Objectives. To study medication utilization and adherence to prescribed therapy in a female population in central Sweden. To study usage of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in this population and to assess how HRT users compare to non-users regarding symptom reporting, general health and other variables. To evaluate symptom prevalence adjusted for potential symptom affecting variables. Material and methods. A cross-sectional postal questionnaire study was performed in 1995 in seven counties in central Sweden. A questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 4,200 women aged 35-64, of whom 2,991 responded (71.2%). The questionnaire contained questions on psycho-socio-economic background, quality of life, self-reported health, height and weight, climacteric symptom prevalence, and menopausal status and symptoms. It also comprised questions on medication prescribed during the past year. Results. 40% used prescribed medication and 12% took four drugs or more. Age, educational level, self-rated health, and BMI remained significantly correlated to drug use in multivariate analysis. Adherence ranged from 15%-98% depending on age, a scheduled check-up, perceived importance of medication, concern about medication, taking cardiovascular and respiratory disease drugs. The highest adherence was found for hormonal medication the lowest for musculoskeletal medication. HRT was used by 15% of the women. 13 % used other symptom relieving therapy. HRT users reported higher score of vasomotor symptoms, except for sweating during the daytime. Prevalence of general symptoms did not necessarily increase with age. Especially symptoms related to stress-tension-depression decreased with age. Four different symptom prevalence patterns were found. Conclusions. Age, health status, educational level and body mass index (BMI) appear to affect drug use. Adherence to therapy is highest among elderly women who regard their medication as important and have a scheduled check-up. HRT relieves some vasomotor symptoms but does not affect other symptoms or self-rated health. Prevalence of symptoms related to Stress-tension-depression appears to decrease with age.

Thèse (Ph.D.)--Université Laval, 2005. / Bibliogr.: f. 192-222. Publié aussi en version électronique.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of French and Italian, 2003. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 93-95).

No description available.

Th. doct.-ing.--Bordeaux 1, 1983. N°: 332.

Th.--Méd.--Nancy 1, 1983. N°: 34.

The focus of this thesis is a comparative study of approaches in discovery of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes). CAZymes synthesise, bind to, and degrade all the multitude of carbohydrates found in nature. As such, when aiming for sustainable methods to degrade plant biomass for the generation of biofuels, for which there is a strong drive in society, CAZymes are a natural source of environmentally friendly molecular tools. In nature, microorganisms are the principal degraders of carbohydrates. Not only do they degrade plant matter in forests and aquatic habitats, but also break down the majority of carbohydrates ingested by animals. These symbiotic microorganisms, known as the microbiota, reside in animal digestive tracts in immense quantities, where one of the key nutrient sources is complex carbohydrates. Thus, microorganisms are a plentiful source of CAZymes, and strategies in the discovery of new enzymes from bacterial sources have been the basis for the work presented here, combined with biochemical characterisation of several enzymes. Novel enzymatic activities for the glycoside hydrolase family 31 have been described as a result of the initial projects of the thesis. These later evolved into projects studying bacterial multi-gene systems for the partial or complete degradation of the heterogeneous plant polysaccharide xyloglucan. These systems contain, in addition to various hydrolytic CAZymes, necessary binding-, transport-, and regulatory proteins. The results presented here show, in detail, how very complex carbohydrates can efficiently be degraded by bacterial enzymes of industrial relevance. / <p>QC 20130826</p>

Background: Research is essential for the development of a unique body of knowledge, a hall mark of any profession. It should be utilised to provide the basis for professional theory and practice. Aim: The purpose of the study was to develop guidelines that will assist professional nurses in the utilisation of research findings. Design and setting: Quantitative, descriptive research was used to determine professional nurses’ (N=284) perception of utilization of research findings in practice. The structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23 since this is a quantitative study. The study focused on professional nurses at the two selected hospitals that were providing the comprehensive programme in the uMgungundlovu district. Results: 284 respondents answered the questionnaire. Of the respondents, 73.3% agreed that they lacked knowledge of research. The frequency of respondents that lacked research knowledge was 208. Of the respondents, 211 (74.3%) recommended use of research findings in practice versus 24 (8.5%) who were unsure and 9 (3%) respectively who did not know whether research should be used or not. Conclusions: The findings revealed that there is a need for changes to be made in the nursing education system to try and improve research utilisation by professional nurses in practice since the professional nurses working in the clinical area are produced by nursing education institutions / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Dans les prairies subalpines, l’abandon de certaines pratiques agricoles (fertilisation, fauche ou pâturage) ou à l’inverse, leurs intensifications entrainent une altération de la diversité fonctionnelle et spécifique des végétaux, de l’activité microbienne du sol ainsi que de la disponibilité de l’azote du sol et des processus de transformation de l’azote. L’hypothèse émise concerne les changements dans la distribution de la dominance des traits de plantes qui agiraient comme un déterminant important sur la productivité des plantes, la diversité fonctionnelle des micro-organismes du sol et sur les mécanismes des cycles de l’azote (N) et du carbone (C). Les hypothèses testées sont que : (i) l’augmentation de la dominance des traits liés aux stratégies conservatives et exploitatives promeut les espèces bactériennes K et r sélectionnées ; et (ii) ces interactions plantes-micro-organismes établiront les rythmes des cycles de l’N et du C et donc les services écologiques associés. L’approche originale de ce projet consiste en une étude de quatre espèces que l’on retrouve sur les prairies typique des bassins versant agricoles subalpins: deux espèces de monocotylédone et deux espèces dicotylédones, avec une espèce à stratégie conservative et une espèce à stratégie exploitative pour chacun des groupes. Ces plantes seront cultivées avec un sol pauvre en nutriment qui subira ou non un traitement de fertilisation ; ce qui permettra un contrôle de la disponibilité en N du sol. En parallèle, l’étude d’un mésocosme contenant un sol inoculé sera effectuée avec pour objectif de préciser le rôle des micro-organismes dans les mécanismes de rétroaction entre le sol et les plantes. Dans le cadre du projet (VITAL, EU Biodiversa) dans laquelle entre cette étude, ces mêmes espèces seront cultivées dans les Alpes autrichiennes et dans les prairies du Royaume-Unis. In subalpine grasslands, the neglect of some agricultural practices (fertilization, mowing or pasture) or on the contrary, their intensification involve a deterioration of the functional and specific diversity of plant, soil microbial diversity as well as soil nitrogen availability and nitrogen transformation processes. Our overarching hypothesis is that changes in the dominance distribution of plant traits will act as an important determinant of plant productivity, microbial functional diversity and carbon and nitrogen cycling. The hypothesis tested are that: (i) increased dominance of traits linked to conservative or exploitative strategies promotes K and r-selected microbial species; and (ii) these plant-microbial linkages will determine carbon and nitrogen cycling rates, and hence the associated ecosystem services. The original approach of this project consists studying four species from the typical grasslands of subalpine agricultural mountainside basins: two grasses species and two forbs species, with conservative strategiy species and exploitative strategy species for each group. These plants will be cultivated with low nutrient soil which will undergo or not fertilization treatement to control soil nitrogen availability. In a parallel study, mesocoms containing an inoculated soil will be carried out to clarify the role of microbe in plant-soil feedback processes. Thanks to the EU framework of the project (VITAL, EU Biodiversa) in which enters this study, these same species will be cultivated in the Austrian Alps and the United Kingdom grasslands. / Plant communities are strongly linked with soil microbial communities through symbiotic or resource competitive interactions. Plant functional traits have been often used to study these relationships and have highlighted, for example, plant litter or root exudate effects on soil microbial communities. However, few studies have taken into account both leaf and root functional traits to elucidate plant-microbe relationships. My thesis work has focused on functional approach of aboveground and belowground plant traits and microbial functional parameters of nitrogen (N) cycle. My main objective was to understand subtle mechanisms implied in plant-microbes relationships and their impacts on ecosystem functioning. These researches have greatly benefited from experiments based on a gradient of nested scales ranging from individual to ecosystem, with an intermediary step using artificial plant communities in controlled conditions. Methodologies varied from isotope labeling of nitrogen fluxes to enzymatic activities and abundances of key microbial genes of N cycling. I have shown close relationships between plant functional traits and microbial functional parameters. I found that root functional traits were the plant functional traits to be principally implied in relationships with microbial communities related to N cycling, particularly those related to denitrifying activities. I have also shown that ecosystem functioning is the result of the influence of plant and microbial interactions, and that the influence of one or the other was modulated by soil nutrient availability. Finally, my results suggest that responses of plant species to nutrient availability, in turn influence microbial communities related to N cycling to favor either recycling or retention of nitrogen nutrients.

Abstract The purpose of this study is to describe customer-related knowledge utilisation in the collaborative relationships of professional service organisations. Within this specific context, knowledge transfer capabilities are emphasised as an important prerequisite in the utilisation process. Effective organisation-level knowledge utilisation is crucial in collaborative relationships of professional service organisations. In order to formulate a coherent service offering across different areas of expertise, for instance, it is beneficial to transfer customer knowledge between professionals, business units and functions. Knowledge utilisation across different expertise areas may also be an important prerequisite for an organisation's innovativeness and proactiveness in customer cooperation. Customer-related knowledge utilisation and related knowledge transfer processes are in this study approached from a relationship management perspective, and literature from organisation research, resource-based view and knowledge management is used as a theoretical basis. Empirically this study is based on a descriptive case study of two professional service firms in the field of business-to-business education and consultancy services. In the first case, an in-depth analysis of an organisation developing a collaborative relationship in the outsourcing situation is described. In the second case, additional views are given on organisational practices potentially facilitating customer-related knowledge transfer. Empirical results show that internal fragmentation in the professional service organisation seems to be, to a large extent, inherent in this type of organisation, and may cause many problems in customer-related knowledge transfer and thus in effective utilisation of that knowledge. These knowledge transfer inhibitors rise from an organisation's characteristics; its dominant logic, culture, structure and systems. These organisational characteristics are bound to the characteristics of knowledge itself: its tacitness, non-observability and complexity, and can have an inhibiting influence on knowledge transfer. However, in spite of the inherent forces causing internal fragmentation and inhibiting knowledge transfer, moderating practices of a well-planned relationship coordination system, customer knowledge and expertise codification, and cooperative working practices among the experts seem to help to maintain customer knowledge transfer and utilisation, and thus also continuity and value creation in the long-term relationships. This value creation can be seen to be based on accessing and integrating a wide variety of knowledge resources in order to create innovative, flexible and multifaceted service offerings. Value creation can also be based on organisational ability for generative learning in order to change prevailing organisational assumptions and to develop the operations model needed in collaborative relationship.