Thesis (M.A.)--East Carolina University, 2009. / Presented to the faculty of the Department of Health Education and Promotion. Advisor: Sharon Knight. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed May 5, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-83).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Lehigh University, 2003. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 204-215).

With an increasing globalization, companies are forced to develop new products. That is why product development process is successfully used in companies all over the world. The main reason is to stay ahead of the competitors and continually improve the products to more competitive prices.The number of wheelchair users is continually increasing all over the world and the same increase occurs in Sweden. For this reason the Swedish social board stated The Swedish disability policy, which aim is to minimalize differences between people with disabilities and people without. One part, which is emphasized, is transportation. To reach independence, the possibility to drive a car and bring the wheelchair without assistance is of vital importance.This thesis consists of two main parts – theory and its application. The first part is mainly theory regarding a systematic engineering process as well as a part based on empirical research. It contains information related to the topic of the thesis, which are gathered through observation and interviews rather than acknowledged facts. The second one is the implementation of the theory during development of a wheelchair loading device, which are based on customer requirements.

The purpose of this study was to explore the use of concept map assessments in freshman level general chemistry courses. Two strategies were employed in this study. The first strategy involved the creation of a web based concept mapping program capable of scoring concept maps drawn by students. The second strategy involved comparing different methods of scoring concept maps. Students enrolled in web based general chemistry course drew concept maps using the web based Concept Map Assessment Tool, CMAT. The reliability of the automated scoring in the CMAT program was tested by scoring the concept maps created in the CMAT program by hand. The results of the study indicated that scoring concept maps by hand was the same as the automated scoring of concept maps in the CMAT program. Two characteristics of concept maps serve as the basis for scoring methods. The relational character of a concept map is defined as the correctness of the propositions in the concept map. The structural character of a concept map is defined as the key features of the map, such as branches, long chains or intersecting points. The scoring method used in the CMAT program scores the relational aspects of a concept map. In this study, a second relational scoring method was used to score the concept maps drawn by students using the CMAT program, and the two sets of scores were compared. A novel structural scoring method, the Structural Complexity Index (SCI), was developed compared to the relational scoring approach of the CMAT program. The results of this study found the two relational scoring methods to score concept maps similarly under certain conditions. The SCI was found to produce a different score for concept maps than the relational scoring method employed by CMAT. / text

Research question: How do you people with schizophrenia and their carers live with a diagnosis of schizophrenia? Research aim: To gain a greater understanding of the meaning and experience of schizophrenia. The objective of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of schizophrenia. Sample: Self-selected sample of 35 participants (22 people with schizophrenia and 13 carers) recruited from the local community. . Data collection: 33 unstructured audiotaped interviews conducted in participants' own homes. In addition some participants completed diaries. Interviews were conducted in two stages: in stage one 10 participants were interviewed, transcripts were analysed and probes were fine tuned and in stage two these probes were used in the remaining interviews. Data analysis: Verbatim transcripts were analysed using the coding paradigm proposed by Strauss (1987), in conjunction with Burnard's (1991) 14 stage model of analysis. Inductive coding was used and respondent validation was completed. Findings: Stress was described as a major cause of schizophrenia. Some participants with schizophrenia described moving on in their lives, a factor associated with having a positive self-concept. Other participants with schizophrenia reported feeling stopped in their lives, which was associated with acceptance of the diagnosis, and having a negative self-concept. The most severe problems they reported were social and psychological. Male and female participants with schizophrenia were treated differently. Some participants with schizophrenia sought support while others chose isolation. Mental health nursing care was reported as coercive and disempowering. Carers described conflict within families, carer burden, and stress. Those who had been caregiving for longer appeared to have adapted and now experienced less stress and burden than others. Younger carers and carers who have been caregiving for a shorter time and were less willing to accept the caregiving role, reported more burden and stress. Conclusions: These findings suggest that a positive self-concept may be necessary to move on after the diagnosis of schizophrenia. The inability to move on may be a result of a negative self-concept or disempowering care. There was no partnership and no shared understanding of schizophrenia, or of care, between these participants with schizophrenia and nurses, or between these participants with schizophrenia and their carers, or between carers and nurses. Many of the participants' self-identified needs were not met. A new attitude displaying reluctance about a caregiving role may be emerging.

This bachelor degree work investigates the change of the visual expression in motion. The movement of the body can change the garment´s appearance. The aim of this work is to explore how to change a garment´s visual appearance through movement and air, with the technique of pleats. The design method of this work has been to analyse the movement of a model when entering a catwalk. The air that effects the garment can change the garment´s volume. The method includes experiment with different techniques and material to analyse how the air can be used to change the garment´s appearance in volume. The result are various examples of air captured into the garment to change the garment from a minimalistic expression to a voluminous garment with light weight material. Print has been added to highlight the transformation and movement. This work shows the potential of working with a garment in movement and to gain a voluminous shape with the use of air. Light weight material has been used to create the shapes and this can be useful in the argument of sustainability in the textile industry.

Social capital and self-concept were measured in a sample of 86 primarily African American female adolescents before and after participating in the Cool Girls, Inc. program, and in 89 comparison girls. Two dimensions of social capital (the diversity of girls’ social networks and the number of life domains in which girls were able to access help) were examined. It was hypothesized that participation in Cool Girls would be associated with increases in social capital and that this would mediate the relationship between participation in Cool Girls and increases in self-concept. Cool Girls participants experienced increases in social capital. Cool Girls and comparisons both experienced gains in most domains of self-concept, except for behavioral conduct, that were related to increases in number of help domains. Furthermore, there was a significant indirect effect of participation on social acceptance, global self-worth, and body image mediated through number of help domains. Implications are discussed.

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