Mid Sweden University
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Surface roughness reduction in electron beam powder bed fusion additive manufacturing of super duplex stainless steel 2507 : investigating optimisation techniques and face orientation-dependent irregularities
No full textThe use of additive manufacturing in metals by powder bed fusion via electron beam (PBF-EB) is increasing for fabricating high-quality parts meeting industrial standards. However, high surface roughness poses a consistent challenge in PBF-EB. This study investigates two novel approaches to optimise surface roughness for a given machine and powder combination. Using machine control software’s recently introduced research mode functionality, we develop customised beam control code to effectively explore a vast parameter space. Additionally, we explored the impact of beam travel direction and spot morphology on surface roughness. Line-melt-based contours were explored by specimen manufacturing with layer-wise parameter change, whilst spot-melting-based samples were built using a full factorial design of experiments with four factors at three levels. Initial sample characterisation was done using a stylus-based contact profilometer, followed by detailed evaluation using focus variation microscopy. Results reveal that increasing beam power and spot energy exacerbate surface roughness. We also find that a well-defined energy distribution at the spot's edge contributes to smoother surfaces. Whilst the influence of beam travel direction on surface roughness remains uncertain, our findings underscore the importance of parameter selection in achieving optimal results. By adjusting contouring parameters, we achieve a vertical roughness of Ra17.7 ± 0.9 (Sa 21.6), significantly lower than in the current literature. These findings advance our understanding of surface roughness optimisation in PBF-EB and offer practical insights for improving part quality in industrial applications. By harnessing tailored beam control strategies, manufacturers can enhance the capabilities of additive manufacturing technologies in producing metal components
Navigating the virtual landscape : A systematic review of approaches to cultivating a sense of community among distance learners in health and allied health disciplines
No full textRecent years have seen an increase of distance learning in higher education, particularly accelerated due the COVID-19 pandemic with necessary social distancing measures. The present study concerns a systematic review focused on how educators foster and maintain a sense of community among distance learners in health and allied health disciplines. It uses a theoretical framework of communities of practice, groups united by shared interests, learning, and pursuit enhancement. Allied health students need a supportive environment that fosters resilience and camaraderie, preparing them for the collaborative nature of their profession. For the analysis, thematic content analysis was used on the content of nine relevant studies. This stepwise procedure of content analysis revealed three interconnected themes: instructor presence, collaborative interactions, and the learning environment's impact on students' sense of community. The results highlight the need for community-building in distance learning education and emphasize the importance of collaborative learning in virtual learning platforms to foster allied health student engagement and persistence. This research provides valuable insights for allied health educators seeking to enhance distance learning practices and create a more connected and inclusive learning environment for their students
A conceptual framework of indicators for the suitability of forests for outdoor recreation
No full textForests’ ability to provide opportunities for recreation is an important ecosystem service. This has prompted attempts to create indicators to assess forests' suitability for recreation, although hitherto with limited success. This study introduces a novel framework for indicators of potential and realised recreational values of forests, with a primary focus on Sweden and Fennoscandia. We divided forest attributes into intrinsic qualities (i.e. the structure and composition of the forest), extrinsic qualities (i.e. the location of the forest in relation to other components of the landscape), and facilitation qualities (i.e. the presence of recreational infrastructure). Using Fennoscandia as a case study, we performed a literature review to find specific indicators of recreational values, as well as evaluate the current availability of spatial data suitable to map the forest qualities on a national scale. The most important intrinsic quality we identified was tree size/age, whereas for extrinsic quality it was proximity to water. Systematic monitoring of recreational use is essential to estimate realised recreational values. The conceptual framework proved to be a valuable tool for identifying potential indicators, and applying it in other regions is likely to yield useful outcomes.
Är de svenska hushållens bolån för höga? : En litteraturöversikt av Sveriges bolånemarknad och makrotillsyn
No full text'Striving to achieve control'. Registered nurses' experiences of palliative care quality during the COVID-19 pandemic - a qualitative study
No full textBackgroundProviding quality palliative care during a pandemic was challenging. Both specialist and community healthcare services cared for patients that faced life-threatening illness and who were influenced by the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Little knowledge has yet been provided on how registered nurses (RNs) experienced the palliative care quality during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to explore RN's experiences of providing palliative care quality during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThis qualitative study had a descriptive design. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted between November 2021 and January 2022 with 18 RNs who worked in intensive care units in hospitals, dementia care or palliative care units in nursing homes in Norway during the pandemic. Data were analysed by using qualitative content analysis. The study was conducted and reported according to the COREQ's checklist.ResultsAnalysis of the data resulted in an overall theme: 'Striving to achieve control'. This theme comprised six categories: (1) when the toolbox does not fit; (2) protective equipment-social distance and opportunities for closeness; (3) unpredictable workday; (4) the right person to the right assignment at the right time; (5) presence and absence of relatives and friends; and (6) situations that required creativity. RNs had various experiences regarding how the quality of care was perceived; being worse, preserved, or in some cases even better than before the pandemic.ConclusionsThe provision of quality palliative care was experienced by RNs as challenging during the pandemic. The pandemic forced them to be creative and to strive for control to provide the best palliative care possible given the situation. The results of this study may contribute to important knowledge for leaders, policy makers and RNs to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic and planning for future pandemics or crises. Especially to optimise factors perceived by RNs to be important for the palliative care quality, related to the specific situation and care context, to include the perspectives of those involved and take into consideration the time perspective of the pandemic
Utmattningssyndrom inom socialtjänsten : En systematisk litteraturöversikt om preventiva åtgärder för att förebygga utmattningssyndrom bland socialarbetare
No full text2025-01-16</p
Utveckling av ett kuponghanteringssystem (CMS) med hjälp av React Native : Frontend programmering för ett kuponghanteringssystem
No full textProjektet fokuserar på a utveckla front-end för en mobilapplikation med ett kuponghanteringssystem (CMS), där företag kan lägga till sina erbjudanden och användare kan dra nya av dessa digitala kuponger. För att säkerställa en användarvänlig design genomfördes användbarhetstester, inklusive tidmätningstester och User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ), för att utvärdera användarupplevelsen. Resultaten visar att prototypen uppfyller de grundläggande kraven för ett fungerande CMS och användartesterna bekräftade en god användarupplevelse. Diskussionen kring resultaten visar att applikationen möjliggör kuponghantering som fungerar för både företag och användare. Även om prototypen är funktionell finns det utrymme för förbättringar, såsom att lägga till fler funktioner och optimera gränssnittet. Genom införande av digitala kuponger strävar detta projekt inte bara efter att erbjuda en användarvänlig upplevelse för användarna utan också att möjliggöra för företag att på ett enkelt sätt hantera sina erbjudanden. Dessa insatser syftar till att skapa en plattform som är lättanvänd samtidigt som den möter företagens behov och användarnas förväntningar.The project focuses on developing the front-end for a mobile application with a coupon management system (CMS), where companies can contribute their offers and users can benefit from these digital coupon To ensure a user-friendly design, usability tests including time measurement tests and the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) have been conducted. These methods are employed to evaluate the user experience. The results show that the prototype meets the basic requirements for a functioning CMS and user tests confirmed a good user experience. The discussion of the results indicates that the application handles coupon management for both companies and users. Although the prototype is functional, there is room for improvements, such as adding more features and optimizing the interface. By introducing digital coupons, this project aims not only to provide a user-friendly experience for users but also for companies to manage their offers. These efforts aimed at creating a platform that is easy to use while meeting the needs and expectations of both companies and users
Harmonizing patient-centric requirements for secure digital health services in heterogeneous settings
No full textImplementing electronic health services with a patient-centric focus while adapting to the know-how of local contexts is a challenge. This paper addresses this challenge by establishing a template of modular requirements for designing a viable Electronic Health Record (EHR) system that enables transmission and sharing of patient data across primary, secondary, and specialized care, ensuring versatility in diverse healthcare environments and across varying socio-economic landscapes. The research is anchored in design science and employs an action research strategy, using northern Brazil as empirical case. The approach builds on generic requirements from standards established by the European Union, Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR), and the Swedish ePrescription journal system. These requirements are refined and adapted to the Brazilian context through a participatory method, considering development disparities across municipalities and aligning with national policy. A key feature is the integration of knowledge graphs, which, when combined with fieldwork iterations involving healthcare professionals and patient association representatives, facilitated the extraction of patient-centric requirements. Strategies from Brazilian healthcare policies targeting chronic kidney disease, selected as a significant challenge for specialized healthcare in emergent areas, were incorporated to generalize the design of EHR modules aimed at prevention and monitoring of population at risk. Results support that harmonization towards legacy system is strongly advised and discourage the introduction of systems designed from scratch
An empirical investigation of the impact of architectural smells on software maintainability
No full textIn recent years, interest in the potential influence of architectural smells on software maintainability has grown. Yet, empirical evidence directly linking maintainability quality attributes — such as modularity and testability — with architectural smells is scarce. This study analyzes seven architectural smells across 378 versions of eight open-source projects. We developed a tool to gather data on architectural smells, associated projects, and package-level quality attributes. The empirical findings reinforce that certain architectural smells indeed correlate with specific quality attributes - a notion previously backed merely by argument. Most architectural smells negatively correlated with project-level testability but not project-level modularity. While there is not a consistent negative correlation with testability at the package level, many smells display a pronounced negative association with the maintainability quality attributes.