Linnaeus University
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Bygdens Plattform : Bridging The Digital Divide in Rural Kronoberg
No full textRural areas of Sweden, such as Lidhult in Kronoberg, face challenges like depopulation, and weakened infrastructure. This thesis explores how user experience and user interface design, combined with co-creation methods, can foster community participation and support sustainability initiatives. By developing a user-friendly digital platform tailored to local needs, the project seeks to bridge the digital divide, encourage collaboration between residents and municipalities, and highlight local services and resources. Through participatory design and an iterative process with stakeholders, the work aims to create scalable digital solutions that empower rural communities towards a more resilient future
Translating compounds? : An analysis of the translation of German noun compounds into Swedish
No full textThis study investigates how a translator approaches the task of translating German nominal compounds into Swedish, and which strategies can be used in the process. The study focuses on which of Ström Herold and Levin’s (Forthcoming) strategies are employed and how this affects both denotative and connotative meaning, in accordance with Koller and Henjum (2020). It also examines which compounds are translated using compounds in Swedish, and whether structural changes occur in either the initial or final compound elements.This is of particular interest for translators working between languages that share similarities in compound formation, such as German and Swedish (cf. Liebel 2009). The quantitative analysis shows that six of Ström Herold and Levin’s (Forthcoming) categories appear in the translation, with compound-to-compound translation being the most frequently used strategy (40%). However, as this did not constitute a majority, it suggests that paraphrasing of various kinds was more common – either through reformulation into a phrase (verbal, adjectival, or prepositional) or through omission or reduction. Among the compounds that were translated using another compound, 55% underwent structural changes in the initial component, final component, or both.The qualitative analysis demonstrates that the shifts occurring in translation affect both denotation and connotation, and that the translator had to consider which aspect should be prioritized in each case. In some instances, denotative and connotative meaning were shown to be in tension, with one being sacrificed to allow greater space for the other indicating a freer translation approach (cf. Liebel 2009)
"A good manager, great colleagues, very important" : A qualitative study on social workers who choose to stay at their social service offices and their strategier for managing emotional labour
No full textThe purpose of this study is to examine the reasons why social workers choose to remain at their workplace, that is, to continue working at the same social service office. Furthermore, the study aims to explore how social workers handle emotional labour at their workplace. The research questions are ”How do social workers reason about the factors influencing their decision to stay at their workplace?” and ”which strategies do the social workers use to cope with the emotional labour at their workplace?”. The study is based on twelve semi-structured interviews with individuals who work as social workers in social service offices. The theoretical framework used is Hochschild´s (2012) theory of emotional labour, more specifically the concepts of surface acting, deep acting, feeling rules and emotional burnout. The results showed that the professional role of social workers is divided into two – the emotional side and the professional side. These two sides come with demands that can be challenging for the social workers. The demands stem from clients, the social office and the social workers themselves. To handle these challenges and avoid emotional burnout the social worker uses two strategies. The first strategy is to dilute their emotions with their colleagues, which leads to them being able to handle their emotions during the client meeting. The second strategy is to remind each other to follow the feeling rules and scripts in the social work offices. By using these strategies, the social workers avoid emotional burnout and can continue working in the same offices. Other influencing factors include, for example, a reasonable workload, a good relationship with the manager, and opportunities for career advancement at the workplace
Antenna Design with Superdirectivity in Mind
No full textThis thesis describes a brief review of an implementation of the SchelkunoffPolynomial Method (SPM) as a foundation for antenna array design withsuperdirectivity in mind. The SPM provides a deterministic framework for preciseplacement of radiation pattern nulls, making it a valuable tool for interferencesuppression and controlled directivity.Alongside this implementation, the thesis presents several global optimizationmethods, with particular emphasis on Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). Whilenot implemented as a primary method in this work, PSO is included to highlightits potential for sidelobe reduction, complementing the deterministic nature ofSPM. A script for PSO is provided in the appendix as background material forfuture investigations.The central contribution of this thesis is the detailed implementation of SPM,accompanied by a moderated review of alternative methods such as PSO. Thiscombination offers both a working foundation for deterministic synthesis and anoutlook on how stochastic optimization techniques may further enhance arrayperformance in future work
User-Driven Development of a Digital Behavioral Intervention for Chronic Pain : Multimethod Multiphase Study
No full textBackground: Recent research shows that chronic pain affects 27% of the adult population. For many, pain significantly impairs quality of life and everyday functioning. Behavioral interventions have shown utility, but access remains limited. Digital health solutions can increase reach, but there is a need for user-friendly, feasible, and evidence-based digital interventions. Objective: This study aimed to clarify how a digital behavioral intervention for people with chronic pain can be developed through a user-centered approach to address the needs and preferences of the target population. Methods: This study used a multimethod approach involving end users, namely, patients with chronic pain and therapists, to develop prototypes for a digital behavioral intervention across 3 phases. In the preparation phase (phase 0), fictional patient personas (n=3) were created to represent the diversity of the target population while emphasizing transdiagnostic features across people with chronic pain. In the design phase (phase 1), qualitative data from focus groups with patients (n=5; aged 37-51 years; 4/5, 80% women; 2/5, 40% diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome; 3/5, 60% either undiagnosed or uncertain about their diagnosis) and therapists (n=12 licensed psychologists; aged 29-64 years; 9/12, 75% women) were collected to explore end-user preferences for the intervention design and content. In thetesting phase (phase 2), the initial full prototype of the digital intervention was piloted with patients (n=11; aged 36-58 years; 9/11, 82% women; with diverse diagnoses, including migraine, arthritis, fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome, hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, herniated disc, chronic fatigue syndrome, and 1/11, 9% cases of undiagnosed pain) and therapists (n=3 licensed psychologists; aged 36-58 y; 3/3, 100% women). The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was used to structure analyses of end-user feedback. Results: On the basis of end-user input, a 6-week digital behavioral intervention for chronic pain was created. Focus groups highlighted the importance of accessibility and adaptability of the digital intervention, emphasizing the need for tailored content, flexibility (eg, contact with thetherapist via asynchronous messaging, telephone, or video calls), and user-friendly design (eg, easy navigation between modules, short microsessions, and visualizations). Average weekly ratings (scale from 1=not at all to 7=very much) by patients during pilot-testing indicated that the intervention was helpful (mean range 4.27-5.45, SD range 1.20-2.20), enjoyable(mean range 3.81-4.81, SD range 1.12-2.08), and understandable(mean range4.45-6, SD range 1.30-1.86), suggesting initial acceptability and usability of the intervention. Conclusions: The results illustrated the utility of the patient personas when preparing, of the focus groups when designing, and of the end-user feedback when testing this new digital intervention for people with chronic pain. The findings indicated that the intervention is promising while also providing relevant end-user suggestions (eg, video content, text-to-speech function, and add-on modules) to guide further improvements
REAGERA-dementia: study protocol for the validation of screening instruments to detect abuse of people with dementia
No full textBackground: Abuse of older people is common and people living with dementia are at high risk of being subjected to abuse. This study protocol describes the development and procedure to test the validity of two new screening instruments to detect abuse of people with dementia: 1) The REAGERA-S20, intended to be answered by people with dementia themselves, including questions about their abusive experiences, and 2) The REAGERA - N, intended to be answered by the next of kin of people with dementia, including questions about their own exposure to abuse, their own perpetration as well as the witnessing of abusive acts. In addition, the Risk on Elder Abuse and Mistreatment Instrument (REAMI) is translated into Swedish within the project and will be validated. Finally, qualitative interviews are conducted to explore the experiences of abuse from the perspective of both the person with dementia and the next of kin. Method: People with mild to moderate dementia (n = 80) and their next of kin (n = 80) are recruited at health and social care facilities providing care to people with dementia. In cases of severe dementia, only next of kin is included. At the time of data collection, participants fill out the instruments and are thereafter interviewed, first separately and then jointly by researchers about their abusive experiences. The interviews are used as a gold standard for calculating the properties of the instruments, e.g., sensitivity and specificity, but will also be used for qualitative analysis concerning the experiences of abuse. Health and social care professionals that are well acquainted with the participants fill out the REAMI and results will be validated using the results of the interviews as the gold standard. Discussion: This study protocol describes a research project that aims towards a comprehensive identification and understanding of abuse of people with dementia by including the perspective of both people with dementia themselves, their next of kin and professionals. If the instruments are found to be reliable they can be used to detect abuse in people with dementia. Also, the qualitative interviews with participants will enhance our understanding of abuse of people with dementia
Impact of Large Language Models on Software Development Team’s Work Processes : A Case Study of Product-Based Software Development Company
No full textIn this paper, we analyze how Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, and Llama are reshaping software development work processes in relation to development tasks such as coding, testing, debugging, documentation, and, by extension, work output, among software development teams in a product-based software development company. Although LLMs are being integrated into software development teams, it remains an open question how they influence existing coding practices, collaboration, and output at the team level. In practice, the extant literature tends to concentrate on technical capabilities and address less about the influence LLMs have on developers’ day-to-day work, team relations, or perceptions of the tools’ integration into software development. To fill this void, this thesis studies how LLMs are used in the software development teams within product-based software development companies. Supported by Adaptive Structuration Theory (AST), we conducted a qualitative case study using semi-structured interviews and workplace observations. To guide the study, it investigated how developers integrate LLMs into their daily software development work processes, which include coding, testing, debugging, documentation, and, by extension, work output, and which key attributes influence LLM integration and utilization, and how development teams perceive the impact of LLMs, especially in relation to team collaboration and work output. The aim is to contribute to the socio-technical literature by demonstrating how LLMs reshape collaborative software development practices, particularly in product-based software development contexts, through the lens of AST. LLMs have been established to enhance coding effectiveness, accelerate problem-solving efforts, facilitate team collaboration, and increase work productivity. However, issues of trust, hallucination, and tool reliability were also reported. Developers were first exposed to LLMs passively through pre-integrated Microsoft Copilot and others. Over time, they gradually started using them more actively via experimentation, informal sharing, and team dialogue. The tool’s utilization was formed based on usability, speed, accessibility, reliability, trust, and context matching. Trust and reliability in the tools, however, changed over time, depending on factors such as accuracy and emotional response. Perceptions were mixed; while many valued the cognitive and stress relief, and task acceleration LLMs offered, others were cautious of over-reliance, skill erosion, or redundancy. This study provides empirical evidence on the integration of intelligent assistant tools into software developer environments. It captures developers’ perspectives on the use of LLM, highlights key opportunities for LLM, and identifies the main barriers faced in practice. Additionally, it provides actionable recommendations for teams and organizations to integrate LLMs into their software development work processes. By doing so, the study expands the body of knowledge. Guided by key AST framework concepts, including time processes, group decision processes, AITs as social structures, other sources of structure, and factors that influence the appropriation of these structures, the study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing practical insights into the interaction between human-AI collaboration, trust in the tool, and job security among software development teams.
Resistance mutations, drug binding and drug residence times
No full textThe rapid evolution of microorganisms and cancer cells makes it difficult to treat tumours and infectious diseases, because resistance to drugs is the rule rather than the exception. Structures or models of protein-drug complexes help to understand how mutations lead to resistance and to design better drugs. However, it is difficult to reason how small changes in the structure lead to drug resistance. Thus, protein and drug dynamics need to be considered. Strategies to increase drug residence are sought after to increase the efficacy of drugs. Computational methods to calculate the effect of mutations on drug binding and residence times are being developed and improved, but are challenging. A priori prediction of a mutation's effect on drug binding is an even greater challenge. On the other hand, knowledge about protein-drug complexes has led to the development of multiple design strategies that aim to reduce mutation-driven drug resistance