Many women with pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) suffer in silence; unaware there is a medical explanation for their symptoms. Limited research on their perspectives living with these conditions was the underlying reason for this phenomenological study. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with at least one vaginal delivery and a PFD diagnosis by a medical professional required for all participants. Subjects' ages ranged from 29 to 57, with the mean age of 41.3 years. The four major themes that emerged were (a) pregnancy-related issues, (b) interaction with family and friends, (c) relationships with significant others, and (d) interactions with healthcare professionals. All of the women visited multiple health care specialists, with the average period being 12 years from their first symptoms to diagnosis. Participants shared they did not discuss their symptoms with friends and/or partners hoping the problems would resolve on their own. Further studies on the personal experiences of women living with PFD are essential not only for the quality of prenatal care, but to encourage more women to seek help and improve their overall quality of life.

We report investigations of physical possibilities beyond the Standard Model, performed in the years between Runs I and II of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). First, we explore the feasibility of using a hadron collider to unmask hidden sectors by means of a novel signal, the ``monocline". Dilepton production provides the cleanest channel to anticipate a monocline. A compelling sector to seek is dark matter with scalar messengers coupling it to standard fermions. We present current bounds from dilepton spectrum measurements at the LHC and make predictions for sensitivities at Run II of the LHC as well as at a future 100 TeV collider. Second, we corner the space of parameters of supersymmetric frameworks with an appreciable Yukawa coupling between the Higgs fields and a gauge singlet, the so-called Fat Higgs and $\lambda$-SUSY models, in the context of the discovery of the 125 GeV Higgs particle. These models are motivated by their alleviation of the electroweak fine-tuning that supersymmetry breaking entails, via raising the tree-level quartic coupling Higgs boson. Heavy Higgs scalars that couple strongly to the standard Higgs boson induce large radiative corrections to the Higgs quartic coupling, which is crucial to phenomenology; in particular, a very large ratio of the Higgs VEVs ($\tan \beta$), that was previously presumed unfavorable in these models, becomes viable and can be probed by future experiments. In such regions, the most stringent limits come from dark matter constraints on the lightest neutralino. Finally, we place limits on colored scalar production at the LHC in supersymmetric models where gauginos acquire both Dirac and Majorana masses, that we call ``mixed gauginos". While it was known that purely Dirac gluinos were less constrained by LHC searches than their purely Majorana counterparts, we find that the constraints further weaken or strengthen depending on which of the ``mixed" colored fermions acquires a Majorana mass. Also explored are the effects on squark production of turning on Majorana masses for electroweak gauginos. This dissertation consists of previously published and unpublished co-authored material.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:28:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-03-02Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:37:07Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 penques_rmvb_me_botfm.pdf: 1916935 bytes, checksum: 9a6e7423c0357f32703dbcca4a1d23fc (MD5) / Ministério da Saúde / O objetivo deste estudo foi compreender a percepção de enfermeiros sobre acolhimento na atenção básica dos municípios da região de Lins. Optou-se por uma abordagem qualitativa, na vertente da fenomenologia do fenômeno situado. Participaram do estudo 21 enfermeiros, e a entrevista foi estratégia utilizada para obtenção das descrições, por meio da questão norteadora: Qual a sua percepção sobre o acolhimento na Atenção Básica?. Foram elaboradas as seguintes categorias para análise: falta de investimento, os princípios do SUS, processo de trabalho e as etapas do acolhimento, ação multidisciplinar, integral e preventiva e postura acolhedora. Na análise identificou-se a necessidade de recursos humanos, físicos e de educação em saúde quanto à falta de investimento. No que se refere à relação dos princípios do SUS com o acolhimento, as diferentes formas de relacionamento do profissional com o usuário, resolubilidade e responsabilidade, envolvimento de gestores, acolhimento com parte integrante do programa nacional de humanização e integralidade nos serviços básicos de saúde. Quanto ao processo de trabalho do enfermeiro, destacou-se a forma de sistematizar a assistência, escuta das necessidades e forma de avaliar a vulnerabilidade. A ação multidisciplinar facilita as ações preventivas e de integralidade e promove orientação, aconselhamento e escuta qualificada. Quanto à postura acolhedora, envolve perfil, importância principalmente na porta de entrada e relacionamento empático. Considera-se que a fenomenologia possibilitou a compreensão da percepção dos enfermeiros sobre o acolhimento, por meio do desvelamento deste fenômeno na vivência destes sujeitos / This study aimed at understanding nurses’ perception of patient embracement in primary care in cities located in the region of Lins. A qualitative phenomenological approach was used. Twenty-one nurses participated in the study, and interviews were used for description collection by means of the guiding question: What is your perception of patient embracement in Primary Care?. The following categories were designed for analysis: lack of investment, SUS principles, the work process and embracement phases, multidisciplinary, full and preventive action and embracing attitude. The analysis identified the need for human, physical and health education resources in relation to lack of investment. With respect to the relationship of SUS principles with embracement, the various forms of relationship between professionals and users, resolubility and responsibility, managers’ involvement, embracement as part of the national program for humanization and integrality in primary health care were addressed. Concerning nurses’ work process, the forms for systematizing care, listening to needs and forms of evaluating vulnerability are noteworthy. Multidisciplinary action facilitates preventive and integrality actions and promotes qualified orientation, counseling and listening. As concerns the embracing attitude, it involves profile, importance particularly at entrance and empathic relationship. It is considered that phenomenology enabled us to understand nurses’ perception concerning embracement by revealing such phenomenon in those subjects’ experience / El objetivo de este estudio fue comprender la percepción de enfermeros sobre la acogida en la atención básica de los municipios de la región de Lins, São Paulo, Brasil. Se optó por un enfoque cualitativo, en la vertiente de la fenomenología del fenómeno situado. Participaron en el estudio 21 enfermeros. La entrevista fue la estrategia utilizada para obtener las descripciones utilizando la pregunta guía: ¿Cuál es su percepción de la acogida en la Atención Básica? Se elaboraron las siguientes categorías para análisis: falta de inversión, los principios del SUS, proceso de trabajo y las etapas de la acogida, acción multidisciplinar, integral y preventiva y postura acogedora. En el análisis se identificó la necesidad de recursos humanos, físicos y de educación en salud en cuanto a la falta de inversión. En lo que se refiere a la relación de los principios del SUS con la acogida, se notaron las diferentes formas de relación del profesional con el usuario, la resolubilidad y responsabilidad, la participación de gestores, la acogida con parte integrante del programa nacional de humanización y la integralidad en los servicios básicos de salud. En cuanto al proceso de trabajo del enfermero, se destacaron la forma de sistematizar la asistencia, la escucha de las necesidades y la forma de evaluar la vulnerabilidad. La acción multidisciplinar facilita las acciones preventivas y de integralidad y promueve orientación, asesoría y escucha cualificada. Ya la postura acogedora involucra perfil, importante sobre todo a la puerta de ingreso, y una relación empática. Se considera que la fenomenología ha posibilitado la comprensión de la percepción de los enfermeros acerca de la acogida por medio del desvelo de este fenómeno en la vivencia de estos sujetos

How is a process of serial drawing understood to record the phenomenological stream of consciousness that underpins it? This research question emerges from a hypothesis driving the research: that when considered as a form of expression which speaks in a particular way (Tormey, 2007), drawing re-presents ( records ) the stream of consciousness underpinning it in a rather fundamental manner. The purpose of this first person, practice-led research is to question how this hypothesis is understood, treating it as an assumption to be tested via practice and theory combined. Within the research this hypothesis is linked to both the wider assumption that drawing records thought (Rosand, 2002) and to the contemporary idea that drawing is a form of perpetual becoming (Hoptman, 2002; de Zegher & Butler, 2010) given the temporality which underpins the act of drawing. To help facilitate investigation of the hypothesis, the assumption that drawing records thought is duly suspended (bracketed) for the duration of the research, allowing the structure and process of serially developed drawing (Chavez, 2004) in conjunction with first-person methods for approaching phenomenal consciousness (Varela & Shear, 1999; Depraz, 1999) to investigate it in practical terms. The significance of the research resides in a scrutiny of the drawing process, undertaken in close relation to Husserl s (1931/2012; 1950/1999) Phenomenology. As a result, the phenomenon of drawing is re-described as a self-temporalizing phenomenon, emphasising how the appearance of drawing (noun) not only re-presents the prior act of drawing (verb) which produced it, but also provides the practitioner with a look ahead, indicating the hope and expectation of drawings not yet made. This claim emerges via the specific manner in which my serially developed drawings demonstrate re-presenting the streaming of consciousness described (in Husserlian terms) as the self-temporalization of consciousness, experienced within the duration of now. This phenomenological description of how drawing operates builds upon Rawson s (1969/1987) statement regarding the special charm of drawing - the underlying quality of movement that drawings (noun) exhibit on the basis they were drawn. Husserl s protentional focus on hope and expectation (de Warren, 2009) allows the research to expand upon this idea, describing the underlying movement within drawing as a form of self-temporalization that also points ahead to what is not yet drawn. This forward looking, practitioner centred claim is intended to compliment the focus on trace and memory that a proportion of the current critical discourse on drawing remains engaged with (Newman M, 1996; Tormey, 2007; Newman & de Zegher, 2003; Derrida J, 1993).

Spiral dynamics as a theory offers an explanation of human values. The historical development of this theory with the original theoretician, Graves, not having written a seminal work, opens up possibilities of different understandings or interpretations. In this thesis the contributions of either Graves or Beck and Cowan (1996) to Spiral dynamics is not disputed. One of the goals in this thesis is to identify specific differences between Graves’s original descriptions and Beck and Cowan’s contributions. The focus will be on two main areas. First the difference between Graves’s original work and Beck and Cowan’s theory of Spiral dynamics. Second, the intricate relationship between Spiral dynamics and Existentialism will be explained. In the next chapter the theory of Spiral dynamics will be examined. This theory will be explained in terms of Graves’s original research, as well as the subsequent contribution by Beck and Cowan. Because of the complicated nature of the development and content of this theory, Spiral dynamics will form the exclusive content of Chapter 1. The theory of Existentialism will be dealt with on the following chapter. In order to understand Existentialism, it is necessary to highlight the context from which this theory developed. Therefore, the third chapter will briefly deal with the field of Phenomenology and how this field relates to Existentialism. The links between an understanding of the theory of Spiral dynamics and the theory of Existentialism will be discussed in Chapter 2. A discussion of the results will be presented in Chapter 3. The Lens questionnaire was used to show the application of the theory, Relevant Lens profiles will be shown in the Results chapter. The Lens psychometric instrument was developed to measure world views according to Graves’s original theory. In the development of this questionnaire, certain gaps in the understanding of the theory were identified. These shortcomings in the Spiral dynamics theory in terms of the precepts of the theory of Existentialism will also be addressed in this thesis. In Chapter 4 the previous chapters will be summarised, and a Conclusion will be presented. For the sake of practicality, the detailed descriptions of the Spiral according to Beck and Cowan are presented in Appendix 1. The detailed description of the research into the Lens is included in Appendix 2. For the sake of clarity the basic colours will be used to describe the different stages on the spiral. Graves described the stages as A-N, B-O, C-P, D-Q, E-R. F-S, G-T, H-U, but in this work the descriptions added by Beck and Cowan (1996) will be used. Therefore A-N will be referred to as Beige, B-O will be referred to as Purple, C-P will be referred to as Red, D-Q will be referred to as Blue, E-R will be referred to as Orange, F-S will be referred to as Green, G-T will be referred to as Yellow, and H-U will be referred to as Turquoise. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Psychology / unrestricted

Program evaluation is important for improving the activities and services of nonprofit organizations. However, the emphasis on program evaluation has created new challenges and uncertainties for nonprofit organizations. These concerns of evaluation capacity, quality and use are of particular importance in nonprofit contexts where resources are already stretched, and where staff size and capacity are limited. As such, this research study focuses on a specific niche of the nonprofit sector, exploring how stakeholders experience program evaluation in a nonprofit organization, which (a) operates exclusively in one region, (b) is low-resourced, and (c) identifies as providing educational services to a specific community. Using a phenomenological approach to study program evaluation, the study is informed by Colaizzi’s phenomenological approach to explore stakeholders’ lived experience of evaluation in this context. The findings suggest that several components are shared among participants. Their experience is described by four themes (1) rushed and pressed for time; (2) some good will come: a sense of optimism; (3) perceived inadequacy of evaluation; and (4) dedicated, but alone and isolated. From the phenomenological analysis, three underlying contextual factors of this shared experience also emerged, including dependence on the granting system, a suboptimal structure, and individuals’ backgrounds and training. In all, this study offers contributions to evaluation practice, theory and methodological development by studying program evaluation in a rarely examined context, and by contributing empirical data about program evaluation using a methodology that has rarely been used in this domain.

Bullying is a national public health problem that is affecting millions of youth in Canada. With the proliferation of technology, bullying has permeated private spaces and is no longer limited to just school grounds. Due to the ease of accessibility of technology among youth, bullying is able to circumvent traditional safety barriers provided within the homes of youth which compounds concerns for parents. Since cyberbullying is still at an early stage, there is a need for research that explores the past experiences of students who have directly or indirectly encountered cyberbullying. Therefore, this study explores the experiences with cyberbullying of students at the University of Ottawa, who are between the ages of 18-23. The researcher conducted ten interviews guided by the transcendental approach to phenomenological reduction method. The study also sought to understand why cyberbullying happens and how adolescents who have directly or indirectly encountered cyberbullying respond. The findings revealed that online risk behaviour, perceived predictors of victimisation, response to cyber abuse, and justification for avoiding help-seeking behaviour appear to be linked to the severity of a user’s cyberbullying experience.

The purpose of this existential-phenomenological study was to investigate the meaning of a romantic love experience. Six adult co-researchers discussed their romantic love experience with the researcher. The co-researchers were asked to recall the time before, during, and after the love experience. Two interviews were conducted. The initial in-depth interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed. The transcripts were analyzed according to the method outlined by Colaizzi (1978). Twenty-two themes were explicated from the transcripts. These were written into an exhaustive description of a romantic love experience. The essential structure of the experience was culled from the exhaustive description. The transcripts, the themes, the exhaustive description and the essential structure were validated by the co-researchers. The description of a romantic love experience is a starting point both for future research and for the development of appropriate counselling techniques to be used with clients who are romantic by disposition or by situation. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

Exploiting the substructure of jets observed at the LHC to better understand and interpret the experimental data has recently been a very active area of research. In this thesis we study the substructure of high-pt QCD jets, which form a background to many new physics searches. In particular, we explore in detail the perturbative distributions of a certain class of observables known as non-global jet shapes. More specifically, we identify and present state-of-the-art calculations, both at fixed-order and to all-orders in the perturbative expansion, of a set of large logarithms known as non-global logarithms. Hitherto, these logarithms have been largely mis-treated, and in many cases ignored, in the literature despite being first pointed out more than a decade ago. Our work has triggered the interest of many groups, particularly Soft and Collinear Effective Theory (SCET) groups, and led to a flurry of papers on non-global logarithms and related issues. Although our primary aim is to provide analytical results for hadron-hadron scattering environments, it is theoretically instructive to consider the simpler case of e+e- annihilation. We thus examine, in chapters 4, 5 and 6, the the said jet shapes in the latter environment and compute the full next-to-leading logarithmic resummation of the large logarithms present in the distribution for various jet definitions. We exploit the gained experience to extend our calculations to the more complex hadronic environment in chapter 7. We provide state-of-the-art resummation of the jet mass observable in vector boson + jet and dijet QCD processes at the LHC up to next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy. The resultant distribution of the former (vector boson + jet) process agrees well, after accounting for hadronisation corrections, with standard Monte Carlo event generators and potential comparisons to data from the LHC will be made soon.

This study encompasses my attempt to understand the lived experience of students in a higher education art appreciation course when a traditional textbook was replaced by a computer game. The methodology uses a mixture of phenomenological interviews and games as well as game machines to interpret these lived experiences. The process of allowing the research to dictate the direction I would take in my research is central to my research process. The initial research idea evolved into three research games and three versions of those games by using the data from student interviews as a generative data. The implications from this study focus upon creating new pedagogical interventions in the form of a studious labyrinthian pedagogy rather than a finite maze-like approach to art education. This dissertation examines how art education can benefit from more freedom and exploration for students to navigate their own learning.