SAIDA SHARAPOVA The role of stress in racial disparities of preterm and low birth weight births in Georgia (Under the direction of Richard Rothenberg, MD, MPH) Preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW) are the leading causes of infant deaths in Georgia. Georgia PRAMS data (2004-2008) were analyzed for non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black women with singleton births, using SAS 9.2 survey procedures. Thirteen stressful life events experienced in a year before delivery, socio-demographic, medical and behavioral risks were used as predictors of PTB and LBW. Significant racial disparity in birth outcomes and risks was found. In Whites stressful events were associated with adverse birth outcomes in bivariate logistic regression, but weakened when controlling for other factors (income, education, maternal age, maternal health, alcohol and tobacco use, infant’s gender and birth defects). In Blacks, association between stressful events and adverse birth outcomes adjusted for other risks was stronger. Socio-economic factors and mother’s health status were more significant in predicting birth outcome. Women’s health and SES improvement might increase favorable pregnancy outcomes and reduce racial disparities.

Traditionell marknadsföring tycks ha allt svårare att nå konsumenter. När flera vill göra sig hörda samtidigt blir det svårt att sticka ut och göra sig sedd. När någon kommer med något nytt, gör andra likadant. Ett sätt att sticka ut är genom att vara originell och ha en unik varumärkesidentitet, eftersom den är svår att kopiera. Evenemang kan också fungera som varumärken. De arrangeras ofta av flera olika organisationer, vilket gör att varumärkes-identiteten påverkas av många viljor. Syftet med den här studien är att ta reda på hur ett evenemang med flera olika organisationer arbetar med sin varumärkesidentitet för att kommunicera en enhetlig bild av evenemangsvarumärket. Eftersom kärnvärden är en viktig del av varumärkesidentiteten är syftet också att undersöka hur dessa återspeglas i ett evenemangs kommunikation via dess hemsida, som är ett effektivt sätt att nå konsumenter. För att besvara syftet gjordes en fallstudie med intervjuer och innehållsanalys. Vår studie visar att för att lyckas framgångsrikt med ett evenemang med flera bakomliggande organisationer är det en klar fördel att ha endast en drivande organisation som sköter det praktiska arbetet och att de andra endast bistår med ram- och/eller regelverk. Den drivande organisationen måste ha en tydlig organisationsstruktur och klara roller eftersom det under-lättar beslutsfattandet. Evenemangsorganisationen behöver arbeta aktivt med varumärket, både internt och externt, för att evenemangsupplevelsen (serviceprocessen) ska förmedla rätt bild av varumärket och leva upp till de löften som getts i de planerade kommunikations-budskapen, till exempel via annonser. Ett starkt varumärke behöver kontinuerligt ses över för att spegla varumärkets värderingar och samtidigt vara aktuellt. Studien tydliggör att kärnvärden ska vägleda det interna arbetet så att den externa kommunikationen sänder rätt budskap, även om de externt ska vara indirekta. En evenemangshemsida ska representera varumärket i både struktur och innehåll, och därför är det viktigt att kärnvärdena återspeglas i användarvänligheten, samt i bild och text. / It seems like it is becoming increasingly more difficult for traditional marketing to reach consumers. When several companies and the like simultaneously want to be heard, it becomes difficult to stand out from the crowd and be seen. When someone comes with something new, others copy that. One way to stand out is to be original and have a unique brand identity, since it is harder to copy. Events can also act as brands. They are often arranged by various organisations, which mean that the brand identity is influenced by many. The purpose of this study is to determine how an event with various organisations involved works with the brand identity in order to communicate a coherent image of the brand. Since the core values are the foundation for the brand identity, the purpose is also to examine how these are reflected in an event’s communication via its website, which is an effective way to reach customers. To fulfil the purpose of this paper, a case study with interviews and content analysis was conducted. Our study shows that to succeed with a successful event, with several underlying organisations, there is a clear advantage in having only one organisation that manages the practical aspects of the event. The other organisations provide frames and/or set of regulations. The event organisation must be provided with a clear organisational structure and distinct roles, to facilitate the decision making. The event organisation has to actively work with the brand, both internally and externally, to convey the right image of the brand during the event experience (service process). Further, the event organisation has to make sure that the promises made in the planned communication, such as advertisement, are kept. A strong brand needs to be revised to reflect the brand values and to be up-to-date. The study clarifies that core values shall guide the internal work so that the correct message is conveyed in the external communication, where the core values are expressed indirectly. A website for an event should represent the brand in both structure and content. It is therefore important that the core values are reflected in usability as well as in pictures and text.

The overall aim of this study was to examine the work environment and the associations with safety, and see the relations with occupational accidents and undesired events on board industrial and cruise ships. 215 seafarers participated in this quantitative survey study, with a response rate of 35%. When conducting the hierarchical block regression analysis separately on superiors/officers and subordinates/ratings, the work environment emerged as a predictor for safety status (compliance, attitudes and commitment). Several significant differences in the beta value between the two groups were also found. When testing the differences in the safety status on ships with high and low number of undesired events and accidents, separately on the two groups, significant differences emerged only for superiors and officers; Significant differences were found in compliance when testing high and low number of undesired events, and for high and low number of accidents safety status and compliance emerged significant. Without assuming causation, the work environment appears to be a possible alternate and indirect way of improving on the safety status on board ships. However, safety status and the relations with undesired events and accidents require further investigation before a more accurate conclusion can be made.

Teleconnections between ENSO events and growing-season precipitation variations on the Canadian Prairies are examined. Correlation and composite analyses indicate that between 1948 and 1991, El Nino events were associated with more frequent extended dry spells. Conversely, La Nina events coincided with fewer extended dry spells. Both relationships occurred during the third growing season following the onset of the ENSO events (i.e. approximately a 10-season or 30-month lag). A series of atmosphere - ocean teleconnections over the Pacific Ocean including Pacific North America (PNA) circulation patterns, North Pacific sea-surface temperature anomalies and upper-atmospheric circulation anomalies were found to result in growing-season precipitation variations over the Canadian Prairies. Results of this analysis are incorporated into a conceptual model which may form the basis of a long-range forecasting technique of growing-season precipitation variations on the Canadian Prairies.

En förutsättning för att undvika depression och istället uppleva posttraumatiskt växande (PTG), efter att ha upplevt belastande livshändelser, kan vara känslan av sammanhang (KASAM). Denna studie syftar till att undersöka om det finns en skillnad mellan belastande livshändelser avseende negativa utfallet depression samt undersöka om en stark KASAM kan vara avgörande för att individen istället utvecklar PTG. I studien undersöks 150 studerande vid Örebro universitet. Av resultatet framgår det att studenterna med högt värde av belastande livshändelser är mer deprimerade än studenterna med lågt värde, oberoende av KASAM. Dock hittades ingen signifikant skillnad mellan belastande livshändelser och KASAM avseende PTG.Huruvida belastande händelser utvecklar en positiv eller negativ förändring hos individen kan istället avgöras av personens tolkning, hantering av situationen. / A basis to avoid depression and instead experience posttraumatic growth (PTG), after stressful life events, may be a sense of coherence (SOC). This study investigates whether there is a difference between stressful life events regarding the negative outcome depression and to examine whether a strong sense of coherence can be essential to develop PTG instead. 150 students at Örebro University were examined. The result showed that students with high value of stressful life events are more depressed than students with low value, independent of SOC. However, no significant difference was found between stressful life events and SOC regarding to PTG.Whether a stressful event develops a positive or negative change in the individual may instead be determined by how the person interprets and handles the situation.

Sömn och  förmågan att minnas persoliga händelser är en fundamental funktion i vårt liv och har en betydande roll för vårt välbefinnande. Denna studie ämnade undersöka om det föreligger något samband mellan insomnibesvär och minnet för personliga händelser under kontroll för variabler såsom emotioner och ålder. Vidare undersöktes relationen mellan sömnrelaterad oro och minnet för personliga händelser. Datainsamlingen bygger på en enkätundersökning riktad till en studentpopulation där urvalet utgjordes av 314 deltagare. Resultaten indikerar att det fanns ett signifikant samband mellan insomnibesvär och minnet för personliga händelser efter kontroll för emotioner och ålder. Ett signifikant samband påvisades även mellan sömnrelaterad oro och minnet för personliga händelser. I diskussionen belyses minnet för personliga händelser som en möjlig faktor som kan vidmakthålla insomnibesvär. / Sleep and our ability to remember personally experienced events is a fundamental function in our lives and plays an important role in our wellbeing. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between insomnia symptoms and memory for personally experienced events, while controlling for the effects of variables such as emotions and age. We also investigated the relationship between sleeprelated worry and memory for personally experienced events. Data was collected through a survey, which was conducted in a student population of 314 respondents. Results indicate that there was a significant correlation between insomnia symtpoms and memory for personally experienced events after controlling for emotions and age. Significant correlations were also found between sleeprelated worry and memory for personally experienced events. The role of memory for personally experienced events as a possible factor for maintaining insomnia symptoms is discussed further.

Inledning Intrahospitala transporter av intensivvårdpatient är ett ansvarsfullt arbetsmoment och en stor del av intensivvårdssjuksköterskans och undersköterskans arbete. Det är riskfyllt eftersom tillbud med patient och utrustning kan ske. Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva förekomsten av tillbud och typ av tillbud under intrahospitala transporter av intensivvårdspatienter, samt jämföra om det finns skillnader i förekomst av antalet tillbud under olika tidpunkter på dygnet och skillnad mellan akut respektive planerad transport. Syftet var också att undersöka sjuksköterskors och undersköterskors upplevda grad av stress och trötthet under transporten samt om det finns skillnad i förekomst av trötthet och/eller stress vid transporter där det sker tillbud respektive inte sker tillbud. Metod: Studien är kvantitativ, deskriptiv och jämförande. Förekomst av tillbud samt upplevelse av stress/trötthet besvarades på ett svarsformulär av sjuksköterska och undersköterska under eller direkt efter intrahospital transport. Totalt ingår 42 transporter. Resultat: Tillbud förekom vid 19 transporter. Inga skillnader i förekomst av tillbud mellan dagtransporter och nattransporter eller mellan akuta och planerade transporter kunde ses. Sjuksköterskor och undersköterskor rapporterade mer stress vid de transporter där det förekommit tillbud än vid de där tillbud inte förekommit. Slutsats: Tillbud förekommer i knappt hälften av intrahospitala transporter och sjuksköterskor och undersköterskor rapporterar mer stress i samband med transporter med tillbud än transporter utan tillbud. / Introduction: Intrahospital transport of critical care patient is a responsible working operation and much of the critical care nurse and the assistant nurses´ work. It is risky, because incidents of patient and equipment can happen. Purpose: The objective was to describe the occurrence of incidents and types of incidents during intrahospital transport of ICU patients, and compare if there are differences in the occurrence of incidents during different times of day and the difference between emergency and planed transportation. The aim was to investigate nurses and assistans nurses´ perceived level of stress and fatigue during transport and if there are differences in the incidence of fatigue and/or stress during transport where  incidents occurs or not occurs. Method: The study is quantitative, descriptive and comparative. The presence of the incident and the experience of stress/fatigue were answered on a response form of nurses and assistant nurse during or immediately after intrahospital transport. A total of 42 transports are included. Results: Adverse events occurred at 19 transports. No differences in the occurrence of incidents between day transports and night transport or between acute and planned transports could be seen. Nurses and assistant nurses reported more stress during the transports, where there have been adverse events than in those were adverse events had not occurred. Conclusion: Adverse events occurs in almost half of intrahospital transport and nurses and assistant nurses reported more stress associated with transports with adverse events other than the transports without adverse events.

This study focuses on exploring Swedish journalists’ experiences and thoughts about the working conditions during the Olympic Games in Beijing 2008. It is interesting because of the fact that the Olympic Games where hosted in a country with dictatorial government and this is the foundation of this study. Theories about social construction, propaganda and media events were applied to illuminate and give a broader comprehension of the influence on the journalistic work during an Olympic Game. To explore this problem and get answers to our questions we used qualitative interviews with eight Swedish journalists who were stationed in Beijing. The result of this study is based on these journalists’ experiences of their reality. We found that all the journalists experienced an almost perfect working condition in many ways. Censorship and the lack of freedom of speech were debated a lot before the games in many western media. These subjects did not affect negative on the Swedish journalists work in Beijing but the debate had anyway an unavoidable influence on them. The line between sport journalism and a social journalism was often rubbed out and it seemed hard to avoid what happened outside the Olympic area. The organization of the Beijing Games is described by many journalists as the best of all times. We found that the journalists gave a common experience which says that almost everything in Beijing was controlled and set by the organization. The majority says at the same time that they were totally aware of the ongoing propaganda. The journalists in our study describe a journalistic freedom inside the Olympic area, in the same way as in every Olympic Game. No matter if it is hosted by a democratic or a dictatorial government.

Risk is everywhere and it is something which we face in everyday life. Same is the case with projects. Projects are complex and risks are inherent in projects. It is not unusual for unexpected events to occur and for uncertainty to emerge in projects. These events contribute to project riskswhich require to be dealt with so that projects could continue to run effectively. The need for good project risk management is therefore especially important as it could determine the successof the project or otherwise. However, research on the factors that make project risk response successful has been neglected. Contemporary researchers focused on risk management phases other than risk response. Our main focus in this paper is to indicate determinants of project risk response success and their relative importance in the construction industry of Sweden. The construction industry is considered as construction projects are not only important but they identify tangibly with the physical outputs of projects and exemplify the uncertainty and risks that are present in this type of projects. Sweden is chosen as the context of our study owing to the immense contributions of the construction sector towards the country’s growth and GDP. On thebasis of extensive literature review, we have come up with the determinants for project risk response success and developed a proposed conceptual model. A quantitative study is undertaken with the administration of questionnaires. The empirical data is gathered from project managers in the construction industry of Sweden for this purpose. Project managers are selected as respondents as they would be the ones controlling and managing projects, along with responding to the various risks subjected to in projects. Hypotheses have been generated for this research and the results are analyzed to determine if these hypotheses are to be accepted or rejected. For data analysis, SPSS is used. The results are drawn by the use of statistical tools like ANOVA, correlation and t-tests. These outcomes will lead to the conclusion of our study as to what the factors are that determine project risk response success and their relative importance. A revised conceptual model is finally developed to address the findings of our research. This research found a set of seven success factors which can be used as a guideline for project risk response success. These factors are (1) Team competency and skills, (2) Effective communication, (3) Active leadership, (4) Negotiation and coordination, (5)Hierarchical structure, (6) Behaviour and (7) Empowerment. These determinants of project risk response success can be generalized to the construction industry in Sweden. Keywords: project risk, project risk management, uncertainty, unexpected events, risk response, construction industry.

<p>What are the effects of political information on public opinion, political participation, and electoral outcomes? In this dissertation, I address these questions and investigate the ways that people acquire and incorporate information based on their levels of political knowledge and attentiveness. I examine the effects of political information among three groups whom we would expect to learn differently: those people with little knowledge or interest in politics; the potentially interested who possess some, but not much, knowledge; and the attentive experts. </p><p>In my first chapter, I look at the effects of information on people with little or no knowledge of politics by asking, "Do candidate visits affect voting decisions and candidate evaluations?" I link survey data with the location and topics of all speeches given by George W. Bush and John Kerry in 2004 to empirically test the conventional wisdom that candidate appearances change electoral outcomes. I find that candidate visits do provide information to voters and that those effects are conditioned on consumption of local media. In my second chapter, I look at people with some knowledge of politics: college students. I ask, "How does the information that students 'incidentally' encounter in electronic social networks like Facebook.com shape their knowledge of current political events and their participation?" To answer these questions, I conducted a survey with an embedded experiment. I find that students do learn from Facebook, though the effects are small and vary across groups. My third chapter investigates the ways that the politically attentive incorporate information by asking, "What campaign information matters? Which campaign events are actually informative?" I develop a new measure of information flow using data from a political prediction market and a Bayesian estimation technique that adapts models from the economics literature. This measure offers a reliable way to describe the importance of campaign events that does not suffer from either post hoc judgments or reports from the principals involved in the campaign. Together, these projects address the consequences of political information in contemporary politics.</p> / Dissertation