The aim of this paper is to present a critical reflexive analysis of spin doctoring in the Euro-Atlantic area. We aim to determine whether a spin doctor use the knowledge of semiotics, media studies, public relations, political communication and rhetoric for the practice of crisis communications. This text puts this kind of manipulative communication into historical perspective and monitors its application in social communication of contemporary Western society. With the support of current thinking on this persuasive communication, we would like to explore various methods and techniques of spin doctoring. We try to identify and analyse various sign systems, specific channels and media that are used in the practice of spin doctoring. We attempt a comparison of these communication channels in relation to the effectiveness of the persuasion. We focus on the era of new media (last 20 years) and the consequences of these developmental processes, and effects on the agenda of media (problem of agenda setting). The subject of our interest is also the influence of increasing number of people who have access to World Wide Web. We study individuals' participation in the democratic process. We believe that the advent of new media caused a reconfiguration of participation in democracy, but we think, that new...

The purpose of this essay has been to examine how the concept of class, based upon György Lukács theory of reflection, is shown in the novel Doctor Glas by the author Hjalmar Söderberg. Class is also compared to its relation to locations mentioned in the novel. The method the essay is using, is a comparative reading between the novel and the chronicle En Stockholmskrönika från sekelskiftet, also written by Söderberg. I try to trace and point out where these differences can be shown, in relation to where the characters in the novel are geographically located. The essay confirms that the concept of reflection does not apply, or fails to do so, on Söderberg’s novel or on the compared chronicle.

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This study explored the relationship between patients' Health Locus of Control and their perceptions about the nature of their physician-patient relationship. The Locus of Control Scale and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale were implemented to measure the degree of personal control individuals attribute to their health. The Health Care Climate Questionnaire was used to measure the perceived physician support. The predicted result of the study was that patients who exhibit a higher degree of internal health locus of control would report better relationships with their physicians. This hypothesis was confirmed; there was a positive relationship between Internal health Locus of Control and the Health Care Climate questionnaire. Also, a significant relationship between the Powerful Others subscale of the health Locus of Control and perceived physician support was established.

It has been estimated that in the United States, between 44,000 to 98,000 patients succumb to medical errors each year. Due to a shortage of graduates of domestic medical schools, many graduates of foreign medical schools are practicing in the United States. The medical education received in foreign medical schools may not be equivalent to the medical education received in domestic medical schools, which are schools located in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. Differences due to the educational backgrounds of the foreign-schooled physicians may contribute to an increase in medical board disciplining. Furthermore, graduates of medical schools where the instruction is not conducted in the English language may receive increased medical board disciplining when compared to the graduates of medical schools where English is the language of instruction. Finally, domestic medical schools that are ranked low according to The Gourman Report, 8th Edition may provide a substandard medical education, causing their graduates to have increased rates of discipline when compared to peers who have graduated from higher ranked medical schools. This study examines the effects of undergoing foreign medical training as opposed to domestic medical training and receiving medical school instruction in the English language or another language, on the frequency and severity of disciplinary action taken by the Florida Board of Medicine against medical doctors licensed in Florida since 1952 (N = 39,559). Also examined are the effects of attending domestic medical schools that are ranked lower than other domestic medical schools on the frequency and severity of disciplinary action taken by the Florida Board of Medicine against medical doctors licensed in Florida since 1952 (n = 25,479). Control variables used in this logistic regression analysis include whether the medical doctor is specialty board certified or not, the specialty practiced and the medical doctor's race and gender. Archival data from the Florida Department of Health were used for this study. This study found that the graduates of medical schools where the instruction is not in the English language are more likely to receive discipline and are more likely to receive more severe types of discipline than graduates of medical schools where the instruction is in the English language. It was also found that medical doctors who are ABMS certified, are practicing either a surgical specialty, obstetrics, gynecology, psychiatry, emergency medicine, family medicine or diagnostic radiology, or are male have increased odds of being disciplined by the Florida Board of Medicine.

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This study explored doctor of physical therapy (DPT) students’ attitudes, perceived knowledge, and perceived competence specific to social and structural determinants of health (SDOH). Current students in a DPT program housed within a college of public health in an urban research institution served as the participants for this research. The primary purpose of this study was to explore students’ self-evaluation and perceptions of competence with SDOH in hopes of gaining insight into elements of their education that contributed to their preparedness and/or what strategies and resources are needed to foster competence in this area. A secondary aim of this study was to explore how individual student factors and curricular factors impact students’ awareness of SDOH. A mixed methods study design employed bivariate and multivariate analysis of participants’ responses to self-report Likert scale survey questions and analysis of semi-structured interviews using qualitative description and phenomenological principles. Quantitative data analysis revealed differences in perceived skills competence based on cohort (year one, two, or three in the program) with first-year students demonstrating lower perceived competence. Analysis of attitudes and knowledge demonstrated that all participants held a positive perspective regarding the importance of SDOH as well as perceived foundational knowledge for this content. Quantitative analysis also detected subtle differences in specific sample beliefs and behaviors based on demographic variables such as gender identity, race, and first-generation student status. Qualitative data supported the quantitative findings with participants articulating specific elements of their identities and the DPT curriculum that contributed to their understanding of SDOH. An iterative coding process identified two primary themes that corresponded to the research aims: 1) Learners’ perceived importance of social and structural determinants of health and factors that impact how to address them; and 2) Learning about social and structural determinants of health: What learners bring with them and what they gain throughout the curriculum. These findings shed light on the elements of this educational program that foster students understanding of SDOH and the types of experiences that help clinical learners appreciate the impact of these upstream drivers of health for patients and populations. / Policy, Organizational and Leadership Studies

This thesis investigates novel hole extraction interfaces and series interconnects for applications in organic photovoltaics, specifically in single junction solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and tandem DSSC/polymer bulk heterojunction solar cells. Improvements in hole extraction and device performance by using materials compatible with scalable deposition methods are presented, including tungsten- and molybdenum-disulphide (WS₂ and MoS₂), and p-type doped spiro-OMeTAD (2,2',7,7'-tetrakis-(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenylamine)9,9'-spirobifluorene) nanoparticle dispersions. WS₂ and MoS₂ hole extraction layers increase averaged short circuit currents by 20% and 16% respectively, and power conversion efficiencies by 19% and 14% respectively when compared with control devices. Similarly, doped spiro-OMeTAD nano-particle layers improved short circuit current densities by 32% and efficiencies by 9%. Tandem device interconnects using these novel hole extraction formats have been fabricated, but although devices did exhibit rectification, overall performance was poor. Possible reasons for their limited success have been analysed. Dye-sensitized solar mini-modules are also reported. In order to assure the scalability of DSSC technology, these larger area devices were constructed using doctor blade coating to deposit the hole transporter material. As well as achieving a respectable maximum power conversion efficiency of 2.6%, it has also been shown that the extent to which hole transporter infiltrates the mesoporous photoanode of these devices may be tuned by altering substrate temperature during deposition. It was found that an optimal coating temperature of 70 degrees C produced the best efficiency, with a corresponding pore-filling fraction of 41%.

Background: Poor health costs the Swedish society billions a year and affects every individual who lives with poor health. By a close collaboration between medical doctors, nurses and other health professions there are good opportunities to work with health promotion and for the individual patient’s health.  One way to work with health promotion in health care is to work with Physical activity on referral, FaR®.  Physical activity on referral was created to improve the health among the Swedish population and has been effective against diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Research has been done on which professional groups that makes the most prescriptions of Physical activity on referral and why patients don’t follow them. Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the frequency of and the attitude toward prescribing Physical activity on referral, among medical doctors and medical students and to investigate if there were any differences between genders. Method: A web survey was designed and sent to 45 medical doctors at Akademiska Sjukhuset in Uppsala and to 286 medical students in semester 7-9 at Uppsala University. Results: The majority of the participants thought that physical activity had an important role in health promotion and knew about Physical activity on referral. Even though few of the participants had made a prescription of Physical activity on referral, the majority thought that it was an important part in the work with health promotion. The participants thought that more education in Physical activity on referral was needed. The participants prioritized to prescribe Physical activity on referral to patients at risk to get cardiovascular diseases, while patients who were less physical active than the recommendations of Livsmedelsverket got the lowest priority. Conclusion: Physical activity on referral was created to increase physical activity among the Swedish population and to reduce the risk to get diseases that can be related to low physical activity. It is therefore alarming that the participants were less prioritizing patients who were less physical active than the recommendations of Livsmedelsverket when it comes to prescribing Physical activity on referral, than other patients. By medical doctors and nurses working as a team, preventive actions can be taken early and therefore the risk for the individuals to develop secondary diseases can be reduced.