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Seriality in the Streaming Era
No full textSeriality in the Streaming Era explores the dynamic transformation of serialized storytelling in the digital era, where platforms like Netflix, Disney+, and Apple Podcasts have redefined how narratives are created, consumed, and experienced. This book examines the profound impact of streaming technologies on both fictional and nonfictional series, offering an in-depth analysis of how these formats have evolved. Drawing from case studies across a wide range of media-from television to podcasts, and social media platforms like Facebook and Snapchat-this book highlights how serialized storytelling has adapted to diverse formats and consumption habits. The authors explore key trends such as platform-specific narrative structures, audience engagement, and the blending of genres in both entertainment and journalism. With a focus on both the aesthetic and functional shifts in seriality, the book offers theoretical insights into the future of storytelling in a media landscape increasingly shaped by data-driven strategies and audience participation. Furthermore, the book tackles how seriality navigates the delicate balance between creativity and commercial demands. As a significant contribution, the book features interviews with key industry professionals in the field of serial media production. Seriality in the Streaming Era is an essential resource for scholars, students, and industry professionals, as well as anyone curious about the evolving role of serialized narratives in shaping modern media culture.</p
A Speech-Based Interface for Human-Robot Interaction in Sterilization Centers:An Industrial Experience Report
No full textSterilization centers play a fundamental role in hospitals worldwide and are responsible for disinfecting and washing contaminated equipment used in surgical and other medical procedures. The staff is in close contact with contaminated equipment and rely on robotic systems to perform tasks in the sterilization centers. In the AL10 system developed by KEN Hygiene Systems, the staff currently uses a tablet, which poses the risk of cross-contamination. This paper reports on our experience employing automatic speech recognition and large language models to enable users to effectively communicate with the AL10 system through voice commands instead. The developed speech-based interface is designed as an offline add-on module to the AL10 system and allows users to specify tasks with minimal language constraints. We evaluated the solution with end users in a real-world environment at a Danish hospital and the results highlighted that they were optimistic about the new system, indicating its potential to be deployed as a product in the sterilization centers operated by KEN. Overall, our solution provides a significant contribution by investigating the potential of offline speech-based interfaces in the context of healthcare robotic systems
Empathy in care work
No full textEmpathy is widely recognised as fundamental to care work, professional ethics, and well-being promotion. This chapter explores the roles of empathy in the work of welfare professionals, particularly in eldercare, focusing on phenomenological and ethical perspectives. While empathy can facilitate deeper understanding, enhance communication, and foster trust, it also has potential downsides, including emotional exhaustion and bias. In addition, psychological and social factors can hinder empathy. The chapter examines these complexities, illustrating how empathy can both enhance and hinder ethical care work. Using qualitative data from the “Elderly Well-Being and Alcohol: A Tricky Cocktail” project in Denmark, we demonstrate empathy’s role in professional caregiving. We argue that empathy is indispensable but must be supplemented with metacognition, emotional awareness, and flexible perspective-taking to avoid its pitfalls. The chapter advocates for a nuanced approach, balancing empathy’s benefits with strategies to mitigate its risks, thereby promoting ethically sound and sustainable care work. Ultimately, understanding empathy’s manifold nature is crucial for fostering well-being competence among care professionals.</p
Shifting responsibility to the workers –interpretations of work environment regulation in Greenlandic companies
Get PDFHow do managers and workers make sense of reflexive work environment regulation with relatively abstract formulation of duties for risk assessment and division of responsibility? This question is little studied in research and we contribute to the answer by examining responses to work environment regulation in Greenland. The country is undergoing rapid modernization with a transition from a culture rooted in hunting and fishing to one based on salaried employment. A key milestone in this process is the establishment of Greenlandic Self-Government but work environment regulation remains under Danish jurisdiction. Consequently, companies in Greenland face the challenge of implementing legislation developed for the Danish labour market. We have through in depth case studies investigated how Greenlandic managers and workers interpret the reflexive regulatory requirements for risk assessment and employer responsibility. The results show that they tend to minimize risk and consider the responsibility rather opaque. Managers shift responsibility to workers when they delegate work tasks, and the workers accept this responsibility. Subsequently, if an accidents do occur, workers attribute the accidents to their own failed behaviour. In an era of increasing globalization and growing political pressure for regulation, the implications of this study extend beyond Greenland by showing the constraints for implementation of requirements from the reflexive regulation dominating Europe. We expect similar sensemaking challenges to be present in other resource constrained contexts. For practice the study indicates the need for regulators and employers to tailor work environment regulation and management to the specific labour market and cultural context
On the k-linkage problem for generalizations of semicomplete digraphs
No full textA directed graph (digraph) D is k-linked if |D|≥2k, and for any 2k distinct vertices x1,…,xk,y1,…,yk of D, there exist vertex-disjoint paths P1,…,Pk such that Pi is a path from xi to yi for each i∈[k]. In 1980, Thomassen conjectured that there exists a function f(k) such that every f(k)-strong digraph is k-linked. He later disproved this conjecture by showing that f(2) does not exist for general digraphs and proved that the function f(k) exists for the class of tournaments. In this paper we consider a large class D of digraphs which includes all semicomplete digraphs (digraphs with no pair of non-adjacent vertices) and all quasi-transitive digraphs (a digraph D is quasi-transitive if for any three vertices x,y,z of D, whenever xy and yz are arcs, then x and z are adjacent). We prove that every 3k-strong digraph D∈D with minimum out-degree at least 23k is k-linked. A digraph D is l-quasi-transitive if whenever there is a path of length l between vertices u and v in D the vertices u and v are adjacent. Hence 2-quasi-transitive digraphs are exactly the quasi-transitive digraphs. We prove that there is a function f(k,l) so that every f(k,l)-strong l-quasi-transitive digraph is k-linked. The main new tool in our proofs significantly strengthens an important property of vertices with maximum in-degree in a tournament. While Landau in 1953 already proved that such a vertex v is reachable by all other vertices by paths of length at most 2, we show that, in fact, the structure of these paths is much richer. In general there are many such paths for almost all out-neighbors of v and this property is crucial in our proofs.</p
The Effect of the Timing of Emotional Expression on Robot Persuasiveness
No full textThis paper presents an analysis of the effects of the timing of emotional expression in human-robot interaction, exploring the hypothesis that emotional expression in human conversation is largely a matter of social practice and hence conventionally required at specific places in dialog. To identify when and how humans express emotions while speaking, a pre-study was carried out in which participants produced the robot’s utterances in dialog with another human interaction partner. Two coders analyzed participants’ non-verbal behaviors in these dialogs and translated these into non-verbal behaviors of the robot. A between-subject experiment was then carried out in which participants evaluated a social robot that provided emotional expression either after its utterances or based on the timing of emotional expression by human speakers. Participants evaluated the robot’s competence, warmth and their discomfort in the interaction, and responded to two behavioral variables that provide evidence of the robot’s persuasiveness. The results show that participants consistently produce emotional expression at similar places in dialog, confirming the conventional nature of emotional expression, but reveal only subtle effects on human-robot interaction.</p
Predicting response to medical treatment of inflammatory bowel disease using transcriptomic methods on intestinal biopsies:a prospective cohort study of personalised medicine
No full textInflammatorisk tarmsygdom (IBD) er en betegnelse, der dækker over colitis ulcerosa (UC) og Crohns sygdom (CD). UC er kendetegnet ved kronisk betændelse, der er begrænset til tyktarmen og endetarmen. I modsætning hertil kan betændelse i CD påvirke hele mave-tarmkanalen, men diagnoseres primært i tyndtarmen og tyktarmen. Patienter med IBD behandles med immunosuppressive eller steroidbehandlinger, og når disse ikke virker, anvendes målrettet biologiskbehandling i form af Tumor necrosis factor hæmmer (anti-TNF). Men op til 50 % af disse patienter opnår ikke bedring efter behandlingen. Selvom der er foreslået flere biologiske indikator til at forudsige behandlingsrespons, vil profilering af sygdomsvævets danne nye indsigter i molekylæresignaturer og mekanismer, der ligger til grund for anti-TNF-behandlingen responset i patienter med CD og UC. Derfor havde dette ph.d.-forskningsprojekt til formål at identificere prædikative biologiske indikator for anti-TNF-behandlings respons hos patienter med CD og UC og at analyserebehandlingsrelaterede molekylære og cellulære ændringer. I Studie I brugte vi tyktarm vævsprøver fra BELIEVE-kohorten fra 19 patienter med CD og 20patienter med UC. Biopsierne blev taget før og 14-16 uger efter anti-TNF-behandling. Omicsanalyser blev udført i form af transcriptomics (total RNA-seq), proteomics og metabolomics (LCMS/MS). Differentielt genudtryk, analyse af signaleringsveje og biomarkørvurdering blev brugt tilat klassificere responsspecifikke signaturer i hver sygdomsgruppe. I studie II udførte vi total RNAseq til at analysere parrede biopsier fra 13 patienter med UC og sammenlige gen udtrykket før og 14uger efter behandlingen. Derudover blev der udført single-cell analyser på parrede biopsier fra to patienter. Vi integrerede single-cell og RNA-seq-data ved hjælp af RNA-dekonvolution og analyser af signalveje for at identificere cellulære og transkriptionelle ændringer efter behandling. I studie I udviste UC non-responders vedvarende opregulerede immune og ekstracellulære matrixassocierede gener og signalveje på begge tidspunkter. I modsætning af UC udviste CD nonresponders opregulerede immunveje før behandling og delvis transkriptionel opløsning efter antiTNF-behandling. Derudover blev 31 tidligere foreslåede biologiske indikator vurderet som prædiktorer for respons på anti-TNF-behandling, og flere blev opreguleret hos UC patienter som ikke responder, mens kun nogle få blev opreguleret hos CD patienter som ikke responder. Der blevikke observeret nogen signifikant forskel på protein og metabolit data. Transkriptionelle fund blev gentaget i eksterne datasæt. Flere af de gener, der blev identificeret i UC-datasættet, viste konsistente ekspressions mønstre i det eksterne datasæt, mens CD-fund viste lav reproducerbarhed ide eksterne datasæt. I Studie II, efter behandling, identificerede total RNA-sekventering 20 signifikant gener, herunder nedregulerede inflammatoriske gener og histon-kodende transkripter, desuden viste analysen af signalveje at flere af immun signaliserings veje var nedregulerede. Single-cell analyser identificerede 14 celletyper. Efter behandlingen blev der observeret en reduktion af immunceller og en udvidelse af epitelceller. Derudover bekræftede vejanalyse reduceret TNF/NF-κB-signalering og forbedret epitelregenerering. RNA-dekonvolution validerede disse tendenser i det større RNA datasæt, dog med nedsat opløsning. Resultaterne af denne afhandling afslører sygdomsspecifikke mekanismer for anti-TNF-behandling,hvor UC non-responders er karakteriseret ved vedvarende immun- og ekstracellulærmatrixnedbrydning i tyktarmsbiopsier, i modsætning til CD non-responders. Derudover vistemolekylære og cellulære ændringer induceret af anti-TNF-terapi reducerede inflammatoriske gener, veje og immuncelleoverflod med øget epitelgenopretning efter TNF-terapi. Selvom vores resultater er lovende, kræver de validering i en større kohorte for at fastslå klinisk betydning og relevans.Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is an umbrella term covering Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn’s Disease (CD). UC is characterised by inflammation restricted to the colon and rectum. In contrast, inflammation in CD can affect the entire gastrointestinal tract but is primarily found in the small intestine and colon. Patients with IBD are treated with immunosuppressive/steroid treatments and, when these fail, targeted biological therapy in the form of tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (anti-TNF) is used. However, up to 50 % of these patients do not achieve remission after receiving anti-TNF therapy. Additionally, while several biomarkers have been proposed for predicting therapy response, profiling molecular signatures in CD and UC offers novel insight into mechanisms underlying anti-TNF therapy response. Therefore, this PhD research project aimed to identify predictive biomarkers for anti-TNF therapy response in patients with CD and UC and to analyse therapy-associated molecular and cellular changes. In Study I, we used mucosal colon biopsies from the BELIEVE cohort from 19 patients with CD and 20 patients with UC. Biopsies were taken before and 14-16 weeks following anti-TNF therapy. Omics analysis was done in the form of transcriptomics (total RNA-seq), proteomics, and metabolomics (LC-MS/MS). Differential gene expression, gene set enrichment analysis and biomarker assessment were used to classify response-specific signatures in each disease group. In Study II, we performed longitudinal analysis on mucosal biopsies from patients with UC receiving anti-TNF therapy. Total RNA-seq was used to analyse paired biopsies from 13 patients with UC before and 14 weeks following anti-TNF therapy. Additionally, single-cell analysis was performed on paired mucosal biopsies from two patients. We integrated single-cell and RNA-seq data using RNA deconvolution and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to identify cellular and transcriptional changes following therapy. In Study I, UC non-responders exhibited persistent upregulated immune and extracellular matrixassociated genes and pathways at both time points. In contrast, CD non-responders presented upregulated immune pathway pre-therapy and partial transcriptional resolve post anti-TNF therapy. Additionally, 31 previously suggested biomarkers were assessed as predictors for anti-TNF therapy response; several were upregulated in UC non-responders at both time points, while only a few were upregulated in CD non-responders. No significant difference was observed in the proteomics and metabolomics data. Transcriptional findings were replicated in external microarray datasets. Several of the genes identified in the UC dataset showed consistent expression patterns in the external dataset, whereas CD findings demonstrated low reproducibility in the external datasets. In Study II, post-therapy, total RNA-sequencing identified 20 significantly differentially expressed genes, including downregulated inflammatory genes and histone-encoding transcripts, in addition to several downregulated immune pathways. Single-cell data identified 14 distinct cell types. Post therapy, a reduction in immune cells and expansion of epithelial cells was observed. Additionally, pathway analysis confirmed reduced TNF/NF-κB signalling and enhanced epithelial regeneration. RNA deconvolution validated these trends in the larger bulk dataset, though with diminished resolution. The findings of this thesis reveal disease-specific mechanisms of anti-TNF therapy, with UC nonresponders characterised by persistent immune and extracellular matrix degradation in colon biopsies, unlike CD non-responders. Additionally, molecular and cellular changes induced by antiTNF therapy revealed reduced inflammatory genes, pathways and immune cell abundance with increased epithelial recovery post TNF therapy. While our findings are promising, they require validation in a larger cohort to establish clinical significance and relevance.
Integrated approach for improving mechanical performance and EMI shielding of CFRE via surface-modified MXene
No full textAchieving high electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness alongside outstanding mechanical properties remains a notable challenge for carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy (CFRE) composites. Herein, an efficient method for interface modification is proposed to produce hybrid CFREs with enhanced EMI shielding capabilities and exceptional mechanical properties. This study introduces the fabrication of CFRE composites incorporating APTES-modified MXene sheets into the epoxy matrix (AM-CFRE), demonstrating significant improvements in structural integrity and EMI-shielding performance. Compared to pristine CFRE (P-CFRE), AM-CFRE exhibits enhanced mechanical properties with a 39.63%, 35.41%, 65.01%, 29.71%, 34.9%, and 34.21% increase in tensile strength, Young's modulus, tensile toughness, flexural strength, flexural modulus, and short beam strength, respectively. Furthermore, AM-CFRE demonstrates a ~50% improvement in EMI shielding effectiveness in the X-band compared to P-CFRE. The lightweight AM-CFRE structure, with strong mechanical strength and remarkable EMI shielding, shows great potential for various applications, particularly in protecting avionics within the aerospace and defense industries. Highlights: MXene was synthesized via HF etching, and its surface was modified with APTES. Hybrid CFRE was made with an epoxy system containing surface-modified MXene. Exceptional mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties were achieved in Hybrid CFRE. AM-CFRE achieves EMI shielding effectiveness of 25.36 dB in the X-band.</p
Personalized Social Proof for Persuasive Human-Robot Interaction
No full textDehydration is an important challenge, especially in elderly care. This study investigates the effects of a verbal statement of personalized social proof, i.e., an utterance that evokes participants’ gender identity, on the persuasiveness of a robot when encouraging people to drink more. In the scenario used, the robot suggests participants to drink more water once over the course of a 10–15 min interaction. At the end of the experiment, while filling out a questionnaire, participants who heard the utterance containing personalized social proof drink significantly more water than those who did not hear a persuasive utterance. Also the evaluation of the robot is influenced by the persuasive message. Thus, appealing to participants’ social identity when evoking social proof is effective in verbal human-robot interaction
Geospatial Insights on the EuroHPC Supercomputing Ecosystem
No full textSupercomputers and high-performance computing in general are increasingly important in science, innovation, and development. With this importance in mind, the research note presents a few relevant geospatial insights on the European supercomputing ecosystem built around EuroHPC, a legal and funding entity created by the European Union (EU). The focus of the insights presented is on the geographic locations of the EuroHPC’s supercomputers as well as the geographic locations of scientific and other organizations having used the supercomputers. In addition, a few relevant observations are made with respect to funded science projects to which the EuroHPC ecosystem has participated