Background: Self-care is a multi-dimensional concept and has different definitions. Amongthe definitions, Orem’s definition of self-care is more consistent. Orem (1995) argues that,self-care is a personal activity to take care and maintain of own self health and illness andprevention of disease related complications. Aim: The aim of the paper was to investigate the factors that contribute to self-care behavioramong patients with Type 2 DM as argued in the literature. Method: data was collected from the following electronic databases: CINAHL, PubMed,LibHub, SweMed and Google Scholar-to find full texts. Data was analyzed through CriticalAppraisal Skill Programme. To ensure validity and reliability the author were blinded toreduce study bias and articles were selected according their quality. Result: 31 relevant studies were included in the review, among the major findings of the studywere; Age, Social support/network, high income level, high educational attainment and longType 2 DM diagnosis history had a positive predictor in Type 2 DM patients self-carecontributing factors. Conclusion: To improve a Type 2 DM patients self-care activities the present study concludedthat Demographic, Socio-Economic and Social support factors are among the positivecontributors in patients of Type 2 DM successful Self-Care activities. Key words; Blood glucose self-monitoring, self-administration, Self-care, self-medication,Type 2 Diabetes. / The aim of the paper was to investigate the factors that contribute to self-care behavior among patients with Type 2 DM as argued in the literature.

God self-efficacy är nyckeln till lyckosamt utförande av de flesta aktiviteter. Resultat av undersökningar inom idrottspsykologin stödjer det positiva sambandet mellan god self-efficacy och framgångsrikt utförande i sportsammanhang. Med self-efficacy menade Albert Bandura en individs uppfattning gällande sin egen förmåga att framgångsrikt utföra en aktivitet eller ett beteende. Det finns tecken på könsskillnader i self-efficacy när det gäller idrottsutförande och kvinnor tror, generellt sett, sämre om sin egen förmåga än vad män gör. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka self-efficacy hos handbollsspelare. Idrott på hög nivå blir ofta en stor del av livet och en livsstil som ibland till och med styr all annan aktivitet. Därför skulle man kunna anta att en positiv uppfattning om den egna förmågan inom idrotten påverkar den allmänna självbilden i positiv riktning. Resultatet av denna studie visade inget signifikant samband mellan dessa faktorer hos handbollssspelare, men det fanns tendenser till det.

The objective of this research is to investigate synthetic and polypeptide block copolymers, the structures they form, their response to various stimuli in solution and their capabilities for use in biomimicry. The self-assembled structures of both polymers will be used as a basis for the templating of hydrogels materials, both in the interior and on the surface of the vesicles. The resulting particles will be designed to show the structural and mechanical properties of living cells. The synthetic block copolymers are a polyethylene glycol and polybutadiene (PEO-b-PBd) copolymer and the polypeptide block copolymers are Lysine and Glysine (K-b-G) copolymers. Investigation of the structures synthetic block copolymers will focus on whether the polymer can form vesicles, how small of a vesicle structure can be made, and the formation of internal polymer networks. Subsequent investigations will look at the needed steps for biomimicry, using the synthetic block copolymers as a starting point and transitioning to a polypeptide block copolymer. The Lysine-Glysine copolymers are a new system of materials that form fluid vesicle structures. Therefore, we must characterize its assembly behavior and investigate how it responds to solution conditions, before we investigate how to make a cellular mimic from it. The size and mechanical behavior of the K-G vesicles will be measured to compare and contrast with the synthetic systems. The goals for creating a biomimic include a hollow sphere structure with a fluid bilayer, a vesicle that has controllable mechanical properties, and a vesicle with controllable surface chemistry. Overall, these experiments were a success; we showed that we can effectively control the size of vesicles created, the material properties of the vesicles, as well as the surface chemistry of the vesicles. Investigations into a novel polypeptide block copolymer were conducted and the block copolymer showed the ability to create vesicles that are responsive to changing salt and pH concentrations.

Methamphetamine is gaining mainstream popularity across the United States at the same time that lead exposure remains at elevated levels. Perinatal (gestation/lactation) lead exposure has been found to modify the reward efficacy of various drugs of abuse (e.g., cocaine, opiates) across the phases of initial selection, use, and abuse. Lead-induced changes in sensitivity to methamphetamine have not been examined in animals perinatally exposed to lead. Accordingly, four studies were conducted to examine the effects of perinatal lead exposure on adult self-administration of intravenous (i.v.) methamphetamine across all relevant transition points of drug addiction. Adult female rats were administered a 16-mg lead or a control solution for 30 days prior to breeding with non-exposed males. Exposure continued through pregnancy and lactation and was discontinued at weaning (postnatal day [PND] 21). Animals born to control or lead-exposed dams received indwelling jugular catheters as adults (PND 60 and PND 90) and subsequently were randomly assigned to one of the four studies mentioned above, using only one male rat per litter for each study. In Experiment 1, an acquisition study revealed that perinatal exposure to environmentally relevant levels of lead resulted in a smaller percentage of rats reaching the criterion for intravenous (i.v.) methamphetamine (.02 mg/kg) acquisition, relative to non-exposed controls. In Experiment 2, a dose-effect curve yielded a biphasic pattern of attenuation of the self-administration of methamphetamine (.04 mg/kg) in lead-exposed animals. In Experiment 3, lead-exposed animals reached lower breaking points for methamphetamine (.04 mg/kg) in a progressive ratio task, in comparison to control animals. Finally in Experiment 4, a reinstatement study revealed that perinatally leadexposed animals showed a decreased propensity to relapse to methamphetamine (.04 mg/kg) self-administration after a period of forced abstinence. The general attenuation to the rewarding efficacy of methamphetamine observed in animals perinatally exposed to lead may functionally translate into a form of tolerance or counteradaptation. The data collected from these four studies further strengthen the possibility that pollutants in the environment may play a modulatory role in substance abuse.

The symptoms of females with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) have been underreported, possibly due to the fact that their symptoms of inattention are often overlooked. Research has revealed that individuals report low selfesteem as a result of undiagnosed AD/HD. Thus, if these individuals are not diagnosed and exposed to the proper treatment for their AD/HD symptoms, they may continue to endure progressive psychological impairments in the years to come. The current study is an attempt to contribute to the literature concerning the presentation and outcome of AD/HD in women. This study aims to determine the relationship of self esteem and AD/HD in college women. A sample of 74 women participated in this study. A total of 24 students diagnosed with AD/HD and 50 students without AD/HD comprised the sample. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and an AD/HD and Self-Esteem inventory. Results of this study indicated that women who were diagnosed with AD/HD scored higher than the comparison sample on all scales measuring AD/HD symptoms. As predicted, AD/HD symptoms were found to be negatively related to self-esteem. On the other hand, no significant correlations were found between the age of women when they were first diagnosed with AD/HD and their current level of self-esteem. It was also determined that family support was related self-esteem. Thus, family support was examined as a moderator of the relation between self-esteem and AD/HD. Unfortunately, family support does not appear to moderate the relation between AD/HD and self-esteem. Limitations of this study included a small sample size, the use of self-reports, not examining subtypes of AD/HD individually, and not requiring a medication abstinence period. Despite limitations, this study provides some insight on the outcomes of women with AD/HD. It also provides evidence for the need of additional research in the area of women with AD/HD; their life-span experience with AD/HD and the effects of a late diagnosis. Further studies in this area of interest that include larger sample sizes from multiple postsecondary institutions will be necessary to determine that the results in this study are in fact generalizable to other college women diagnosed with AD/HD.

The current study had three main objectives: to examine the relation between trait and state self-objectification and various eating pathology, including restricted eating; to examine the role of general and specific feminist attitudes on body dissatisfaction and trait disordered eating; and to merge two empirically supported models of eating disorders. Using a quasi-experimental research design with an elaborate cover story, one hundred and three women completed a variety of baseline measures and were assigned to one of two state self-objectifying conditions (swimsuit vs. sweater) where body image and body shame were measured at post. Additionally, following the manipulation, participants caloric intake during a snack break was measured. Results indicated that trait self objectification was associated with disordered eating symptomatology and analyses found an effect of condition on body shame, and that this effect was moderated by trait self-objectification. These results were not documented for caloric intake and body dissatisfaction, likely due to time of assessment of these variables. Also, results indicate that objectification theory and the dual pathways model merge well and that in the dual pathway, body shame may be a component of body dissatisfaction. Finally, feminist attitudes were also associated with body dissatisfaction but not with disordered eating symptoms. Implications for clinical work and future research are discussed.

Teasing is prevalent throughout the lives of most individuals beginning in childhood. Teasing can be a positive "pro-social" interaction, or a negative "anti-social" experience. Childhood teasing on the "anti-social" level has been show to have detrimental effects on an individual's self-esteem and has been linked to increased psychological distress in adulthood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an individual's environment, as defined by his or her teasing history with their peers and families, at different stages during their development on their level of self-esteem. Two hundred and three adult participants completed a questionnaire packet designed to measure teasing history, self-esteem, and perceived social support from family and peers. Results indicated that negative teasing interactions were related to lower reported levels of self-esteem. Negative teasing from one's family during elementary school and negative teasing from one's peers during middle school were found to have the greatest influence on current self-esteem levels. Results also showed that early and concurrent exposure to teasing at the pro-social level during elementary school could negate the later influence future anti-social teasing might have on one's self esteem levels. Implications for practice and recommendations for future research are presented.

The work presented in this thesis explores the idea of embracing, interpreting, and utilizing preexisting art work as source material for new investigations that address the changing relevance of appropriation and self-portraiture in today's culture. By recreating these paintings with photography, 'mistakes' in the form of conflicting perspectives, multiple viewpoints, and impossible lighting situations were discovered and addressed. In addition, RGB levels and color channels for both the original image and the recreated photograph were analyzed to compare overall brightness and bright spots. The photographs in this series provide new insights into the emotional content of paintings throughout the vast range of art history by placing one's self into the metaphorical shoes of 'the girl in the painting.'

The purpose of this thesis is to study the InAs self-organized quantum dots and InAs/GaAsN digital alloys. We have studied the optical properties of these structures after rapid thermal annealing. The measured samples are InGaAs/InAs¡BInGaAs/InAlAs/InAs¡BInGaAs/AlAs/InAs quantum dots and InAs/GaAsN short-period superlattice quantum well structures. We have investigated the effect of different strain-reducing layer (SRL) on the photoluminescence (PL) of self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots. From experiments, the coverage layers of Al composition can increase the energy splitting between the ground and first excited states of the quantum dots. It is related to the thickness and composition of the cap layers. Using thick InAlAs and InGaAs together as a SRL results in the energy splitting up to 123meV. However the PL intensity decreases three times. After rapid thermal annealing up to 800¢XC, the QDs with Al-composed cap layer show no shift of peak wavelength. For InAs/GaAsN digital alloys, through temperature dependent PL spectrum, we can observe PL peak has a blue shift form room temperature to 100K, and a red shift from 100K to 10K. It is similar to the InGaAsN quantum well. However, one of the samples shows temperature insensitive for the PL peaks.

CMOS active pixel sensors (APS) have shown competitive performance with charge-coupled device (CCD) and offer many advantages in cost, system power reduction and on-chip integration of VLSI electronics. Among CMOS image sensors, sensors with logarithmic pixels are particularly applicable for outdoor environment where the light intensity varies over a wide range. They are also randomly accessible in both time and space. A major drawback comes from process variations during fabrication. This gives rise to a considerable fixed pattern noise (FPN) which deteriorates the image quality. In this thesis, a technique that greatly reduces FPN using on-chip calibration is introduced. An image sensor that consists of 64x64 active pixels has been designed, fabricated and tested. Pixel pitch is 18um x 19.2um? and is fabricated in a 0.5-um? CMOS process. The proposed pixel circuit considerably reduces the FPN as predicted in theoretical analysis. The measured FPN value is 2.29% of output voltage swing and column-wise FPN is 1.49% of mean output voltage over each column.