Focused ultrasound combined with intravenously injected microbubbles is a promising non-invasive therapy capable of temporarily disrupting the blood-brain barrier for targeted drug delivery. Established in vivo experiments on rodent models combine focused ultrasound treatment with two-photon microscopy imaging to improve understanding of microvasculature response. A phased array, an advanced ultrasound therapy device, was successfully developed to improve pressure transmission in these experiments. An investigation of transducer sensitivity to setup equipment suggested modifications to setup procedures, for example recording objective position, may improve in situ pressure estimates. A ring array composed of 50 lateral mode elements, geometry determined by pressure field simulations, was successfully fabricated. Fibre optic hydrophone pressure field measurements confirmed the device had an appropriate focal size (0.7mm diameter x 4mm axial length) and reached therapeutic pressure levels (>0.5MPa). Ex vivo transcranial measurements demonstrated moderate focal correction and off-axis steering capabilities that may improve experimental throughput and target alignment.

The causes of increasing outbreaks of Acanthaster planci on the Great Barrier Reef have been a point of hot debate in recent years. It is unknown whether the increased success is due to nutrient runoff, salinity levels, or a decrease in predation, among other possibilities. In this paper I argue that the primary influence on outbreak status is sea surface temperature. From existing literature, I demonstrate that sea surface temperature in the Great Barrier Reef has increased by 0.4°C per year over the past three decades. I attempt to tie this increase with an increase in frequency of A. planci outbreaks on a selection of reefs throughout the Great Barrier Reef region. Due to the development of A. planci, specifically the fact that it takes them between 2 and 3 years to reach full maturity, I examined the potential relationship between an outbreak and the sea surface temperature 1 and 2 years before the event. Through my exploration of the data and my subsequent data analysis, it is clear that there are no statistically significant results when comparing the three classifications of outbreak (active, incipient, and recovering) and not outbreaking populations with temperature at each of the three time relationships. However, when I considered the three stages of outbreak to be “affected” and those not outbreaking to be “unaffected”, I found a statistically significant relationship. This finding has important implications when looking at the temperature changes that have been predicted for the Great Barrier Reef region due to global climate change. If the water temperature continues to increase, A. planci will more often be living within their optimal temperature range and will be more successful, continue to have major outbreaks that devastate the reef ecosystem, and eventually destroy it all together.

As intra-industry trade increases in U.S. agricultural and food processing industries, the historical agricultural trade surplus is tightening. In efforts to maintain the trade surplus a focus has shifted towards the promotion of agricultural and processed food exports among small and medium sized firms. This study intends to identify and evaluate the potential for exports among small to medium sized agricultural and food processing firms in Kentucky through a collection of survey data. The objectives of this thesis are to identify the state’s product marketing opportunities and product specifications for international exports while identifying transaction requirements for potential exports. An analysis of the constraints and challenges faced by firms in the decision to export reveals rational behavior Binary logistic regression analysis is used to identify the impact of firm characteristics, perceived marketing conditions and information constraints, and financial aspects on a firm’s decision to export. A second logit regression analyzes the impact on a non-exporting firm’s interest in international marketing opportunities. The lack of international market information, financial constraints, and risk are found to be significant factors in the decision to export and interest in foreign marketing.

GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) employ a multi-threaded execution model using multiple SIMD cores. Compared to use of a single SIMD engine, this architecture can scale to more processing elements. However, GPUs sacrifice the timing properties which made barrier synchronization implicit and collective communication operations fast. This thesis demonstrates efficient methods by which these aggregate functions can be implemented using unmodified NVIDIA CUDA GPUs. Although NVIDIA's highest “compute capability" GPUs provide atomic memory functions, they have order N execution time. In contrast, the methods proposed here take advantage of basic properties of the GPU architecture to make implementations that are both efficient and portable to all CUDA-capable GPUs. A variety of coordination operations are synthesized, and the algorithm, CUDA code, and performance of each are discussed in detail.

Bakgrund: Kärnan i omvårdnaden består av mötet mellan sjuksköterska och patient, där patienten görs delaktig. För att kunna mötas krävs en god kommunikation. I vården av en patient med ett annat modersmål kan språket bli en barriär, vilket kan överbryggas med hjälp av en tolk. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att belysa sjuksköterskans erfarenheter av kommunikation med patienter som har ett annat modersmål. Metod: Metoden som användes var en litteraturbaserad studie, där 12 kvalitativa vetenskapliga artiklar inkluderades. Resultat: Ur analysen framkom två kategorier; problem att inhämta information som grund för omvårdnaden samt finna lösningar som underlättar kontakt med patienten med sex underkategorier. Sjuksköterskornas erfarenheter var att bristen på information ökade risken för missförstånd, men gjorde det även svårt att lära känna patienten och att bedöma patientens hälsotillstånd. Sjuksköterskorna hade erfarenheter av att överbrygga språkbarriären på olika sätt. De använde sig av tolkar och tog hjälp av familjemedlemmar. De fick även använda sig av andra kommunikationsvägar som främjade konversationen. Slutsats: Sjuksköterskorna hade erfarenheter av att bristen på information påverkade patientens vård på ett negativt sätt. För att överbrygga språkbarriären krävs bättre tillgång till tolkar. / Background: The core of nursing is the meeting between the nurse and the patient, where the patient is participant. In order to meet, a good communication is required. When caring for a patient with a different mother tounge, the language becomes a barrier. An interpreter may help bridging these obstacles. Aim: The aim of this study was to illuminate nurses’ experiences of communication with patients with a different mother tounge. Method: The chosen method was a literature based study. Twelve qualitative research articles were included in the study. Findings: The findings is presented in two categories; problems to obtain information as a basis for nursing, and find solutions that facilitate contact with the patient, with six subcategories. Nurses experiences was that lack of information made misunderstandings arise. It also made it difficult to getting to know the patient and assess the patients’ health. The nurses had experiences of overcoming the language barrier in different ways. They used interpreters and enlisted the help of family members. They also had to use other ways to communicate. Conclusion: The nurses had experiences that the lack of information affected the health care negatively. To overcome the language barrier better access to interpreters is required.

The discovery of the ocular hypotensive effect of topically applied prostaglandins (PGs) has raised a number of questions about the mechanisms of action involved. The aim of the present thesis was to answer some of these questions. PGs reduce the intraocular pressure (IOP) by increasing uveoscleral flow through the ciliary muscle, but the exact mechanism is not known. Morphological changes may be involved. PGs are also involved in the inflammatory response. In the first study the aim was to investigate the effect of latanoprost, a prostaglandin F2 a-analogue, on the blood-aqueous barrier and the IOP restoration after long-term treatment. 26 glaucoma patients were treated with latanoprost (50 pg/ml) once daily for 6-12 months. Aqueous protein concentration was followed with a laser flare meter in 16 patients throughout this period. No change was observed. IOP increased slowly after withdrawal of treatment. It was concluded that latanoprost has no clinically significant effect on the permeability of the blood-aqueous barrier and that the IOP will return to pretreatment levels within a few weeks, indicating that any changes in the ciliary muscle morphology are reversible. In 20 healthy volunteers it was attempted to prevent the ocular hypotensive effect of latanoprost by inhibiting uveoscleral flow by a pronounced ciliary muscle contraction. For this purpose a high dose of the cholinergic agonist, physostigmine (1 drop 8 mg/ml alternate hours) was used. However, the effects on IOP of the two drugs were mainly additive most likely due to a short-lasting effect of physostigmine on the ciliary muscle. The progressive IOP reduction by physostigmine in the second study raised the question as to whether the drug reduces aqueous flow apart from enhancing outflow. On the contrary, in the third study repeated administrations of physostigmine, in 20 normal subjects, increased aqueous flow, measured with fluorophotometry, by about 25%. From studies of patients it is known that latanoprost twice daily has less ocular hypotensive effect than once daily. This was the subject of the two remaining studies. The possibility that latanoprost causes a short-lasting increase in aqueous flow was examined in 18 healthy volunteers. Application of a second drop in the morning would blunt some of the early IOP lowering effect of latanoprost. Once or twice daily applications had similar effect on aqueous flow, a tendency to an increase without any difference between the dose regimens. The next study confirmed the difference in effect on IOP between once and twice daily applications in 40 normal subjects. The difference remained even when one of the two applications was omitted after two weeks’ treatment. The results indicate that applying latanoprost twice daily induces a modest receptor desensitisation. / <p>Diss. Umeå : Umeå universitet, 1997, härtill 5 uppsatser.</p> / digitalisering@umu

Bakgrund: I Sverige ökar immigrationen för varje år; därmed söker sig fler individer som härstammar från andra länder och kulturer till den svenska sjukvården. Sverige har lagstiftat att hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal skall ge varje individ likvärdig sjukvård.Kommunikation utgör en viktig del i kontakten mellan patient och hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal. Språk- och kulturella barriärer kan leda till bristande sjukvård för patienten. Detta medför att sjukvårdspersonal kan uppleva att de gör ett sämre jobb vilket kan leda till frustration. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att belysa och utforska dietisters upplevelser av språk- och kulturella barriärer vid mötet med patienter med annat modersmål än svenska. Metod: Utifrån en kvalitativ forskningsmetod intervjuades sex kliniska dietister. Vid intervjuerna användes en semistrukturerad frågeguide. Intervjuerna spelades in och transkriberades ordagrant. Därefter analyserades datat med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: För att kunna ge patienterna en god sjukvård krävdes kreativa tillvägagångssätt för att överbrygga språk- och kulturella barriärer. Informanterna beskrev användning av tolk som ett av de viktigaste hjälpmedlen för att öka den språkliga kommunikationen i mötet med patienten. Det fanns dock aspekter som tydde på att en tolk som inte genomförde sitt arbete professionellt var ett problem som kundepåverka mötet negativt då kontakten med patienten påverkades. Informanterna ansåg att kommunikationssvårigheter kunde leda till bristande behandling vilket i sin tur kunde leda till en känsla av misslyckande och frustration hos informanten. Slutsats: Språk- och kulturella barriärer kan vara ett hinder för att kunna ge patienten den vård dietisten önskar. Trots kreativa lösningar samt användning av tolk finns en risk att kvalitén på sjukvården inte når upp till den nivå lagstiftningen kräver. I samband med en ökad immigration bör rutiner och utbildning kring språk- och kulturella barriärer ses över. / Background: Each year the immigration increases in Sweden, as an effect of that, more individuals from other countries and cultures seek help from the healthcare system. The Swedish law states that healthcare providers have an obligation to give each individual equal care. Because communication is a big part of the meeting between the caregiver and the patient, the language and cultural barriers could lead to a lack of care. This also means that healthcare providers may experience a sense of frustration. Objective: The aim of the study was to elucidate and explore clinical dietitians’ experiences of language and cultural barriers during the meeting with patients with a first language other than Swedish. Method: Based on a qualitative research method six clinical dietitians were interviewed. During the interviews a semi-structured interview guide was used. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data was analyzed withqualitative content analysis. Results: In order to give patients good care the dietitians had to use creative approaches to overcome language and cultural barriers. The interpreter was seen as one of the most important instrument during the meeting with the patient, but an interpreter who did not carry out their work in a good way could affect the meeting negatively. The informants felt that communication difficulties could lead to unsuccessful treatmentwhen the message did not reach the patients. This led to a sense of failure and frustration among the informants. Conclusions: Language and cultural barriers can be an obstacle in order to give the patient the care the dietitian wishes. Despite creative solutions and the use of an interpreter there is a risk that the quality of care does not reach the demands according to the Swedish legislation. In conjunction with increased immigration, procedures and education on language and cultural barriers should be reviewed.

This thesis for the master of architecture degree focuses on the particular requirements for Senior Citizen Center in San Francisco.In the traditional society of the West, things did not change quickly, and people did not frequently move from one place to another; but this present-day society is one of dynamic suburbs; villages and towns can change their appearances in a very short time. The treatment of older people in contemporary society has caused many of them to feel alienated from the mainstream. Technical progress and the “rational” organization of present day civilization has largely eliminated the aged as persons having more experience that may beneficially be shared with the rest of us. I believe it is important to consider and respect the value of elderly people.My chosen program and site for this creative project is to design and solve the main problems of high density, the location, and the existing environments.In my own country of Thailand, there are only a few places specifically built for homeless elderly. It is very interesting therefore for me to explore and acquire knowledge for the design of Senior Citizen Center in the United States. There is a certain potential for this being useful someday in my own country. / Department of Architecture

The purpose of this paper is to present, illustrate and systematize documentation on projected and existing international examples and housing conditions for an aging population and to question the architect's role in terms of person-environment relations.As architects we often base our design on assumptions. A thorough training in the techniques of systematic observation can provide information, and data for improvements and necessities.The paper consists of two main parts. The first part focuses on research of theoretical and practical design aspects through a retrospective look at the history and the physiology of aging.Major goals are:• To increase the knowledge of person-environment interactions through a better understanding of behavioral systems of older people (environment as a stimulant).• To examine environmental attributes constituting an appropriate environment for an independent life (therapeutic aspects of design).• To identify necessities and ways of filling gaps in the relationship between theoretical design aspects and their practical application.•To refelect on historical aspects of aging by showing the ambivalence and changeability in man's systems of values.The second part of the paper considers several international innovative housing and living arrangements in an illustrative way. / Department of Architecture

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the current status of the accessibility level of campus recreation programs throughout the United States. There were no previous studies available describing the accessibility level in the campus recreation field. This study was conducted with Electronic mail and an on-line survey. Electronic mail messages were sent to inform the possible participants about the study. The participants answered the questions on-line with An Integrated Network Quizzing, Surveying, and Interactive Testing (INQSIT) system. This system enables the researcher to collect, sort and analyze the data. A total of 81 responses were obtained. The main finding is that campus recreation is not accessible for individuals with disabilities for several reasons. Program opportunities for individuals with disabilities are relatively limited compared to the programs offered for the entire campus population. Additionally, there are not enough staff available who are specifically trained for recreation and physical activity programs for individuals with disabilities. / School of Physical Education