Aim: The overall aim of the thesis was to explore and describe registered nurses’ (RNs) and certified nursing assistants’ (CNAs) experiences of detection and assessment of pain in older people with cognitive impairment and dementia. A further aim was to evaluate the Abbey Pain Scale-SWE (APS-SWE) in dementia care practice. Methods: An exploratory and descriptive design was used in Study I. An exploratory and interpreting design was used in Study II and Study III. A prospective, descriptive, observational and instrumental design was used in Study IV. Focus group interviews (I) and individual interviews (II, III) were applied to explore and describe RNs’ and CNAs’ experiences of pain assessment in people living with dementia. Qualitative content analysis (I) and philosophical hermeneutics (II) were used to analyse qualitative data. Observation, instrument, and questionnaire were applied to evaluate reliability and face validity of the APS-SWE for pain assessment. Descriptive statistics and reliability analyses were used to analyse quantitative data (IV). Results: RNs in special housing accommodation settings experiences that pain assessment in people with dementia is challenging primarily due to their changed RN consultant role, which to a great extent is directed into administrative and consultative tasks rather than bedside care. This has led to decreased time in daily nursing care, preventing recognising symptoms of pain. This have also led to that RNs are dependent on information from CNAs who are the front-line staff providing daily care (I). CNAs’ perception of signs of pain in people with dementia emerges from being present in the care situation and alertness on physical and behavioural changes that could be due to pain, and from providing the care in a preventive, protective and supportive way to prevent painful situations occurring (II). RNs and CNAs working in home healthcare team use a variety of strategies to detect and assess pain. A trustful work relationship based on staff continuity and a good relation to the person in need of care facilitates pain assessment situations (III). Systematic observation of older people living in special housing accommodation during rest and mobility using the APS-SWE demonstrates that the scale has adequate internal consistency, reliability, and face validity for pain assessment (IV). Conclusions: This thesis found that the RNs’ and CNAs’ detections and assessments of pain rely on solid cooperation, staff continuity, and good knowledge of the person cared for. It was also revealed that there is a lack of using appropriate and assisting pain tools. The APS-SWE show adequate reliability and face validity and can serve as a useful pain tool to assist in detection and assessment of pain in older people who are limited in verbalising pain recognisable. Further evaluation of how the person-centred perspective is applied in pain assessment situations is needed in order to evaluate positive outcomes in people with dementia. Further psychometric evaluation of the APS-SWE in clinical dementia care practice is needed to strengthen validity and reliability. / <p>Study IV</p><p>Karlsson C, Ernsth Bravell M, Ek K, Johansson L &amp; Bergh I (2014): Reliability and face validity of the Abbey Pain Scale-SWE in Swedish dementia care practice. Submitted June, 2015.</p>

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) have become one of the greatest research topics today; because they pose a new complex discipline, which addresses big existing and future systems as the Internet, the Internet of Things, sensors networks and smart grids. As a recent discipline, there are many possibilities to improve the state of the art, interoperability being one of the most relevant. Thus, this thesis has been created within the framework of interoperability for CPS, by using the SOS (Sensor Observation Service) standard, which belongs to the SWE (Sensor Web Enablement) framework of the OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium). It has been developed to give rise to a new line of research within the Distributed Real-Time Systems and Applications group (SATRD for its acronym in Spanish) from the Communications Department of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV for its acronym in Valencian). The approach, with which the interoperability in the CPS has been addressed, is of synthetic type (from parts to whole), starting from a verifiable and workable solution for interoperability in sensor networks, one of the most significant CPSs because it is integrated in many other CPSs, next adapting and testing the solution in more complex CPS, such as the Internet of Things. In this way, an interoperability solution in sensor networks is proposed based on the SOS, but adapted to some requirements that makes of this mechanism a lighter version of the standard, which facilitates the deployment of future implementations due to the possibility of using limited devices for this purpose. This theoretical solution is brought to a first implementation, called SOSLite, which is tested to determine its characteristic behavior and to verify the fulfillment of its purpose. Analogously, and starting from the same theoretical solution, a second implementation is projected called SOSFul, which proposes an update to the SOS standard so that it is lighter, more efficient and easier to use. The SOSFul, has a more ambitious projection by addressing the Internet of Things, a more complex CPS than sensors networks. As in the case of the SOSLite, tests are performed and validation is made through a use case. So, both the SOSLite and the SOSFul are projected as interoperability solutions in the CPS. Both implementations are based on the theoretical proposal of a light SOS and are available for free and under open source licensing so that it can be used by the research community to continue its development and increase its use. / Los Sistemas Ciber-Físicos (CPS) se han convertido en uno de los temas de investigación con mayor proyección en la actualidad; debido a que plantean una nueva disciplina compleja, que aborda sistemas existentes y futuros de gran auge como: la Internet, la Internet de las Cosas, las redes de sensores y las redes eléctricas inteligentes. Como disciplina en gestación, existen muchas posibilidades para aportar al estado del arte, siendo la interoperabilidad uno de los más relevantes. Así, esta tesis se ha creado en el marco de la interoperabilidad para los CPS, mediante la utilización del estándar SOS (Sensor Observation Service) perteneciente al marco de trabajo SWE (Sensor Web Enablement) del OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium). Se ha desarrollado para dar surgimiento a una nueva línea de investigación dentro del grupo SATRD (Sistemas y Aplicaciones de Tiempo Real Distribuidos) del Departamento de Comunicaciones de la UPV (Universitat Politècnica de València). La aproximación con la cual se ha abordado la interoperabilidad en los CPS es de tipo sintética (pasar de las partes al todo), iniciando desde una solución, verificable y realizable, para la interoperabilidad en las redes de sensores, uno de los CPS más significativos debido a que se integra en muchos otros CPS, y pasando a adaptar y comprobar dicha solución en CPS de mayor complejidad, como la Internet de las Cosas. De esta forma, se propone una solución de interoperabilidad en las redes de sensores fundamentada en el SOS, pero adaptada a unos requerimientos que hacen de este mecanismo una versión más ligera del estándar, con lo que se facilita el despliegue de futuras implementaciones debido a la posibilidad de emplear dispositivos limitados para tal fin. Dicha solución teórica, se lleva a una primera implementación, denominada SOSLite, la cual se prueba para determinar su comportamiento característico y verificar el cumplimiento de su propósito. De forma análoga y partiendo de la misma solución teórica, se proyecta una segunda implementación, llamada SOSFul, la cual propone una actualización del estándar SOS de forma que sea más ligero, eficiente y fácil de emplear. El SOSFul, tiene una proyección más ambiciosa al abordar la Internet de las Cosas, un CPS más complejo que las redes de sensores. Como en el caso del SOSLite, se realizan pruebas y se valida mediante un caso de uso. Así, tanto el SOSLite como el SOSFul se proyectan como soluciones de interoperabilidad en los CPS. Ambas implementaciones parten de la propuesta teórica de SOS ligero y se encuentran disponibles de forma gratuita y bajo código libre, para ser empleados por la comunidad investigativa para continuar su desarrollo y aumentar su uso. / Els sistemes ciberfísics (CPS, Cyber-Physical Systems) s'han convertit en un dels temes de recerca amb major projecció en l'actualitat, a causa del fet que plantegen una nova disciplina complexa que aborda sistemes existents i futurs de gran auge, com ara: la Internet, la Internet de les Coses, les xarxes de sensors i les xarxes elèctriques intel·ligents. Com a disciplina en gestació, hi ha moltes possibilitats per a aportar a l'estat de la qüestió, sent la interoperabilitat una de les més rellevants. Així, aquesta tesi s'ha creat en el marc de la interoperabilitat per als CPS, mitjançant la utilització de l'estàndard SOS (Sensor Observation Service) pertanyent al marc de treball SWE (Sensor Web Enablement) de l'OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium). S'ha desenvolupat per a iniciar una nova línia de recerca dins del Grup de SATRD (Sistemes i Aplicacions de Temps Real Distribuïts) del Departament de Comunicacions de la UPV (Universitat Politècnica de València). L'aproximació amb la qual s'ha abordat la interoperabilitat en els CPS és de tipus sintètic (passar de les parts al tot), iniciant des d'una solució, verificable i realitzable, per a la interoperabilitat en les xarxes de sensors, un dels CPS més significatius pel fet que s'integra en molts altres CPS, i passant a adaptar i comprovar aquesta solució en CPS de major complexitat, com la Internet de les Coses. D'aquesta forma, es proposa una solució d'interoperabilitat en les xarxes de sensors fonamentada en el SOS, però adaptada a uns requeriments que fan d'aquest mecanisme una versió més lleugera de l'estàndard, amb la qual cosa es facilita el desplegament de futures implementacions per la possibilitat d'emprar dispositius limitats a aquest fi. Aquesta solució teòrica es porta a una primera implementació, denominada SOSLite, que es prova per a determinar el seu comportament característic i verificar el compliment del seu propòsit. De forma anàloga i partint de la mateixa solució teòrica, es projecta una segona implementació, anomenada SOSFul, que proposa una actualització de l'estàndard SOS de manera que siga més lleuger, eficient i fàcil d'emprar. El SOSFul té una projecció més ambiciosa quan aborda la Internet de les Coses, un CPS més complex que les xarxes de sensors. Com en el cas del SOSLite, es realitzen proves i es valida mitjançant un cas d'ús. Així, tant el SOSLite com el SOSFul, es projecten com a solucions d'interoperabilitat en els CPS. Ambdues implementacions parteixen de la proposta teòrica de SOS lleuger, i es troben disponibles de forma gratuïta i en codi lliure per a ser emprades per la comunitat investigadora a fi de continuar el seu desenvolupament i augmentar-ne l'ús. / Pradilla Ceron, JV. (2016). SOSLite: Soporte para Sistemas Ciber-Físicos y Computación en la Nube [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/76808 / TESIS

The work presented in this thesis concerns the development and evaluation of new methods of sampling and analysis of organic pollutants in the indoor and outdoor environment. In Paper I, the development of a new method was reported for the determination of the brominated flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in air using sampling with glass fiber filter and polyurethane foam (PUF), ultrasonic solvent extraction and liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/MS). The MS fragmentation mechanism of TBBPA was thoroughly investigated and different acquisition modes were evaluated to achieve the most sensitive and selective detection. In Papers II and III, the potential use of Empore SPE membranes was evaluated for air sampling of volatile, semi-volatile and particle-associated organic compounds. Breakthrough studies conducted for 24h at air flows of 10- 20 L/min showed that the SPE membranes efficiently retains volatile and semi-volatile organophosphate esters and particles &gt;10 nm. Effort was invested in the development of fast and environmental friendly methods, with low cost, for sample clean up and analysis. In Paper II, the sample preparation technique was dynamic solvent extraction with methanol coupled to LC-ESI/MS. The total run time per sample, including both extraction and separation, was less than 34 min, consuming only 1.6mL methanol. In Paper III, efficiency of selective extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from particulate matter sampled with Empore SPE membranes, using dynamic subcritical water extraction (DSWE) was investigated. Acceptable recoveries of the investigated compounds from reference material (SRM 1649a) were achieved. In Paper IV, the application of dynamic solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) air sampling was evaluated using, gas chromatography/positive ion chemical ionisation (GC/PICI) and tandem-MS detection for the determination of organophosphate esters in work environment.

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La caract??risation du couvert nival en for??t bor??ale est un ??l??ment important pour la compr??hension des r??gimes climatiques et hydrologiques. Depuis plusieurs ann??es, l???utilisation des micro-ondes passives est ??tudi??e pour l???estimation de l?????quivalent en eau de la neige (SWE : Snow Water Equivalent) ?? partir de capteurs satellitaires. Les algorithmes empiriques traditionnels ??tant limit??s en for??t bor??ale, le couplage d???un mod??le de transfert radiatif (MTR) micro-onde passive (qui prend en compte les contributions du sol, de la neige, de la v??g??tation et de l???atmosph??re) avec un mod??le de neige pour l???inversion du SWE semble une avenue prometteuse. La th??se vise donc ?? coupler un MTR avec le sch??ma de surface du mod??le climatique canadien (CLASS) dans une perspective d???application op??rationnelle pour les estimations de SWE ?? partir de donn??es satellitaires micro-onde ?? 10.7, 19 et 37 GHz. Dans ce contexte, certains aspects centraux du MTR, dont l???effet de la taille des grains ainsi que la contribution de la v??g??tation sont d??velopp??s et quantifi??s. Le premier aspect ??tudi?? dans la th??se concerne l???adaptation du mod??le d?????mission micro-onde passive DMRT-ML (Dense media radiative transfer theory ??? multi layer) pour l???int??gration d???une nouvelle m??trique repr??sentant la taille des grains (surface sp??cifique des grains de neige: SSA). L?????tude bas??e sur des mesures radiom??triques et de neige in situ, montre la pertinence de l???utilisation de la SSA dans DMRT-ML et permet d???analyser le sens physique de l???adaptation n??cessaire pour amener le mod??le ?? simuler les temp??ratures de brillance (T[indice inf??rieur B) de la neige avec une erreur quadratique moyenne minimale de l???ordre de 13 K. Dans un contexte du couplage entre le mod??le de neige de CLASS et DMRT-ML, un mod??le d?????volution de la SSA est ensuite impl??ment?? dans CLASS. Les SSA simul??es par le module d??velopp?? sont valid??es avec des donn??es in situ bas??es sur la r??flectance de la neige dans l???infrarouge ?? courte longueur d???onde pour diff??rents types d???environnement. Au niveau de la contribution de la v??g??tation, le mod??le ??-?? a ??t?? ??tudi?? ?? partir de diff??rentes bases de donn??es (satellite, avion et au sol) en for??t bor??ale dense. L?????tude montre l???importance de la consid??ration de la diffusion (??) pour l???estimation de l?????mission de la v??g??tation, param??tre auparavant g??n??ralement n??glig?? aux hautes fr??quences. Ensuite, des relations entre les transmissivit??s et certains param??tres structuraux de la for??t, dont l???indice de surface foliaire (LAI), ont ??t?? ??tablies pour des for??ts bor??ales en ??t??. Des valeurs d???alb??do de diffusion (??) ainsi que les param??tres d??finissant la r??flectivit?? du sol (QH) en for??t bor??ale ont aussi ??t?? invers??es. Finalement, les simulations de T [indice inf??rieur] B issues du couplage du MTR (DMRT-ML, mod??le ??-??, et mod??le atmosph??rique) avec CLASS (dont les SSA simul??es) ont ??t?? compar??es avec les donn??es AMSR-E sur une s??rie temporelle continue de sept ans. Les premi??res comparaisons montrent une diff??rence entre les param??tres de v??g??tation (??-??) d?????t?? et d???hiver, ainsi qu???une importante contribution des cro??tes de glace dans la neige au signal. Les simulations du mod??le ajust?? montrent une bonne correspondance avec les observations d???AMSR-E (de l???ordre de 3 ?? 7 K selon la fr??quence et la polarisation). Des tests de sensibilit?? montrent par contre une faible sensibilit?? du MTR/CLASS au SWE pour des for??ts denses et des couverts nivaux ??pais. Le MTR-CLASS d??velopp?? pourrait permettre l???assimilation de temp??ratures de brillance satellitaires en for??t bor??ale dans des syst??mes op??rationnels pour l???am??lioration de param??tres de surface, dont la neige, dans les mod??les m??t??orologiques et climatiques.