| 11. |
- Cenamor, Javier
(författare)
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Managing Platform-Mediated Ecosystems : Investigating ecosystem interdependencies and strategic choices
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The rapid and ubiquitous spread of information technologies (IT) is creating unprecedented effects that challenge traditional fundamentals of the business world. Platform-mediated ecosystems are increasingly attracting the attention of practitioners from diverse industries, from telecommunications to video consoles, as well as academics from different fields ranging from management to economics, and information systems (IS) and innovation management. A platform-mediated ecosystem can be defined broadly as an industrial architecture with an infrastructure in the center that facilitates value co-creation among different agents (platform owners, and providers and users of complementary products) and a set of rules governing their interdependencies. The speed and the magnitude at which platforms diffuse are inspiring numerous analyses from diverse perspectives, mainly focused on drivers of success and ecosystem interdependencies in different contexts. This thesis highlights the importance of detangling the different interdependencies within platform-mediated ecosystems, while building a comprehensive approach based on the ecosystem as a whole. The wide range of platform types and their rapid evolution makes it difficult to establish a consensual categorization of platforms. A common aspect among most of them is that platform-mediated ecosystems usually present network effects that is the value of products depend on the number of peers within the ecosystem. In this sense, the number of adopters, known also as the size of the installed base, in a market has traditionally had a central importance in the literature. The platform-mediated ecosystems, however, are becoming more and more complex due to rising competition. Thus, there is a need for advancing understanding of the fundamentals of platform-mediated ecosystems and the management alternatives inherent in designing such systems which would enable a comprehensive platform approach to be built. Consequently, the main purpose of this thesis is to advance the understanding of the strategic management of platform-mediated ecosystems. Specifically, this thesis aims to unravel the ecosystem interdependencies and to identify strategic choices as a source of competitive advantage. To achieve this aim, different methodologies are applied in this thesis. Specifically, Paper I was based on a structured literature review of relevant papers in platform-mediated ecosystems for the period 2000 through 2014. The empirical analyses conducted in Papers II, III, and IV use different secondary samples from the video console ecosystem. Finally, the results in Paper V were based on a qualitative, multiple case study of global manufacturing firms implementing product-service systems (PSS) through a platform architecture. Overall, the findings within this thesis present the following main theoretical contributions. First, the thesis presents a comprehensive approach toward platform mediated ecosystems covering new ways of value creation and value capture, new governance regimes, and new agents making interdependent choices. Precisely, platform ecosystems offer unprecedented efficiencies and innovation enhancements, and the possibility of establishing rules for new role participation and interaction. Thus, the findings shed light on the fundamentals and future trends in the platform approach. Second, different ecosystem interdependencies may increase the platform adoption and performance. Specifically, the thesis highlights the importance of the positive effects from different agents in the complementary product markets. Accordingly, the findings contribute on unraveling the interdependencies within platform ecosystems. Third, platform performance can be enhanced by exploiting complementarities among strategies and regions. Precisely, the findings show significant complementarities from the joint management of different activities related to the complementary products and the platform, and from the presence in several countries. Consequently, the findings provide strategic choices as a source of competitive advantage. Finally, transformation toward global PSS may be guided by a platform approach, which may be helpful to explain the origins in building a platform ecosystem. In this respect, the findings shed light on how platform-mediated ecosystems are created. In sum, these findings have important implications for researchers in strategic management, economics, and information systems as well as managers from highly innovative industries and traditional sectors under structural transformation. This thesis concludes with the limitations that should be considered when interpreting the findings and some suggestions for future researchers.
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| 12. |
- Cristescu, Carmen
(författare)
-
Self-bonding of beech veneers
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis presents studies on the self-bonding of veneers, and investigations into the properties of boards obtained by hot-pressing beech veneers without adhesives. The raw material is pressed at temperatures from 200 to 250ºC, at pressures from 4 to 6 MPa and pressing times from 240 to 360 s. The hot-pressing of five layers of veneers results in a self-bonded, compressed, densified board, darker than the raw material. The manufacturing process was optimised using a statistical analysis, the response surface experimental design method. The input factors were the pressing parameters and the output factors were characteristics of the product, the raw material properties being kept constant. The results showed correlations between the pressing parameters, especially temperature, as input data and the physical and mechanical properties as responses. Resistance to water absorption and swelling as well as shear strength, bending strength, and hardness were all enhanced by more severe pressing conditions. All the samples pressed at 250ºC became water-resistant while samples pressed at 200ºC delaminated rapidly in water. It was found that the colour of the edges can be used as an indication of the hardness. Chemical investigations were performed on samples taken from veneers (raw material), bond-lines and inner parts of pressed veneer. A High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis was used to detect and compare the levels of water-soluble monosaccharides (glucose and fructose) in the veneer before pressing and the levels of 5-hydroxymethyl-furfural (HMF) and furfural in boards. From the results obtained in this thesis it is suggested, that besides other degraded compounds of hemicelluloses, the monosaccharides were transformed into hydroxymethyl-furfural during hot-pressing that could further participate in forming new browning compounds that are related to the bonding phenomenon. The UV spectroscopic analysis to evaluate the content of water-soluble phenols showed that the bond-line had a higher amount of conjugated phenols than the inner veneer suggesting a migration of degraded lignin towards the veneer surfaces during pressing. A CP/MAS 13C NMR study on the solid material showed that the presence of β-ether structures and methoxyl groups in lignin was higher in the bond-line, supporting the hypothesis of a migration of lignin and possibly a condensation reaction occurring at higher temperatures, explaining the water-resistance property acquired by the boards.In a comparative study, oxidative activation with hydrogen peroxide and ferrous sulfate as a catalyst was performed before pressing. Boards made from beech veneer subjected to the pre-treatment step showed a greater mass loss, a lower thickness swelling but also a somewhat lower shear strength. For beech veneers such an oxidative pre-treatment step could be used to gain water-resistant boards pressed at lower pressing temperatures or shorter times than those needed to bond untreated veneers. Scots pine veneers were found to be less suitable for self-bonding than beech veneers. Boards of Scots pine hot-pressed without the oxidative pre-treatment delaminated in water, whereas, under the same pressing conditions, boards made from pre-treated veneers showed a water-resistant bond-line.
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| 13. |
- Ebrahimabadi, Saeed
(författare)
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Outdoor Comfort in Cold Climates : Integrating Microclimate Factors in Urban Design
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Designing urban spaces that provide outdoor comfort is an important but challenging goal in subarctic climates. An approach to urban design that is sensitive to subarctic climatic conditions is essential, but this requires effective incorporation of urban climate knowledge into urban design, which presently is impeded by several barriers. The aim of this thesis is to contribute to the knowledge of climate-sensitive urban design with a focus on outdoor comfort in cold climates. This thesis consists of a cover essay and three papers, which together address three questions: (1) What are the barriers to integrating climate factors into urban design in subarctic climates? (2) How do urban design practitioners address outdoor comfort in design process? (3) How can wind and solar considerations be integrated into the design of urban spaces? In accordance with the broad scope and interdisciplinary nature of this research, a mixed method approach was adopted, including a literature review, two interview-based studies and microclimate analysis of an urban design proposal.The study objectives were pursued in three stages corresponding to the research questions. The first stage consisted of interviews with local planners, which aimed to identify key barriers hindering the incorporation of climatic factors in urban planning in subarctic regions. Key findings include the identification of barriers related to design based, attitudinal, organisational, conceptual and technical issues. The design based issues relate to contextual difficulties for comfort design in cold climates, namely snow and low sun elevation. Attitudinal and organisational barriers include the neglect of opportunities for and challenges associated with urban liveability in cold climates, failure to exploit local knowledge and lack of engagement among local planners and politicians. Conceptual barriers relate to a lack of climate knowledge among practitioners and technical barriers relate to methods and the principles to be used in design, particularly wind comfort and snow in urban environments. The second stage centred on urban design practice, by investigating the role of comfort in the development of an urban design project in a subarctic climate. The findings of this stage showed that urban design practitioners predominantly rely on simple climate design principles and rarely use analytical tools in design. In terms of knowledge sources for urban designers, existing urban environments, work by other architects, the architects’ own experience and everyday life experiences are influential sources of understanding and inspiration. In the third stage a method to integrate outdoor comfort assessment into design is outlined and applied on a case study in a subarctic climate. The method encompasses wind comfort analysis and microclimate assessment based on solar access and wind velocity. It produces two types of result: quantitative and visual. The quantitative results include area ratios of different combinations of wind and solar conditions. Visual results are maps showing the spatial distributions of different microclimate combinations in a studied urban space, either proposed or existing. The method has proved useful for assessing relative differences in thermal comfort.Study stages highlight issues that are crucial for improving environmental comfort in subarctic climates: (1) provision of sheltering from the wind 2) maximising solar access and, (3) managing snow in the outdoor environment. In addressing these urban design issues, experimental design based research has the potential for creating and testing new design concepts. Practitioners’ reliance on simple climate design principles is also discussed. This research highlights that a more balanced application of climate design principles and analytical methods for addressing microclimate issues is required. Suggestions are also proposed to create a shift in the way outdoor comfort is addressed in practice, including clear goal definition, theory building and improving communications between research and practice.Key words: urban design, urban microclimate, outdoor comfort, subarctic climate, climate-sensitive, Kiruna
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| 14. |
- Edrees, Tarek
(författare)
-
Structural Control and Identification of Civil Engineering Structures
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In general, the main purpose of a structural control system is to apply powerful control techniques that improve the behaviour of civil structures under various kinds of dynamic loading. The first part of this thesis presents novel applications of posicast and input shaping control schemes that have never previously been applied in the field of structural control. Numerical simulations of a benchmark three-story building with an MR damper are used to verify the efficiency of the proposed control theories. The superiority and effectiveness of the suggested schemes at reducing the structure’s responses were demonstrated using six evaluation criteria and by comparison to results achieved with well-established classical control schemes. Moreover, a comprehensive procedure for generating scaled real ground motion records appropriate for a seismic analysis and design of structures using the linear spectrum matching technique is presented based on a seismic hazard study.To efficiently control a structure, it is necessary to estimate its real-life dynamical behaviour. This is usually done using the Structural Identification approach, which is also addressed in this thesis. Structural Identification is commonly utilized to bridge the gap between the real structure and its modeled behaviour. It can also be used to evaluate the structure’s health, detect damage, and assess efficiency. Despite the extensive development of parametric time domain identification methods, their relative merits and the accuracy with which they predict the behaviour of vibrating structures are largely unknown because there have been few comparative studies on their performance under diverse test conditions, and they have not been verified against real-life data gathered over extended periods of time.Thus, the second part of this thesis focuses on applications of parametric and non-parametric models based on the Structural Identification approach in order to clarify their potential and applicability. In addition, a new strategy is proposed that combines this approach with techniques based on Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) and Complex Mode Indicator Function (CMIF) curves to detect structural damage.The methods developed in this work are used to predict the vertical frequencies of the top storey in a multi-storey building prefabricated from reinforced concrete in Stockholm, and to detect and locate damage in a benchmark steel frame. In addition, the non-parametric structural identification approach is used to investigate variation in the modal characteristics (frequency, damping, and mode shapes) of a steel railway bridge.
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| 15. |
- Ejneborn-Looi, Git-Marie
(författare)
-
Omvårdnad som reflekterande praktik : Att se och använda alternativ till tvång i psykiatrisk vård
- 2015
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Tvångsåtgärder som fastspänning och tvångsmedicinering är vanligt förekommande inom den psykiatriska vården och motiveras ofta av personal med att det saknas alternativ. Användandet av tvångsåtgärder tycks vara särskilt vanligt när det gäller unga kvinnor med självskadebeteende. Dessa kan uppleva tvångsåtgärder som bestraffning och som ett hinder för att söka vård. Relationen mellan patient och vårdare har beskrivits som ett kraftfullt verktyg för att minska användandet av tvångsåtgärder, men det saknas i stor utsträckning forskning om tvångsvård som fokuserar på patienters perspektiv och alternativ till tvång. Avhandlingens övergripande syfte har varit att få ökad kunskap och förståelse för omvårdnad som process i psykiatrisk vård ur patienters, studenters och personals perspektiv, med särskilt fokus på alternativ till tvång vid självskadebeteende. Avhandlingen har en pragmatisk utgångspunkt där ambitionen har varit att resultat ska kunna omsättas i konkreta handlingar. Delstudierna har en kvalitativ ansats där datamaterial har analyserats med innehållsanalys. Data består av 19 skrivna berättelser från personer som vårdats för självskadebeteende och som har erfarenhet av tvångåtgärder, 14 loggböcker skrivna av sjuksköterskestudenter under deras verksamhetsförlagda utbildning inom psykiatrisk vård, samt fokusgruppsintervjuer med totalt 26 skötare, sjuksköterskor, läkare och enhetschefer med erfarenhet av att tvångsvårda patienter. Av berättelserna framkom att personer som vårdats inom psykiatrisk vård hade en önskan om att mötas av förståelse av personalen, att utveckla tillitsfulla och ömsesidiga relationer med dem, och att få vård som grundades på vetenskapliga metoder. Deras faktiska erfarenheter beskrev en vård som var oförutsägbar, kontraproduktiv och byggd på misstro och distans. Studenterna beskrev i loggböckerna vikten av att avsätta tid och engagemang för relationsskapande, något som beskrevs som en förutsättning för att kunna göra bedömningar och lära sig förstå patientens individuella tecken på hälsa och ohälsa. De beskrev hur de identifierade patienters abstrakta behov så som behov av trygghet, empowerment, självkänsla och hopp. Med dessa som grund individanpassade de åtgärder och förhållningssätt och synliggjorde samt tog tillvara patienternas förmågor. I fokusgruppsintervjuerna framkom hur personal med utgångspunkt i utmanande situationer i psykiatrisk slutenvård resonerade kring möjliga åtgärder med fokus antingen på personalens behov, patientens upplevelse, att följa rutiner eller att uppfostra patienter. Beroende på fokus skiljde sig förhållningssätt och utformning av åtgärder markant åt. I fokusgruppsintervjuerna framkom även personalens syn på samarbete utifrån olika professionella roller. Utmärkande var att skötarna, trots att de hade lägst formell kompetens, var den yrkesgrupp med störst inflytande vid beslut om tvångsåtgärder eftersom de arbetade närmast patienterna och därför hade förstahandsinformation om dem.Resultaten visade en stor överenstämmelse mellan patienters, studenters och personals perspektiv. En metasyntes av de olika delstudiernas resultat beskriver omvårdnad som en reflektiv praktik. Att vårdaren har förmågan att bygga upp en tillitsfull relation till patienten är en förutsättning för en relevant bedömning. Bedömningen innebär att patientens individuella behov och förmågor identifieras och ligger till grund för val av åtgärd och förhållningsätt med målet att minska lidande och öka välbefinnande. Vägen till åtgärden är inte statisk, till en början kan åtgärder enbart ha ett relationskapande syfte, behov kan förändras, åtgärder behöva modifieras liksom att tilliten i relationen kan påverkas av olika faktorer. Detta innebär att vägen till åtgärden inte bör ses som ett linjärt förlopp utan bättre förstås som en dynamisk process som förutsätter ett reflekterande förhållningssätt med relationen som grund, med det övergripande målet att stärka patientens förutsättningar till återhämtning och välbefinnande. Den övergripande slutsats som kan dras är att om vårdarna lyckas skapa en ömsesidig, tillitsfull relation till patienten, kan förstå dennes utryckta behov och outtalade tecken samt arbetar proaktivt, i samarbete med patienten, med åtgärder och medvetna förhållningssätt, så finns sällan behov av tvångsåtgärder. För detta krävs att vårdarna får stöd i att utveckla sin reflektiva förmåga och även i att få ta eget ansvar för varje situation och därigenom bygga upp en tillit till sin egen förmåga.
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| 16. |
- Escalera, Edwin
(författare)
-
Characterization and preparation of lightweight silica based ceramics for building applications
- 2015
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Bolivia is a country with considerable quantities of non-metallic resources. Some important deposits of these resources are located in the high and cold Altiplano as well as in the tropical areas. These deposits are not being exploited industrially but both areas have production of some ceramics in a handmade and empiric way. The present study deals with the characterization and production of ceramics by using available Bolivian raw materials such as clays and diatomaceous earth. The study also investigates how the performance of the raw materials could be improved by addition of agro-industrial residues produced locally, for example rice husks and ashes from Brazil nut shells and sugar cane bagasse. The aim of this study is to add values to these raw materials and residues for production of porous, lightweight ceramics with low thermal conductivity and high enough strength for building applications. Various characterization techniques were used to evaluate the quality of the raw materials and to characterize the obtained products, such as X-ray diffractometry, chemical analysis by ICP-SFMS, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry, dilatometry, mass spectrometry, SEM-EDS and N2-physisorption. Bulk density, open porosity, thermal conductivity and compressive strength properties were also evaluated on the sintered samples. The studied clays contain kaolinite, illite phases along with quartz and flux elements. Mullite is a crystalline phase that strengthens the ceramics and it was formed during heating. The clays differ in alkalis and Fe content and the conclusions are that clays with high amounts of alkalis and Fe can be used in the fabrication of dense products with low porosity and red tonality especially for bricks, roof- and floor tiles. The clay with relatively low Fe content can be used for the production of white ceramics such as sanitary ware and porcelain bodies.Diatomaceous earth raw material from Llica-Altiplano area was characterized and used to produce lightweight ceramics. The morphology of diatomaceous earth shows shapes of fossilized diatom shells with open micropores of less than 1µm. Diatomaceous earth consists of amorphous phase of SiO2 and some small amounts of impurities. The agro-industrial residues such as rice husk, Brazil nut shell ash and sugarcane bagasse ash were characterized using the techniques mentioned above. Rice husk is a source of silica where the large organic content gives porosity to the final product. The rice husk shows a total weight loss of 82.5 % due to the burnt off organic content up to 600 °C. Brazil nut shell ash (BNS ash) is a combustion residue rich in K and Ca which is an advantage as it can form low melting phases that bond the particles together. Sugar cane bagasse ash is another source of silica that when added to the clay will reduce shrinkage and improve the workability of the clay for example for extrusion processes. Lightweight ceramics were prepared by mixing diatomaceous earth with different amounts of BNS ash and sintering the samples at temperatures between 750-950 °C. The best combination of strength and thermal conductivity was achieved for a mixture of 10 wt% of BNS ash in the diatomaceous earth sintered at 850 °C. The achieved open porosity and density were 49 % and 1.06 g/cm3, respectively. Also this sample shows a thermal conductivity of 0.20 W/mK and compressive strength of 8.5 MPa, which is adequate strength that satisfies the regulations for building brick applications.Porous ceramics were prepared by mixing red clay, rice husk and BNS ash in different amounts and sintering at various temperatures between 950-1150 °C. The results show the beneficial effect of adding both BNS ash and rice husks to the clay based ceramic material as the resulting open porosity was as high as 40 % and the linear shrinkage only 1 % at 1150 °C for a sample with 20 % BNS ash and 10 % rice husks. The achieved thermal conductivity was 0.27 W/mK, bulk density 1.4 g/cm3 and compressive strength 7.6 MPa. Another study in this thesis deals with synthetic silica based ceramics. Mesoporous silica SBA-15 was synthesized and functionalized with organic functional groups for application as template for synthesizing nanoparticles.
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| 17. |
- Famurewa, Stephen Mayowa
(författare)
-
Maintenance analysis and modelling for enhanced railway infrastructure capacity
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Railway transportation is a sustainable mode of transportation for reasons of safety, cost, carbon emission and energy requirements. It has a notable role in economic expansion in terms of passenger and freight services. In recent years, there has been a continuous demand to increase the competitiveness of railway transport via quantity and quality of service delivered. For instance there is a growing need to shift a substantial volume of freight and passenger traffic to rail. To meet the demand for enhanced railway infrastructure capacity, large modification of the infrastructure, improvement of traffic planning process and improvement of maintenance and renewal process are required. The obvious solution would be capital expansion of infrastructure but this is a long-term cost-intensive approach for improving railway transport performance. This, therefore makes successive improvement of maintenance and renewal (M&R) process an ideal and feasible way of improving availability, capacity and service quality of existing railway infrastructure. This thesis addresses improvements in maintenance to enhance capacity and service quality through systematic maintenance analysis for effective planning and maintenance optimisation for efficient scheduling. This thesis is divided into two parts: the first part deals with maintenance analysis and the second addresses maintenance optimisation. Both parts are aimed at enhancing maintenance effectiveness by improving track possession utilisation and infrastructure integrity. The first part suggests assessment and analysis methods to support continuous improvement of railway infrastructure performance. It entails the use of historical operation and maintenance data to identify, improve and eliminate weak links and bottlenecks. The second part deals with planning and scheduling of maintenance tasks from condition deterioration viewpoint. This part uses infrastructure condition data with model driven approaches to schedule maintenance tasks with the aim of ensuring efficient use of track possession time and maximisation of availability and capacity. First, a fuzzy inference system is developed for computing the integrity index or composite indicator to relate maintenance functions to capacity situation. This is a good measure of the M&R need on a line as imposed by operational profile, capacity consumption and adopted maintenance strategy. It provides additional information that can be used to support high level M&R decisions for enhanced capacity. Second, risk matrix and an adapted criticality analysis method are proposed for identifying weak links and critical assemblies/items that are bottlenecks limiting operational capacity and service
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| 18. |
- Forsberg, Angelica
(författare)
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Patients' experiences of undergoing surgery : From vulnerability towards recovery -including a new, altered life
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The overall aim of this thesis was to explore patients’ experiences of undergoing surgery, including their perceptions of quality of care and recovery. A mixed methods design was used, and studies with qualitativemethods (I, II) and quantitative methods (III, IV, V) were performed. Data were collected through interviews with ten patients after gastric bypass surgery (I) and nine patients after lower limb fracture surgery (II) and weresubjected to qualitative content analysis. Data were also collected using two standardized questionnaires; The Quality from Patient’s Perspective (III) and Postoperative Recovery Profile (IV, V). A total of 170 orthopedicand general surgery patients participated in study III. In study IV and V, 180 patients participated. Accordingly, 170 of patients were the same in study III, IV and V. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics (III, IV, V)and a manifest content analysis of the free-text answers (III) as well as with analytical statistics (IV, V). Prior to surgery, patients undergoing gastric bypass surgery (I) described a sense of inferiority related to their obesity. In the post-anesthesia care unit, patients felt both omitted and safe in the unknown environment and expressed needs to have the staff close by. Despite the information provided prior to surgery it was difficult toimagine one’s situation after homecoming, thus it was worth it so far and visions of a new life were described. Patients undergoing lower limb surgery (II) described feelings of helplessness when realizing the seriousness oftheir injury. The wait prior to surgery was strain, and patients needed orientation for the future. They remained awake during surgery and expressed feelings of vulnerability during this procedure. In the post-anesthesia careunit, patients expressed a need to have control and to feel safe in their new environment. Mobilizing and regaining their autonomy were struggles, and patients stated that their recovery was extended. The quality of theperioperative care was assessed as quite good (III). While undergoing a surgical procedure (III), the areas identified for improvement were information and participation. Patients preferred to hand over the decisionmakingto staff and indicated that having personalized information about their surgery was important. However, too detailed information before surgery could cause increased anxiety (III). After surgery, orthopedic patientswere substantially less recovered than general surgery patients (IV, V). Approximately two-thirds of orthopedic patients and half of general surgery patients perceived severe or moderate pain in the first occasion (day 1-4after surgery) (IV). Both the orthopedic and general surgery group showed a significant systematic change at a group level towards higher levels of recovery after one month compared with day 1-4 after surgery. The same patterns occurred regarding acute and elective surgery (V). Patients overall recovered better (IV, V) after a gastric bypass, than after other surgeries. Compared with the period prior to surgery; certain Gastric bypass patients felt after one month that they had improved (IV). The orthopedic groups assessed their psychologicalfunction as being impaired after one month compared with the first occasion (IV, V). The overall view of patients’ experiences of undergoing surgery (I-V) can be understood as a trajectory, from vulnerability towards recovery, including a new, altered life. Patients’ experiences and perceptions of the caregiven (I, II, III) are embedded within this trajectory. As a thread in this thesis, through all studies, patients expressed vulnerability in numerous ways. A progress towards recovery with regards to regaining preoperativelevels of dependence/independence could be concluded. Thus, for patients undergoing gastric bypass surgery, a view of a new, altered life after surgery was also discernible. While undergoing surgery, satisfaction with theprovision of information not necessarily include receiving as much and the most detailed information as possible; nevertheless, the need for information to a great extent is personal. The recovery-period for orthopedic patients is strain, and the support must be improved. In conclusion, the perioperative support may contain a standardized part, made-to-order to the general procedure commonly for all patients, such as information about the stay in the post anesthesia care unit. Moreover, the support should be person-centered, accounting for the patients’ expectations about the future but also tailored to the specific surgical procedure; with its limitations and possibilities. Then, patients in a realistic way would be strengthened towards recovery, including a new, altered life.
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| 19. |
- Gabrielsson, Sebastian
(författare)
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A moral endeavour in a demoralizing context: Psychiatric inpatient care from the perspective of professional caregivers
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Patients in psychiatric care experience a need for and expect to develop interpersonal relationships with professional caregivers and to be respected and listened to. Despite demands for care to be person-centred and recovery-oriented, patients experience that psychiatric inpatient care fails to meet their expectations. Nursing research suggest that nurses aspire to engage with and meet the needs of patients, but that the strenuous reality of inpatient care prevents them from doing so. Exploring the content and context of psychiatric inpatient care from the perspective of professional caregivers might provide valuable insights regarding what caregivers do, and more importantly it can aid in understanding why they do what they do.This thesis aimed to explore the content and context of adult psychiatric inpatient care from the perspective of professional caregivers. This was achieved by clarifying the concept of person-centred care in the context of inpatient psychiatry, describing staff members’ reasoning on their choice of action and perceptions of interprofessional collaboration in challenging situations in inpatient psychiatric care settings, and exploring nurses’ experiences of good nursing practice in the specific context of inpatient psychiatry. A systematic review of the literature identified 34 scholarly papers that were analysed using evolutionary concept analysis. Focus group interviews were conducted with 26 professional caregivers and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Individual qualitative interviews were conducted with 12 skilled, relationship-oriented nurses and analysed using an interpretive descriptive approach to qualitative analysis.Reviewing the literature on person-centred care in inpatient psychiatry clarified how person-centred care is expected to result in quality care when interpersonal relationships are used to promote recovery. Professional caregivers’ reasoning on choice of action described different concerns in caregiver-patient interaction resulting in a focus on either meeting patients’ individual needs or solving staff members’ own problems. Describing professional caregivers’ perceptions of interprofessional collaboration suggested that they are being constrained by difficulties in collaborating with each other and a lack of interaction with patients. Exploring nurses’ experiences of good nursing practice revealed how circumstances in the clinical setting affect nurses’ ability to work through relationships. It is argued that these findings describe the workings of two opposing forces in psychiatric inpatient care. The concept of caring as a process forms the basis for discussing the content of care as a moral endeavour in which nurses strive to do good. The concept of demoralizing organizational processes is used to discuss the context of care as demoralizing and allowing for immoral actions.The main conclusions to be drawn are that, from a nursing perspective, nurses in psychiatric inpatient care need to focus on patients’ experiences and needs. For this they need sufficient resources and time to be present and develop relationships with patients.Nurses in psychiatric inpatient care also need to take personal responsibility for their professional practice. Attempts to transform psychiatric care in a person-centred direction must consider all of these aspects and their interrelatedness. Further research on psychiatric inpatient care is needed to understand more about how the content of care relates to the context of care.
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| 20. |
- Golchin, Arash
(författare)
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Polymeric Materials for Bearing Applications : Tribological Studies in Lubricated Conditions
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- One of the most important demands in hydropower and other industries today stems from the emphasis on preserving the environment. Usage of mineral and synthetic oils in sliding bearings of hydropower plants raises concerns about the environmental impact of these lubricants in case of spillage into downstream water. These concerns have led to attempts in using water as lubricant and the concept of oil-free systems in hydropower generation. Realization of this concept however poses many challenges including the choice of bearing materials and this necessitated research pertaining to the tribological behaviour of polymers in lubricated conditions. In this work, several studies have been carried out in order to obtain an insight into polymers’ tribological performance and associated mechanisms in the presence of lubricants.Extensive tribological studies on several unfilled polymers in water lubricated contacts demonstrated the superior wear resistance of UHMWPE. It was also found that the frictional behaviour of the unfilled polymers was influenced by their water contact angle and relative energy difference with regard to water.Studies on the effect of counter surface roughness characteristics on tribological behaviour of polymeric materials revealed their significant influence on friction and wear behaviour of polymer-metal contacts. Using a small scale journal bearing configuration, it was found that dynamic friction of polymer bearings can be significantly reduced using a shaft of reduced surface roughness. However, depending on the bearing material, this can adversely affect the material’s breakaway frictional response and thereby increase the torque required for machine start-up; a critical issue in applications such as pumped storage hydropower plants. Further studies using a pin on plate configuration revealed that variations in surface roughness characteristics of the metallic counter surfaces can significantly alter the wear resistance of the polymeric materials which cannot modify the topography of the counter surfaces in a tribological contact.Investigations regarding the influence of incorporation of various micro/nano carbon based fillers/reinforcements in the polymer matrix revealed their great potential for enhancing the friction and wear behaviour of the polymer composites. However these effects have been found to be strongly influenced by presence/absence of other reinforcements in the polymer matrix and/or by alterations in the operating conditions.Application of polymers as bearing lining materials also exhibits the potential of enhancing the performance of oil lubricated bearings. Therefore a part of this work was aimed at investigating the tribological characteristics of several polytetrafluoroethylene based materials at the onset of sliding (breakaway) at various pressures and temperatures. The results of this study showed dramatic reduction in breakaway friction using PTFE based materials in comparison to the conventional Babbitt (white metal) bearing lining material utilized in oil-lubricated sliding bearings of hydropower plants.
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