| 1. |
- Arakelian, Erebouni, 1973-
(författare)
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Operating Room Efficiency and Postoperative Recovery after Major Abdominal Surgery : The Surgical Team’s Efficiency and the Early Postoperative Recovery of Patients with Peritoneal Carcinomatosis
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In selected patients, surgical treatments such as cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) have enabled curative treatment options for previously incurable diseases, such as peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC). The introduction of resource demanding surgery could affect the work process, efficiency, and productivity within a surgical department and factors influencing patient postoperative recovery processes may have an impact on the efficiency of patient care after major surgery.The aim of this thesis was to investigate operating room efficiency from the perspective of both staff and leaders’ in two different settings (Papers I and II) and the early postoperative recovery of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (Papers III and IV).Interviews were held with 21 people in a county hospital and 11 members of the PC team in a university hospital, and a phenomenographic approach was used to analysis the data (Papers I and II). The patients’ postoperative recovery and pulmonary adverse events (AE) were determined from data retrieved from the electronic health records of 76 patients (Papers III and IV).The concept of efficiency was understood in different ways by staff members and their leaders (Paper I). However, when working in a team, the team members had both organisation-oriented and individual-oriented understanding of efficiency at work that focused on the patients and the quality of care (Paper II).The patients with PC regained gastrointestinal functions and could be mobilised during early postoperative recovery phase, although many patients suffered from psychological disturbances, sleep deprivation, and nausea (Paper III). Postoperative clinical and radiological pulmonary AE were common, but did not affect the early recovery process (Paper IV).In conclusion, leaders who are aware of the variation in understanding the concept of efficiency are better able to create the same platform for staff members by defining the concept of efficiency within the organisation. In a team organisation, the team members have a wider understanding of the concept of efficiency with more focus on the patients. The factors affecting postoperative recovery and pulmonary AE should be considered when designing individualised patient care plans in order to attain a more efficient recovery.
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| 2. |
- Areskoug, Linn, 1977-
(författare)
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Den svenske mannens gränsland : Manlighet, nation och modernitet i Sven Lidmans Silfverstååhlsvit
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis deals with the nationalistic imaginary in the novels of Sven Lidman, published 1910–1913. The novels hold forth a conservative point-of-view that embraces the bourgeois ideal of masculinity and the idea of the healthy, Swedish rural way of life as opposed to the destructive metropolis. This dualism is part of a dichotomy that structures the novels. It also entails continuity/fragmentation, the Swedish/the foreign, men/women, activity/ passivity as well as masculinity/femininity and unmanliness. In the Silfverstååhl-cycle the protagonists are young men of a noble, Swedish family. They progress from lost and introspective youths to grown men who are deeply concerned with and engaged in society. They are different representatives of the Swedish man – the farmer, the business man, the explorer and the clergy man. What unites them is how their “coming of age” develops, how through trial and struggle they become stronger and prove worthy of the manly role they finally take on. This is a major principle of the bourgeois masculinity that is also closely connected to the national identity of the men. There is also an ambiguity concerning modernity. Throughout the novels a critique of modern society is formulated, that acknowledges the modern age but simultaneously takes on a prudent attitude towards modern society. There is no going back for the Swedish nation; the modern times have to be confronted. The present is very important since it is the time for scrutiny. The handling of the modern era takes place in the developing processes of the young men, who have to be careful not to get trapped in the modern whirlpool that threatens to shatter the human being. The past, the familiar and the rural anchorage that the family relation entitles, is a defense against the destructive forces of modernity. But the past is not completely beneficial. Even though the past is of major importance to the national identity of the protagonists, they have to be very careful not to delve too much into the past because of the risk of paralysis and effeminization. In the nationalistic narrative the present encapsulates the past and the future. The Swedish man has to navigate in the borderland of modernity.
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| 3. |
- Bengtsson, Olof, 1969-
(författare)
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Design and Characterization of RF-Power LDMOS Transistors
- 2008
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In mobile communication new applications like wireless internet and mobile video have increased the demand of data-rates. Therefore, new more wideband systems are being implemented. Power amplifiers in the base-stations that simultaneously handle these wideband signals for many terminals (handhelds) need to be highly linear with a considerable band-width. In the past decade LDMOS has been the dominating technology for use in these RF-power amplifiers. In this work LDMOS transistors possible to fabricate in a normal CMOS process have been optimized and analyzed for RF-power applications. Their non-linear behavior has been explored using load-pull measurements. The mechanisms of the non-linear input capacitance have been analyzed using 2D TCAD simulations. The investigation shows that the input capacitance is a large contributor to phase distortion in the transistor. Computational load-pull TCAD methods have been developed for analysis of RF-power devices in high-efficiency operation. Methods have been developed for class-F with harmonic loading and for bias-modulation. Load-pull measurements with drain-bias modulation in a novel measurement setup have also been conducted. The investigation shows that the combination of computational load-pull of physical transistor structures and direct measurement evaluation with modified load-pull is a viable alternative for future design of RF-power devices. Simulations and measurements on the designed LDMOS shows a 10 to 15 % increase in drain efficiency in mid-power range both in simulations and measurements. The computational load-pull method has also been used to investigate the power capability of LDMOS transistors on SOI. This study indicates that either a low-resistivity or high-resistivity substrate should be used in manufacturing of RF-power LDMOS transistors on SOI to achieve optimum efficiency. Based on a proper substrate selection these devices exhibit a 10 % higher drain-efficiency mainly due to lower dissipated power in the devices.
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| 4. |
- Bergsten, Eva L
(författare)
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Working conditions and musculoskeletal disorders in flight baggage handling
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Introduction: Baggage handling is considered to be a heavy manual handling job including biomechanical exposures suspected of increasing the risk for musculoskeletal disorders. Aims: To document low back pain (LBP), shoulder pain (SP), and physical and psychosocial factors in baggage handlers, and to evaluate the implementation of an ergonomic intervention aiming to increase the use of loading assist devices. Methods: A questionnaire was utilized to characterize pain and psychosocial work conditions in 525 baggage handlers. The postures of 55 baggage handlers during 114 shifts were measured using inclinometry, half shift video-recordings were made for subsequent task analysis, and the number of aircraft handled was registered. Associations for psychosocial and biomechanical exposures with pain were assessed using regression analyses. An ergonomic intervention was implemented and evaluated using questionnaires and repeated interviews. Feasibility, intermediate outcomes, barriers and facilitators were assessed. Results: The prevalence rates of reported LBP and SP were 70% and 60%, respectively. Pain interfering with work (LBP - 30% and SP - 18%) and high pain intensity (LBP - 34% and SP - 28%) were associated with poor psychosocial working conditions. Extreme postures with arms elevated >60° occurred for 6.4% of the total time, and in trunk flexion >60° for 2.1% total time. In contrast, 71% of the total time was spent in a neutral trunk posture. The 90th percentile trunk forward flexion was 34.1°. Daily shoulder pain increased in approximately one-third of all shifts and was positively associated with extreme work posture and the number of aircraft handled; this association was modified by influence and support. The intervention was delivered as planned, and dose received and satisfaction were rated as high. Motivated trainees facilitated implementation while lack of manager support, opportunities to observe and practice behaviors, follow-up activities, staff reduction, and job insecurity were barriers. Conclusion: The high prevalence rates of LBP and SP in baggage handlers were associated with psychosocial exposures, and daily shoulder pain was associated with higher biomechanical exposure. Barriers to implementation can be minimized by recruiting motivated trainees, securing strong organizational support, and carrying out follow-up activities.
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| 5. |
- Boustedt, Jonas, 1965-
(författare)
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On the Road to a Software Profession : Students’ Experiences of Concepts and Thresholds
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Research has shown that there are gaps in knowledge between newly hired and experienced professionals and that some of these gaps are related to concepts, such as the concepts of object orientation. This problem, and the fact that most computer science majors want to work in the software industry, leads to questions regarding why these gaps exist and how students can be better prepared for their future careers. Against this background, this thesis addresses two theme-based perspectives that focus on students' views of concepts in Computer Science. The first theme-based perspective investigated the existence of potential Threshold Concepts in Computer Science. Such concepts should be troublesome, transformative, irreversible, and integrative. Qualitative methods have been mainly used and empirical data have been collected through semi-structured interviews, concept maps, and written stories. The results identified two Threshold Concepts, suggested several more, and then described the ways in which these concepts have transformed students. The second theme-based perspective took a phenomenographic approach to find the variation in how students understand concepts related to the software profession. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews. In one study the interviews were held in connection with role-playing where students took on the role of a newly hired programmer. The results show a variety of ways to experience the addressed phenomena in the student collective, ranging from superficial views that often have a practical nature to more sophisticated understandings that reflect a holistic approach, including a professional point of view. Educators can use the results to emphasize concepts that are important from students' perspectives. The phenomenographic outcome spaces can help teachers to reflect upon their own ways of seeing contrasted with student conceptions. I have indicated how variation theory can be applied to open more sophisticated ways of seeing, which in this context stresses the professional aspects to help students prepare for becoming professional software developers.
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| 6. |
- Edkvist, Ingela, 1957-
(författare)
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The performance of tradition : An ethnography of Hira Gasy popular theatre in Madagascar
- 1997
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This study deals with the popular theatre performance of Hira Gasy, and its actors andaudiences in the central highland regions of Imerina and northern Betsileo in Madagascar. The Hira Gasy has developed from a court to a rural performance during the last two centuries, a period influenced by first the British and then by the French presence in the country. Today, the performances are given in diverse contexts, the most common being in connection with reburial ceremonies. The Hira Gasy troupes all have a common form of their performance, with speeches, songs, acrobatics, dance and music, while the content is unique for each troupe, although given in a culturally recognized form. The study is based on 19 months of fieldwork divided into five periods between1991 and 1996. The main argument is that the Hira Gasy performances provide a forumin which the problems of identification and belonging are discussed. The `foreigner' isused as a `mirror image' for the rural and the poor in their aims to assert and shape theirsense of belonging in a changing society. The symbols of identification - the ancestralland, the common tomb, and the family solidarity - are felt to be threatened by increasingindividualization and the decrease in the fulfillment of the ancestral duties. For the ruralpoor their feelings of marginality and powerlessness in relation to the economically andpolitically powerful urban elite are expressed in Hira Gasy. Through the practice ofcustom they sustain their moral dignity, which is one of the most important means inorder to remain malagasy. The Hira Gasy performances are indigenious arenas for existential and moral discussions, and for providing a sense of belonging in a problematic reality shaped by both the `way of the ancestors' and the `way of the foreign'.
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| 7. |
- Ek, Mikael, 1987-
(författare)
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Leveranser och unionsinterna förvärv i mervärdesskatterätten
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Leveranser och unionsinterna förvärv i mervärdesskatterätten – Supplies and Intra-Union Acquisitions of Goods under VATThe objective of this thesis is to analyze the VAT rules regarding supplies and intra-union acquisitions of goods based on the notion that a purpose of harmonized VAT is to further the internal market. This objective originates from the tension that has been created between the two mentioned transaction types, where a transaction involving goods is treated one way if it is carried out domestically and another if it is done in a cross-border context.How transactions are classified determine different obligations for the taxable person that carries them out. Among other things, it affects the place of supply and thus which member state that has the right to tax the transaction. It also affects which kind of administrative obligations the taxable person has and where he or she needs to fulfill them.Since the idea of the internal market within the EU is to create an area without internal frontiers where free movement of goods (among other things) is ensured, it can be questioned if a harmonized system that treats cross-border supplies differently from domestic supplies fully improves the function of the internal market.To answer that question, it is necessary to study how supplies and intra-union acquisitions of goods are treated within the VAT system, both regarding the classification of the transactions and the consequences the classification result in. Further, it is also required to compare the findings regarding the VAT treatment of said rules with various benchmarks concerning how VAT rules should be constructed in light of the purpose to further the internal market.By conducting a study based on these parameters, it is possible to shed some light on a topic that has been intensely discussed on a European level during the last decade, namely how the VAT treatment of goods should be in the definitive VAT system.
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| 8. |
- Engström, Maria, 1966-
(författare)
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A Caregiver Perspective on Incorporating IT Support into Dementia Care
- 2006
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Aim: The overall aim of the present thesis was to describe and evaluate IT support in dementia care from the perspectives of staff and relatives. More specifically, it was to examine staff members’ satisfaction with work, life satisfaction and sense of coherence before and after increased IT support, to describe staff members’ opinions and perceptions of IT support during the process of implementation, to describe relatives’ opinions of IT support and to compare relatives’ perceptions of their irritations with care and life satisfaction before and after increased IT support. In addition, three questionnaires were further developed and tested among staff working in elderly care, and then used in the staff evaluation. Methods: A quasi-experimental design with baseline assessments and follow-ups and experimental and control groups was used in two studies to investigate the outcomes of IT support. A descriptive design was used to study staff views on IT support, and a correlative design was used in the methodological study. Participants were 33 staff members and 22 relatives in the evaluation, 14 staff members in the descriptive study and 299 staff members in the methodological study. Data collection methods were questionnaires and group interviews. The IT support consisted of passive passage alarms, fall detectors, sensor-activated night-time illumination of the lavatory, movement detectors, email communication, an Internet website and additional computers. Findings and conclusions: Staff job satisfaction and perceived quality of care increased in the experimental group. The relatives were generally positive about the IT support, and the experimental group showed a decrease in practical/logistical irritations. Staff described ‘moving from fear of losing control to perceived increase in control and security’ and ‘constant struggling with insufficient/deficient systems’. Conclusions are that IT support can be a resource in dementia care as perceived by caregivers if IT support is incorporated into the care system.
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| 9. |
- Eriksson, Elisabet
(författare)
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Christian Communities and Prevention of HIV among Youth in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Young people in South Africa, particularly females, are at great risk of acquiring HIV, and heterosexual sex is the predominant mode of HIV transmission. In order to curb the epidemic the Department of Health encourages all sectors in the society, including religious institutions, to respond effectively. The present thesis seeks to increase the understanding of the role of Christian communities in prevention of HIV for young people. Three denominations in KwaZulu-Natal were selected to reflect the diversity of Christian churches in South Africa: the Roman Catholic Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa, and the Assemblies of God. Using qualitative interviews the first paper explores how religious leaders (n=16) deal with the conflict between the values of the church and young people’s sexuality. Study II reports on attitudes to HIV prevention for young people among religious leaders (n=215) using questionnaire survey data. Study III investigates how young people (n=62) reflect on messages received from their churches regarding premarital sex by analysing nine focus group discussions. In the fourth paper, based on questionnaire survey data, we report on young people’s (n=811) experiences of relationships with the opposite sex and their perceived risk of HIV infection. The view that young people in churches are sexually active before marriage was common among religious leadership. The majority of religious leaders also reported that they are responsible for educating young people about HIV prevention. Religious leaders who had received training on HIV were more likely to run a life skills programme for young people, however they were ambivalent about prevention messages. Young people reported premarital sexual abstinence as the main HIV prevention message from their churches. The majority responded that they had received information about HIV in church. To be in a relationship was common, more so for males for whom multiple relationships also were viewed more acceptable. To perceive themselves at risk of HIV infection was common. Further training for religious leaders is needed to enable them to manage the conflict between the doctrine of the church and their willingness to assist young people in the transition into adulthood.
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| 10. |
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