abstract: This dissertation aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and drawbacks of promising fall prevention strategies in individuals with stroke by rigorously analyzing the biomechanics of laboratory falls and compensatory movements required to prevent a fall. Ankle-foot-orthoses (AFOs) and functional electrical stimulators (FESs) are commonly prescribed to treat foot drop. Despite well-established positive impacts of AFOs and FES devices on balance and gait, AFO and FES users fall at a high rate. In chapter 2 (as a preliminary study), solely mechanical impacts of a semi-rigid AFO on the compensatory stepping response of young healthy individuals following trip-like treadmill perturbations were evaluated. It was found that a semi-rigid AFO on the stepping leg diminished the propulsive impulse of the compensatory step which led to decreased trunk movement control, shorter step length, and reduced center of mass (COM) stability. These results highlight the critical role of plantarflexors in generating an effective compensatory stepping response. In chapter 3, the underlying biomechanical mechanisms leading to high fall risk in long-term AFO and FES users with chronic stroke were studied. It was found that AFO and FES users fall more than Non-users because they have a more impaired lower limb that is not fully addressed by AFO/FES, therefore leading to a more impaired compensatory stepping response characterized by increased inability to generate a compensatory step with paretic leg and decreased trunk movement control. An ideal future AFO that provides dorsiflexion assistance during the swing phase and plantarflexion assistance during the push-off phase of gait is suggested to enhance the compensatory stepping response and reduce more falls. In chapter 4, the effects of a single-session trip-specific training on the compensatory stepping response of individuals with stroke were evaluated. Trunk movement control was improved after a single session of training suggesting that this type of training is a viable option to enhance compensatory stepping response and reduce falls in individuals with stroke. Finally, a future powered AFO with plantarflexion assistance complemented by a trip-specific training program is suggested to enhance the compensatory stepping response and decrease falls in individuals with stroke. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Mechanical Engineering 2019

This text is written as a masterexam within an important Art institution in Stockholm as Konstfack, where the researcher has been studying interior and furniture design for the last five years. Therefore, it is the result of the knowledge accumulated during that period of time, in combination with the socio-cultural baggage that characterizes her identity and positioning towards the world. There are many ways of defining architecture and design. Also, within the concept of architecture, there are plenty of branches. This study is, as said before, a sum of the interpretation of how to use the education in order to socially contribute to a sustainable and more egalitarian world. As the writers' background profoundly influences her point of view, it seems essential to exhibit it for the reader.  Her parents came to Sweden as political refugees from Chile and Argentina during the military dictatorships that had taken over the democratic governments in those countries during the '70s. They, as well as the researcher, are by definition, either Swedish or "white". Even as born in Sweden and having Swedish citizenship, the law does not define the writer as Swedish. This fact has featured the formation of her identity as "not white," and in that way excluded from the dominating "ethnicity". Initially, the aim of the study contextualises by the description of the experiences and knowledge that have guided the author through her education at Konstfack. As a result,  there arise perspectives that criticize excluding power structures and how they reproduce through architecture and spatial design. Experiences, reflections, and knowledge that emerged through the described education at Konstfack led further into the exploration of the concepts inclusive-excluding design, activism, social and political architecture, postcolonial perspectives, and decolonizing processes. The study's theoretical part presents various practitioners that have inspired and empowered this project. Further, a more in-depth analysis of the institution responsible for the writer's education for the last five years results in unfolding problems and issues to give the reader an understanding of the chosen strategies to follow, starting with "manipulating manipulation". The fifth chapter consists of the study's method part, where the researcher describes the methods and strategies used. The results are presented based on spatial interventions, used as a tool to activate dialogues about shared spaces, here called common spaces. The reactions caused by the interventions are also a ground for analysis. Keywords: white supremacy, subversive interventions, disruptive aesthetics, activism, civil disobedience, architecture

Workplace romances (WRs) have become a common occurrence and growing trend in today’s work-oriented culture. People are spending more time at work and in close proximity to their work colleagues which provides the ideal stage for romantic relationships to develop. Whilst on the one hand, WRs could have beneficial consequences for the individuals or organisations involved, they could also on the other hand be a problematic occurrence for some employers. The reason is that WRs have the risk of ending badly and that could open a field of possible complicated legal, emotional, ethical or productivity consequences. In the light of this problem, the general objective of this study is to explore the effects of dissolved romances on the psychosocial functioning and productivity of involved employees at an industrial clothing factory in Cape Town in 2012/13 and also to explore the consequent need for appropriate intervention through the existing employee assistance programmes (EAP). The study followed a qualitative research approach in that it covered detailed descriptions of involved employees’ experiences of their psychosocial functioning and productivity in the workplace amidst a relationship breakdown. A collective case study design was utilised because of its aims to understand a social issue, namely the breakdown of romantic relationships in the workplace, and studied the experiences and perceptions of a group of individuals affected by this phenomenon. The researcher conducted a word and concept analysis and an extensive literature study. This enabled the researcher to draw up a framework for the semi-structured interview schedule which was used to collect data. / Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / lmchunu2014 / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

High school pupils operate in a macro (country-specific), meso (school-specific) and micro (personal) context and their information needs are always experienced in a context - sometimes as imposed school assignments or else self-generated, e.g. as everyday life information needs. Pupils source their information through various information channels and there is sometimes a perceived risk to acting on incorrect information. Compared to adults in information-intensive professions, researchers have found that pupils tend to be unconcerned about the credibility of information. Based on a literature survey, a trust model was compiled from a number of other models and adapted to serve as an information channel credibility model portraying the pupil in context with his/her perception of information channel credibility. The model was used as a framework for a study on high school pupils’ perceptions of information channel credibility and factors influencing their perceptions. The study was guided by the following research problem: How can school pupils’ perceptions of information channel credibility inform school-based interventions? In order to find answers, the following sub-questions were addressed: • What has been reported on perceptions of information credibility and information channel credibility, with specific reference to school pupils, students and adults, as well as professionals in information-intensive environments? • How can trust models guide a study of pupils’ perceptions of information channel credibility? • What factors influence school pupils’ perceptions of information channel credibility? • What school-based interventions could be recommended to address the shortcomings in the perceptions of pupils that can prepare them to meet the information requirements of adulthood? A self-administered print questionnaire was used in May 2015 to survey the perceptions of 548 South African high school pupils from three different schools covering the range of the socio-economic spectrum from wealthy through to pupils from poor, unemployed home environments. The study was conducted with grade 8 and grade 12 pupils (entry and exit grades for South African high schools) from a city in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the principals of the three schools. The results are reported as descriptive statistics supported with inferential statistics and qualitative analysis where relevant. The findings are that pupils’ perceptions of information channel credibility are affected by the perceived risk of acting on incorrect information, their previous experience and the context (i.e. type of information need, whether the need is imposed or self-generated and pupil demographics) in which the information need occurs. Pupils used a level of metacognition with regard to information channel credibility. The model proved useful to guide data collection that can guide school-based interventions. It holds potential to be further adapted to actually reflect school-based interventions. School-based interventions are suggested to encourage responsible assessment of information channel credibility, including the simulation of risk by means of mark allocation for metacognition about information channel credibility, intentional exposure of pupils to a wide range of information needs and exposure to highly credible as well as less credible information channels. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Information Science / PhD / Unrestricted

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive disorder that affects movement, muscle control and balance. Second only to Alzheimer's disease, PD is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders in the United States (Lai & Tsui, 2001:135), affecting approximately one million people in the U.S. alone (Parkinson's disease Foundation [PDF], 2009). While the cause of Parkinson's disease remains unknown, there are certain known risk factors associated with the disease. One of the risk factors is increasing age. PD is most frequently associated with older adulthood, affecting one in 100 Americans 60 years and older (PDF). Over the next five decades, the incidence of PD is expected to triple, as the average age of the population increases (Lai & Tsui, 2001:135). Parkinson's disease is a chronic, progressive disorder, with no known cause or promising cure. While substantial information is known about the medical aspect of Parkinson's disease, little is known about the illness experience of living with the disease. The goal of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of people living with Parkinson's disease. The guiding research question was: What are the experiences of people living with Parkinson's disease? A qualitative research approach was followed, with a collective case study research design. The population for this study included people who are in the late stage of Parkinson's disease, thus being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease before 2012 and who are receiving support services from Parkinson's Association of South Africa (PASA). Non-probability purposive sampling was utilized to generate a sample. Ten participants who met the criteria were selected for this study. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with participants. Interviews were voice recorded with the permission of the participants and were transcribed. The data gathered were analysed by the researcher and themes and sub-themes were identified. The research findings were presented and critically discussed. Literature control and verbatim quotes were used to support the findings. The conclusions of this study reflected that the experiences of people living with Parkinson's disease are complex. Throughout the study it was found that Parkinson's disease impacts significantly on the physical, psychological and social well-being of people living with this disease in a number of ways. The recommendations offered by this study can be used by professionals working in the field of chronic, geriatric and neurodegenerative illnesses to understand the experiences of people living with Parkinson's disease. / Mini Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Social Work and Criminology / MSW / Unrestricted

Girl youth, especially those residing in resource-constrained communities such as Diepsloot, constitute a vulnerable population group because of the daily risks they face (Watts & Zimmerman, 2002). Researchers report that chronic exposure to risks can have a negative impact on girl youth’s ability to cope and adjust (Hawke, 2000). However, interventions focused on addressing risk draw on western paradigms of resilience, not accounting for cultural aspects of resilience. Therefore, understanding how girls in Diepsloot conceptualise risk and resilience is an important step in fostering resilience among girl youth. In the present study, I draw on an ecologically-oriented systemic approach to explore how girl youth from Diepsloot make meaning of risk and resilience during an equine assisted intervention called the Growing Great Girls program. Equine assisted interventions, in particular equine assisted interventions that follow an Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association model approach, has been found beneficial in promoting resilience among youth (Boyce, 2016). In the present study, equine assisted interventions played an important role in the process of gaining an understanding of risk and resilience from the perspectives of girl youth from Diepsloot. Using a qualitative exploratory case study design, I collected data from eight girl youth from Dieplsoot who attended the Growing Great Girls program over a period of eight weeks. From open-ended focus group interviews, photovoice, journal entries and observations as data sources, I used inductive thematic analysis to interrogate how girl youth make meaning of the risks they face to discover the source and nature of their resilience. Three themes emerged as the research results and included theme 1- individual psychosocial characteristics and family climate, theme 2- community related social issues and theme 3- broader societal issues. The findings of the present study contribute towards a broader understanding of risk and resilience that is ecologically relevant to the lives of girl youth from the Diepsloot community. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Educational Psychology / MEd / Unrestricted

One out of every twenty children in school is affected, in significant ways, in classrooms across our nation by sensory processing disorders (SPD) (Nodding, 2017). In classrooms where students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are present, that number rises even higher because almost 100% of students with ASD experience SPD (Murray, Baker, Murray-Slutsky & Paris, 2009). Teachers must understand the unique needs of students with SPD in order to create environments where students feel comfortable to learn in every day. Optimal learning for students with SPD requires an environment that supports and assists them to effectively and systematically organize and understand the information they are taught. Unfortunately, most classrooms present sensory challenges that can be frustrating or even overwhelming for students diagnosed with SPD. The daily negative experience at school often adds more stress for these students due to their social interactions and how they regulate emotions (Lytle and Todd, 2009).<div><br></div><div>There are two purposes of the study: 1) general education teachers’ use of interventions to support students with ASD and SPD was examined to determine what worked most effectively in their classrooms, and (2) general education teachers’ perception of barriers for implementing research-based strategies was examined in order to identify potential problems in creating supportive environments for students with ASD and SPD in the general education classroom. Eighteen teachers participated in the study at a private school with 335 students in a suburban area. The survey included 8 questions about the effectiveness of sensory interventions for students with ASD and/or SPD at school.<br></div><div><br></div><div>The result of this study showed that the majority of teachers want to be supportive to students diagnosed with SPD. Seventeen teachers (94%) expressed a concern for students who may feel overwhelmed by providing some variation of a calming area within their classroom Concerning the use of flexible seating, 6 teachers (33%) responded that they do not offer flexible seating, and 3 teachers (17%) indicated it was the least effective intervention they offered students. These responses could indicate that there is misunderstanding concerning the use of flexible seating and how to effectively implement it within the general education classroom. Another notable result is that 7 general education teachers (39%) indicated they lacked the space to provide a calming area for students in their classrooms.<br></div><div><br></div><div>The result of the current study supports the findings in previous research that there is a need for teachers to be more knowledgeable about how to create classrooms that offer support, effective strategies for students diagnosed with SPD. A handbook was created for general education and special education teachers based on the result of the present survey study and findings in previous studies. This handbook focuses on clear explanations of the unique stresses that students with SPD face, with the hope that if teachers have a clearer understanding about the needs of these students, they will be inspired to consistently offer research-proven strategies to support and encourage their students who face unique challenges in the school environment every day. <br></div>

The Ganges Delta in Bangladesh, a transboundary rural river basin, is an example of water-related calamities due to natural and human-induced stresses. It is an agriculture-dominated area with the presence of Sundarbans mangrove forest. Recently this area is facing unfavorable conditions due to limitations in quantity, quality, and timing of available freshwater. As a result, floods, droughts, water scarcity, stream depletion, salinity intrusion, excessive sedimentation are becoming common phenomena. These calamities are making this area unsuitable for agriculture and vulnerable to the Sundarbans’ ecosystem. This study aims to provide technical insight into issues related to water scarcity and projected agricultural water demand for 2020-2100 considering the climate change uncertainties. We addressed three critical areas to attain this purpose. As a first task, this study attempted to analyze and understand the observed hydrological changes over the past six decades to fathom the critical reasons for freshwater scarcity. Secondly, interdependency, availability, and accessibility of surface water and groundwater were analyzed to investigate the adequacy of current water demand and supply in agriculture, industrial and domestic sectors. Irrigation demand is much higher than others and occupies 93% of the total water demand. Similarly, irrigation is 96% of total water withdrawal. This high demand in the agriculture sector led to our next objective to estimate agricultural demand for this century. It helps to understand an overall agricultural water consumption scenario for the future. This study provides necessary background information, which is vital for hydro-economically feasible agricultural water management plans.

School Wide Positive Behavior Supports includes three tiers of support for students. Some students continue to struggle with following school expectations with only tier one supports in place and thus need additional supports. Because of this, tier two interventions have been created to help support these students. Self-monitoring and Check-In/Check-Out (CICO) are both tier two interventions and have been used independently to decrease problem behavior. This study combined these two interventions to teach students to monitor their own behavior and in addition get feedback from their teacher which is already a component of the CICO intervention. A multiple baseline across participants design was used to evaluate the effects of CICO with self-monitoring. Results indicated that CICO with self-monitoring was effective in reducing off-task behavior for one participant while two other participants required the addition of more immediate reinforcement to decrease off-task behavior.

Bakgrund: Depression är ett globalt hälsoproblem med allvarliga konsekvenser. Stora livsförändringar som till exempel barnafödande innebär ofta stora påfrestningar, vilket kan leda till psykisk ohälsa. Postpartumdepression (PPD) är ett sjukdomstillstånd som drabbar modern men även fadern och inte minst hela familjen.Syfte: Syftet med studien var att beskriva männens upplevelser när de drabbas av förlossningsdepression. Metod: En allmän litteraturstudie med induktiv ansats, niovetenskapliga artiklar användes för resultaten och kodades ner till teman och kategorier. Resultat: Resultatet i litteraturstudien delades in i tre teman och sexkategorier. Det första temat var fädernas upplevelser av stress. Fäderna upplevde stress genom att känna ansvar att bära upp hemmet ekonomiskt och av att inte få tillräckligt med sömn. Andra temat var fädernas upplevelser av otillräckligt stöd.Stödet från sjukvården visade stora brister, i form av otillräcklig information och avsaknad av stöd riktad till fäderna. Sista temat var påverkan i relationen. Fäderna upplevde i hög grad en bristfällig delaktighet vilket skapade utanförskap till både modern och barnet. Konklusion: PPD hos fäder är ett vanligt tillstånd med risker för allvarliga konsekvenser. Det saknas i stor utsträckning tillräckliga möjligheter att både upptäcka och behandla tillståndet. Om stödet är bristfälligt ökar risken för allvarliga konsekvenser som att barnens utveckling och relationen till partner försämras. / Background: Depression is a global health problem with serious consequences. Major life changes such as childbirth often involve great stress, which can lead to mental illness. Postpartum depression (PPD) is a disease that affects the mother but also the father and not least the whole family. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe men’s experiences when suffering of postpartum depression. Method: A general literature study with inductive approach including nine scientific articles were used for the results and coded down to themes and categories. Results: The results of the literature study were divided into three themes and six categories. The first theme was fathers' experiences of stress. The fathers experienced stress due to feelings of responsibility for the economy and due to lack of sleep. The second theme was fathers' experiences of insufficient support. The support given by the health caresystem was insufficient due to lack of information and support directed to the fathers.The last theme was impact in relationship. The fathers’ experiences include to a large extent a lack of participation which led to a sense of exclusion towards the mother and the child. Conclusion: Paternal PPD is a frequent condition with potential serious consequences. To a large extent there are lack of sufficient possibilities to detect and treat the condition. If the support is inadequate, the risk of serious consequences such as the children’s development and the relationship with the partner deteriorates.