El presente trabajo de investigación desarrolla el caso de importación de la empresa IQ Corporation S.A.C., la cual para reparar los equipos POS que brinda como parte de su servicio, debe importar los repuestos de sus proveedores extranjeros. Si bien es cierto que existe una ley de importación que especifica los pasos a seguir para nacionalizar productos extranjeros, este trabajo se enfoca en la confusión que surge porque cada entidad tiene una normativa específica (ADUANA, MTC, PRODUCE, etc.) las cuales se encuentran solo en la institución a la que pertenecen, lo que entorpece el flujo del procedimiento. La falta de un procedimiento que aclare y reúna todas las normas necesarias para la importación de sus productos, hace que los tiempos de nacionalización se alarguen y se entorpezca el buen funcionamiento de la empresa aumentando sus costos. Otro problema álgido es la falta de capacitación del personal encargado de las importaciones, pues con un mejor conocimiento de los procesos y las normas se puede hacer frente de forma eficiente a los inconvenientes que suelen surgir al pasar por un canal físico, donde muchas veces la discresionalidad de los especialistas de aduana suele ser un factor importante en el tiempo que toma el proceso de nacionalización. Es por ello que el objetivo principal del presente trabajo es proponer la adecuación de un procedimiento de importación que englobe las normas de las diferentes instituciones que la empresa necesita y se implemente los trámites de aforo previo y de documentación anticipada como parte trascendental del mismo. Asimismo, la capacitación a los colaboradores es fundamental para que se encuentren preparados y prevean todos los escenarios posibles que puedan surgir durante el trámite para hacerles frente de la manera más apropiada para la empresa. Este trabajo puede servir de modelo para que otras empresas adecuen sus procesos de importación a sus necesidades y beneficios.

An ICT tool is not only used in healthcare as an aid for caregivers, but can also help enhance the care experience of care recipients as these tools can bring benefit to the recipient. The positive care experience can also have the opposite effect, depending on the quality of information conveyed to the recipient. This study deals with SMS reminders information related to the quality of the care experience. It examines whether SMS reminders within the health system contains sufficient quality information to influence recipients care experience to the positive. This study was conducted by a qualitative method of semi-structured interviews with both care recipients and caregivers. This is to get two different perspectives on the information and quality care experience – from a care recipients perspective as receiving the SMS reminder, and from a caregivers perspective that send out the SMS reminders. By conducting a literature review, we acquired material that formed the basis of our interview questions. The results of the study show that SMS reminders in the current situation does not contain sufficient high quality information in order to reach a positive care experience for patients. In addition to information quality, we have also identified communication as a major factor contributing to increasing health care experience. Besides these two factors, we could also deduce that health care consumers have different needs depending on the life situation they are in.

Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) ionization/mass spectrometry allows for the high throughput analysis of a wide range of materials including but not limited to: solids, liquids, powders, tablets, and plant materials. The ability to detect cocaine was established in a reproducible manner with the use of a DART ionization source (IonSense Inc., Saugus, MA) interfaced to a modified single quadrupole mass spectrometer. Development of a methodology for the detection of cocaine within contrived street quality drug mixtures involved the optimization of the ionization source, sample introduction mechanism, ion guide, and mass analysis parameters. An analytical method was created that utilized ionized helium carrier gas heated to 300°C and an automated sample introduction apparatus consisting of a Linear Rail Enclosure that holds consumable QuickStrip^TM sample cards. Ionized molecules were then fragmented by manipulation of voltage levels within the ion guide to gain more structural information prior to detection by a single quadrupole mass spectrometer. Cocaine was detected by the modified DART/MS analytical platform and gave two peaks within the mass spectrum at m/z 304 and 182. Optimization of in-source fragmentation by manual adjustment of the skimmer focus voltage allowed for the reproducible fragmentation of cocaine and the ability to increase or decrease the amount of fragmentation seen between the two peaks detected for cocaine. With the use of fragmentation, this analytical platform can be classified as a Category A technique as defined by the Scientific Working Group for the Analysis of Seized Drugs. The robust detection of cocaine was demonstrated for reference samples at concentrations as low as 10 ng/μL (50 ng) with high signal abundance greater than ten times the signal to noise ratio. Furthermore, the detection of cocaine at 10 ng/μL was demonstrated for multi component mixtures of up to 14 additional components containing common adulterants and diluents found within street quality samples. In total, 25 common excipients were tested using the same method parameters as optimized for cocaine analysis. Of these 25 excipients tested, five were not detected in positive ion mode (one could be detected in negative ion mode). Of the twenty excipients that could be detected by mass spectrometry, two pairs of excipients (levamisole/tetramisole and creatine/creatinine) could not be differentiated from each other. There were no excipients tested that had equivalent m/z values as those of cocaine. Experimentation into the effects of various excipients at multiple concentrations on the abundance of the two cocaine peaks was performed. Regardless of excipient amount (up to 10 times more concentrated than cocaine) and the number of components (up to 15 total components) the ratio of abundance between the m/z 304 to 182 peaks did not vary greater than 22% relative standard deviation. A match criteria protocol was developed for the ability of an analyst to confirm the presence of cocaine within unknown forensic case samples that have previously tested positive for the presumptive identification of cocaine. The identification of cocaine was based on various factors such as the signal to noise ratio at m/z 304 and 182, the ratio of abundance between those two peaks as well as positive and negative controls. This match criteria protocol was utilized for 25 double blind mock forensic casework samples was performed. Determination for the presence of cocaine within these unknown samples gave an analyst error rate of 0%, with no false positives or false negatives predicted. To further aid human interpretation and identification of compounds within mixtures, the advanced chemometric software, Analyze IQ, was utilized. Development of predictive classification models using a combination of pre-processing steps, principle component analysis and machine learning techniques was achieved. Models were built using 381 unique samples for the purposes of identifying the presence of cocaine within unknown samples. Of all methods available within the Analyze IQ software, the optimization of a model using principle component analysis with support vector machine regression with a radial basis function kernel yielded an initial error rate of 0% for 72 samples tested. Furthermore, of the samples tested against the model, 20 samples were comprised of excipients that were not incorporated into the initial model development process. The inclusion of these samples (10 spiked with cocaine, 10 absent of cocaine), shows that predictive modeling based software can provide an accurate, robust, and evolving approach to the identification of cocaine within sample compositions that have not previously been tested and stored in a database of known reference samples. Predictive modeling has advantages over current mass spectral libraries, which are limited to the identification of pure compounds. To further test the abilities of predictive models, optimized machine learning models were applied to 25 double blind mock forensic casework samples. The predictive modeling error rate was identical to the human interpretation rate for the double blind mock casework samples with a 0% error rate. Using the DART/MS analytical platform, 25 mock forensic casework samples along with positive and negative controls were analyzed and identified for the presence of cocaine within 30 minutes. On the order of 15 to 30 times faster than modern GC/MS and LC/MS methods, the ability to analyze and identify samples faster would allow for an increase in samples being processed on a daily basis and allow for the reduction of case backlogs that currently plague controlled substances sections of forensic science laboratories throughout the United States.

Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) can result in cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) and structural brain changes such as decreased cortical volume, brain atrophy and cerebral infarcts which are major causes of stroke and dementia. CVD is also associated with increased depression and depressive symptoms in later life. Midlife vascular disease and adult socioeconomic status (SES) are well established risk factors but less is known about the effect of factors from earlier in life on CVD and depressive symptoms in later life. A series of systematic reviews of current literature examining early life factors and stroke, cSVD and depression following stroke are presented at the beginning of this thesis. These reviews found that childhood IQ, education and childhood SES were associated with stroke and cSVD in later life. The reviews also found that education level was associated with depression following stroke. However few of the studies adjusted for vascular risk factors and adult SES. Therefore this thesis aimed to investigate associations between birth and childhood factors and cerebrovascular disease and depressive symptoms, after adjustment for vascular risk factors and adult SES, in four community dwelling cohorts: the Stratifying Resilience & Depression Longitudinally (STRADL) cohort (n=280, 45% male, mean age= 62.1 (SD=4.1) years), the Dutch Famine Birth cohort (n= 151, 44% male, mean age 67.6 (SD=0.9) years), the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC 1936, n= 865, 50% male, mean age 72.7 (SD=0.7) years), and the Simpson cohort (n=130, 31% male, mean age 78.5, (SD=1.5) years). This Thesis first examined associations between (i) cSVD burden (ii) total and regional brain volumes and (iii) self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, hypertension, smoking behaviour, adult SES and cognition. Neither cSVD nor brain volumes were associated with symptoms of anxiety. Higher white matter hyperintensity volumes, having one or more cerebral infarct and increased cerebral atrophy were associated with increased depressive symptoms independent of vascular risk factors and adult SES. Secondly, this thesis examined associations between birth and childhood factors and cSVD burden and total and regional brain volumes. Each cohort was analysed individually and then all available data meta-analysed. All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, hypertension, smoking behaviour, adult SES and other early life factors. Meta-analysis found that increasing birth weight was associated with decreased risk of lacunes across all cohorts. Placental weight, which was only available for the Simpson cohort, was associated with decreased risk total cSVD, WMH severity and volume and cerebral infarcts. In the LBC 1936 and Simpson cohort increasing childhood and premorbid IQ and more years of education were associated with fewer cortical infarcts. The association between premorbid and childhood IQ and infarcts was independent of education level. Across three cohorts low education level was associated with more microbleeds. These findings suggest that factors other than traditional vascular risk factors may contribute to cSVD and structural brain changes in later life. Thirdly, this thesis examined associations between birth and childhood factors and self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms (QIDS-16). All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, hypertension, smoking behaviour, adult SES and cognition In the Dutch Famine Birth Cohort people born before the famine had lower scores of depression and anxiety on the HADS compared to those exposed to famine in early gestation and those conceived after the famine. In the LBC 1936 increasing ponderal index was associated with lower depressive symptoms, increasing childhood and premorbid IQ were associated with lower symptoms of anxiety and depression. Lower educational attainment and some indicators of childhood SES were associated with higher symptoms of depression and anxiety. Overall results suggest that early life factors, particularly childhood IQ, may contribute to structural brain changes and symptoms of depression and anxiety in later life, independent of vascular risk factors and other early life factors. Efforts to understand factors which may contribute to late life health, from the earliest stages of life, are important and may be used to inform changes in social policy. The effect sizes and potential impact of these findings suggest that larger sample sizes with more vascular disease and more depression are needed to robustly test these associations.

<p>Syftet med arbetet har varit att söka svar på vår problemformulering samt att få en större inblick i ämnet EQ; emotionell intelligens. Våra frågeställningar var: </p><p>· Vad är EQ?</p><p>· Hur kan man arbeta med EQ i skolan? </p><p>· På vilket sätt behövs EQ i skolan? </p><p>Vi har i vår litteraturstudie valt att utgå från den emotionella intelligensens fem grundbegrepp; att hantera sina känslor, självkännedom, motivation, empati och social kompetens. </p><p>Vi har valt att göra en etnografisk fallstudie och en kvalitativ enkätundersökning. Det är här vi har lagt vår betoning på EQ i skolan. I vår fallstudie observerade vi fyra elever i en integrerad klass, under tre veckor. Enkätundersökningen gjordes på en skola som har EQ på schemat för att se hur arbetet fungerar i praktiken. </p><p>Vår slutsats är att EQ verkligen behövs i skolan och även i vår vardag. Vi är inställda på och öppna för att arbeta med EQ i vårt framtida yrke, eftersom vi bara upplevt att allt med EQ är positivt. Vi kan vara mer eller mindre intelligenta, men det är de som har både hjärna och hjärta som blir stjärnor!</p>

Syftet med arbetet har varit att söka svar på vår problemformulering samt att få en större inblick i ämnet EQ; emotionell intelligens. Våra frågeställningar var: · Vad är EQ? · Hur kan man arbeta med EQ i skolan? · På vilket sätt behövs EQ i skolan? Vi har i vår litteraturstudie valt att utgå från den emotionella intelligensens fem grundbegrepp; att hantera sina känslor, självkännedom, motivation, empati och social kompetens. Vi har valt att göra en etnografisk fallstudie och en kvalitativ enkätundersökning. Det är här vi har lagt vår betoning på EQ i skolan. I vår fallstudie observerade vi fyra elever i en integrerad klass, under tre veckor. Enkätundersökningen gjordes på en skola som har EQ på schemat för att se hur arbetet fungerar i praktiken. Vår slutsats är att EQ verkligen behövs i skolan och även i vår vardag. Vi är inställda på och öppna för att arbeta med EQ i vårt framtida yrke, eftersom vi bara upplevt att allt med EQ är positivt. Vi kan vara mer eller mindre intelligenta, men det är de som har både hjärna och hjärta som blir stjärnor!

The field of marketing does not only consist of traditional marketing and the focus on promoting products and services to increase sales. In recent years a new branch within the marketing field has been established with the focus of promoting behaviours that will benefit the individual and the society as a whole; social marketing. Our purpose with this paper is not only to introduce the reader to social marketing but to describe and explain how social marketing campaigns are created and how the campaigns can be evaluated. The purpose is fulfilled through the use of a qualitative method, namely a case study. Our research question guiding our study is “How can social marketing be understood through the use of an empirical case study?” Our unit of study is the Swedish company IQ-initiativet AB which uses social marketing as a tool to encourage responsible drinking among Swedes. In order to uncover the case of IQ and to answer our research question we used three subquestions. Firstly “How can a social marketing campaign be recognized?”, secondly “How is a social marketing campaign created?” and finally “How is a social marketing campaign evaluated?” To adapt these sub-questions to IQ we performed four in-depth interviews with representatives from IQ, their PR-firm Forsman &amp; Bodenfors and evaluation company Xtreme Nordic. The questions mainly concerned IQ’s national campaigns, which have been shown through various media channels. An interview was also done with the organization IOGT-NTO who promotes a completely sober society in order to get a perspective of the current situation of alcohol consumption in Sweden. From interviews, other sources and earlier research within the field we conclude that even though social marketing is about behavioral change, creating that change is difficult and evaluating an eventual change is even more difficult. IQ focuses on promoting responsibledrinking but cannot link a change in reduced drinking to their specific campaigns. However that does not stop them to do their job. With this case we provide in-depth insight into how one Swedish organization works for healthier drinking behavior. Although the case does not provide empirical generalizations, it provides theoretical contributions that are beneficial for several different stakeholders. Social marketers, campaign organizers/evaluators, commercial marketers and students can benefit from this comprehensive review of social marketing theory and view how it has been appliedin the real life case of IQ. A comprehensive analysis of social marketing is presented in order to increase awareness of the tools that are available for promoting positive behavioral changes in society. The case of IQ exhibits fully functional social marketing campaigns which facilitates understanding and learning for readers by viewing theory in action. The work presented here promotes the development of problem solving skills in order to avoid the common difficulties related to social marketing campaigns and hopes to inspire those interested in future research opportunities.

Since its discovery in 1984, psychological investigators have continued to explore the Flynn Effect, the phenomenon of consistent and secular IQ gains within industrialized nations approximating 0.3 points per year. The most contentious debate within this field of research surrounds the purported cause of the Effect, and yet the research literature lacks a synthesis of the leading causal theories and the evidence supporting them. The principal hypothesized causal mechanisms – psychometric artifact, educational intervention, environmental changes, nutrition, genetics, gene-environment interaction model, medical improvements, and the multiplicity hypothesis – are reviewed and analyzed within the larger breadth of Flynn Effect scholarly literature. Flynn Effect causal investigation has not yielded any decisive results, and the unproductive postulation of causal theories has recently stagnated, so researchers must accept a necessary shift in the focus of their research toward a more collaborative and holistic understanding of the Effect in order to effectively determine its causes. Extensive social implications of the Effect within the scopes of special education and judicial policy necessitate the expedited revitalization of Flynn Effect research such that contemporary society may be better able to appropriately incorporate the Effect into public policy.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate Chinese Americans’ perceptions and knowledge about cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and to determine if acculturation has systematic effects on perception of illness. Perception about the cause, seriousness, curability, and controllability of CVD were investigated. Relationships between the demographic characteristics of the participants and cardiovascular knowledge and perception were examined. The conceptual framework for this study was based on Leventhal’s (1970, 1984) Common Sense Model of Illness Representation. The influence of Kleinman’s Explanatory Model about the cultural and social consideration of illness representation was incorporated. A cross-sectional design was selected for this descriptive study with a convenience sampling technique. The target population was community-based Chinese Americans who live in the United States. Data collection was conducted using the Internet to access a population. The sample of the study was comprised of 124 adults with 68% being female. The majority of participants retained a high Asian identity. Participants identified Chinese over English for speaking, reading, writing preferences. Instruments included the Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised (IPQ-R), Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIA) and the Healthy Heart IQ. Findings included the following: the IPQ-R subscales were intercorrelated in a logical manner. Illness perceptions correlated positively with each other but were negatively correlated with optimistic perceptions like personal and treatment control. No difference was observed in the IPQ-R based on age, gender or educational level. Knowledge of CVD among Chinese Americans was lower than the general population. The level of acculturation had an impact on the illness perception. Acculturation level was significantly related to all seven illness perception dimensions of illness representation on the IPQ-R. There were significant relationships between acculturation level and knowledge of CVD. However, due to the low acculturation level presented by majority of participants, caution must be exercised in the interpretation of the study findings. The findings of this study have important implications for nursing practice, education, and theory. These results also provide directions for future research. Suggestions for health care professionals who care for patients with ethnic cultural backgrounds were given. / text

Legislative changes in line with changing societal perspectives have resulted in increased service pressure on primary health practitioners to take further responsibility for the assessment and treatment of co-morbid psychiatric disorders in individuals with intellectual disability (ID) and for secondary and tertiary level services to reduce waitlists. The unique attributes of the ID population and a core lack of training for health professionals in the ID field has resulted in a large number of practitioners feeling under-trained and under-resourced to carry out this role effectively, to the potential detriment of the ID population. The challenges health practitioners experience when diagnosing co-morbid mental health disorders in individuals with ID and how they overcome these challenges was explored in this study. Participants were health practitioners of varying professions, including Psychiatrists, Clinical Psychologists and General Practitioners. Health practitioners completed an online survey and/or partook in a focus group or individual interview. The method used in this research was thematic analysis. The study found that health practitioners use holistic and contextual approaches to carry out assessments of individuals with ID, utilise ID specific tools, and liaise with experienced, specialised health practitioners as ways of dealing with the complexity of diagnosing co-morbid mental health difficulties in individuals with ID. In addition, it is recommended that more training in the ID area is provided for health practitioners, particularly for GPs in light of recent policy changes with emphasis of assessment and treatment occurring at the primary health level and for best practice guidelines to be developed. A further research project is suggested, exploring specific challenges facing GPs in this area of practice.