Emotional reactivity at 12 months in very preterm infants born at <29 weeks of gestation.

The present study evaluated the socio-emotional development of very preterm born infants at 12 months corrected age. Forty-one infants born very preterm (<29 weeks of gestation) were compared to 22 infants born full term on a standardized behavioral assessment and a parental temperament questionnaire, both measuring emotional reactivity to joy, anger and fear, as well as sustained attention. The behavioral assessment showed that very preterm infants exhibited as much joy as full term infants during a joy-eliciting episode. However, they expressed a significantly higher reactivity in anger-eliciting situations and a reduced reactivity toward fear-eliciting situations. For all three emotion-eliciting situations, the preterm infants reacted with a higher level of motor activity. The preterm infants also exhibited a distinct attention pattern with a significantly higher initial attention level which declined rapidly throughout the episode. The questionnaire did not show any group differences. The clinical relevance of these results in terms of preliminary hallmarks of later behavioral difficulties such attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder are discussed as well as the inconsistencies observed between the questionnaire and the behavioral assessment.

Effects of an early intervention on maternal post-traumatic stress symptoms and the quality of mother-infant interaction: The case of preterm birth

Preterm birth may represent a traumatic situation for both parents and a stressful situation for the infant, potentially leading to difficulties in mother-infant relationships. This study aimed to investigate the impact of an early intervention on maternal posttraumatic stress symptoms, and on the quality of mother-infant interactions, in a sample of very preterm infants and their mothers. Half of the very preterm infants involved in the study (n=26) were randomly assigned to a 3-step early intervention program (at 33 and 42 weeks after conception and at 4 months' corrected age). Both groups of preterm infants (with and without intervention) were compared to a group of full-term infants. The impact of the intervention on maternal posttraumatic stress symptoms was assessed 42 weeks after conception and when the infants were 4 and 12 months of age. The impact of the intervention on the quality of mother-infant interactions was assessed when the infants were 4 months old. Results showed a lowering of mothers' posttraumatic stress symptoms between 42 weeks and 12 months in the group of preterm infants who received the intervention. Moreover, an enhancement in maternal sensitivity and infant cooperation during interactions was found at 4 months in the group with intervention. In the case of a preterm birth, an early intervention aimed at enhancing the quality of the mother-infant relationship can help to alleviate maternal post-traumatic stress symptoms and may have a positive impact on the quality of mother-infant interactions.

First level ontology - case study

The file contains the ontology created and instantiated according to a case study as well as a little explanation of the framework in which it is included.

Taajuusmuuttajan ohjelmiston testaus

Tämän diplomityön tavoitteena oli kehittää menetelmiä ja ohjeitataajuusmuuttajan sulautetun ohjelmiston kehityksen aikaiseen testaukseen. Soveltuvia menetelmiä etsittiin tutkimalla laajasti kirjallisuutta sekä selvittämälläyrityksen testauskäytäntöä. Tutkittuja kirjallisuudesta löytyneitä menetelmä olivat testauskehykset, simulointi ja staattinen sekä automaattinen testaus. Kirjallisuudesta etsittiin myös menetelmiä, joiden avulla testausprosessia voidaan helpottaa tai muuten parantaa. Tällaisista menetelmistä tutkittiin muun muassa testidatan valintaa, testauslähtöistä kehitystä sekä testattavuuden parantamista. Lisäksi selvitettiin uudelleenkäytettävien testien ohjelmointiin soveltuvia ohjelmointikieliä. Haastatteluiden ja dokumentaation avulla saatiin hyvä käsitys yrityksessä vallitsevasta testauskäytännöstä sekä sen ongelmakohdista. Testauksen ongelmiksi havaittiin testausprosessin järjestelmällisyyden puute sekä tarve suunnittelijoiden testauskoulutukseen. Testausprosessin parantamiseksi esitetään moduulitestauskehyksen käyttöönottoa. Lisäksi suunnittelijoiden testauskoulutuksella arvioidaan olevan suuri vaikutus koko testausprosessiin. Testitapausten suunnitteluun esitetään menetelmiä, joiden avulla voidaan suunnitella kattavampia testejä.

Comparison of Griffiths-II and Bayley-II tests for the developmental assessment of high-risk infants.

INTRODUCTION: Two important risk factors for abnormal neurodevelopment are preterm birth and neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. The new revisions of Griffiths Mental Development Scale (Griffiths-II, [1996]) and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-II, [1993]) are two of the most frequently used developmental diagnostics tests. The Griffiths-II is divided into five subscales and a global development quotient (QD), and the BSID-II is divided into two scales, the Mental scale (MDI) and the Psychomotor scale (PDI). The main objective of this research was to establish the extent to which developmental diagnoses obtained using the new revisions of these two tests are comparable for a given child. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study of 18-months-old high-risk children examined with both tests in the follow-up Unit of the Clinic of Neonatology of our tertiary care university Hospital between 2011 and 2012. To determine the concurrent validity of the two tests paired t-tests and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients were computed. Using the BSID-II as a gold standard, the performance of the Griffiths-II was analyzed with receiver operating curves. RESULTS: 61 patients (80.3% preterm, 14.7% neonatal asphyxia) were examined. For the BSID-II the MDI mean was 96.21 (range 67-133) and the PDI mean was 87.72 (range 49-114). For the Griffiths-II, the QD mean was 96.95 (range 60-124), the locomotors subscale mean was 92.57 (range 49-119). The score of the Griffiths locomotors subscale was significantly higher than the PDI (p<0.001). Between the Griffiths-II QD and the BSID-II MDI no significant difference was found, and the area under the curve was 0.93, showing good validity. All correlations were high and significant with a Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient >0.8. CONCLUSIONS: The meaning of the results for a given child was the same for the two tests. Two scores were interchangeable, the Griffiths-II QD and the BSID-II MDI.

Notes on Emerging Technologies

This dissertation considers the impact of technology foresight in innovation within the context of a technology driven development. The main hypothesis made was that by using different methods of foresight in the industry level significant value could be created. The question was approached through a case study in portable fuel cell technology. The theoretical background of the study draws from Innovation, Product Development, Management of Technology, and Technology Foresight. The connection within the topics is made by analyzing foresight, not in a policy view as often done in Europe, but in a micro-level. Focusing mostly on how a technology driven development scenario could be analyzed. The study is based on a bibliometric, extrapolation and patent analysis within the context of a case study. In addition, a large two-year Delphi study was conducted. The study was finalized with a scenario work on the future possibilities of the case study technology. Original publications also consider several methodological issues. In the context of the case study, the study questions the practicality of establishing a portable fuel cell technology in Finland showing several impractical assumptions has been made. In a more conceptual level, the study makes notions on two underlying factors: policy-push technologies and growth of data. Policy-push questions in which level a policy effort towards a single technology is practical. The European foresight effort is more directed towards policy decisions in contrast to US foresight, which is to some extent corporate driven. Although the policy-based foresight has produced significant results in the European context, policy led efforts towards a single technology are challenging. Growth of data argues on the challenges produced by the large-scale application of quantitative measures of foresight. Bibliometric studies and trend extrapolations have been taken advantage of the increasing number of databases made available, and used these as the basis for forecasts. However, the relationship with actual development and quantitative evidence is still unproven.

Finna - Opening Access to Cultural Heritage and Scientific Information

Aki Lassilan esitys Europeana työpajassa 20.11.2012 Helsingissä.

Ensuring the efficient utilization of Business Intelligence

In recent years, chief information officers (CIOs) around the world have identified Business Intelligence (BI) as their top priority and as the best way to enhance their enterprises competitiveness. Yet, many enterprises are struggling to realize the business value that BI promises. This discrepancy causes important questions, for example: what are the critical success factors of Business Intelligence and, more importantly, how it can be ensured that a Business Intelligence program enhances enterprises competitiveness. The main objective of the study is to find out how it can be ensured that a BI program meets its goals in providing competitive advantage to an enterprise. The objective is approached with a literature review and a qualitative case study. For the literature review the main objective populates three research questions (RQs); RQ1: What is Business Intelligence and why is it important for modern enterprises? RQ2: What are the critical success factors of Business Intelligence programs? RQ3: How it can be ensured that CSFs are met? The qualitative case study covers the BI program of a Finnish global manufacturer company. The research questions for the case study are as follows; RQ4: What is the current state of the case company’s BI program and what are the key areas for improvement? RQ5: In what ways the case company’s Business Intelligence program could be improved? The case company’s BI program is researched using the following methods; action research, semi-structured interviews, maturity assessment and benchmarking. The literature review shows that Business Intelligence is a technology-based information process that contains a series of systematic activities, which are driven by the specific information needs of decision-makers. The objective of BI is to provide accurate, timely, fact-based information, which enables taking actions that lead to achieving competitive advantage. There are many reasons for the importance of Business Intelligence, two of the most important being; 1) It helps to bridge the gap between an enterprise’s current and its desired performance, and 2) It helps enterprises to be in alignment with key performance indicators meaning it helps an enterprise to align towards its key objectives. The literature review also shows that there are known critical success factors (CSFs) for Business Intelligence programs which have to be met if the above mentioned value is wanted to be achieved, for example; committed management support and sponsorship, business-driven development approach and sustainable data quality. The literature review shows that the most common challenges are related to these CSFs and, more importantly, that overcoming these challenges requires a more comprehensive form of BI, called Enterprise Performance Management (EPM). EPM links measurement to strategy by focusing on what is measured and why. The case study shows that many of the challenges faced in the case company’s BI program are related to the above-mentioned CSFs. The main challenges are; lack of support and sponsorship from business, lack of visibility to overall business performance, lack of rigid BI development process, lack of clear purpose for the BI program and poor data quality. To overcome these challenges the case company should define and design an enterprise metrics framework, make sure that BI development requirements are gathered and prioritized by business, focus on data quality and ownership, and finally define clear goals for the BI program and then support and sponsor these goals.

Ohjelmistotestauksen käytänteet Suomessa

Ohjelmistotestauksen merkitys on kasvanut sen mukaan mitä enemmän ohjelmisto-tuotteet vaikuttavat jokapäiväisesseen elämämme. Tämän vuoksi yritysten investointien ja laadunvarmentamisen yhteys on ilmeinen. Organisaatiot panostavat yhä enemmän ei–funktionaaliseen testaukseen, kuten turvallisuuden, suorituskyvyn ja käytettävyyden testaamiseen. Tämän työn tarkoituksena on tutkia ohjelmistotestauksen nykytilannetta Suomessa. Syy tähän on uudistaa ja parantaa ohjelmistotestauksen kurssitarjontaa Turun yliopistossa vastaamaan parhaalla mahdollisella tavalla yritysten tarvetta. Opinnäyte on toteutettu replikaatio-tutkimuksena. Pääosa kyselystä sisältää kysymyksiä ohjelmistotestauksen menetelmistä ja työkaluista testausprosessin toimintojen aikana. Lisäksi on yleisiä kysymyksiä yrityksistä ja niiden ohjelmistotestausympäristöistä. Kyselyssä otetaan myös kantaa yritysten käyttämiin monenlaisiin testaus-tasoihin, -tyyppeihin ja testauksessa kohdattuihin haasteisiin. Tämä opinnäyte perustuu testausprosessistandardeihin. Ohjelmistotestausstandardit ovat keskeisessä asemassa tässä työssä, vaikka ne ovat olleet viime aikoina vahvan kritiikin kohteena. Epäilys standardien välttämättömyyteen on syntynyt muutoksista ohjelmistokehityksessä. Tämä työ esittelee tulokset ohjelmistotestauksen käytännöistä. Tuloksia on verrattu aiheeseen liittyvän aiemman kyselyn (Lee, Kang, & Lee, 2011) tuloksiin. Ajanpuutteen havaitaan olevan suuri haaste ohjelmistotestauksessa. Ketterä ohjelmistokehitys on saavuttanut suosiota kaikissa vastaajien yrityksissä. Testauksen menetelmät ja työkalut testauksen arviointiin, suunnitteluun ja raportointiin ovat hyvin vähäisessä käytössä. Toisaalta testauksen menetelmien ja työkalujen käyttö automaattiseen testauksen toteuttamiseen ja virheiden hallintaan on lisääntynyt. Järjestelmä-, hyväksyntä-, yksikkö- ja integraatiotestaus ovat käytössä kaikkien vastaajien edustamissa yrityksissä. Kaikkien vastaajien mielestä regressio- sekä tutkiva- ja ei-funktionaalinen testaus ovat tärkeitä tekniikoita.

Développement logiciel par transformation de modèles

La recherche en génie logiciel a depuis longtemps tenté de mieux comprendre le processus de développement logiciel, minimalement, pour en reproduire les bonnes pratiques, et idéalement, pour pouvoir le mécaniser. On peut identifier deux approches majeures pour caractériser le processus. La première approche, dite transformationnelle, perçoit le processus comme une séquence de transformations préservant certaines propriétés des données à l’entrée. Cette idée a été récemment reprise par l’architecture dirigée par les modèles de l’OMG. La deuxième approche consiste à répertorier et à codifier des solutions éprouvées à des problèmes récurrents. Les recherches sur les styles architecturaux, les patrons de conception, ou les cadres d’applications s’inscrivent dans cette approche. Notre travail de recherche reconnaît la complémentarité des deux approches, notamment pour l’étape de conception: dans le cadre du développement dirigé par les modèles, nous percevons l’étape de conception comme l’application de patrons de solutions aux modèles reçus en entrée. Il est coutume de définir l’étape de conception en termes de conception architecturale, et conception détaillée. La conception architecturale se préoccupe d’organiser un logiciel en composants répondant à un ensemble d’exigences non-fonctionnelles, alors que la conception détaillée se préoccupe, en quelque sorte, du contenu de ces composants. La conception architecturale s’appuie sur des styles architecturaux qui sont des principes d’organisation permettant d’optimiser certaines qualités, alors que la conception détaillée s’appuie sur des patrons de conception pour attribuer les responsabilités aux classes. Les styles architecturaux et les patrons de conception sont des artefacts qui codifient des solutions éprouvées à des problèmes récurrents de conception. Alors que ces artefacts sont bien documentés, la décision de les appliquer reste essentiellement manuelle. De plus, les outils proposés n’offrent pas un support adéquat pour les appliquer à des modèles existants. Dans cette thèse, nous nous attaquons à la conception détaillée, et plus particulièrement, à la transformation de modèles par application de patrons de conception, en partie parce que les patrons de conception sont moins complexes, et en partie parce que l’implémentation des styles architecturaux passe souvent par les patrons de conception. Ainsi, nous proposons une approche pour représenter et appliquer les patrons de conception. Notre approche se base sur la représentation explicite des problèmes résolus par ces patrons. En effet, la représentation explicite du problème résolu par un patron permet : (1) de mieux comprendre le patron, (2) de reconnaître l’opportunité d’appliquer le patron en détectant une instance de la représentation du problème dans les modèles du système considéré, et (3) d’automatiser l’application du patron en la représentant, de façon déclarative, par une transformation d’une instance du problème en une instance de la solution. Pour vérifier et valider notre approche, nous l’avons utilisée pour représenter et appliquer différents patrons de conception et nous avons effectué des tests pratiques sur des modèles générés à partir de logiciels libres.

Fujaba Days 2011

Fujaba is an Open Source UML CASE tool project started at the software engineering group of Paderborn University in 1997. In 2002 Fujaba has been redesigned and became the Fujaba Tool Suite with a plug-in architecture allowing developers to add functionality easily while retaining full control over their contributions. Multiple Application Domains Fujaba followed the model-driven development philosophy right from its beginning in 1997. At the early days, Fujaba had a special focus on code generation from UML diagrams resulting in a visual programming language with a special emphasis on object structure manipulating rules. Today, at least six rather independent tool versions are under development in Paderborn, Kassel, and Darmstadt for supporting (1) reengineering, (2) embedded real-time systems, (3) education, (4) specification of distributed control systems, (5) integration with the ECLIPSE platform, and (6) MOF-based integration of system (re-) engineering tools. International Community According to our knowledge, quite a number of research groups have also chosen Fujaba as a platform for UML and MDA related research activities. In addition, quite a number of Fujaba users send requests for more functionality and extensions. Therefore, the 8th International Fujaba Days aimed at bringing together Fujaba develop- ers and Fujaba users from all over the world to present their ideas and projects and to discuss them with each other and with the Fujaba core development team.

Sadness in mothers’ ‘baby-talk’ predicts affective disorder in adolescent offspring

‘Baby-talk’ is common across cultures. It underpins infant vocal preferences, and helps regulate infant engagement. Its longer-term significance is unclear. In a longitudinal study, we found indications of ‘sadness’ in postnatally depressed mothers’ baby-talk statistically mediated effects of maternal depression on offspring adolescent affective disorder.

Interpretation of infant facial expression in the context of maternal postnatal depression

Postnatal maternal depression is associated with difficulties in maternal responsiveness. As most signals arising from the infant come from facial expressions one possible explanation for these difficulties is that mothers with postnatal depression are differentially affected by particular infant facial expressions. Thus, this study investigates the effects of postnatal depression on mothers’ perceptions of infant facial expressions. Participants (15 controls, 15 depressed and 15 anxious mothers) were asked to rate a number of infant facial expressions, ranging from very positive to very negative. Each face was shown twice, for a short and for a longer period of time in random order. Results revealed that mothers used more extreme ratings when shown the infant faces (i.e. more negative or more positive) for a longer period of time. Mothers suffering from postnatal depression were more likely to rate negative infant faces shown for a longer period more negatively than controls. The differences were specific to depression rather than an effect of general postnatal psychopathology—as no differences were observed between anxious mothers and controls. There were no other significant differences in maternal ratings of infant faces showed for short periods or for positive or neutral valence faces of either length. The findings that mothers with postnatal depression rate negative infant faces more negatively indicate that appraisal bias might underlie some of the difficulties that these mothers have in responding to their own infants signals.

Reframing 'crisis' in fair trade coffee production: trajectories of agrarian change in Nicaragua

A focus on crisis provides a methodological window to understand how agrarian change shapes producer engagement in fair trade. This orientation challenges a seperation between the market and development, situating fair trade within global processes that incorporate agrarian histories of social change and conflict. Reframing crisis as a condition of agrarian life, rather than emphasizing its cyclical manifestation within the global economy, reveals how market-driven development encompasses the material conditions of peoples' existence in ambiguous and contradictory ways. Drawing on the case of coffee production in Nicaragua, experiences of crisis demonstrate that greater attention needs to be paid to the socioeconomic and political dimensions of development within regional commodity assemblages to address entrenched power relations and unequal access to land and resources. This questions moral certainties when examining the paradox of working in and against the market, and suggests that a better understanding of specific trajectories of development could improve fair trade's objective of enhancing producer livelihoods.

Contributions of maternal and infant factors to infant responding to the Still Face paradigm: a longitudinal study

Early mother–infant interactions are characterised by periods of synchronous interaction that are interrupted by periods of mismatch; the experience of such mismatches and their subsequent repair is held to facilitate the development of infant self-regulatory capacities (Tronick, Als, Adamson, Wise, & Brazelton, 1978). Infant responding to such interactive challenge is assumed to be a function of both maternal behaviour and pre-existing infant characteristics. However, the latter has received relatively little attention. In a prospective longitudinal study of a sample comprising high and low adversity dyads (n = 122), we examined the contributions of both maternal sensitivity and neonatal irritability to infant behavioural and physiological responding to the interactive challenge of the Still Face paradigm. Results indicated that higher levels of maternal sensitivity were associated with more regulated infant behaviour during the Still Face paradigm. Neonatal irritability also predicted poorer behavioural and heart rate recovery following the Still Face challenge. Furthermore, there was an interaction such that irritable infants with insensitive mothers showed the worst behavioural outcomes. The findings highlight the importance of the interplay between maternal and infant characteristics in determining dyadic responding.