Background: Cervical cancer is reportedly the easiest gynecologic cancer to prevent, and measures that have the most impact are regular screening and timely follow-up. Although the Papanicolaou (Pap) test used to screen for cervical cancer has been recognized as one of the most valuable clinical preventive service for women, variation in screening and tracking remain a barrier for some women achieving optimal health. Missed opportunities for care in the form of inadequate follow-up is a patient safety and quality of care issue that can be appropriately addressed through implementation of a tool to be used as a component of a cervical cancer surveillance program. Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to develop an evidence-based, tracking tool for cervical cytology screening to facilitate surveillance measures in a community health center. Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework applied was Donebedian’s quality of care framework that incorporates the Structure-Process-Outcome model. Methods: The study was conducted in five phases over a period of 14 months. After permission was granted to implement the study, the tracking tool was developed with input from the mentor. The final two phases consisted of training, implementation, and evaluation of tool’s effectiveness towards improving practice. A survey questionnaire measuring the staff’s opinion of the tool was administered and verbal feedback regarding perception of the tool’s capability to impact clinical practice was collected. Results: Informal surveys were performed by asking stakeholders to share their attitudes and opinions of the surveillance tool. Conclusion: Consistent evidence-based practice among those charged with providing care is paramount to helping patients achieve their best outcome. Surveillance is an internal process and improving surveillance is pivotal to the goal of optimizing outcomes. The findings of the QI project indicate that through the provision of this evidence-based practice, clinical resource, quality of care will be improved. Additionally, the surveillance tool will be incorporated into clinical practice and used as the official method for tracking abnormal cervical cancer screenings, scheduling follow up care, and tracking patients until resolution of cervical pathology.

Maleimide based highly luminescent material Cbz-MI with donor acceptor donor (D-A-D) backbone has been synthesized and characterized. An organic light emitting diode fabricated using this material as emitting layer exhibited EQE of 2.5% in the yellow region of visible spectrum. Due to the small energy gap of materials emitting in this region of spectrum, EQE of OLED is usually limited by various non-radiative decays and high EQE of OLED using this material proves that most of the nonradiative decay pathways have been avoided by the careful design of molecule and device structure. Although Cbz-MI did not show TADF properties, but if tailored with right electron donor along with maleimide as an acceptor, such derivatives may exhibit TADF properties

Recent popularization of technologies such as Smartphones, Wearables, Internet of Things, Social Networks and Video streaming increased data creation. Dealing with extensive data sets led the creation of term big data, often defined as when data volume, acquisition rate or representation demands nontraditional approaches to data analysis or requires horizontal scaling for data processing. Analysis is the most important Big Data phase, where it has the objective of extracting meaningful and often hidden information. One example of Big Data hidden information is causality, which can be inferred with Delayed Transfer Entropy (DTE). Despite DTE wide applicability, it has a high demanding processing power which is aggravated with large datasets as those found in big data. This research optimized DTE performance and modified existing code to enable DTE execution on a computer cluster. With big data trend in sight, this results may enable bigger datasets analysis or better statistical evidence. / A recente popularização de tecnologias como Smartphones, Wearables, Internet das Coisas, Redes Sociais e streaming de Video aumentou a criação de dados. A manipulação de grande quantidade de dados levou a criação do termo Big Data, muitas vezes definido como quando o volume, a taxa de aquisição ou a representação dos dados demanda abordagens não tradicionais para analisar ou requer uma escala horizontal para o processamento de dados. A análise é a etapa de Big Data mais importante, tendo como objetivo extrair informações relevantes e às vezes escondidas. Um exemplo de informação escondida é a causalidade, que pode ser inferida utilizando Delayed Transfer Entropy (DTE). Apesar do DTE ter uma grande aplicabilidade, ele possui uma grande demanda computacional, esta última, é agravada devido a grandes bases de dados como as encontradas em Big Data. Essa pesquisa otimizou e modificou o código existente para permitir a execução de DTE em um cluster de computadores. Com a tendência de Big Data em vista, esse resultado pode permitir bancos de dados maiores ou melhores evidências estatísticas.

Recent popularization of technologies such as Smartphones, Wearables, Internet of Things, Social Networks and Video streaming increased data creation. Dealing with extensive data sets led the creation of term big data, often defined as when data volume, acquisition rate or representation demands nontraditional approaches to data analysis or requires horizontal scaling for data processing. Analysis is the most important Big Data phase, where it has the objective of extracting meaningful and often hidden information. One example of Big Data hidden information is causality, which can be inferred with Delayed Transfer Entropy (DTE). Despite DTE wide applicability, it has a high demanding processing power which is aggravated with large datasets as those found in big data. This research optimized DTE performance and modified existing code to enable DTE execution on a computer cluster. With big data trend in sight, this results may enable bigger datasets analysis or better statistical evidence. / A recente popularização de tecnologias como Smartphones, Wearables, Internet das Coisas, Redes Sociais e streaming de Video aumentou a criação de dados. A manipulação de grande quantidade de dados levou a criação do termo Big Data, muitas vezes definido como quando o volume, a taxa de aquisição ou a representação dos dados demanda abordagens não tradicionais para analisar ou requer uma escala horizontal para o processamento de dados. A análise é a etapa de Big Data mais importante, tendo como objetivo extrair informações relevantes e às vezes escondidas. Um exemplo de informação escondida é a causalidade, que pode ser inferida utilizando Delayed Transfer Entropy (DTE). Apesar do DTE ter uma grande aplicabilidade, ele possui uma grande demanda computacional, esta última, é agravada devido a grandes bases de dados como as encontradas em Big Data. Essa pesquisa otimizou e modificou o código existente para permitir a execução de DTE em um cluster de computadores. Com a tendência de Big Data em vista, esse resultado pode permitir bancos de dados maiores ou melhores evidências estatísticas.

Quantum mechanics has played a big role in the development of our understanding of the smallest things in the universe. It has provided descriptions for phenomena like single electrons or single photons, which are single particles of light. One of the most mysterious properties of quantum systems is the ability to behave as a particle or a wave. In 1978, J. A. Wheeler devised an experiment to investigate if a quantum system knows in advance if it should propagate as a wave or as a particle through an experiment, by changing the experiment after the quantum system has entered the experimental set-up.  Here an optical all-in fiber platform for a Wheeler's delayed choice experiment is modeled, constructed and tested using commercially available fiber optic components. This is in contrast to previous delayed choice experiments, which have used free-space components in some parts of their experimental set-up. The optical set-up was modeled and simulated using a quantum formalism, with future work in mind if the platform is used to perform a quantum delayed-choice experiment. The platform used a Sagnac interferometer as the second beamsplitter in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, to perform the choice of measuring either particle or wave properties. Using a fiber platform, the length of the platform can easily be extended with more fiber to accommodate a large separation between the beamsplitter in the beginning of the set-up, and the Sagnac interferometer at the end of the set-up. The result was a stable platform to measure particle behavior of light with good performance, and the ability to switch between these measurements on the fly. The system was tested with classical light, but the light source can be changed from a laser, to for example an attenuated laser, to enter the quantum domain for performing a quantum delayed-choice experiment using the platform. / Kvantmekaniken har inneburit stora genombrott i vår förståelse av de allra minsta tingen i universum. Kvantmekaniken har gett oss beskrivningar av fenomen som enstaka elektroners beteende eller enstaka ljuspartiklar, så kallade fotoner. En av de märkligaste egenskaperna som finns hos subatomära partiklar är förmågan att upptärda som en våg eller som en partikel, beroende på sammanhanget. År 1978 beskrev J. A. Wheeler ett experiment för att undersöka om en kvantmekanisk partikel, till exempel en foton, vet i förväg om den skall färdas som en partikel eller som en våg genom en experimentuppställning. Undersökningen av detta görs genom att ändra experimentuppställningen samtidigt som den kvantmekaniska partikeln färdas genom uppställningen.  En fiberoptisk plattform för Wheelers experiment med sent val modelleras, byggs med kommersiella fiberoptiska komponenter och testas i denna uppsats. Detta skiljer sig från tidigare experiment som har använt frirymds optik i någon del av experimentuppställningen. Den optiska kretsen modelleras med kvantmekanikens formalism, detta för att underlätta för framtida experiment som använder plattformen för att genomföra den kvantmekaniska varianten av Wheelers experiment med sent val.  Plattformen består av en Sagnac interferometer som ersätter den andra stråldelaren i en Mach-Zehnder interferometer, och därmed ger funktionen att kunna byta mellan mätning av partikelegenskaper och mätning av vågegenskaper. Den fiberoptiska plattformen är enkel att förlänga för att skapa ett långt avstånd mellan den första stråldelaren och Sagnac interferometern. Resultatet var en stabil plattform med god förmåga att mäta partikelegenskaper respektive vågegenskaper hos ljus och byta mellan dessa mätlägen under experimentets gång. Systemet testades med klassikt laserljus men denna ljuskälla kan enkelt bytas ut mot en dämpad laser för att komma ned på ljusnivåer med enstaka fotoner, och därmed kunna genomföra den kvantmekaniska varianten av Wheelers experiment med sent val.

Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences / Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology / Daniel U. Thomson / Auction derived feeder calves (n=1,601; initial BW = 273.5 ± 4.7 kg) were used to examine the effects of delayed administration of the initial steroid implant on health, performance, and carcass characteristics of feedlot cattle. Steers were procured from multiple-source auction markets in the southeastern United States and shipped to a central Kansas feedyard over a 6 week period from December 2009 to January 2010. Steers were rested overnight prior to processing, then were randomly assigned, within arrival block, to 1 of 2 treatments: 1) implanted with Revalor-XS (40 mg estradiol and 200 mg trenbolone acetate) immediately upon arrival (ARRIVAL); or 2) implanted with the same implant after 45 d (DELAYED). Cattle were weighed on a group scale immediately following processing of each block. Feed deliveries were measured using load cells on feed trucks and recorded daily. Cattle were evaluated daily for morbidity and mortality by trained feedyard health personnel. Sick or injured cattle were removed from the home pen for further diagnosis and treatment. Individual animal health data were obtained and recorded daily. Final BW was calculated by dividing HCW by the average dressing percent of the pen. Carcass data (quality grade and yield grade) were obtained by USDA personnel; presence of lung lesions, pleural adhesions, and liver abscesses was evaluated by trained university personnel. Delaying the initial implant tended to reduce morbidity (24.7 vs. 28.5%; P = 0.13) and reduced railer rates (1.8 vs. 3.3%; P = 0.02); however, there were no effects of timing of implant administration (P ≥ 0.31) on rates of retreatment, mortality, lung lesions, or pleural adhesions. Implanting immediately upon feedlot arrival resulted in numerical improvements in ADG and feed conversion, but these differences were not statistical (P ≥ 0.56). Cattle implanted upon arrival had numerically greater HCW and yield grade vs. cattle implanted on d 45; however, these differences were not statistical (P ≥ 0.16). Delaying the initial implant 45 d did not influence animal health, performance parameters or carcass characteristics in high risk feeder calves.

Bakgrund: Endometrios är en kronisk gynekologisk sjukdom som tio procent av alla kvinnor lider av. Symtomen är individuella men de vanligaste är bäckenbottensmärta, smärta vid menstruation och samlagsmärta. Kvinnor bemöts med misstro och normalisering av symtom, detta på grund av bristfällig kompetens från hälso- och sjukvården. Sjuksköterskans förhållningssätt gentemot dessa patienter bör innefatta lyhördhet, sympati och empati, ha en god kommunikation och finna mening vid varje möte med patienten.   Syfte: Syftet med litteraturstudien var att beskriva kvinnors erfarenheter i vardagen av att leva med endometrios. Vidare var syftet att beskriva de inkluderade artiklarnas datainsamlingsmetod.   Metod: Litteraturstudie med deskriptiv design. Data samlades in via PubMed och CINAHL där tio vetenskapliga artiklar med kvalitativ ansats fanns, dessa låg till grund för resultatet.   Huvudresultat: Vägen till diagnostisering var en lång process relaterat till misstro samt endometrios diffusa symtom. Endometrios begränsade kvinnornas fysiska, psykiska och sociala förmåga som sänkte livskvalitén. Smärta var det mest påtagliga symtomet, detta bidrog till ett ständigt sökande av strategier för att hantera smärtan. Strategierna varierade hos kvinnorna men den mest användbara strategin var kostförändringar. De tio inkluderade artiklarna i studien använde främst intervjuer för att beskriva kvinnors erfarenheter av att leva med endometrios.   Slutsats: Endometrios påverkar kvinnornas dagliga liv samt att relationer till andra människor blir lidande. Brister i hälso- och sjukvården sågs markant då de ej utgav adekvat  information samt en tydlig misstro relaterat till kvinnors symtom, vilket ligger till grund för den fördröjda diagnosen. För att hantera vardagen har kvinnorna själva funnit olika strategier som reducerar smärtan. / Background: Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disease which ten percent of all women suffer from. The symptoms are individual but the most common are pelvic pain, pain during menstruation and intercourse pain. Because of insufficient competence in health care system women are treated with disbelief and normalization of symptoms. The nurse attitude towards these patients ought to include sensitivity, sympathy and empathy and also have a good communication and be able to find meaning in each meeting with patients.   Aim: The aim with this literature review was to describe womens experience in daily life of living with endometriosis. The aim was furthermore to describe the included articles data collections method.   Method: A literature review with descriptive design. Data were collected through databases PubMed and CINAHL where ten articles with a qualitative approach was found which laies to basis for the result.   Main results: The way to diagnosis was a long process that was related to disbelief and endometriosis diffuse symptoms. Endometriosis limited womens physical, psychological and social abilities that significantly reduced quality of life. Pain was the most substantial symptom and to be able to handle with the pain, they constantly search for strategies. The strategies varied slightly among the women but the most useful approach was a major dietary change. The ten articles that was included in this literature review  used interviews to collect data and supplemented with diarys and journal entries to describe womens experiences of living with endometriosis.   Conclusion: Endometriosis affects a womans daily life adversely and also her relationships with other people. Deficiencies in health care was significantly when non adequate information was given and a marked disbelief related to the womens symptom that can be one reason for a delayed diagnosis. To be able to handle everyday life women had found different strategies to reduce pain.

Thesis (MCurr)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Intraventricular haemorrhage is associated with neurological morbidity and mortality in low birth weight infants. In spite of improvements in treatment to reduce the incidence of the haemorrhage, the condition continues to remain a major cause of long term morbidity in low birth weight infants. The evidence from the literature has shown that low birth weight infants might benefit from delayed cord clamping particularly in reducing the risk of intraventricular haemorrhage and its neurological consequences. The primary objective of this review was to assess the effects of delayed versus early cord clamping on intraventricular haemorrhage amongst low birth weight infants. The secondary objectives were to evaluate the effects of delayed versus early cord clamping on the Apgar scores, hyperbilirubinaemia and polycythaemia in infants. The following electronic databases were searched: CINAHL, MEDLINE (searched via PubMed) and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). Other information was gathered from the reference lists of retrieved articles and relevant experts. The selection criteria entailed all randomised controlled trials comparing delayed versus early cord clamping following birth in infants with low birth weight. Two reviewers independently extracted the data and assessed the quality of the trials. Disagreements on studies for inclusion were resolved by discussion with the third reviewer. The review included five randomised controlled trials with 215 participants. The risk of intraventricular haemorrhage was significantly reduced in the delayed compared with early cord clamping (RR0.52, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.82, P=0.005). No statistically significant difference was shown between delayed versus early cord clamping for the risk of hyperbilirubinaemia (RR O.48, 95% CI -0.43 to 1.39, P=0.30). There was no data available for other comparisons: Polycythaemia and Apgar scores. There is growing evidence that delayed cord clamping might benefit low birth weight infants. In the included studies, delayed cord clamping for at least 30 seconds appear to have a potential in reducing the risk of intraventricular haemorrhage. The results of this review should however be interpreted with caution due to a limited number of studies with the absence of clinically important secondary outcomes in the included trials. Further research is required on large scale randomised controlled trials. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Intraventrikulêre bloeding word geassosieer met neurologiese morbiditeit en mortaliteit in suigelinge met ’n lae geboortegewig. Ten spyte van die verbetering in die behandeling om die gevalle van bloeding te verminder, duur die toestand voort as ’n belangrike oorsaak van langtermyn morbiditeit in lae gewig geboortes. Bewyse uit die literatuur toon dat suigelinge met ’n lae geboortegewig voordeel mag trek uit vertraagde afklemming, veral deur die vermindering van die risiko van intraventrikulêre bloeding en die neurologiese gevolge daarvan. Die primêre doelwit van hierdie navorsing was om die effek van vertraagde, versus vroeë afklemming op intraventrikulêre bloeding onder suigelinge met ’n lae geboortegewig te bepaal. Die sekondêre doelwit is om die effekte van vertraagde, versus vroeë afklemming op die Apgar uitslae, hiperbilirubinaemia en polisitaemia by suigelinge te evalueer. Die volgende elektroniese databasisse is nagegaan: CINAHL, MEDLINE (soektog via PubMed); Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). Ander inligting is verkry uit die bronnelyste van nagevorsde artikels en van relevante deskundiges. Die seleksie kriteria behels alle ewekansige beheerde toetsing, insluitende toekomstige studies wat vertraagde, versus vroeë afklemming vergelyk by suigelinge met ’n lae geboortegewig. Twee resensente het onafhanklik data geneem en die kwalititeit van die toetse bepaal. Verskille oor insluiting van navorsing, is met ’n derde resensent deur middel van bespreking opgelos. Die navorsing het vyf ewekansige beheerde steekproewe met 215 deelnemers ingesluit. Die risiko van intraventrikulêre bloeding is beduidend verminder in die vertraagde gevalle, in teenstelling met vroeë afklemming (RR0.52, 95% CI 0.33 tot 0.82, P=0.005). Geen statistiese beduidende verskil is bewys tussen vertraagde teenoor vroeë afklemming ten opsigte van hiperbilirubinaemia nie (RR 0.48, 95% CI – 0.43 tot 1.39, P=0.30). Daar was geen data beskikbaar vir ander vergelykings nie: Polisytaemia en Apgar uitslae. Daar is groeiende bewyse dat vertraagde afklemming lae geboortegewig suigelinge mag beïnvloed. Dit wil in die ingeslote studies voor kom dat vertraagde afklemming van ten minste 30 sekondes die potensiaal het om die risiko van intraventrikulêre bloeding te verminder. Die uitslae van hierdie beskouing sal nietemin met omsigtigheid geïnterpreteer moet word, weens die beperkte aantal studies met die afwesigheid van klinies belangrike sekondêre uitkomste in die ingeslote proewe. Verdere navorsing word benodig op grootskaalse ewekansige beheerde proewe.

ITC/USA 2011 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Seventh Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 24-27, 2011 / Bally's Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada / This paper proposes a telemetering method consisting of delayed frame time diversity (DFTD) as the inner code and Reed-Solomon (RS) code as the outer code. DFTD is used to transmit a real-time frame together with a time-delayed frame which was saved in the memory during a defined period. The RS code is serially concatenated with DFTD. This method was applied to the design of telemetry units that have been used for over ten flight tests. The data results of the flight test for four cases with no applied code, with DFTD only, with the RS code only, and with both DFTD and the RS code are used to compare the number of error frames. The results also show that the proposed method is very useful and applicable to telemetry applications in a communication environment with a deep fade.

Firms have since long given their regular customers special treatment. With the help of IT, many firms have established formal ways to do this. An example is a so-called customer rewards program (CRP), by which the firm rewards the customer for repeated purchase. Firms allocate large resources in these programs with millions of customers enrolled. Hence, it seems important that the CRP works effectively. By effective we mean that it increases sales. Whether it is effective or not is a matter of how it is designed. A CRP typically comes with membership levels. We study how many membership levels the firm should offer in an effective program. We also study if customers prefer individual or group rewards and whether a CRP can break and create habitual purchasing behavior. In the study, we also analyze under what conditions the customer prefers a CRP over a sales promotion. In general, the study adds to the understanding of Customer Rewards Programs as an incentive structure. There are many different ways to design these incentives and especially the continuing development of IT is expected to influence the future design and role of these types of programs. This study is part of the Swedish Research School of Management and Information Technology (MIT) which is one of 16 national research schools supported by the Swedish Government. MIT is jointly operated by the following institutions: Blekinge Institute of Technology, Gotland University College, Jönköping International Business School, Karlstad University, Linköping University, Lund University, Mälardalen University College, Stockholm University, Växjö University, Örebro University, IT University of Göteborg, and Uppsala University, host to the research school. At the Swedish Research School of Management and Information Technology (MIT), research is conducted, and doctoral education provided, in three fields: management information systems, business administration, and informatics.