Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Hospitality Management and Dietetics / Chihyung Ok / This study attempted to investigate antecedents and consequences of consumers’ utilitarian and hedonic attitudes toward restaurant brands and to examine the effects of brand prestige on brand preference and word-of-mouth intention with customer involvement as a moderator. In study 1, to investigate the antecedents and consequences of consumer attitudes toward restaurant brands in the full-service restaurant, this study proposed, based on existing theoretical premises, significant interrelationships among three service qualities (i.e., physical environment quality, interactional quality, and outcome quality). This study also hypothesized that these service qualities predict consumers’ utilitarian and hedonic attitudes toward restaurant brands. Finally, this study examined the effects of consumer attitudes toward restaurant brands in forming brand preference and relative customer share of visits. A theoretical model was proposed and then tested with data collected from 318 casual and 303 fine dining restaurant patrons. The results of data analysis indicated significant interrelationships among three service qualities in both casual and fine dining restaurants. In addition, interactional and outcome qualities had significant effects on utilitarian and hedonic attitudes toward restaurant brands in the casual dining restaurant. In the fine dining segment, interactional quality significantly influenced both utilitarian and hedonic attitudes toward restaurant brands, while physical environment and outcome qualities had positive impacts only on hedonic attitude toward the restaurant’s brand. Finally, utilitarian and hedonic attitudes toward restaurant brands enhanced brand preference, and in turn, brand preference increased relative customer share of visits in both casual and fine dining restaurants. The purpose of study 2 was to examine the effects of brand prestige on brand preference and word-of-mouth with customer involvement as a moderator in the fine dining restaurant segment. Based on a thorough literature review, this study hypothesized that brand prestige would have positive effects on brand preference and word-of-mouth and that brand preference would have a positive relationship with word-of-mouth. Finally, this study examined the moderating role of customer involvement in the relationships between (1) brand prestige and brand preference, (2) brand prestige and word-of-mouth, and (3) brand preference and word-of-mouth. A total of 293 questionnaire responses were used to empirically test the proposed relationships in fine dining restaurants. This study found that brand prestige has significant effects on brand preference and word-of-mouth. In addition, brand preference had a positive relationship with word-of-mouth. However, customer involvement as a moderator was not supported.

Student Number : 0318613G - MSc research report - School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Studies - Faculty of Science / This report presents an analysis of health-care waste management in selected hospitals in the Central District Municipality of the North West Province, with a view of making recommendations that will ensure environmentally sound and sustainable health-care waste management in the study area. In contributing to the promotion of sustainable management of health-care waste (HCW), the study aimed to minimize waste generation and environmental impact of waste treatment and disposal, to enhance public health and safety, and to provide a safer working environment around hospitals. An assessment was carried out which involved a review of relevant literature, site visits, and interviews with key stakeholders in health-care waste management in the study area, to generate data and information on health-care waste management trends and issues. The major findings of the study include identified gaps in terms of the policy and legislative framework for the actual management of HCW, and issues relating to the mishandling of health-care waste, poor segregation, inappropriate storage rooms, and insufficient training on health-care waste management. Sustainable health-care waste management measures are proposed to improve the current situation at the health-care facilities in the Central District Municipality of the North West Province.

The purpose of this thesis is to study security for digital home visits, where traditional home visits are replaced by digital home visits using digital technology. The report examines the safety aspects for welfare technology solutions where data is collected from sensor systems and digital platforms and examines di↵erent Swedish laws that implies on a digital home visit. The study proposes an implementation of a prototype application to support users, relatives, and healthcare professionals to conduct digital home visits in a safe manner. The chosen scenario of the digital home visit was to check whether the person has eaten food during the day or not. This was done in a lab kitchen at Lule°a University of Technology with help of Z-wave sensors and a implemented systems. The result is displayed on a secure website. The solution is discussed and compared to other technical solutions of this problem and also to several Swedish laws. This paper finishes with a section aimed to provide a variety of recommendations when implementing a similar system.

As visitas a espaços não formais como as áreas protegidas têm sido utilizadas na educação escolar. Estudos já realizados mostram a importância dessas visitas, bem como algumas de suas fragilidades. Porém, há necessidade de se compreender a contribuição desses momentos para a escola. Assim, o objetivo desta pesquisa foi analisar a existência de contribuições dessas visitas às escolas e, caso existentes, caracterizá-las, considerando as concepções e práticas dos envolvidos na visitação e os seus contextos institucionais. Dados iniciais foram coletados por meio de questionário e permitiram mapear as áreas protegidas do Instituto Florestal e da Fundação Florestal, unidades da Secretaria do Meio Ambiente do Estado de São Paulo, que desenvolvem atividades de uso público com estudantes e professores, com foco nas visitas escolares monitoradas. A partir das respostas, foram selecionadas duas áreas, uma de cada unidade, para análise. Foram realizadas observações de visitas escolares monitoradas, entrevistas com representantes das áreas e professores das escolas visitantes e coletados documentos referentes a essas áreas. Para análise, consideraram-se referências do campo da educação escolar e da educação ambiental na perspectiva crítica, bem como documentos normativos referentes à educação ambiental em áreas protegidas. Constatou-se que em 72% (quarenta e nove) das sessenta e oito áreas protegidas administradas pelo Instituto Florestal e Fundação Florestal que responderam a pesquisa são desenvolvidas atividades de uso público com professores e alunos, sendo que as visitas escolares monitoradas ocorrem em 66% (quarenta e cinco áreas), com a presença das trilhas em grande parte dessas áreas. Nas concepções dos envolvidos, são indicadas contribuições à educação escolar, com ênfase na vivência propiciada aos alunos. Das três visitas acompanhadas, apenas uma propôs metodologia diferenciada da expositiva, com busca de objetos na trilha. Em todas predominaram informações biológicas, sem valorização, na prática pedagógica, da conservação e sem relação com a perspectiva crítica da educação ambiental. Deste modo, as contribuições ficam restritas à sua importância enquanto momento de vivência no ambiente natural pelos estudantes, conforme valorizado pelos entrevistados, e atividade prática complementar. Considerando estes resultados, confirma-se a hipótese de que as visitas escolares monitoradas contribuem para a educação escolar. Essa contribuição ocorre por meio da oportunidade da visita (como direito e parte da formação cidadã), da vivência no ambiente natural proporcionada aos alunos (que possibilita o despertar de sentimentos e emoções) e da contribuição ao trabalho docente (apoio para a realização de atividade prática e momento de relaxamento, com diminuição do desgaste profissional). Para a potencialização e ampliação dessas contribuições, em direção à perspectiva crítica da educação ambiental, são propostos aspectos pedagógicos e institucionais a serem considerados na visitação escolar monitorada em áreas protegidas. / Visits to non-formal places, such as in protected areas, have been used in school education. Researches show the importance of these visits as well as some weaknesses. However, there is a need to understand the contribution of these moments to the school. Thus, this research goal was to analyze the existence of contributions from these visits to school and, in case of affirmative answer, typify them considering visitors\' conceptions and practices and their institutional context. Initial data have been collected through a questionnaire. This allow a mapping of protected areas from the Forest Institute and Forest Foundation, both units of Environment Secretariat of São Paulo State that develop public use activities with scholars and teachers, focused on monitored school visits. From the answer of the questionnaire, two areas of different units have been selected for analyses. This study also holds observations of monitored school visits and interviews of representatives from the areas and teachers from schools that have visited the venue. It also collected documents of these areas. For analysis, were considered references in school education field and in environmental education in a critical view as well as normative documents regarding environmental education in protected areas. It has been observed that in 72% (forty nine) of sixty eight protected areas administrated by the Forest Institute and Forest Foundation that answered the questionnaire public use activities are being developed with scholars and teachers, giving that monitored school visits occurred in 66% (forty five areas), with the presence of tracks in most of them. The point of view of everyone involved show contributions to school education, emphasizing the experience provided to students. From the three visits followed, only one proposed a different explanation methodology, with objects search during the track. In all of them, prevailed biological information, without any promotion of conservation in the pedagogical practice and without relation with a critical perspective of the environmental education. Thus, contributions are limited to its importance as students\' personal experiment moment in a natural habitat, according pointed by interviewers, as well as a complementary practice. Considering these results, has been confirmed the hypothesis that monitored school visits contribute to scholar education. This contribution occurred by visits opportunity (as a right and part of citizen training), by providing students to live in a natural habitat (allowing feelings and emotions to awake) and by contributing to teachers work (supporting the development of a practical activity and a relax moment which can reduce work-related strain). In order to enhance and amplify all these contributions toward a critical perspective of environmental education, this study proposes pedagogical and institutional aspects that must be considered in monitored school visits in protected areas.

Este trabalho apresenta uma discussão sobre comunicação museológica e de que maneira as instituições trabalham a relação entre museu, público e exposição. Considera-se que a comunicação só se estabelece efetivamente quando sua forma e seu conteúdo mediam, simultaneamente, emoção e informação. Assim, a inserção de \"visitas teatralizadas\" em instituições museológicas pode oferecer o conhecimento não só pela informação em si, mas um conhecimento que, segundo Scheiner (2003), parte da informação transformada pela emoção, podendo então ser vivenciada. Do mesmo modo, o museu precisa dominar outras formas de linguagem, outros sistemas de comunicação que não sejam os habituais. A dissertação estuda e promove a compreensão sobre novas formas de estabelecer um diálogo, neste caso, via \"visitas teatralizadas\". / This paper presents a discussion on museological communication and how the institutions work the relationship among museum, public and exhibition. It is consider that communication is only established effectively when its form and its content mediates simultaneously emotion and information. Thus, the inclusion of \"guided visits with theater\" in museological institutions can provide knowledge not only for the information itself, but knowledge which, according to Scheiner (2003), part of the information transformed by the emotion and can then be experienced. Similarly, the museum must dominate other forms of language, other communication systems that are not usual. The dissertation studies and promotes the understanding of new ways to establish a dialogue, in this case via \"guided visits with theater\".

O objetivo principal desta pesquisa é investigar porque dois parques estaduais relativamente semelhantes (PETAR e PEI) apresentam graus de conservação tão distintos. As variáveis consideradas nesta análise foram: as formas de gestão das visitações, os recursos humanos disponíveis para esta atividade e os fluxos de visitação. A hipótese central é que as diferenças podem ser explicadas em função das gestões diferentes, ou seja, o PEI é mais conservado que o PETAR pois, sua gestão é conduzida pela Fundação Florestal com a participação da comunidade local através de uma cooperativa. Tal arranjo institucional acabaria, ao mesmo tempo, resolvendo um problema de responsabilidade estatal de conservação do meio ambiente natural e visitação pública com fins educacionais, com o interesse econômico da comunidade local. Por outro lado, no PETAR, a falta de coordenação entre o interesse público e o econômico teria levado a exploração descontrolada do parque. A análise dos dados e do resultado da pesquisa de campo nos leva a concluir que o PETAR está sofrendo um processo de deterioração de suas cavernas abertas a visitação e de seu entorno fruto da intensificação do turismo, configurando assim a incidência da tragédia dos comuns. Já no caso do PEI foi constatada uma visitação mais controlada e limitada e, portanto, um grau de preservação do complexo turístico bastante superior. Constatamos que dentre os diversos fatores que podem explicar as diferenças entre os parques, essencialmente, podem ser divididos entre diferenças em infra-estrutura turística e modelo jurídico de gestão dos parques. Sendo que o PEI tem um infra-estrutura turística limitada, o que naturalmente limita as visitações e ser submetido a Fundação Florestal, o que significa autonomia de gestão. Já o PETAR, tem assistido a um crescimento exploratório e sem planejamento da sua infra-estrutura turística, o que tem levado a deterioração de cavernas e do entorno do parque, além disso o gestor do parque tem pouca autonomia na sua gestão dada as amarras jurídicas de ligação com Instituto Florestal que, por sua vez, é controlado pela SMA e suas dotações orçamentárias. / The main objective of this research is to investigate why two similar state\'s parks (PETAR and PEI) presents different states of conservation. The variables took into consideration in this analysis were: the forms of management, the available human resources and the fluxes of visitation. The main hypothesis is that the differences in their state of preservation may be explained due to the differences in their form of visitors management. PEI is more preserved than PETAR since its management is conducted by Fundação Florestal within the participation of local communities through a cooperative. Such institutional arrangement, at the same time, solves a question of state responsibility of conservation of the natural environment and public visitations with educational purposes, together with the economic interests of the local community. On the other hand, at PETAR, the lack of coordination between the public interest and the economic interest has lead to a chaotic exploitation of the park. The analysis of the data and the results of the fields work make us to conclude that PETAR is suffering a deterioration process of its caves opens to visitation and its surrounds due this chaotic exploitation of tourism. Therefore, we clearly see the occurrence of the tragedy of commons. While at PEI we observed a controlled and limited visitation that may explains the higher level of preservation of this park. Among the many differences that can explain this situation we found mainly two: differences in the infra-structure of visitation and differences in the legal model of park\'s management. At PEI we can see a limited touristic infra-structure which contained the visitations. Moreover, the park is under the management of Fundação Florestal, which means more freedom to manage the park. On the other hand, PETAR, has faced a little planned growth of its tourist infra-structure which lead to a deterioration of the caves and surrounds. Furthermore, the park manager has little autonomy due to the legal restrictions imposed by the control of the Instituto Florestal that is also controlled by the SMA and its budget limitations.

Background: The parenting usually entails great joy but can also involve major challenges. Parenting is not always experienced positively, on occasion it can be very stressful. Studies show that early intervention can enhance the parenting role and promote connection between the child and the parent and thus facilitate illness prevention in children.  Aim: To illustrate child health, nurses and parenting counselors provided extended home visits for new parents.    Method: A qualitative design and the phenomenological approach are used. Seven interviews were carried out with Child health nurses and parenting counselors. The results were analyzed with a content analysis.  Results consist of four headings; Prerequisites for good cooperation, The importance of the meeting place, Concrete support for parents, Challenges to support parents  Conclusion: The result shows that the project helped child health nurses and parenting counselors provide increased security and support in the parenting role. They have learned that the collaboration in the project has been experienced positively as they together can support families with their specific knowledge. Their view is that the families appreciate the support offered and it is easier for them to discuss sensitive topics in their own home. The prerequisites for being able to respond to challenges in the project require staff support from the manager and training in different cultural approaches.

Public schools teachers in the U.S. strive to reach the needs of all students in the elementary classroom. However, teachers are increasingly expected to follow standardized curriculum. Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (Paris, 2012) pushes toward individualized educational practices and against the assimilationism embedded in standardization. This study considers the ways in which nine women-identified teachers, one Black, two Latina, six white, who teach elementary school in a Midwestern university town, experience, discuss, and implement Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy in a professional development course, specifically through the lens of the following question: In a course on culturally sustaining pedagogy, how do teachers experience race, culture, families, and family literacies? Grounded in empirical research that considers teaching and learning through a sociocultural lens, and in the theoretical scholarship of Critical Discourse Analysis and Critical Pedagogy, the purpose of this qualitative, narrative inquiry is to describe teachers’ learning and responses to culturally sustaining pedagogical practices in order to understand this process and its implementation. Data for this qualitative inquiry were gathered over five months in a professional development course setting using the qualitative methods of observations, interviews, audio recordings, photographs, detailed field notes, and participant self-reflections. The data collected was analyzed through descriptive coding (Miles, Huberman, & Saldaña, 2014), narrative analysis (Schaafsma & Vinz, 2011), and Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough, 2015; Gee, 2014). Results from the study suggest that engagement in culturally sustaining practices is constrained by the standardizations of school, in addition to the discomfort and lack of knowledge of some teachers when talking about race and power in the elementary classroom. Findings also suggest that teachers’ explicit engagement with research and discussions regarding these constraints led to new culturally sustaining practices.

It is currently estimated that over one-third of children aged 6-11 years in the United States are overweight or obese with some of the highest rates documented in Southern Appalachia. Primary care providers are uniquely positioned to intervene, however, lack of time as well as training and confidence in using behavioral techniques have been cited as barriers. Recommended strategies include use of a multidisciplinary team approach, family-centered communication, behavioral strategies, and care delivery following the chronic care model, including enhancement of parent self-management. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a parent-mediated approach utilizing physician’s brief motivational interviewing and parent group sessions to treat child overweight and obesity in the primary care setting in Southern Appalachia. The current study enrolled 67 children (5-11 years) with BMI≥85th percentile and a parent/primary caregiver from four primary care practices in Southern Appalachia. The two participating Pediatric practices and two Family Medicine practices were randomized to intervention or usual care control groups. Providers in the intervention group were trained to deliver two individual visits, using brief motivational interviewing and following the AAP 15-minutes obesity prevention protocol, and four group visits using the NIH We Can! Curriculum with parents over an 8-10 week period. Trained study staff also completed four phone calls using brief motivational interviewing with parents following each group visit. Child weight and height and parent surveys were collected for both intervention and control groups at baseline, three, and six months. Additionally, parents in the intervention group completed We Can! surveys at baseline and following the fourth group session. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed to test for the effect of treatment on zBMI at three and six months post-intervention. We Can! survey results were analyzed using paired t-tests. Data on 53 (82%) and 46 (69%) of participants was available at 3 and 6 months, respectively. While the point estimate of the treatment effect was in the expected direction, the effect of treatment assignment did not have a statistically significant effect on the zBMI at either three or six months. However, significant (p This study provides preliminary data on the use of a combination of individual and group visits with parents to treat overweight and obesity in children in primary care.

Care of the elderly, long-term care resident in the emergency department is an issue of importance because of the overall impact on healthcare costs, potential for negative outcomes for the resident, and the loss of revenue. The purpose of this project was to decrease avoidable transfer of residents to the Emergency Department. Using the Antecedent, Target, Measurement logic model, poor quality assessment data was deemed the antecedent of the avoidable transfer. The goal of the project was the implementation of a standardized process of assessment that would have decreased avoidable transfer of the resident. The project would have involved training of the nursing staff in the use of the Situation Background Assessment and Recommendation tool for collecting and communicating pertinent data. The tool would have been completed at each acute complaint and would have indicated disposition. Data would have been collected by the Education Coordinator and organized for review and comparison with preintervention data. Social change implications would have included enhanced communication, potential for increased nurse and physician satisfaction which could have potentially increased job satisfaction, and improved recruitment and retention. Autonomy and self-pertinence empowers the nurse to be a stronger advocate. Positive outcomes increase when care is provided by those familiar with the patient norms and the setting. Financial savings can have an impact on the cost of healthcare. This project would also have allowed for and encouraged internal review of process and practices. This project was not implemented and so remains inconclusive.