaven vil numeriske mikromagnetiske simuleringer av et antiferromagnetisk og isolerende impulsnevron gi innblikk i det som kan bli en ny prosesseringsenhet. Dette er med den hensikt i å overgå metalliske og ferromagnetiske tilsvarende impulsnevron når det gjelder hastighet og energiforbruk. Nevronene er designet for å etterligne funksjonaliteten til lekkende integrer-og-fyr nevroner. To forskjellige versjoner av nevronet vil bli foreslått og sammenlignet. Det antiferromagnetiske impulsnevronet er et forslag på hvordan anvendt spintronikk kan gi energieffektive datamaskiner som er spesialisert til å løse konkrete og krevende oppgaver. Tilstanden til det foreslåtte nevronet er kodet inn i posisjonen til en magnetisk domenevegg som kontrolleres av spinnbølger og spenningskontrollert magnetisk anisotropi. Simuleringene vil vise at impulsnevronet i prinsippet kan operere på en picosekund tidsskala. Videre indikerer resultatene at nevronet kan ha et energiforbruk på rundt 100 aJ per impuls.As the size of transistors begins to reach the extent of a couple of atoms, keeping up with Moore's law has become increasingly difficult. Furthermore, new methods of computing are pursued by researchers in the quest for more energy-efficient hardware. The intersection between analog and neuromorphic computing is one candidate to spark a transition into a new computing regime with specialized hardware for specific tasks. In this thesis, numerical micro-magnetic simulations of an antiferromagnetic and insulating spiking neuron yield a proof-of-concept for a new computing unit, that seeks to overcome equivalent metallic and ferromagnetic neurons in terms of speed and energy consumption. The spiking neuron could be a part of a hardware realization of a neural network. The neurons are set up to mimic the behavior of leaky integrate-and-fire neurons. Two different versions of the neuron will be given, and they will be compared in detail. The proposed spiking neuron is a new way of envisioning how applied spintronics can yield energy-efficient specialized computing hardware. The state of the proposed neuron is coded into the position of a magnetic domain wall, which can be controlled by exciting spin waves in the antiferromagnet and a voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy. The simulations will show that in principle a spiking neuron that operates at pico-second time scale is possible. Furthermore, results indicate that the neurons could potentially operate at an energy consumption of approximately 100 aJ per spike

Finding Race Conditions in Erlang with Quick Check and PULSE

We address the problem of testing and debugging concurrent, distributed Erlang applications. In concurrent programs, race conditions are a common class of bugs and are very hard to find in practice. Traditional unit testing is normally unable to help finding all race conditions, because their occurrence depends so much on timing. Therefore, race conditions are often found during system testing, where due to the vast amount of code under test, it is often hard to diagnose the error resulting from race conditions. We present three tools (Quick Check, PULSE, and a visualizer) that in combination can be used to test and debug concurrent programs in unit testing with a much better possibility of detecting race conditions. We evaluate our method on an industrial concurrent case study and illustrate how we find and analyze the race conditions

Power line clearings : suitable habitat for semi-natural grassland species?

Owing to land-use changes, abandoning and intensification of agriculture, semi-natural grasslands are becoming increasingly scarce all over Europe. As a consequence many of the species associated with these habitats have become rare or threatened. Power line clearings are in general viewed as a negative disturbance in forest landscapes. On the other hand, it has been suggested that power line clearings, road verges, and similar human-made landscape elements can act as replacement habitat for semi-natural grassland species. We carried out a large-scale field experiment in power line clearings intersecting boreal forests. All the clearings had a history of management where all woody vegetation was cut every 5-10 years and all biomass was left to decay on site. We selected 19 sites in the main power line grid in southeast Norway. Three different treatments were applied on each site: 1) Cut: All woody vegetation was cut and the cut biomass removed 2) Cut + Remove: all woody vegetation was cut and left to decay on site 3) Uncut: uncut control. We investigated the total species richness of vascular plants in the field layer and richness of semi-natural grassland species (this group also contains species from open forest) in the different treatments. We also investigated which factors affected total species richness and richness of semi-natural grasslands species in the power line clearings. Treatments Cut and Cut + Remove had significantly higher species richness than Uncut. Increasing landscape fragmentation within a 1 km radius from the treatment plots had a significant positive effect on both total species richness and richness of semi-natural grassland species. There was no difference among treatments the first year after the vegetation was cut for either total species richness, or richness of semi-natural grassland species. In the second and third year after cutting, however there was a significantly higher species richness in 4 the treatments Cut and Cut + Remove when compared to treatment Uncut for both total species richness and semi-natural grassland species. We could not conclude that power line clearings can be a replacement habitat for semi- natural grassland species based on the species found in the clearings. However power line clearings can possibly act as a supplementary habitat and thereby mitigate loss of semi-natural grassland species. In cases where the power line clearings intersect species poor, dense forest managed for timber production they will probably contribute to increased species richness on a local scale and possibly mimic open forest.M-N

How can Organizations Navigate a Black Swan Event? A Case Study of the Covid-19 Pandemics Impact on Norwegian Restaurants and Universities. Exploring Planning, Marketing, Collaboration, Leadership and the Impact on Firms Future Prospects.

Masteroppgave(MSc) in Master of Science in Strategic Marketing Management - Handelshøyskolen BI, 2021Black Swans are unpredictable events and there is no way to predict what kind of impact they will have. However, we know they will have a greater impact on the affected community than a “normal” crisis. It is uncertain when the next Black Swan event will occur, but we know it will. As these events occur, organizations are forced to adapt their operations to the new environment. Thus, it is important to have the right resources to optimize their outcome. There is little prior research on this topic, especially regarding marketing. Through exploring how companies have navigated the Covid-19 pandemic, examining planning, changing marketing activities, leadership, collaboration and the pandemics impact on firm’s future prospects, this thesis contributes towards closing this gap. A case study approach using a multi-case design was selected for the research. Thirteen in depth-interviews with respondents from eleven different companies were conducted. The findings show that when dealing with a Black Swan event, it is of high importance that the organization is agile in all aspects of their operations. The marketing department is key in a situation like this, as they impact all departments of the organization. Being able to adapt marketing activities to fit the new business environment is crucial in order to maintain the market position. Clear internal and external communication is an important part of crisis management, as this decreases the level of uncertainty for both employees and customers. The findings also show that having a specific plan in place does not necessarily result in any benefits, compared to firms without a plan. As the situation after a Black Swan is so uncertain, plans are likely to be changed. However, if the emergency plans are easily flexible, they can improve response time. It is also evident that sharing information and collaborating with competing firms is very beneficial in a situation like this. By sharing information and collaborating one can reduce costs, speed up processes and improve safety measures for all parties involved. This study provides managers with useful insight into how they can prepare their organization for the next Black Swan, through examples of how firms from two different industries have handled the Covid-19 pandemic. Altogether, the results shed light on key factors to consider when navigating a Black Swan event

What is resistance, and how does it appear in childrens play?

BLUBACH 2020/21 Fakultet for lærerutdanning, kultur og idrett Institutt for pedagogikk, religion og samfunnsfagBLUBAC

Minoritetsspråklige elever i spesialundervisning : elevperspektiver

Minoritetsspråklige elever er overrepresentert i spesialundervisning. Spesialundervisning er ment å være en spesielt tilpasset opplæring gitt til elever som vurderes å ikke ville ha tilstrekkelig utbytte av ordinær undervisning. Spesialundervisning skal gi elevene økt læringsutbytte med utgangspunkt i en individuelt tilpasset opplæringsplan. Imidlertid møter spesialundervisningen kritikk både på det sosiale og faglige plan. I denne avhandlingen har jeg anlagt et barneperspektiv på spesialundervisning. Jeg anser det som viktig å snakke med primærbrukerne av det pedagogiske tilbudet når man skal forsøke å forstå virkningen av det. Jeg undersøker hvordan fire minoritetsspråklige elever i Osloskolen opplever spesialundervisning. Avhandlingen er en fenomenologisk studie, hvor jeg gjennom kvalitativ observasjon og semi-strukturerte intervjuer, har intervjuet fire elever gjentatte ganger over en periode på tre kvart år. Mine problemstillinger er: I. Hvordan opplever elevene spesialundervisningen og det faglige utbyttet? II. Hvilken betydning tillegges elevenes sosiokulturelle forutsetninger i spesialundervisningen? Resultatene viser at ingen av elevene vet hva spesialundervisning er eller hvorfor de får spesialundervisning. Elevene opplever svakt læringsutbytte og ser spesialundervisningen som lite meningsfull. De opplever det faglige nivået i spesialundervisningen som for lavt. Samtlige savner samarbeid som arbeidsform innenfor spesialundervisningen. Elevene får spesialundervisning i fag de liker godt. De liker ikke å få segregert undervisning og ønsker fortrinnsvis å være i klassen. Spesialundervisningen har en disiplinerende effekt. Resultatene viser at spesialundervisningen tar lite hensyn til elevenes sosiokulturelle forutsetninger; elevenes flerspråklige kompetanse og transnasjonale erfaringer. Dette er i sterk kontrast til sosiokulturell læringsteori og en økologisk metafor for litterasitet, som anlegger et holistisk perspektiv på læring. Å legge til grunn elevenes sosiokulturelle forutsetninger er et viktig premiss for læring og utvikling. Basert på denne studien vil jeg argumentere for at det er behov for å la barns stemmer komme til uttrykk i forskning som gjelder pedagogiske og utdanningsrelaterte avgjørelser, og ta elevene med i avgjørelser som gjelder deres læring og utvikling.Pupils of minority languages are overrepresented in special education. Special education is intended to be specially designed training, given to students who are considered not to benefit adequately from regular education. Special education is intended to provide students with better learning outcomes based on an individual education plan. However, special education is criticized both at a social and academic level. This thesis applies a child’s perspective on special education. Speaking to the primary users of the educational program is considered important when trying to understand the impact of it. The thesis examines how four pupils of minority languages in Oslo experience special education. The dissertation is a phenomenological study, with qualitative observations and semi-structured interviews with four pupils interviewed repeatedly over a period of nine months. The research questions are: I. How do pupils of minority languages experience special education and its learning outcome? II. Of what importance are the students’ socio-cultural conditions in special education? The results show that none of the students know why they receive special education or what special education is. The pupils experience the academic level in special education to be too low. They perceive this education to lack cooperative learning. The pupils receive special education in subjects that they like. They do not like to be in segregated education and prefer to be in class. Special education has a disciplinary effect. The results show that special education takes little account of the socio-cultural conditions of the pupils, their multilingual skills and transnational experiences. This is in stark contrast to the socio-cultural learning theory and an ecological metaphor for literacy, which adopts a holistic approach to learning, and recognizes the importance of socio-cultural conditions of the pupil for learning and development. Based on this study, I will argue that there is a need for children’s voices to be expressed in research relating to educational decisions, and to take account of their point of view in decisions regarding their learning and development.Master i flerkulturell og internasjonal utdannin

Minoritetsspråklige elever i spesialundervisning : elevperspektiver

Master i flerkulturell og internasjonal utdanningMinoritetsspråklige elever er overrepresentert i spesialundervisning. Spesialundervisning er ment å være en spesielt tilpasset opplæring gitt til elever som vurderes å ikke ville ha tilstrekkelig utbytte av ordinær undervisning. Spesialundervisning skal gi elevene økt læringsutbytte med utgangspunkt i en individuelt tilpasset opplæringsplan. Imidlertid møter spesialundervisningen kritikk både på det sosiale og faglige plan. I denne avhandlingen har jeg anlagt et barneperspektiv på spesialundervisning. Jeg anser det som viktig å snakke med primærbrukerne av det pedagogiske tilbudet når man skal forsøke å forstå virkningen av det. Jeg undersøker hvordan fire minoritetsspråklige elever i Osloskolen opplever spesialundervisning. Avhandlingen er en fenomenologisk studie, hvor jeg gjennom kvalitativ observasjon og semi-strukturerte intervjuer, har intervjuet fire elever gjentatte ganger over en periode på tre kvart år. Mine problemstillinger er: I. Hvordan opplever elevene spesialundervisningen og det faglige utbyttet? II. Hvilken betydning tillegges elevenes sosiokulturelle forutsetninger i spesialundervisningen? Resultatene viser at ingen av elevene vet hva spesialundervisning er eller hvorfor de får spesialundervisning. Elevene opplever svakt læringsutbytte og ser spesialundervisningen som lite meningsfull. De opplever det faglige nivået i spesialundervisningen som for lavt. Samtlige savner samarbeid som arbeidsform innenfor spesialundervisningen. Elevene får spesialundervisning i fag de liker godt. De liker ikke å få segregert undervisning og ønsker fortrinnsvis å være i klassen. Spesialundervisningen har en disiplinerende effekt. Resultatene viser at spesialundervisningen tar lite hensyn til elevenes sosiokulturelle forutsetninger; elevenes flerspråklige kompetanse og transnasjonale erfaringer. Dette er i sterk kontrast til sosiokulturell læringsteori og en økologisk metafor for litterasitet, som anlegger et holistisk perspektiv på læring. Å legge til grunn elevenes sosiokulturelle forutsetninger er et viktig premiss for læring og utvikling. Basert på denne studien vil jeg argumentere for at det er behov for å la barns stemmer komme til uttrykk i forskning som gjelder pedagogiske og utdanningsrelaterte avgjørelser, og ta elevene med i avgjørelser som gjelder deres læring og utvikling.Pupils of minority languages are overrepresented in special education. Special education is intended to be specially designed training, given to students who are considered not to benefit adequately from regular education. Special education is intended to provide students with better learning outcomes based on an individual education plan. However, special education is criticized both at a social and academic level. This thesis applies a child’s perspective on special education. Speaking to the primary users of the educational program is considered important when trying to understand the impact of it. The thesis examines how four pupils of minority languages in Oslo experience special education. The dissertation is a phenomenological study, with qualitative observations and semi-structured interviews with four pupils interviewed repeatedly over a period of nine months. The research questions are: I. How do pupils of minority languages experience special education and its learning outcome? II. Of what importance are the students’ socio-cultural conditions in special education? The results show that none of the students know why they receive special education or what special education is. The pupils experience the academic level in special education to be too low. They perceive this education to lack cooperative learning. The pupils receive special education in subjects that they like. They do not like to be in segregated education and prefer to be in class. Special education has a disciplinary effect. The results show that special education takes little account of the socio-cultural conditions of the pupils, their multilingual skills and transnational experiences. This is in stark contrast to the socio-cultural learning theory and an ecological metaphor for literacy, which adopts a holistic approach to learning, and recognizes the importance of socio-cultural conditions of the pupil for learning and development. Based on this study, I will argue that there is a need for children’s voices to be expressed in research relating to educational decisions, and to take account of their point of view in decisions regarding their learning and development