It is still recognized as a challenge task while blind and visually impaired people travel outdoor independently, even if there are a number of assistive mobility aids available. In addition to building universal facilities in urban and rural environments for them, it is essential to develop novel mobility assistive technologies and systems to satisfy their increasing demands for mobility. To investigate those demands, an international survey with 106 blind and visually impaired people from 13 countries is undertaken within this work, with regarding to outdoor mobility experiences, usages of mobile devices and collaborative approaches. From the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Accessibility, the dissertation focuses on enhancing blind people’s capabilities of acquisition of spatial environmental information from tactile displays. The spatial environmental information, in this study, is in terms of clusters of surrounding obstacles, geographic information on city maps, and information on environmental accessibility. In order to non-visual representation of the clusters of surroundings obstacles detected by a 3D Time-of-Flight (ToF) infrared camera, a portable pin-matrix display with a matrix of 30 x 32 pins is employed and a pre-designed set of tactile obstacle symbols is used to render the properties of obstacles (e.g., type, size). Additionally, aiming at helping blind people access geographic information, a desktop based pin-matrix display (an array of 60 x 120 pins) and a mobile pin-matrix display (an array of 30 x 32 pins) are used to represent a large-scale city map and a location-aware city map, respectively. A set of tactile map symbols rendered with the raised and lowered pins, has been designed for rendering various map features. To allow blind and visually impaired people to acquire information on environmental accessibility, besides a traditional web browser client and a popular smart phone client, an audio-haptic client on a tactile display with 7200 pins is developed. Users are able to create and share collaborative annotations on environmental accessibility across the 3 clients. The proposed approaches about non-visual representation of obstacles and map features by tactile symbols on pin-matrix displays, will contribute to the fields of accessible tactile graphic well, especially in the coming era of affordable pin-matrix displays. Meanwhile, the collaborative approach for improving environmental accessibility will encourage the society to raise the floor of accessibility for all. A number of further studies can be continued based on the current findings within this work, aiming at enhancing mobility aids for blind and visually impaired people gradually.

Master thesis "European cultural lobby. Case of We Are More campaign" is analyzing the European lobbying in the cultural domain. As an area of European policies, culture has been established continuously since the 80's of the 20th century. The role that culture gained at the European Union (EU) level is specific by its double dimension. At the same time, culture is perceived as a source of common values and an area with high economic potential. This thesis examines whether the exclusive role of culture within the EU signifies specific features of lobbying in the cultural domain. Theoretical part of this work is using the concept of europeanization in order to explain how culture became an area of European public policy. The same part develops the theory of European lobbying to demonstrate division of the EU interest groups into public and private. Second part of this thesis presents the case study of the nowadays biggest European cultural lobby, Culture Action Europe, and We Are More campaign organized by this lobby in order to influence future European framework programmes for culture and audiovisual in 2014-2020 period. Features that decide whether an interest group is public or private, as defined by the theoretical part of this thesis, are studied on the case of Culture Action Europe. In order to...

Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka vilka hinder och framgångsfaktorer yrkesverksamma inom skola och socialtjänst upplevde i samverkan med varandra kring barn som far illa eller riskerar fara illa, samt vad som gör att dessa faktorer upprätthålls. En kvalitativ innehållsanalys har använts för att analysera insamlad empiri från semistrukturerade kvalitativa intervjuer, med tre yrkesverksamma inom socialtjänst och två yrkesverksamma inom skola. Goffmans dramaturgiska teori och interorganisatoriskt perspektiv har använts som teoretiska ramverk för att analysera studiens resultat. Studiens resultat visade på att både framgångsfaktorer och hinder yttrade sig, i relationen och interaktionen mellan yrkesverksamma inom skola och socialtjänst. Personliga relationer, kunskap om samverkanspartens förutsättningar/begränsningar, förväntningar, attityder och tillit till varandra lyftes fram som avgörande faktorer för en fungerande samverkan. Dessa faktorer upprätthölls av organisatoriska förhållanden där de yrkesverksamma inte gavs tillräckligt utrymme, att överkomma hindren och främja de framgångsfaktorer som belystes i resultatet, så som gemensamma rutiner och forum, kontinuitet, insyn, samt öppna kommunikationsvägar. Slutsatsen var att skola och socialtjänst behöver ges utrymme att arbeta regelbundet med varandra i olika forum för att uppnå en positiv förändring. Satsningar görs frekvent på både lokal och nationell nivå för att belysa vad som blir en utmaning i samverkansarbetet. För att dessa satsningar inte bara ska göras för sakens skull, behöver organisationerna ges utrymme att arbeta regelbundet med varandra för att motverka att hindren upprätthålls. / The purpose of this study was to investigate what obstacles and success factors professionals in schools, and social services experienced in collaboration with each other around children who are harmed/risk of harm, and what enables these factors to be maintained. A qualitative content analysis has been used to analyze collected material from five semi-structured qualitative interviews, with three social service professionals and two school professionals. Goffman's dramaturgical theory and inter-organizational perspective have been used as theoretical frameworks to analyze the study's results. The results of the study showed that success factors and obstacles manifested themselves in the relationship and interaction between professionals in school and social services. Personal relationships, knowledge of each other's conditions/limitations, expectations, attitudes and trust were highlighted as decisive factors for a functioning collaboration. These factors were maintained by organisational conditions in which professionals were not given sufficient scope to overcome the obstacles and promote the success factors highlighted in the outcome, such as common procedures/forums, continuity, transparency and open communication paths. The conclusion was that schools and social services need to be given space to work regularly together in different forums in order to achieve positive change. Investments are made frequently at both local and national level to highlight what will be a challenge in the collaboration work. In order for these efforts not only to be made for the sake of it, organisations need to be given the space to work regularly with each other to prevent obstacles from being upheld.

Abortion can be a significant event in a woman's life. Some women are found to be affected by severe negative psychological complications following abortion. A synthesis of the current research on post abortion grief and support implications was conducted for this literature review. Those women who have ineffective coping post abortion were described to have dysfunctional grief. The uniqueness of the loss and the stigma attached to abortion, which has prevented women from seeking help, contributes to the dysfunctional grief. Screening and assessment of women have been found to be beneficial in identifying those who were suffering. Validation of the feelings that women ' express has been cited in the literature as one of the most significant supportive interventions that can be provided to women who are coping ineffectively. Education can be helpful in guiding nurses, practitioners, and students to evaluate, and provide support for women who are grieving ineffectively, thus initiating healthy grieving in this population. The implications for nurses to assess for pregnancy loss, educate and promote healthy grieving in women are supported by this literature review.

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Master of Arts / This thesis is an exploratory study that aims to identify whether it is adequate to apply the current approach of considering policies related to geothermal energy under the general umbrella of renewable policies or we need to use a system-sector based approach specifically for geothermal energy systems. I have identified a total of twenty-three different policy types related to geothermal energy systems in U.S. states. To understand how geothermal related policies diffuse from one U.S. state to another, and, therefore, better design policies to promote the use of geothermal energy in U.S. states, we need to perform several diffusion studies. This process is time consuming and expensive. Thus, focusing on the most promising geothermal related policies, at least as a start, is crucial for future studies focusing on the diffusion of geothermal related policies between U.S. states. Therefore, this thesis focuses on the preliminary step of selecting a limited set of geothermal related policies for future policy diffusion studies. The main conclusions and answers provided in this thesis provide a strong support to the hypothesis that a system-sector based approach is needed when studying policies related to geothermal energy in U.S. states. I explicitly report that each of the three main geothermal systems is impacted by different set of policy categories and types. I also discuss that not all policies have the same impact on all sectors in which the geothermal energy is applied; in other words, the utilization of geothermal energy in the different sectors is promoted by different policies in distinguished ways. Moreover, the discussion in this thesis highlights the shortcomings of the common approach usually used in diffusion v studies of renewable energy policies. This approach considers all renewable energies as a general category, neglecting any potential impacts due to the unique characteristics of each renewable source. I show that, for example, the most popular policy types considered in policy diffusion studies for renewable energies are not the most significant ones for the different geothermal systems. I also highlight the fact that other policy types that are generally overlooked in policy diffusion studies of the generalized renewable energies are more significant for geothermal energy systems. These results indeed support my hypothesis regarding the importance of system-sector based approach when investigating geothermal energy policies.

The accurate and rapid detection of clinically relevant analytes at the point-of-care (POC) is a crucial element for the increase in our quality of life. There are multiple detection techniques for sensing a target analyte in biological samples. However, electrochemical sensors excel because of their versatility, accuracy and sensitivity. Among the many challenges in the fabrication of electrochemistry-based POC sensors, the miniaturization of the working electrodes is one of the most difficult to overcome. Decreasing the size of the sensors will result in less electroactive surface area (ESA) and, therefore, lower sensitivity. Thus, the design of miniaturized electrodes with high ESA is desired in this research field. The methodology developed in our laboratory to accomplish this goal is based on the fabrication of microstructured gold electrodes (MSEs) by depositing, via sputtering, a gold thin-film onto a pre-stressed polystyrene substrate masked with adhesive vinyl stencils and thermally shrinking the substrate at high temperatures (135-160 °C). In my thesis work, I developed cost-effective sensitive electrochemical platforms using only bench-top approaches. First, the ESA and, thus, the sensitivity of the MSEs were enhanced by using a simple and rapid nano-roughening approach. The ESA of MSEs was increased 4x by applying high voltage pulsing in sulfuric acid. The resulting electrodes possessed high anti-fouling capabilities and excellent response toward the enzyme-free detection of glucose with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.62 mM in the presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and ascorbic acid. Furthermore, the fabrication cost of the MSEs electrodes was decreased by 5x by replacing the sputtering deposition step with a cost-effective solution-based electroless deposition technique. In this case, the PS substrates were coated with a polydopamine adhesion layer and noble metal films (copper, silver and gold) were subsequently plated. Not only the cost of the gold electrode was substantially reduced but, due to the intrinsic roughness of the surface, the MSEs electrodes obtained via electroless deposition showed a higher ESA than those made via sputtering. Furthermore, the developed electroless method was extended for the fabrication of paper-based sensing devices. The sensing versatility of these surfaces was demonstrated by electrochemically detecting mercury with a 0.27 ppb LOD and by sensing thiophenol via surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The MSEs electrodes fabricated via electroless deposition were subjected to the nano-roughening technique to generate affordable and high ESA electrodes. These platforms were used to design enzyme-based biosensors to accurately detect glucose and urea in complex samples. Glucose was detected in four different types of wine, with matrix interference measured below 10%, and in human serum, with a measured concentration that was not statistically different from that obtained from commercially available biosensors. Urea was detected in human urine and plasma with matrix interferences measured to be below 8% in both cases. We envision that the fabrication techniques developed in this thesis will rapidly grow in the scientific community for the prompt and accurate design of POC electrochemical devices. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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Bakgrund: Barnhälsovården har funnits i Sverige sedan 1937, sedan dess är flera studier gjorda för att utveckla barnhälsovården och stärka föräldraskapet. Tidigt hembesök stärker relationen mellan förälder och BVC sköterska och är uppskattat av föräldrarna. Syfte: Syftet med examensarbetet var att jämföra förstföderskor och omföderskors förväntningar och upplevelser av barnhälsovårdens innehåll de första två månaderna. Metod: Prospektiv longitudinell kohortstudie användes och resulterade i projekt ”Föda barn i Västernorrland”, delmaterial från de två inledande frågetillfällena, från mitten av graviditeten och uppföljande två månader efter barnet fötts, ingick i examensarbetet. Resultat: I examensarbetet inkluderades 918 kvinnor, jämförelse gjordes mellan förstföderskor och omföderskor som visade att förstföderskor värderade subjektiv upplevelse, (SU) lägre än omföderskor, lika så upplevd verklighet (UV) i alla frågor men när det gällde prata BB—vård och få stöd och råd de första två månaderna fanns ingen statistisk signifikant skillnad mellan förstföderskor och omföderskor. Balanserad kvalitet eller mer bedömde förstföderskor och omföderskor i frågan om att få prata om föräldrarollen samt att få ställa egna frågor. Slutsats. En betydande stor del av förstföderskorna upplevde bristande kvalitet vid information om amning/uppfödning samt när det gällde att få prata förlossning och BB—vård,vilket bör studeras ytterligare. / Background: Child health services have been in place in Sweden since 1937, since then has several studies been done to develop child health care and strengthen parenting. Early home visits strengthen the relationship between parent and child health care nurse and appreciated by the parents. Aim: The aim of the degree project was to compare first-time mothers and women who are a multiple expectations and experiences of the contents of child health care during the first two months. Method: Prospective longitudinal cohort study was used and resulted in project "Giving birth in Västernorrland", submaterial from the two initial questions, from the middle of pregnancy and follow-up two months after the child was born, was included in the degree project. Results: The degree project included 918 women, a comparison was made between first-time mothers and women who are a multiple which showed that first-time mothers valued Subjective experience (SU) lower than women who are a multiple. Perceived reality (UV) in all matters but when it came to talking BB care and getting support and advice the first two months significant difference between first-time mothers and women who are a multiple. Balanced quality or more assessed first-time mothers and women who are a multiple on the issue of getting to talk about the parental role and to ask their own questions Conclusion: A significant proportion of first-time mothers experienced a lack of quality in information about breastfeeding/rearing, as well as in getting to talk about childbirth and postpartum care, which should be studied further. / <p>Godkännandedatum: 2020-11-23</p>