Nuolat besikeičiančios aplinkos sąlygos lemia naujų tyrimų poreikį. Nemažai žinių apie Lietuvos vilkus yra pasenusios ir nebeatitinka dabartinės būklės. Moksliniam vilko populiacijos valdymo pagrindimui Lietuvoje reikia atnaujinti kai kuriuos duomenis bei atlikti papildomus tyrimus. Dalis šių darbų yra būtini, planuojant populiacijos valdymą ir apsaugą. Tikslas ir uždaviniai. Šio darbo tikslas – išsiaiškinti, kokią įtaką Lietuvos vilkų populiacijai daro aplinkos veiksniai, bei pateikti duomenis, reikalingus vilkų populiacijos valdymo planavimui. Tyrimo tikslui pasiekti išsikelti šie uždaviniai: 1. išsiaiškinti Lietuvos vilkų populiacijos kokybę pagal bioindikatorius; 2. iširti vilkų grynarūšiškumą; 3. įvertinti abiotinių, biotinių bei antropogeninių veiksnių įtaką vilkų pasiskirstymui pagal gausą biotopuose; 4. išaiškinti svarbesnius veiksnius, lemiančius vilkų teritorijos pasirinkimą. Naujumas ir originalumas. Pirmą kartą Lietuvoje įvertintas populiacijos grynumas pagal morfologinius požymius ir pagal juos nustatyti pavieniai vilko ir šuns hibridai. Pagal vilkų sumedžiojimo vietas, pirmą kartą Lietuvoje GIS technologijų pagalba išnagrinėti įvairūs abiotiniai, biotiniai ir antropogeniai veiksniai, galintys įtakoti vilkų biotopinį pasiskirstymą šalyje. Pasiūlyta, bendrą (skiriamą visai šaliai) sumedžiojimo limitą skirstyti regionais, priklausomai nuo vilkų daromos žalos, bei leisti trumpalaikę medžioklę žalos padarymo vietovėje ne medžioklės sezono laikotarpiu. Mokslinė ir... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / A considerable amount of the data on wolves in Lithuania is out of date and is not representative of the current situation. To ensure that management of the wolf population in Lithuania is underpinned by a scientific methodology, some data needs to be updated and additional research conducted. This is a prerequisite to planning the management of the population and its protection. The objective and tasks. The objective of this work is to discover what influence environment factors have on the population of wolves of Lithuania and to present the data necessary for planning the management of the wolf population. To achieve this objective, the following tasks shall be tackled: To discover the true condition of the wolf population in Lithuania according to bio-indicators; To examine the purity of the species; To evaluate the influence of abiotic and biotic factors, as well as anthropogenic factors, on the distribution of wolves in terms of abundance in the biotopes; To discover additional important factors that influence the selection of wolf territories. Novelty and originality. An evaluation of the purity of the wolf population based on morphological features was conducted and single crosses between wolf and dog were detected for the first time in Lithuania. In areas of wolf hunting, different abiotic, biotic and anthropogenic factors that may influence the biotopic distribution of wolves were analysed with a help of GIS technologies for the first time in Lithuania. A... [to full text]

Nuolat besikeičiančios aplinkos sąlygos lemia naujų tyrimų poreikį. Nemažai žinių apie Lietuvos vilkus yra pasenusios ir nebeatitinka dabartinės būklės. Moksliniam vilko populiacijos valdymo pagrindimui Lietuvoje reikia atnaujinti kai kuriuos duomenis bei atlikti papildomus tyrimus. Dalis šių darbų yra būtini, planuojant populiacijos valdymą ir apsaugą. Tikslas ir uždaviniai. Šio darbo tikslas – išsiaiškinti, kokią įtaką Lietuvos vilkų populiacijai daro aplinkos veiksniai, bei pateikti duomenis, reikalingus vilkų populiacijos valdymo planavimui. Tyrimo tikslui pasiekti išsikelti šie uždaviniai: 1. išsiaiškinti Lietuvos vilkų populiacijos kokybę pagal bioindikatorius; 2. iširti vilkų grynarūšiškumą; 3. įvertinti abiotinių, biotinių bei antropogeninių veiksnių įtaką vilkų pasiskirstymui pagal gausą biotopuose; 4. išaiškinti svarbesnius veiksnius, lemiančius vilkų teritorijos pasirinkimą. Naujumas ir originalumas. Pirmą kartą Lietuvoje įvertintas populiacijos grynumas pagal morfologinius požymius ir pagal juos nustatyti pavieniai vilko ir šuns hibridai. Pagal vilkų sumedžiojimo vietas, pirmą kartą Lietuvoje GIS technologijų pagalba išnagrinėti įvairūs abiotiniai, biotiniai ir antropogeniai veiksniai, galintys įtakoti vilkų biotopinį pasiskirstymą šalyje. Pasiūlyta, bendrą (skiriamą visai šaliai) sumedžiojimo limitą skirstyti regionais, priklausomai nuo vilkų daromos žalos, bei leisti trumpalaikę medžioklę žalos padarymo vietovėje ne medžioklės sezono laikotarpiu. Mokslinė ir... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / A considerable amount of the data on wolves in Lithuania is out of date and is not representative of the current situation. To ensure that management of the wolf population in Lithuania is underpinned by a scientific methodology, some data needs to be updated and additional research conducted. This is a prerequisite to planning the management of the population and its protection. The objective and tasks. The objective of this work is to discover what influence environment factors have on the population of wolves of Lithuania and to present the data necessary for planning the management of the wolf population. To achieve this objective, the following tasks shall be tackled: To discover the true condition of the wolf population in Lithuania according to bio-indicators; To examine the purity of the species; To evaluate the influence of abiotic and biotic factors, as well as anthropogenic factors, on the distribution of wolves in terms of abundance in the biotopes; To discover additional important factors that influence the selection of wolf territories. Novelty and originality. An evaluation of the purity of the wolf population based on morphological features was conducted and single crosses between wolf and dog were detected for the first time in Lithuania. In areas of wolf hunting, different abiotic, biotic and anthropogenic factors that may influence the biotopic distribution of wolves were analysed with a help of GIS technologies for the first time in Lithuania. A... [to full text]

The main goal of study was to determine the influence of surrounding environmental factors and physical activity for the schoolchildren health, who study in the 9-10 classes. Three tasks were raised in the study: To evaluate the main disorders of children health, studying in the 9-10th classes. To determine the relationships of behavioral factors to the school-children health. To evaluate the relationships of physical activity to the pupils health. The methods and object. Totally 202 children (104 boys and 98 girls) who study in 9-10 classes, were interviewed. The methods applied in this study: 1. Questionnaire. 2. Analysis of data applying the MS Excel program. After performing the research the following conclusions were carried out: 1. After performing the research it becomes evident, that the health of pupils is far from good. Exactly half of them have various disorders of health (47%); mostly disorders of posture and vision predommating. 7% of all interviewed children suffer with chronic diseases, mostly there were cases of chronic bronchitis. 58% of all pupils were ill with various diseases during the course of the last year. The most common illness was influenza. 2. In the study pupils behavioral factors are very much prevalenced: permanently smoking every fifth, occasionally smoking every second, so often used alcohol drinks – every sixth, occasionally two third of schoolchildren, but relationships between behavioral factors and health not being evaluated. 3. Middle... [to full text]

<p>The rapidly increasing use of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) in consumer products and medical applications has raised ecological and human health concerns. Significant progress has been made in understanding the toxicity of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) under carefully controlled laboratory conditions. The goals of this dissertation were to investigate the mechanism of Ag NP toxicity under both laboratory conditions and environmental backgrounds, using <italic>Caenorhabditis elegans</italic> (<italic>C. elegans</italic>) as a model system. A key question for addressing these concerns is whether Ag NP toxicity is mechanistically unique to nanoparticulate silver or if it is a result of the release of silver ions. Ag NPs are produced in a large variety of monomer sizes and coatings, and since their physicochemical behavior depends on the media composition, it is important to understand how these variables modulate toxicity.</p><p> In order to test the hypothesis of a particle-specific effect, multiple techniques were used, including analytical chemistry, pharmacological rescue, and genetic analysis. Results suggested that dissolution was important for all tested Ag NPs and oxidative stress (a particle-specific effect) was important only for some Ag NPs, especially the citrate-coated Ag NPs (CIT-Ag NPs). The hypothesis of the particle-specific effect was further tested by investigating the cellular uptake and damage co-localization upon exposures to CIT-Ag NPs. I found that Ag NPs crossed all layers, including the pharynx, gut, and also embryos through trans-generational transfer. Sites of damage were examined through transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and CIT-Ag NPs showed a more severe and deeper level of damage compared to ionic Ag. In addition, pharmacological inhibitors in parallel with genetic mutants (deficient in both endocytosis and lysosomal function) were used to explore the impact of those pathways on Ag NP uptake and associated toxicity. I found that endocytosis was important for CIT-Ag NP uptake and toxicity. Most intriguingly, one of the lysosomal deficient mutants was much more sensitive than wild type to reproductive inhibition after exposure to CIT-Ag NPs but not ionic Ag, constituting a clear nanoparticle-specific toxic effect.</p><p> These laboratory mechanistic studies, however, cannot be directly extrapolated to complicated environmental conditions, including variable amounts of natural organic matter (NOM), different temperatures and salinities, surface sulfidation, etc. My general hypothesis was that complex environmental medium would reduce Ag NP toxicity. In support of this, the environmental conditions present in mesocosms resulted in a loss of toxicity one week after dosing/spiking. In laboratory studies, I found that that increasing temperature and salinity tended to increase Ag NP toxicity, while sulfidation reduced Ag NP toxicity, acting as a &ldquonatural antidote&rdquo. I studied two types of NOM, Suwannee River and Pony Lake fulvic acids (SRFA and PLFA respectively). PLFA rescued toxicity more effectively than SRFA. Therefore, CIT-Ag NP-NOM interactions were explored in depth using PLFA. Using hyperspectral dark field microscopy, I was able to detect the formation of Ag NP-PLFA complexes and the limited tissue uptake of Ag NPs (with and without PLFA). Consistent with the reduced acute toxicity of Ag NPs by PLFA, I also found a rescue effect of PLFA on Ag NP-induced ultrastructural damage.</p><p> In conclusion, Ag NP toxicity resulted largely from dissolution and in some cases also from a particle-specific effect. However, Ag NP toxicity was strongly altered by environmental matrices. Continued in depth elucidation of Ag NP behavior, cellular uptake pathways and trafficking, and their interactions with other environmental factors will be invaluable in predicting, designing, and remediating the potential/existing environmental implications of silver-related nanotechnology.</p> / Dissertation

Pienininkystė – nuo seno Lietuvos respublikoje sparčiai besivystanti gyvulininkystės šaka, nes čia yra palankios gamtinės sąlygos. Pieno kokybė dažniausiai priklauso nuo gyvulio sveikatos ir žinoma nuo jam sudarytų laikymo sąlygų. Pieninių galvijų laikymo sąlygos turi atitikti jų biologines ir etologines reikmes. Respublikoje nuolat atliekami tyrimai siekiant užtikrinti ne tik produkcijos kiekybę, bet ir kokybę. Šiuo metu vis dažniau vyrauja reikalavimai, bei teiginiai, kad geriausiai galvijus laikyti nepririštus. Gyvulininkystės patalpų mikroklimatas įtakoja galvijų fiziologinių rodiklių normas. Būtina apibrėžti ir kiekybiškai įvertinti kiekvieno aplinkos komponento svarbą, kas gali leisti išvengti didžiausią žalą gyvuliams darančių veiksnių. Daugelio mokslo darbuotojų pastebėjimais dėl blogų karvių laikymo salygų primelžiama iki 15 proc. mažiau pieno. Be to, tokio pieno kokybė bus prasta, iš jo nebus galima pagaminti aukštos kokybės produktų. Valstybė kiekvienais metais praranda šimtus milijonų litų, dėl blogos kokybės pieno. Lietuvoje yra mažai atlikta tyrimų apie aplinkos veiksnių įtaką gyvulių produktyvumui, tame tarpe ir pieno kokybei. Būtina didinti tokių tyrimų kiekį Lietuvoje. Kadangi Lietuvoje nėra nuosekliai tyrinėta laikymo sąlygų įtaka pieno galutinei produkcijai, todėl iškeltas darbo tikslas: įvertinti skirtingomis sąlygomis laikomų karvių aplinką bei pieno kokybės kitimus. Darbo uždaviniai: 1. Įvertinti karvių laikymo sąlygų skirtumus. 2. Nustatyti pieno... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Object and tasks of work: The aim of this work was to evaluate the various conditions the cows are housed, and how that change the quality of the milk. Tasks of work : 1. To evaluate the cow housing conditions. 2. To investigate the differences in milk quality indicators. 3. To investigate the possible influence of cow housing conditions of milk qualitative indicators. 4. To analyze the negative factors affecting the quality of milk. Results and conclusions: It was found that there is a connection (p <0.05) between: 1. indoor air temperature and the total number of bacteria in milk; 2. indoor air humidity, and the total number of bacteria in milk; 3. bearing surface temperature and the total number of bacteria in milk; 4. indoor air temperature and somatic cell count in milk; 5. bearing surface temperature and somatic cell count in milk. With increasing microclimatic parameters, increasing the total number of bacteria in milk, and somatic cell count in milk. In the investigated farms, the best microclimate indicators were where cows was loose. It was the same with the milk quality indicators. The most negative factor affecting milk quality indicators, is housing temperature in the barn, because it encourages the other negative factors, like indoor air humidity and bearing surface temperature.

This study aims to develop a method to investigate the relationship between socio-economic status of village settlements and some topographic variables using geographical information systems (GIS) and spatial statistical methods. The study area is &Ccedil / ankiri province, a mountainous region that lays at the northeast of Ankara. 331 villages represented by areal units are used in this study. 195 variables are used to extract a single socio-economic status indicator. First, all the variables are divided under three groups, namely economic, social and service. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) is used to construct an index indicating socio-economic status. The parameters that represent natural environment are / mean elevation, mean slope, mean aspect and the ratio of high quality soil in the total area, for each settlement unit. The data is visualized by choropleth, cartogram and 3D techniques. Then it is explored by using correlograms, spatial moving averages and geographically weighted regression (GWR). Finally linear non-spatial regression and spatial regression methods are utilized in order to establish a relation between the socio-economic status and environmental parameters.

Suicide has drawn much attention from both the scientific community and the public. Examining the impact of socio-environmental factors on suicide is essential in developing suicide prevention strategies and interventions, because it will provide health authorities with important information for their decision-making. However, previous studies did not examine the impact of socio-environmental factors on suicide using a spatial analysis approach. The purpose of this study was to identify the patterns of suicide and to examine how socio-environmental factors impact on suicide over time and space at the Local Governmental Area (LGA) level in Queensland. The suicide data between 1999 and 2003 were collected from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Socio-environmental variables at the LGA level included climate (rainfall, maximum and minimum temperature), Socioeconomic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) and demographic variables (proportion of Indigenous population, unemployment rate, proportion of population with low income and low education level). Climate data were obtained from Australian Bureau of Meteorology. SEIFA and demographic variables were acquired from ABS. A series of statistical and geographical information system (GIS) approaches were applied in the analysis. This study included two stages. The first stage used average annual data to view the spatial pattern of suicide and to examine the association between socio-environmental factors and suicide over space. The second stage examined the spatiotemporal pattern of suicide and assessed the socio-environmental determinants of suicide, using more detailed seasonal data. In this research, 2,445 suicide cases were included, with 1,957 males (80.0%) and 488 females (20.0%). In the first stage, we examined the spatial pattern and the determinants of suicide using 5-year aggregated data. Spearman correlations were used to assess associations between variables. Then a Poisson regression model was applied in the multivariable analysis, as the occurrence of suicide is a small probability event and this model fitted the data quite well. Suicide mortality varied across LGAs and was associated with a range of socio-environmental factors. The multivariable analysis showed that maximum temperature was significantly and positively associated with male suicide (relative risk [RR] = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.07). Higher proportion of Indigenous population was accompanied with more suicide in male population (male: RR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.03). There was a positive association between unemployment rate and suicide in both genders (male: RR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.06; female: RR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.16). No significant association was observed for rainfall, minimum temperature, SEIFA, proportion of population with low individual income and low educational attainment. In the second stage of this study, we undertook a preliminary spatiotemporal analysis of suicide using seasonal data. Firstly, we assessed the interrelations between variables. Secondly, a generalised estimating equations (GEE) model was used to examine the socio-environmental impact on suicide over time and space, as this model is well suited to analyze repeated longitudinal data (e.g., seasonal suicide mortality in a certain LGA) and it fitted the data better than other models (e.g., Poisson model). The suicide pattern varied with season and LGA. The north of Queensland had the highest suicide mortality rate in all the seasons, while there was no suicide case occurred in the southwest. Northwest had consistently higher suicide mortality in spring, autumn and winter. In other areas, suicide mortality varied between seasons. This analysis showed that maximum temperature was positively associated with suicide among male population (RR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.47) and total population (RR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.32). Higher proportion of Indigenous population was accompanied with more suicide among total population (RR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.19) and by gender (male: RR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.13; female: RR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.48). Unemployment rate was positively associated with total (RR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.24 to 1.59) and female (RR=1.09, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.18) suicide. There was also a positive association between proportion of population with low individual income and suicide in total (RR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.10 to 1.48) and male (RR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.23 to 1.72) population. Rainfall was only positively associated with suicide in total population (RR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.19). There was no significant association for rainfall, minimum temperature, SEIFA, proportion of population with low educational attainment. The second stage is the extension of the first stage. Different spatial scales of dataset were used between the two stages (i.e., mean yearly data in the first stage, and seasonal data in the second stage), but the results are generally consistent with each other. Compared with other studies, this research explored the variety of the impact of a wide range of socio-environmental factors on suicide in different geographical units. Maximum temperature, proportion of Indigenous population, unemployment rate and proportion of population with low individual income were among the major determinants of suicide in Queensland. However, the influence from other factors (e.g. socio-culture background, alcohol and drug use) influencing suicide cannot be ignored. An in-depth understanding of these factors is vital in planning and implementing suicide prevention strategies. Five recommendations for future research are derived from this study: (1) It is vital to acquire detailed personal information on each suicide case and relevant information among the population in assessing the key socio-environmental determinants of suicide; (2) Bayesian model could be applied to compare mortality rates and their socio-environmental determinants across LGAs in future research; (3) In the LGAs with warm weather, high proportion of Indigenous population and/or unemployment rate, concerted efforts need to be made to control and prevent suicide and other mental health problems; (4) The current surveillance, forecasting and early warning system needs to be strengthened, to trace the climate and socioeconomic change over time and space and its impact on population health; (5) It is necessary to evaluate and improve the facilities of mental health care, psychological consultation, suicide prevention and control programs; especially in the areas with low socio-economic status, high unemployment rate, extreme weather events and natural disasters.

ABSTRACT Speech-language pathology practice in the acute hospital setting has changed dramatically over the last 25 years. A significant increase in the number of referrals and a broadening of the speech-language pathologist’s caseload to include patients with dysphagia has meant there has been less time to see hospital inpatients with communication disabilities. This change in practice has caused speech-language pathologists working in the acute hospital setting to question their role in relation to patients with communication disabilities in the acute hospital setting. The thesis applies the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework to explore the role of speech-language pathologists in the acute hospital setting, specifically the acute hospital stroke unit, in relation to patients with communication disabilities. The ICF proposes that a health condition can be understood in terms of four separate components. These components are Body Structures and Functions, Activities and Participation, Environmental Factors and Personal Factors. Whilst the distinction between body structures and body functions within the ICF Body Functions and Structures component is clear, there is less clarity about the relationship between the ICF concepts of activity and participation in the ICF Activities and Participation component. Therefore, the first part of the thesis explores the conceptual similarities and differences between the concepts of activity and participation generally and communication activity and communication participation in particular. This discussion concludes that the ICF concepts of activity and participation are distinct concepts that are considered separately in this thesis. Following this conceptual clarification, the thesis applies the ICF framework to patients with communication disabilities in the acute hospital stroke unit. Specifically, patients with communication disabilities are described from the perspective of communication-related body functions within the ICF Body Structures and Functions component, communication activities within the ICF Activities and Participation component and communication-related environmental factors in the ICF Environmental Factors component. It is important to understand how many patients experience a communication disability in the acute hospital stroke unit so that adequate supports can be developed. Therefore an efficient way of identifying patients in acute hospital stroke units with a communication-related body function impairment such as hearing, vision, speech, language and/or cognitive communicative impairment was required. Hence, the first study describes the development of ICF compatible scales, called the OHW scales, to rate a patient’s degree of speech, language and cognitive communicative impairment. These three rating scales were called the OHW scales because they reflect the WHO framework and also represent the authors’ initials. The concurrent validity and interrater reliability of the OHW scales were then investigated. Results indicated that the OHW had acceptable levels of concurrent validity against standardised measures of speech, language and cognitive communicative impairment. The speech and cognitive communicative OHW scales also demonstrated moderately high interrater reliability, but exact agreement on the OHW language impairment scale was low. At a minimum, the OHW scales were valid measures of speech, language and cognitive communicative impairment and therefore they were used by the researcher to determine the number of patients with communication-related impairments in the acute hospital stroke unit. Patients in acute hospital stroke units may have communication-related impairments, such as speech, language or cognitive communicative impairments as a consequence of stroke. Patients may also have communication-related impairments (e.g., in hearing, vision and cognitive communicative) due to ageing and age related illnesses. Therefore, the second study of the thesis describes the number of patients with communication-related impairments in acute stroke units, regardless of the cause. Of the 69 patients screened, 88% had a mild or more severe communication-related impairment. In addition, 69% of inpatients, screened on two or more measures, had multiple communication-related impairments. Although many patients in acute stroke units have communication-related impairments, what may be particularly important is how many patients experience difficulty communicating their healthcare needs with healthcare providers in acute hospital stroke units. The ICF describes a person’s ability to carry out an activity, such as communicate healthcare needs, as an activity limitation. The ICF describes activity limitations in four different ways. Two ways are capacity with assistance and performance. Capacity with assistance indicates the person’s highest probable level of function in an activity given assistance and performance indicates a person’s level of function in the context of everyday life. Therefore, the third study of the thesis details how many patients experienced capacity with assistance limitation, that is, difficulty communicating their healthcare needs given assistance, and performance limitation, that is, difficulty communicating their healthcare needs during everyday healthcare routines. Results indicated that 51% of 65 patients had a capacity with assistance limitation and 57% had a performance limitation. Strong and significant relationships were found between patients’ degree of communication-related impairments and their degree of communication activity limitation, in both capacity with assistance and performance. Furthermore, the presence of a communication-related impairment accounted for up to 77% of the variance in a patient’s capacity with assistance limitation. Such impairments only accounted for up to 32% of the variance in a patient’s performance limitation. This finding suggests that other factors, such as environmental factors also affect a patient’s ability to communicate, particularly during everyday health care routines. In light of this, a review of the literature on the range of environmental factors that influence communication between patients with communication-related impairments and healthcare providers in the acute hospital setting was conducted. The review of the literature indicated the need for research on the environmental factors that influence communication between patients and healthcare providers in the acute hospital stroke unit. Therefore, the final study of the thesis investigates this further. This study employed a focused ethnographic methodology to identify the range of environmental factors that appeared to influence communication between patients and their healthcare providers. Seven themes were identified including the healthcare providers’ knowledge of communication-related impairments, skills, attitudes, and individual characteristics. Other themes included the presence of family, the physical environment and hospital systems and services. In summary, this series of studies indicates that the majority of patients admitted into acute hospital stroke units have a communication-related impairment and approximately half to two thirds of patients experience difficulty communicating their healthcare needs with healthcare providers. Whilst having a communication-related impairment increases the likelihood that a patient will experience difficulty communicating with healthcare providers, other factors, such as the communicative environment also appear to play an important role. Speech-language pathologists working in the acute hospital stroke unit may have an important role in identifying patients who are experiencing difficulty communicating their healthcare needs and supporting these patients and their healthcare providers to communicate in optimal ways. Further research is required to demonstrate that improving a patient’s ability to communicate with his or her healthcare providers improves a patient’s health outcomes. With this evidence, speech-language pathologists may be more able to support patients with communication disabilities to get the healthcare they deserve.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Alnarp : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2007. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, 2005. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.