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Yes / The cost of medical care is snowballing at an alarming and unmaintainable rate universally. Consequently, the need for a trusted quality management (QM) system at healthcare organizations is a must. Such system will aid the healthcare governance to increase the effectiveness and decrease the cost. It will help in minimizing the risk and enhancing patient safety. Several challenges facing healthcare QM in Oman are creating computerizing monitoring tool and confirming commitment of decision makers at all levels. The Report of Quality and Patient Safety (RQPS) in Oman 2016 highlighted the low level of patient safety and quality culture among staff. It recommended to inaugurate a well-defined organizational chart based on each healthcare organization’s vision and mission. Therefore, it is important to design a national accreditation system that is accredited by an international accreditation body. Such step will help in prioritizing the needs and minimizing the cost of maintaining and upgrading systems. To overcome these challenges, this article is presenting a novel methodology of hybrid knowledge-based (KB) system to assess QM in healthcare environment (QMHE) using gauging absence of prerequisites tool for benchmarking and analytical hierarchy process for prioritizing. The KB-QMHE model can be used as a standard to assess QM at any healthcare organization around the globe. The results showed that 852 questions were answered by the quality managers in a tertiary hospital in Oman; the percentage of bad points in this hospital was 32%. The KB-QMHE model has clearly shown that the priority 1, in level 0, is to focus on the patient-centered dimension in the healthcare quality dimensions submodule. Output, also, suggested a prioritized action plan covering healthcare governance module, healthcare leadership module and healthcare organization’s resources module in level 1–3.

The number of students with long-term problematic school absence is increasing and should be seen as a serious social problem. The purpose of the study was to investigate the views of school counselors and social workers on how the collaboration between schools and social services works around students in high school with long-term problematic school absence, but also how the respondents view these students and what works well or hinders collaboration between the professions. Finally, it was investigated whether there was a need for improvements linked to the work with school absenteeism and the collaboration work around the group. The study was conducted using a qualitative method and the empirical material is based on semi-structured interviews with three school counselors and three social workers. The results were analyzed using thematic analysis, previous research and two theories: samverkansteori and systemteori. The study shows that there is collaboration between the organizations around the children and that there are several success factors and obstacles. Conditions for good collaboration were described as working with combined forces, relational work, understanding each other, clear roles and working with the pupil's system. Barriers identified were lack of resources, not having parents with them, confidentiality and unrealistic expectations. The interviewees had many wishes for improvement; more resources, different interventions, teams for collaboration and more preventive work.

Yes / Governance perspective plays a vital role in the success of Quality Management in Healthcare Environment (QMHE). In fact QMHE has adopted and applied different quality tools and models in recent times, with some even developing their own quality‐based initiatives. This paper will present an original and novel approach (KB/ES coupled with GAP analysis) to evaluate the effectiveness of governance body in QMHE. The KB system inserts GAP for benchmarking and evaluating the current practices with the desired ones. The KB system will benchmark the current position of governance perspective as part of QMHE with the ideal benchmark one. The results will help healthcare practitioners to improve the governance boy’s gaps and take the correct decisions. / Sultan Qaboos University, Oman

An exploration of simultaneous presence and absence in Architecture and Landscape. The site of memory as metaphor[m] and narrative. Architecture persists the metapsyche glimpse into the infinite. A gestalt of space and time relative to an obscur sensory perspective. Architecture defines place within space. That the vague sphere of mental and psychological perception extends infinite past any boundary. It is these boundaries that awaken the thought of a simultaneous absence and presence within nature. Dimension is witnessed and felt by our need to justify this simultaneity. In this way, Architecture binds and manipulates the infinite [space] into a place of memory. It can then be conceived, conjured, realized, and memorialized as a metaphor of space and time. For the progression of Architecture, Architecture must be a fragment and artifact of the collective narrative. I'm not designing buildings. I'm creating graves to mark where conception and creation dance infinitely. / Master of Architecture

Bakgrund: Barn med neuropsykiatriska funktionsnedsättningar är överrepresenterade avseende problematisk skolfrånvaro. Långsiktiga konsekvenser av skolfrånvaron kan vara nedsatt social funktion, sämre förutsättningar till examen, försämrad hälsa och kortare livslängd. Skolsköterskans hälsofrämjande och förebyggande insatser syftar till att minska risk för ohälsa samt stärka hälsa och skyddsfaktorer. Skolsköterskans roll kopplas till känsla av sammanhang, KASAM, samt involvera barn och förälder i omvårdnaden. Syfte: Syftet är att beskriva skolsköterskors erfarenhet av hälsofrämjande insatser för att öka skolnärvaron hos barn med neuropsykiatriska funktionsnedsättningar i åk. F till 6. Metod: Kvalitativ metod med induktiv ansats. Datainsamlingen utfördes genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med tio skolsköterskor. Materialet analyserades genom kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: Studien resulterade i tre kategorier: Vara flexibel och tillgänglig, Samordna insatser och Främja delaktighet. Hälsosamtalen är grundläggande för skolsköterskans arbete med barnets behov i centrum, för att kunna främja stöd och åtgärder som kan öka skolnärvaron. Skolsköterskor lyssnar in barnet, för dennes talan samt stöttar föräldrar som har svårt att få till rutiner och bidrar därigenom till ökad skolnärvaro. Konklusion: Skolsköterskans roll är komplex och central i det hälsofrämjande arbetet med barn som har neuropsykiatriska funktionsnedsättningar, för att öka skolnärvaro. Skolsköterskor kan genom flexibilitet, tillgänglighet och delaktighet tidigt upptäcka barn med svårigheter och begynnande skolfrånvaro. Samverkan beskrivs som centralt för att möta barnens behov. / Background: Children with neuropsychiatric disabilities are over-represented regarding problematic school absence. Long-term consequences of school absence can be reduced social function, poorer conditions for graduation, deteriorated health and shorter lifespan. The school nurses´ health promotion and prevention efforts aim to reduce the risk of ill health and strengthen health and protective factors. The school nurses´ role is linked to a sense of context, KASAM, as well as involving children and parents in nursing. Aim: The purpose is to describe school nurses' experience of health-promoting efforts to increase school attendance among children with neuropsychiatric disabilities in school, in degrees F to 6. Method: Qualitative method with inductive approach. The data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews with ten school nurses´. The material was analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Findings: The study resulted in three categories: Be flexible and available, Coordinate efforts and Promote participation. The health talks are fundamental to the school nurses´ work with the child's needs, to promote support and measures that can increase school attendance. School nurses listen to, speak up for the child, and support parents with difficulties getting into routines and thereby contribute to increased school attendance. Conclusion: The school nurses´ role is complex and central in the health promotion work with children who have neuropsychiatric disabilities, to increase school attendance. Through flexibility, availability and participation, school nurses´ can early detect children with difficulties and incipient absenteeism. Collaboration is described as central to meeting the children's needs. / <p>Det finns övrigt digitalt material (t.ex. film-, bild- eller ljudfiler) eller modeller/artefakter tillhörande examensarbetet som ska skickas till arkivet.</p><p>There are other digital material (eg film, image or audio files) or models/artifacts that belongs to the thesis and need to be archived.</p>

I denna uppsats undersöks hur kommunikativa marknadsföringsstrategier som utelämnar centrala produkter eller nyckelelement kan användas för att effektivt nå och engagera publiken. Genom att analysera reklamfilmer från Barncancerfonden och Sverige för UNHCR, fokuserar studien på att förstå hur frånvaro av element kan spela en kommunikativ roll och hur detta kan tillämpas i kommersiell marknadsföring. I studien har en multimodal visuell analys använts för att granska hur olika semiotiska resurser såsom bilder, symboler och andra visuella tecken bidrar till att skapa mening när det centrala i budskapet saknas. Studiens syfte är att utforska hur ideella organisationer tillämpar dessa strategier i sina marknadsföringskampanjer och hur det går att applicera i reklam för kommersiella företag. Genom tidigare forskning och teoretiska ramverk som socialsemiotik och visuell retorik, samt en detaljerad metodologisk ansats, ger uppsatsen insikter i hur utelämnande av element kan användas för att framkalla starka emotionella reaktioner och engagemang hos publiken. Detta arbete bidrar med värdefulla perspektiv till det breda fältet av marknadsföringskommunikation, särskilt i hur emotionell marknadsföring kan förstärka budskap och skapa djupare band mellan varumärken och deras målgrupper. / In this thesis, we explore how marketing strategies that omit central products or key elements can be used effectively to reach and engage the audience. By analyzing advertisements from Barncancerfonden and Sverige för UNHCR, the study focuses on understanding how the absence of elements can play a communicative role and how this can be applied in commercial marketing. The study has used a multimodal visual analysis to examine how various semiotic resources such as images, symbols, and other visual signs contribute to creating meaning when the main object is missing.  The purpose of the study is to explore how organizations apply these strategies in their marketing campaigns and how they can be applied in advertising for commercial companies. Through previous research and theoretical frameworks such as social semiotics and visual rhetoric, and a detailed methodological approach, the thesis provides insights into how the omission of elements can be used to evoke strong emotional reactions and engagement from the audience. This work contributes valuable perspectives to the broader field of marketing communication, especially in how emotional marketing can strengthen messages and create deeper bonds between brands and their target groups.

Yes / This paper presents the development of a Knowledge-Based System (KBS) to support the implementation of Lean Six Sigma (L6σ) principles applied to enhance Quality Management (QM) performance within a Healthcare Environment. The process of KBS building has been started by acquiring knowledge from experts in field of L6σ and QM in healthcare. The acquired knowledge has been represented in a rule-based approach for capturing L6σ practices. These rules are produced in IF….THEN way where IF is the premise and THEN is the action. The produced rules have been integrated with Gauging Absence of Pre-requisites (GAP) technique to facilitate benchmarking of best practice in a healthcare environment. A comprehensive review of the structure of the system is given, detailing a typical output of the KBS. Implementation of L6σ principles to enhance QM performance in a Healthcare Environment requires a pre-assessment of the organisation’s competences. The KBS provides an enhanced strategic and operational decision making hierarchy for achieving a performance benchmark. This research presents a novel application of a hybrid KBS with GAP methodology to support the implementation of L6σ principles to enhance QM performance in a healthcare environment.

Learner absenteeism is one of the major precursors to poor academic performance. If learners miss school, they do not learn and ultimately they fail or drop-out. Notwithstanding, this problem does not receive the attention it deserves. A literature study, which reviewed research findings concerning absenteeism in South Africa and selected countries, provided a framework for the ensuing empirical inquiry. A qualitative study using in-depth interviews, focus group interviews, document review and observation as data gathering techniques focused on two selected primary schools with a high rate of learner absenteeism in the Acornhoek area of Mpumalanga, South Africa. Participants were purposefully selected as information rich candidates: absentee learners, parents of absentee learners, teachers and school principals. Learner absenteeism negatively impacts effective professional practice, that is, teaching and learning. The study concludes with recommendations to prevent learner absenteeism in order to improve teaching and learning in South African primary schools. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)