published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban Institute of Technology, 2005. / According to Wood (1998), patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) refers to a syndrome that comprises of the following signs and symptoms: anterior knee pain, inflammation, imbalance, instability, or any combination thereof. Prevailing literature suggests that the presence of myofascial trigger points (MFTP’s) in quadriceps femoris (QF) muscle could result in a combination of the following signs and symptoms: - Retro- or peripatella pain, - Weakness of the quadriceps muscle (Chaitow and DeLany, 2002) - Loss of full lengthening (Travell and Simons, 1983:248-250) The aetiology of PFPS is poorly understood (Kannus et al. 1999). The current trend in literature suggests an extensor mechanism dysfunction as the most probable aetiology (Galantly et al., 1994; Juhn, 1999). There appears to be a clinical overlap between the two syndromes, in terms of an extensor mechanism dysfunction and of signs and symptoms. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the role of active myofascial trigger points in the vastus lateralis (VL) muscle as perpetuating, causative or concomitant factors in the alteration of VL/VM Total Work (TW) in PFPS in distance runners.

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, 2005. / To document the relationship between total work and myofascial trigger points in the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis portion of the quadriceps femoris muscle, whilst providing baseline graphs of these muscles with the use of a Cybex 700 Isokinetic Dynanometer in long distance runners both with and without patellofemoral pain syndrome. Methods: A quantitative, non-intervention clinical exploratory study. Fifty participants were divided into two groups, Group A (40 symptomatics) and Group B (10 asymptomatics). Both groups were screened for vastus lateralis and vastus medialis trigger points. Subjective data was obtained from Group A only, using the Numerical Pain Rating Scale and the Patient Specific Functional Scale. Objective data was obtained from both groups using the algometer, Myofascial Diagnostic Scale, and the Cybex 700 Isokinetic Dynanometer. For descriptive analysis frequency tabulations, box and whisker plots were used to display distributions graphically. Comparisons of categorical and quantitative variables between independent groups were run using chi square and Mann-Whitney testing consecutively. Finally Spearman’s correlation, multivariate generalized linear modelling and repeated measures ANOVA were also used. All statistical analysis was completed at the 95% (p<0.05) level of confidence. / M

This research explored the social and psychological needs of caregivers of advanced cancer patients, and their subsequent bereavement adjustment. The study focuses exclusively on informal caregivers who provide assistance to patients receiving hospice care for end-stage cancer. Those individuals living furthest from the dying care recipient, the long distance caregivers, were of particular interest. This study used a prospective design to explore how a caregiver's geographic proximity impacted their social support and bereavement adjustment. A 2 x 3 repeated measures design was used to gather data from caregivers before a patient's death (using a pre-death questionnaire) as well as after the death (by post-death questionnaire). This design allowed for an examination of differences between three groups of caregivers over time: long distance caregivers (who live an hour or more from the care recipient), proximate caregivers (who live less than an hour away) and co-residing caregivers. One hundred and six (N = 106) caregivers were recruited to participate from Covenant Hospice, a large Gulf Coast-based palliative care organization. Validated instruments were used to measure levels of social support and bereavement adjustment. A repeated measures MANCOVA procedure explored the impact of geographic proximity on measures of social support and adjustment. Results did not support the proposed multivariate model. However, quality of dying (as measured by the QOD-Hospice) was identified as an influential between-groups covariate within the model. Further exploration of the QOD-Hospice revealed a negative correlation with levels of emotional grief, and positive correlations with length of stay in hospice, and pre-loss and post-loss levels of social support. Overall results seem to suggest that timely referrals to hospice, improvements in care for the dying, and increased attention to quality of dying, may have a beneficial impact for survivors during bereavement. Furthermore, findings from this study suggest that the quality of a person's final days may play an important role in how the surviving caregivers adjust to the loss. Not only can high quality end-of-life care benefit dying patients, but it may also facilitate bereavement adjustment for those who participated in their care network. However, findings were limited and further investigation of these relationships is warranted.

This thesis deals with the fragmentation of the landscape as a result of highway infrastructure and human settlement. The aim is to analyze the current level of fragmentation and permeability of the landscape for large mammals in the region of Moravska Brana, which is a significant migration area between the West Carpathian and Hercynian sub-provinces. The results confirm the increased degree of fragmentation in this area due to the accumulation of several line barriers from the Northeast to the Southwest, and it particularly shows the negative impact of Highway D1. By comparing the degree of fragmentation with supra- regional corridors, this thesis evaluates the Territorial system of ecological stability (TSES) and the habitat model of large carnivores. This thesis shows that the current migration corridors provide only a fragmented landscape with unsuitable habitat. While making a comprehensive analysis of the permeability of the D1 motorway, the effectiveness of the migration corridor between Klimkovice and Dolni Ujezd was evaluated with an emphasis on monitoring the ecoduct of Suchdol nad Odrou, which is used primarily by medium-sized mammals. The results show that large mammals in this area have found the most appropriate migration corridor a long elevated road through the river valleys. Key...

This study looks into the intricacies of long-distance romantic relationships and the ways in which intimacy is created and nurtured with the help of technology and digital media platforms. It uses a methodological triangulation, combining quantitative content analysis with qualitative interviews, as tools to investigate the doings of couples who find themselves geographically challenged. The results point out to the fact that people adapt to these  circumstances and use technology as a third player of the relationship, creating and maintaining intimacy mainly through conversations and stepping away from the physical side of a romantic relationship.

Anknytningsärenden hos Migrationsverket innefattar individer som söker anknytning till partner i Sverige. I och med flyktingkrisen som Sverige upplevde under 2015 - 2016 har många anknytningsärenden dragit ut på tiden. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka upplevelsen av anknytningsprocessen för par där den ena partnern befinner sig i Sverige och den andra fortfarande är kvar utomlands och hur de hanterar denna process. Fenomenologiskt inspirerade frågor om relationen, upplevelserna och coping ställdes i telefonintervjuer. Deltagarna befann sig antingen i Sverige eller i utlandet. Studien visade separationens effekter på individernas relationer och gav inblick i deras förutsättningar. Deltagarna upplevde effekter av väntetiden i anknytningsprocessen så som ovisshet, maktlöshet, stress/ohälsa och ingen framförhållning. Det som utmärkte deras hanterande av väntetiden var att de nu fick leva ett virtuellt liv, de isolerade sig från sitt sociala liv och vissa tog lugnande medel/medicin. Förlängda anknytningsprocessen ledde till symptom av stress och hälsokomplikationer hos de som tvingas leva i ofrivilliga distansförhållanden.

Les plantes sont des organismes sessiles se développant dans un environnement hétérogène et fluctuant. La capacité d'acquisition des nutriments par le système racinaire est donc un caractère important pour leur croissance et leur développement.L'azote (N), notamment sous forme nitrate (NO3-), fait partie de ces éléments qui sont limitant pour la croissance des plantes mais aussi très mobiles dans le sol donc fréquemment distribués de façon hétérogène. Les plantes s'adaptent à cette contrainte en modulant le développement racinaire ainsi que la capacité de transport de ce nutriment dans les différentes parties du système racinaire en fonction de la disponibilité en NO3- et du besoin en azote (N) de la plante entière. Cette adaptation repose donc sur la combinaison de deux voies de signalisation, i) une signalisation locale dépendante de la disponibilité en NO3- dans le milieu extérieur ii) une signalisation longue distance (ou systémique) racines-feuilles-racines relative au besoin en N de la plante entière.Toutefois, les bases moléculaires de la signalisation longue distance comme les mécanismes de régulation qui y sont associés ne sont pas totalement connus. Ils reposent sur l'intégration au niveau des parties aériennes de signaux d'origine racinaire, provenant des racines exposées au NO3- mais aussi de celles qui en sont privées. Les parties aériennes jouent alors un rôle majeur dans la modulation de la physiologie et du développement racinaire en condition de disponibilité hétérogène en NO3-. Des études précédentes ont montré que la biosynthèse de cytokinines est essentielle pour la mise en place de cette réponse adaptative. De plus, il est connu qu'après un apport de NO3-, la biosynthèse de cette hormone dans les racines puis son accumulation dans les parties aériennes est augmentée. Dans ce contexte, nous avons émis l'hypothèse que les cytokinines pourraient correspondre à un messager racines/feuilles important pour la signalisation systémique NO3--dépendante.L'objectif de mon projet de thèse consistait à comprendre comment les parties aériennes contrôlent l'acquisition racinaire du NO3- en condition de disponibilité hétérogène en NO3-. Pour reproduire cette condition en laboratoire, le système de 'split-root', permettant de séparer le système racinaire en deux parties isolées pouvant être traitées différemment, a été utilisé pour exposer les plantes à différentes conditions de disponibilité en NO3-. Dans ces différentes conditions, les réponses moléculaires, métaboliques et physiologiques ont été caractérisées chez des plantes sauvages d'Arabidopsis et comparées à celles de mutants affectés dans la biosynthèse, le transport acropetal ou encore dans la perception des cytokinines. La combinaison de ces différentes approches m'a ainsi permis de démontrer que les cytokinines, et plus précisément les trans-zéatines, sont effectivement un messager racines-feuilles crucial pour la mise en place des réponses de la racine à une disponibilité hétérogène en NO3-. De plus, j'ai montré que l'apport hétérogène en NO3- comparé à l'apport homogène entraîne une importante reprogrammation de l'expression génique dans les parties aériennes qui est largement dépendante de ce transport de trans-zéatines vers les feuilles. Enfin, l'intégration de ces données transcriptomiques au sein de réseaux géniques a permis d'identifier des gènes candidats intéressants comme acteurs possibles de la signalisation feuilles-racines. / Plants are sessile organisms growing in a heterogeneous and fluctuating environment. Thus, foraging for nutrients is an important trait for plant growth and development. Nitrogen (N), especially as nitrate (NO3-) form, is one limiting element for plant growth but is also highly mobile in the soil leading to frequent heterogeneity distribution. Plants are managing this constraint through the regulation of root development and NO3- uptake in the different parts of the root system according to the spatial NO3- availability and the N needs of the whole plant. This adaptation relies on a dual signaling pathway involving i) a local signaling related to external NO3- supply and ii) a root-shoot-root long-distance (systemic) signaling related to the plant N needs..However, the molecular basis of the long-distance signaling as well as the regulatory mechanisms associated with, are not fully understood. They rely on the integration at the shoot level of signals originating from both NO3--supplied and N-deprived root parts. Therefore, the shoots have a key role for an efficient adaptation to heterogeneous NO3- environment through the adjustment of root physiology and development. Previously, cytokinin biosynthesis has been shown to be essential for both molecular and morphological root responses to NO3- heterogeneous environment. Moreover, it is known that upon NO3- supply, de novo biosynthesis of this hormone in the roots is increased along with its accumulation in the shoots. In this context, we hypothesized that cytokinins could correspond to an important root to shoot signal involved in NO3--dependent systemic signaling.The main objective of my PhD project was to decipher and understand how the shoots control root NO3- acquisition in response to spatial NO3- heterogeneity. To do so, we used the 'split-root' system, in which physically isolated roots of a same plant are challenged with different NO3- environments. In this framework, we characterized physiological, metabolic and molecular responses of Arabidopsis wild-type plants that we compared to responses of mutants impaired in cytokinin biosynthesis, acropetal transport or perception. The combination of these different approaches allowed me to demonstrate that cytokinins, and especially trans-zeatin species are indeed a root to shoot messenger that is crucial for root responses to spatial NO3- heterogeneity. Moreover, I have shown that NO3- heterogeneous supply compared to homogeneous supply triggers a substantial reprogramming of gene expression in aerial part, which largely depends on this trans-zeatin transport toward the shoots. Finally, the integration of these transcriptomic modifications into gene networks led to the identification of interesting candidate genes to characterize the shoot-to-root signaling.

As pessoas têm diferentes preferências no aprender, que acabam se refletindo nas suas diversas características acadêmicas e profissionais. Há muito tempo se procura uma resposta para a pergunta: \"por que nas mesmas condições de ambiente e forma de ensino, dois estudantes de mesmo nível intelectual, possuem níveis de aprendizagem diferentes?\". Parte da resposta pode ser encontrada nos estilos de aprendizagem, os diferentes modos pelos quais as pessoas percebem e processam as informações. Entender os diferentes estilos de aprendizagem é um passo importante para favorecer a individualidade, tirar proveito das habilidades e também identificar os modos menos preferidos de aprender. Esse autoconhecimento é fundamental ao tratamos do ensino a distância (EaD), que requer que os próprios alunos se organizem e otimizem seu próprio aprendizado. A partir do momento em que conhecem suas preferências, os estudantes têm a possibilidade de dirigir sua aprendizagem nessa direção. Por outro lado, o professor também tem subsídios para planejar atividades e disponibilizar recursos que atendam a uma variedade maior de alunos, diminuindo assim a taxa de desistência e mantendo a motivação, uma vez que a mesma também está intimamente ligada com o nível de comunicação e interação na sala virtual. Assim, o objetivo deste projeto é mapear os estilos de aprendizagem de estudantes matriculados em um curso de licenciatura em Computação na modalidade EaD e analisar a influência desse construto na interação desses estudantes no fórum. Para a coleta dos estilos de aprendizagem dos 36 alunos foram usados os instrumentos desenvolvidos por Felder e Soloman (1991) e o de Keirsey e Bates (1984), ambos traduzidos para o português. Os resultados identificam uma distribuição dos estilos de aprendizagem bem característica para alunos de um curso de licenciatura em Computação a distância. Além disso, as correlações entre esses estilos de aprendizagem e a interação na sala virtual na ferramenta fórum demonstram que os alunos ativos (FELDER; SOLOMAN, 1991) foram os que possuíram níveis de maior interação e de forma oposta, os racionais (KEIRSEY; BATES, 1984) estavam entre os que menos participaram das discussões. Verificou-se também uma predominância de indivíduos ativos dentre os que responderam aos tópicos de forma objetiva (critério de interação C1), assim como uma tendência de indivíduos dessa dimensão relacionarem mais os assuntos discutidos (critério de interação C2). Dessa forma, os resultados confirmam que o modo como os alunos interagem no fórum tem relação com seus estilos de aprendizagem, os quais podem auxiliar na proposição de atividades que motivem e incrementem a participação na sala virtual. / People have different preferences in learning, that reflect in their several professional and academic characteristics. Long ago it is looking for an answer to the question: \"why, in the same conditions of environment and education form, two students of same intellectual level, have different learning levels?\". Part of the reply can be found in the learning styles, the different ways for which people perceive and process the informations. Understanding the different learning styles is an important step to favor the individuality, to make good use of the abilities and also identify the ways less preferred to learn. This self-knowledge is fundamental when we are dealing with the long-distance education, which request that the own students organize themselves and optimize their own learning. From the moment when they know their preferences, the students have the possibility to direct their learning in this direction. On the other hand, the teacher also has subsidies to plan activities and to arrange resources for a bigger variety of students, thus diminishing the desistance rate and keeping the motivation, a time that this one is also deeply connected to the level of communication and interaction in the virtual room. Thus, the objective of this project is to map the learning styles of the students registered in a computer science course in long-distance education, and to analyze the influence in these students\' interaction in the forum. For the collection of the learning styles of the 36 students, it had been used the tools developed by Felder and Soloman (1991) and the Keirsey and Bates\' (1984), both translated into portuguese. The results identify a distribution of the learning styles well characterized for students of a long-distance bachelor course in Computer Science. Moreover, the connections between these learning styles and the interaction in the virtual room in the forum tool show that the active students (FELDER; SOLOMAN, 1991) were who had the levels of bigger interaction and, in contrast, the thinkers students (KEIRSEY; BATES, 1984) were among the ones that had less participated in the debates. It was also verified a predominance of active individuals between who had answered to the topics objectively (interaction criterion C1), as well as a trend of individuals of this dimension relate more the argued subjects (interaction criterion C2). This way, the results confirm that the way as the students interact in the forum has a relation with their learning styles, which can assist in the proposal activities that motivate and develop the participation in the tools of the virtual classroom.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-05-29Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:41:06Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 moro_as_dr_botfm.pdf: 1409881 bytes, checksum: 8524ea0b5a958d567febf0095de7644c (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A expressão ‘‘coração de atleta’’ é normalmente usada para caracterizar os efeitos cardiovasculares do condicionamento físico à longo prazo, em atletas competitivos e altamente treinados. Sabe-se que o exercício físico é um fator estimulante para o desenvolvimento de hipertrofia ventricular esquerda, podendo esta variar de acordo com a característica do esporte. Assim, o coração do atleta apresenta alterações morfológicas e funcionais resultantes de intenso treinamento físico. Embora muitos estudos mostrem alterações cardíacas induzidas pelo exercício, há poucos relatos sobre a adaptação dos ventrículos esquerdo (VE) e direito (VD) em atletas de futebol, ciclismo e corridas de longa distância. Portanto, o objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar por meio da Doppler-ecocardiografia, a estrutura e funções sistólica e diastólica do coração de atletas dessas modalidades esportivas, comparando-as entre si e com indivíduos não-atletas. Neste estudo prospectivo, observacional e transversal, foi realizado ecocardiograma transtorácico, provido da técnica do Doppler tissular, e eletrocardiograma de 12 derivações em repouso em futebolistas profissionais, ciclistas e corredores de longa distância. Foram estudados 57 atletas e 36 indivíduos não-atletas, todos homens, com idades de 32,9±8,4 e 30,4±11,1 anos, respectivamente. As comparações foram realizadas por ANCOVA (idade como covariante) complementada pelo teste de Tukey (p<0,05). As comparações das freqüências de alterações eletrocardiográficas entre os grupos foram realizadas pelo teste de Goodman para contrastes entre populações multinomiais. Os atletas apresentaram aumento do volume do átrio esquerdo, da espessura do VE e dos diâmetros diastólicos do VE (DDVE) e VD (DDVD) em relação aos sedentários. O volume do átrio esquerdo e o DDVE foram maiores nos ciclistas em relação... / The expression “athlete’s heart” is normally used to characterize the cardiovascular effects of physical conditioning in competitive and highly trained athletes. It’s known that physical exercise stimulates the development of left ventricular hypertrophy according to the sports modalities. Thus, the athlete’s heart presents some morphological and functional alterations resultants of the intense physical training. Although many studies have demonstrated cardiac alterations induced by exercise, there are just a few that describe adaptations of left (LV) and right (RV) ventricles in soccer players, bicyclists and long distance runners. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the structure, systolic and diastolic functions of these athletes by Doppler echocardiography, and compare them among each other and with nonathletes individuals. In this transversal, observational, and prospective study, it was performed a transtoracic ecocardiographic evaluation with tissue Doppler interrogation and a 12-lead electrocardiogram at rest on professional soccer players, bicyclists and long distance runners. Fifty seven athletes and 36 non-athletes men, aged 32.9±8.4 and 30.4±11.1 years, respectively, were studied. Comparisons among the groups were done by ANCOVA (age as co-variate) and complemented by Tukey’s test (p<0.05). Electrocardiographic alterations was analyzed by Goodman’s test for contrasts among multinomial populations. The athletes showed increased left atrial volume, LV wall thickness and enlargement of left (LVDD) and right (RVDD) ventricular diastolic diameters in comparison with non-athletes group. Bicyclists showed larger left atrial volume and LVDD than long distance runners, and also larger RVDD than soccer players. LV mass index was greater in athletes, and the bicyclists showed a greater index than long distance runners and soccer players. Systolic... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)