Mid Sweden University
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Automated Evaluation of Reuse-Based Content Generationin Game Software Engineering
No full textContext: Procedural content generation (PCG) is widely usedin game development as an automated alternative tomanually crafting game content such as level layouts andenemies. Recent studies have suggested that Reuse-basedContent Generation (RCG), which modifies and recombinesexisting content, may produce content that provides a betterplayer experience. However, the RCG approach has not beenthoroughly explored in terms of software quality attributessuch as complexity and testability.Objective: This thesis aimed to compare PCG and RCG interms of software quality by evaluating generated enemyattack behaviors in a custom-built 2D platformer game interms of cyclomatic- and cognitive complexity.Method: To evaluate the generated code, an analysis toolwas developed, integrating SonarQube to measurecyclomatic complexity and cognitive complexity. Data werecollected across several generations of attacks generatedthrough PCG and RCG, allowing for comparisons betweenthe initial generation and subsequent generations.Results: Results indicated a positive trend in cyclomatic- andcognitive complexity over time using RCG. However, mostRCG generations did not differ significantly from the initialgeneration, indicating that the changes in complexityaccumulate slowly. Regarding testability, coverage andmutation score analysis proved difficult to applymeaningfully in the context of this particular game, and inLibGDX in general.Conclusions: Our observations suggest that software qualityattributes may be valuable for evaluating content producedby RCG, but also underline methodological challenges inautomating such evaluation, particularly regarding coverageand mutation scor
Identifiering av tillskottsvatten med modellbaserad analys : – En fallstudie från Järpen
No full textTillskottsvatten i spillvattennätet kan leda till överbelastning och bräddningar, vilket riskerar att påverka miljön negativt såsom övergödning, syrebrist och spridning av föroreningar, vilket i sin tur kan leda till minskad biologisk mångfald och dålig vattenkvalitet. Den här studien har undersökt hur nederbörd, i form av regn, hänger ihop med ökade flöden i spillvattennätet i Järpen, Åre kommun. Analysen omfattar tre områden: Järpen avloppsreningsverk, Gamla bron pumpstation och Jämtfrakt pumpstation. Med hjälp av en kombination av olika metoder har tillskottsvatten delats upp i snabb regnpåverkan, trög regnpåverkan och grundvattenpåverkan. Resultaten visar att det finns en tidsfördröjning på 2–4 timmar innan spillvattenflödet ökar efter regn, vilket innebär att flödesnivåerna stiger med en fördröjning efter att regnet börjat. I Järpen och delområdet Jämtfrakt dominerar grundvattenpåverkan, medan delområdet Gamla bron framför allt påverkas av trög regnpåverkan och en större del snabb regnpåverkan. Jämtfrakt sticker ut med hög belastning i förhållande till antal personer i området. Alla områdena uppvisar generellt en stor andel trög regnpåverkan. Studien en bra bild av hur tillskottsvatten varierar mellan områden och hur detta kan användas i framtida planering. Baserat på resultaten föreslås åtgärder som tätning av ledningar, kontroll av felkopplingar och användning av öppna dagvattenlösningar. En reducering av tillskottsvatten i spillvattenledningarna kan bidra till att uppfylla miljökvalitetsnormerna och förbättra både den ekologiska och kemiska statusen i sjön Liten, som påverkas av bräddningar från spillvattennätet i Järpen. Inflow and infiltration in sanitary sewer systems can lead to overloading and overflows, which may have negative environmental impacts such as eutrophication, oxygen deficiency and the spread of pollutants, which in turn can lead to reduced biodiversity and poor water quality. This study investigates the relationship between rainfall and increased flow in the sewer system in Järpen, Åre municipality. The analysis covers three areas: Järpen wastewater treatment plant, Gamla bron pump station, and Jämtfrakt pump station. Using a combination of various methods, additional water has been categorized into three components: rapid rain response, delayed rain response, and groundwater infiltration. The results show a time lag of 2–4 hours between rainfall and the observed increase in sewer flow, meaning that flow levels rise 2-4 hours after the onset of rain. Groundwater infiltration dominates in Järpen and Jämtfrakt, while Gamla bron is primarily affected by delayed rain response and shows a greater share of rapid rain response. Jämtfrakt stands out with a high load relative to the number of residents in the area. All areas generally show a large share of delayed rain response. The study provides a useful overview of how inflow and infiltration vary between areas and how this information can support future planning. Based on the results, measures such as pipe sealing, inspection of illegal connections, and implementation of open stormwater solutions are recommended. Reducing inflow and infiltration in the sewer system can contribute to meeting environmental quality standards and improve both the ecological and chemical status of Lake Liten, which is affected by sewer overflows in Järpen
Role of Lignin in Hot-Pressing of Paper : Insights from Molecular Simulations and Experiments
No full textImproving the mechanical properties of wood and paper is crucial for enhancing their performance in structural and packaging applications. A particularly effective method for increasing strength is hot-pressing, where lignin softening has been proposed as a key mechanism underlying improved fiber bonding. In this study, we investigated the deformation behavior of Norway spruce lignin across temperatures of approximately 25-300 degrees C and moisture contents of 0-25 wt % using molecular dynamics simulations and paper hot-pressing experiments. We simulated key mechanical paper properties, including Young's modulus, glass transition temperature, and the diffusivity of water and lignin chains. Experimental results showed a pronounced increase in wet strength above 175 degrees C, which correlated with lignin softening and enhanced fiber-fiber bonding in the simulations. Our findings highlight the ability of molecular simulations to elucidate the mechanisms of lignin-driven bonding and provide a foundation for optimizing the use of lignin-rich materials in various applications
Haunting homes : Tracing the lingering afterlives of violence in the domestic
No full textThe home, and domesticity, is not only central in the Western imaginary blurring the lines between domestic space and individuality, but the home can also be seen as an extension of the self, a scaffold to which we construct and critique our identity, built of mirror as well as mortar. But homes are also inherently haunted, dyschronous and disjointed from time, where the present wavers with ghosts of both past and future. Using the haunted house as a conceptual metaphor, this paper aims to delineate a framework to encapsulate and understand lingering afterlives of violence in both literal as well as conceptual ‘homes’. Exploring haunted houses as both literal figurative sites, we map out the frame of this metaphor using two examples, exploring both the meaning of ‘haunted’ as well as the structural scaffold of the house itself as it relates to afterlives of violence. Reading the Swedish People’s Home as a form of ‘haunted house’, we explore the effects of lingering violence built into the very foundations of this home, now making its return. We also explore how the analytical framework of the haunted house can be used to conceptualise the displacing effects of climate weirding, using the town of Acerado as an example, tracing the haunting effects of solastalgia and its asynchronic relationship with home. These examples are used to illustrate how our proposed framework can be used both to deconstruct the bones of the haunted house, as well as the ghosts haunting it. This does not only provide us with a lens to identify cultural, social or political trauma embedded in actual as well as symbolic structures, but it also allows us to challenge the boundaries of our ‘homes’; challenging deep-held notions of privilege and power, allowing us to identify and dismantle structures of inequality and oppression
Coding the Compromise: C, Rust, and the Developer's Trilemma : Safety, Performance, and Complexity Trade-offs in Stack Overflow Discussions
No full textThis study investigates how developers navigate the inherent trade-offs between safety, performance, and complexity in systems programming languages, specifically comparing C and Rust communities through their discussions on Stack Overflow. Using a mixed methods approach combining Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) for computational topic modeling with Grounded Theory for qualitative analysis, 431 C posts and 573 Rust posts dating from 2015 to 2025 were examined. The research identifies fundamentally different orientations toward trade-offs between the two communities. C developers approach optimization from a performance-first perspective, actively constructing safety boundaries within performance constraints, guided by hardware-centric mental models. In contrast, Rust developers begin from a safety-first position, selectively relaxing safety guarantees when performance requires it, guided by ownership-aware abstractions. An integrated theoretical model called the Orientation-Shifted Triangle is presented, illustrating how language design fundamentally shapes developer reasoning processes and trade-off navigation strategies. Despite these contrasting orientations, both communities demonstrate a strong emphasis on empirical validation of optimization decisions. These findings have significant implications for language designers, development teams managing cross-language projects, and developer education programs. The research contributes to the understanding of how programming language design influences not just what developers can do, but how they think about and conceptualize engineering trade-offs in systems programming
Digitala hälsodeklarationer inom försäkringsbranschen
No full textDigitalization has transformed the insurance industry, where more and more processes are shifting from traditional, manual methods to digital solutions. A notable aspect of this change is the transition from paper-based to digital health declarations, which can streamline risk assessments and improve the user experience. At the same time, challenges arise regarding how the design and security of these systems affect users’ willingness to share sensitive health information. This exploratory case study investigates user experience and trust in digital health declarations within the insurance industry compared to traditional paper-based forms. Through semi-structured interviews with seven insurance customers and five industry experts, the study identifies factors influencing users’ willingness and accuracy when sharing their health information. The results suggest that digital forms are perceived positively by most users. Users find digital health declarations quicker, clearer, and easier than paper forms, thus increasing the likelihood of providing accurate information. A crucial factor is the sense of security provided by BankID authentication and clear data protection, making users comfortable sharing sensitive information. Additionally, features like automatic validation, clear language, and progress indicators improve user experience and data quality. The study also highlights the importance of organizational support and collaboration. Without active management support and effective cross-departmental cooperation, digitalization may not reach its full potential. In conclusion, digital health declarations hold significant potential to streamline processes for both customers and insurers, provided that systems are designed with user needs and security in focus, while still offering solutions for users who prefer paper-based forms
Eliminating Trust in the Cloud: Evaluation of a ZeroKnowledge Encrypted Git Service
No full textCloud computing has become a cornerstone of moderntechnology, offering on-demand and scalable access toshared computational resources. As critical infrastructureincreasingly migrates to cloud environments, concernsregarding data privacy and security have intensified. Usersare frequently required to trust service providers despitepotential risks such as unauthorized access, insider threatsand data breaches. This thesis presents Git as a use-case oftrust-dependent cloud services and investigates the potentialof a zero-knowledge encrypted Git service on trust, securityand performance. A prototype (Zero-Knowledge Git - ZKGit) was designed to enforce zero-knowledge serviceprinciples at the application layer by encrypting repositorycontents and metadata on the client side, and automatingkey distribution across users and workstations, under theassumption of a fully covert adversary with complete accessto the cloud infrastructure. The prototype’s security featuresand performance characteristics were evaluated incomparison with existing secure Git solutions. Although theZK Git prototype incurs moderate resource overhead duringpush operations, it consistently enhances confidentiality andprivacy across all repository operations by eliminating servertrust dependencies. Notably, the ZK Git prototypeoutperforms the standard Git client in terms of executiontime during clone and fetch operations. These findingshighlight the effectiveness of trustless version control and theapplication of zero-knowledge
Ledarskap i kris : Om det engagerade ledarskapets påverkan och utmaningar i kommunal krisledning
No full textSyftet med denna studie har varit att undersöka det engagerade ledarskapets påverkan och utmaning i kommunal krisledning. Utifrån det geografiska områdesansvaret har kommunen ett långtgående ansvar i att hantera kriser som uppstår inom dess geografiska gränser. För att kunna hantera detta uppdrag på bästa sätt behövs ett engagerat ledarskap som leder arbetet. Genom denna studie studeras detta ledarskap genom att rikta fokus mot personer som verkar i skärningspunkten mellan den operativa hanteringen och den samverkande och samordnande rollen i kommunal krisledning. Studien genomfördes i form av semi-strukturerade Appreciative Inquiry-intervjuer med syfte att identifiera positiva erfarenheter hos ledare med erfarenhet av att leda krishantering i kommunal kontext. Genom tematisk analys identifierades sex huvudkategorier som kännetecknande för det kommunala krisledaruppdraget och utifrån dessa studerades också hur det engagerade ledarskapet påverkar och utmanas i kommunal krisledning innan, under och efter krisen. Studien visade på flera faktorer i intervjuerna som bedöms ha stor påverkan på att möjliggöra ett engagerat ledarskap i kommunal krisledning.The purpose of this study was to examine the impact and challenges of engaged leadership in municipal crisis management. Based on the geographical area responsibility, the municipality has a far-reaching obligation to handle crises that arise within its geographical boundaries. To effectively manage this task, engaged leadership is required to lead the efforts. This study focuses on individuals who operate at the intersection between operational crisis handling and the collaborative and coordinating role in municipal crisis management. The study was conducted using semi-structured Appreciative Inquiry interviews to identify positive experiences among municipal crisis leaders. Through thematic analysis, six main categories were identified as characteristic of municipal crisis leadership. Based on these, the study identified how engaged leadership influences and is challenged in municipal crisis management before, during, and after a crisis. The study highlighted several factors from the interviews that were deemed to have a significant impact on enabling engaged leadership in municipal crisis management
Självstyrande verksamheters strategier : Ett minskat gap av olika riktningar för en systemgemensam vision och en rättssäker och effektiv förvaltning av ett samhällsviktigt uppdrag
No full textSyftet med den här empiriska studien var att bidra med kunskap om hur självstyrande verksamheter inom offentlig förvaltning parerar ett gemensamt uppdrag inom det systemgemensamma delarna. Detta i förhållande till den egna verksamhetens idéer och för vem det skapar värde. Med de självstyrande verksamheterna i den här studien avses Sveriges 24 fristående a-kassor som har systemgemensamt syfte, att utföra ett samhällsuppdrag. För att avgränsa studien och för att besvara syftet ställdes frågor om hur de självstyrande verksamheterna beskriver sin strategiska roll inom det systemgemensamma uppdraget samt hur de beskriver kvalitetsutveckling till bästa möjliga kostnadseffektivitet, inom det systemgemensamma delarna. I den här studiens forskningsdesign bestod ramen för insamling av data av självstyrande verksamheter som också har ett systemgemensamt uppdrag (ett fenomen snarare än ett fall), och analysen av data inspirerades av konstruktivistisk grundad teori. Studien antog ett kvalitativt induktivt angreppsätt då teori grundas i den empiri som utvanns från fokusgrupper. De självstyrande verksamheterna beskriver sin strategiska roll och kvalitetsutveckling till bästa möjliga kostnadseffektivitet, inom det systemgemensamma uppdraget både enligt linjärt tänkande och systemtänkande och det finns därför ett identifierat gap i den här studien. Gapet varierar beroende på de olika delarna som har betydelse för ett system. För att ett system ska hålla ihop så behöver det en rad grundförutsättningar som exempelvis kort- och långsiktiga strategier, välgrundade värderingar, en gemensam vision, och mål. Det identifierade gapet kan utgöra en grund för att klargöra om det finns behov till förändring och förbättring i de systemgemensamma delarna i en verksamhet. Värdet i studien ligger i betraktarens öga och i ett intresse av förändringsbenägenhet.The aim of this empirical study was to contribute knowledge about how self-governing operations within public administration navigate a common mission in relation to the system shared components. This is in relation to the ideas of their own operations and for whom they create value. The self-governing operations referred to in this study are Sweden's 24 independent unemployment insurance funds that have a system-shared purpose: to carry out a societal mission. To narrow down the study and to answer the purpose, questions were posed about how the self-governing operations describe their strategic role within the system-shared mission, as well as how they describe quality development for the best possible cost effectiveness within the system-shared components. In the research design of this study, the framework for data collection consisted of self-managing activities that also have a system wide mission (a phenomenon rather than a case), and the data analysis was inspired by constructivist grounded theory. The study adopted a qualitative inductive approach as theory is grounded in the empirical data derived from focus groups. The self-managing activities describe their strategic role and quality development for the best possible cost-effectiveness, within the system-wide mission both according to linear thinking and systems thinking, and therefore there is a gap identified in this study. For a system to hold together, it requires a number of fundamental conditions such as short- and long-term strategies, well-founded values, shared visions, and goals. The identified gap can serve as a basis for clarifying whether there is a need for change and improvement in the shared systems parts of an organization.The value in the study lies in the eye of the beholder and in an interest in a willingness to change