Thesis (M.A.)--Marshall University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 80 p. Includes vitae. Includes bibliographical references (p. 54-56).

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This paper is an investigation into the problem of the pianist with small hands, causes and effects of limitations encountered, and methods for managing the problem. A central aim is to demonstrate the accessibility of many standard works (particularly from the Romantic era) generally thought to be out-of-reach to pianists with small hands.Early chapters deal with physiological demans of piano playing. This includes hand function, related brain and central nervous system activity, and also ideal hand structure characteristics for pianists. It is then shown that the hands of many pianists deviate from the ideal, but that it is possible to compensate for most deficiencies, as seen in the hand structure and pianistic achievements of several virtuosi with small hands.Although relatively little has been written on the problem of small hands, those authors who did touch on the subject offered a variety of solutions, classifiable as physiological corrective measures, and musical devices and techniques.Physiological corrective solutions fall into three broad groups: (1) stretching the hand span, (2) strengthening hand and arm muscles and building general endurance, either at or away from the keyboard, and (3) inducing a relaxed state of body/mind to eliminate tension and musclecontraction.Musical devices and techniques consist of 166 edited excerpts from standard works of sixteen composers to illustrate numerous principles. These techniques and principlesare categorized as follows:Strength: Devices to increase strength and tone forthose with small or fragile hand structure.Stretch: Devices to increase or to give the illusionor increasing the hand span.Small hand position: Devices to maintain a small and relaxed hand position.Redivisions: Redistributions, rearrangements of notes between the hands to reduce stretch requirements.Re-editing or rewriting of a note or passage.These principles for musical solutions are then applied to selected Chopin, Ravel, and Debussy works, closing with the entire Sonata in B Minor by Chopin.Just as each hand with its limitations is unique, so are solutions highly individual. The musical excerpts, therefore, are meant to serve as examples or catalysts in aiding pianists to solve their own hand problems.

Hand-washing compliance was examined by thematic analysis of focus group discussions in nurses, mothers and children. Perceptions in these groups were identical, with the purpose of hand-cleansing seen as self-protection from infection. This assessment is not grounded in microbiology, but is strongly driven by emotion. Two types of hand-cleansing (???hand-hygiene???) behaviour were identified: (a) ???inherent??? hand-washing. This behaviour is taught by mothers to their children early in life. The behaviour occurs when hands have been visibly or ???emotionally??? soiled or feel sticky, and drives most hand-hygiene undertaken in the community; and (b) ???elective??? hand-hygiene, which occurs in the absence of perceived threat. As patient contact by healthcare workers is frequently assessed by healthcare workers as not posing risk, healthcare workers omit much elective hand-hygiene, leading to potential cross-infection. Modelling responses of 754 nurses on the Theory of Planned Behaviour for these two hand-hygiene behaviours in the healthcare setting explained 64% of elective hand-hygiene and 76% of inherent hand-washing intention. Translation of hand-washing behaviour patterns of the community into the healthcare setting is the predominant driver of all hand-hygiene in healthcare workers. In-hospital elective hand-hygiene behaviour is further significantly predicted by belief in the benefit from the activity, peer pressure and role modelling of senior physicians and administrators. For inherent hand-washing intent, only attitudes and peer behaviour are predictive. Time constraints, commonly implicated to explain poor compliance, are important mostly to elective hand-hygiene. Reduction in necessary effort by introducing an alcohol-based hand rub without a concomitant behavioural modification program will therefore have only minimal impact. Further components essential to hand-hygiene programs have been identified. These accord with the outcomes of the modelling and include the need for institutional recognition of hand-hygiene as a priority, overt clinician leadership support, and reinforcement of purpose by both education and performance feedback. In the long-term, society would be best served by altering the entire paradigm of hand-hygiene behaviour with nationwide campaigns based on principles of social marketing. Ideally, hand-hygiene should be taught by mothers and reinforced in early education programs as behaviour that is self-protective but with the defining theme: ???clean your hands, and protect others, not just yourself.???

Thesis (M. P. H.)--University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Also available in print.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1990. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 140-149). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1983. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 17).

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1983. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 31).

Thesis (MHSc--Health Science) -- Auckland University of Technology, 2003. / On spine : 2004. Also held in print (75 leaves, ill., 30 cm.) in Akoranga Theses Collection. (T 617.575044 VAN)