Bakgrund: Kronisk hosta är ett vanligt medicinskt tillstånd och definieras som hosta som varar mer än åtta veckor och är behandlingsresistent (refraktär) trots noggranna utredningar eller medicinska behandlingar. Det drabbar cirka 10% av den vuxna befolkningen och har en betydande negativ inverkan på livskvalitet. Det finns hittills inga studier som beskriver hur hostan påverkar individernas vardag och möjlighet att genomföra fysisk aktivitet. Syfte: Att undersöka hur individer som har diagnostiserats med kronisk refraktär hosta upplever att hostan påverkar vardagen och hens förmåga att vara fysisk aktiv.  Metod: Kvalitativ metod med semistrukturerade intervjuer tillämpades. Intervjuerna (n=10) transkriberades och tolkades med tematisk analys med induktiv ansats.  Resultat: Analysen resulterade i tre huvudteman 1) Betydande inverkan på vardagen, 2) Kampen om kontrollen och 3) Hostan under fysisk aktivitet. Dessa tre teman och deras åtta underteman belyser komplexiteten och omfattningen av hur hostan påverkar individernas liv. Slutsats: Kronisk hosta har avsevärd påverkan på vardagen och har negativa effekter på individens psykosociala tillstånd. Studien belyser dock att fysisk aktivitet är genomförbart för individer med kronisk hosta men att anpassningar kan behövas avseende intensitet eller typ av aktivitet. En bättre förståelse för innebörden och konsekvenserna av att leva med kronisk hosta kan vara ett bidrag till att ytterligare utveckla framgångsrika behandlingsmetoder. / Background: Chronic cough is a common medical condition and is defined as cough that lasts more than eight weeks and is treatment-resistant (refractory) despite careful investigations or medical treatments. It affects about 10% of the adult population and has a significant negative impact on quality of life. So far, there are no studies describing how the cough affects individuals' everyday lives and ability to carry out physical activity. Aim: To investigate how individuals who have been diagnosed with chronic refractory cough experience that the cough affects everyday life and his/her ability to be physically active. Method: Qualitative method with semi-structured interviews was applied. The interviews (n=10) were transcribed and interpreted with thematic analysis with an inductive approach. Results: The analysis resulted in three main themes: 1) Significant impact on everyday life, 2) The struggle for control and 3) The cough during physical activity. These three themes and their eight subthemes highlight the complexity and scope of how the cough affects the lives of individuals. Conclusion: Chronic cough has a significant impact on everyday life and has negative effects on the individual's psychosocial state. However, the study highlights that physical activity is feasible for individuals with chronic cough but that adaptations may be needed regarding intensity or type of activity. A better understanding of the meaning and consequences of living with chronic cough can be a contribution to further developing successful treatment methods.

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Scrum är ett arbetssätt som implementeras för att främja kommunikation och produktivitet för företaget. I många fall används Scrum inte korrekt hos dataspelsföretag och dessa företag väljer medvetet eller omedvetet att inte implementera några av de viktiga delarna. Scrum tappar då effektivitet och kan i värsta fall bli ett negativt påverkande verktyg. Denna studie menar att undersöka och kartlägga hur Scrum används i spelutvecklingen i Skövde och har därmed behandlat frågeställningen “Vilka är de framträdande utvecklingsriktningarna i användandet av Scrum inom Spelutveckling?”Scrumpraxis kartlades hos de intervjuade företagen. Resultatet för studien är att scrum inte används korrekt i spelindustrin i Skövde och att många av de viktiga delarna förkastas eller görs mer sällan än vad de borde. Ett exempel på detta är sprintåterblick och sprintgranskning som används av väldigt få företag och är en väsentlig del av Scrum. Studien har även identifierat en generell avsaknad av en scrummaster bland de intervjuade företagen.

Insourcing, outsourcing and co-sourcing are three approaches to procuring an information system. This research contributes to the body of knowledge on insourcing an information system; exploring and discussing the enabling and inhibiting factors of the insourcing of an information system in selected government agencies in Malaysia. This study was undertaken in response to a paucity of similar projects and a limited literature focused on developing countries. It considers the post outsourcing context following the decision to insource a major Malaysian Government Information System in 2011. A qualitative research method was used to obtain empirical evidence from selected government agencies through 69 semi-structured interviews in two data collection periods: 2013-2014 and 2015. Interviews were conducted with civil servants at all levels, from senior management to clerical staff, including users of the government information system. By using coding principles from grounded theory to analyse the data, seven exciters and six inhibitors of insourcing a government information system were identified and mapped in the analytical framework. Further, this is the first research to use an enhanced model, devised by combining the OPTIMISM model and two distinct theoretical traditions: institutional theory and the capability approach; in order to analyse the insourcing of government information system adoption. The enhanced model was created by mapping the OPTIMISM model (that has a set of dimensions) to an analytical framework comprising the capability approach, institutional theory and technology (ICTs). The main research contribution of this thesis is in the area of capacity building of the internal development team. The increased budget for training, the selection of appropriate training providers and knowledge sharing among experienced and novice developers all contribute to building capacity in the internal development team; and consequently help to improve the quality of the system which will improve service delivery to the general public. The approach and findings of this study contribute to the body of knowledge and understanding of the subject in government information system development and implementation, and can also be applied to improving the quality of service delivery. While this study has focused on government information systems, the wider area of eGovernment, and applications serving the needs of the general public, is equally important, and therefore the researcher suggests that insourcing eGovernment applications would also assist in the capacity building of internal IT staff.

Syftet med undersökningen är att synliggöra förskollärares attityder till matematik och hur attityderna påverkar barns matematiska lärande i förskolan. Detta undersöks genom ett sociokulturellt perspektiv och med fokus på de teoretiska begreppen kultur, mediering, språk, den proximala utvecklingszonen, matematik enligt Bishops modell, attityd och matematisk subjektivitet. Studien följer en kvalitativ ansats och empirin har samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer. Resultaten visar att förskollärarna har positiva attityder till matematik och att de är medvetna om att deras attityder till matematik påverkar barns lärande och prestationer i matematik. Vidare visar resultaten att förskollärarna betonar miljön som viktig för barns lärande där de själva och konkret material ingår i miljön.

Objective To evaluate the Structured Interview for Tanning Abuse and Dependence (SITAD). Design Longitudinal survey. Setting College campus. Participants A total of 296 adults. Main Outcome Measures The SITAD modified items from the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders that focus on opiate abuse and dependence. Indoor tanning (IT) behavioral patterns and opiate-like reactions to tanning were measured, and IT behavior was measured 6 months later. Results Of 296 participants, 32 (10.8%) met the SITAD criteria for tanning abuse (maladaptive pattern of tanning as manifested by failure to fulfill role obligations, physically hazardous tanning, legal problems, or persistent social or interpersonal problems) and 16 (5.4%) for tanning dependence as defined by 3 or more of the following: loss of control, cut down, time, social problems, physical or psychological problems, tolerance, and withdrawal. The IT frequency in dependent tanners was more than 10 times the rate in participants who do not meet the SITAD criteria for tanning abuse or dependence. Tanning-dependent participants were more likely to report being regular tanners (75%; odds ratio, 7.0). Dependent tanners scored higher on the opiate-like reactions to tanning scale than did abuse tanners, who scored higher than those with no diagnosis. Conclusions The SITAD demonstrated some evidence of validity, with tanning-dependent participants reporting regular IT, higher IT frequency, and higher scores on an opiate-like reactions to tanning scale. A valid tanning dependence screening tool is essential for researchers and physicians as a tanning-dependent diagnosis may facilitate a better understanding of tanning motivations and aid in the development of efficacious intervention programs. Recent research has explored the idea that some patterns of tanning behavior may be dependent1- 7 by using a common alcohol screening questionnaire, the CAGE,8 or, alternatively, by adapting criteria for substance-related disorders from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition, Text Revision) (DSM-IV-TR)9 modified to reflect UV light tanning (ie, sunbathing or indoor tanning [IT]).1,4,6,7Whereas data from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse10 report prevalence rates for alcohol and any illicit drug combined as 2.6% to 9.3%, the modified CAGE and modified DSM report tanning dependence rates ranging from 12% to 55%.1,4,6,7,11Prevalence rates for dependence on alcohol and various drugs do differ. However, even in settings enriched for dependent behavior, such as bars,12 prevalence rates are not nearly as high as the tanning dependence rates reported. The high prevalence rates reported suggest that the current assessments tend to overidentify tanning dependence. Feldman and others suggest that the mechanism for tanning dependence is most likely the release of endogenous opioids when the skin is exposed to UV radiation (see Nolan and Feldman5 for a review). It is probable that exploring tanning behavior by following the approach used in the DSM-IV-TR to categorize opioid use behaviors will lead to improved accuracy in the categorization of tanning dependence. The Structured Interview for Tanning Abuse and Dependence (SITAD) is a tanning dependence assessment based on opioid use items adapted from the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID).13 The use of modified opioid SCID items was chosen specifically for good content and face validity in the measure. The self-administered structured interview format was chosen because this format has been demonstrated to achieve valid psychiatric categorization for opioid dependence in a previous study.14 Evaluation of the SITAD involved exploring differences in variables (ie, IT frequency, IT behavioral patterns, and scores on a scale measuring opiate-like reactions to tanning) that would theoretically be expected to differ among individuals exhibiting tanning abuse, those with tanning dependence, and those who do not meet the SITAD criteria for tanning abuse or dependence. We also expect that use of the SITAD will result in lower prevalence rates for tanning dependence than have been reported in previous studies.1,6,7

Unemployment rate is all time low in Europe and this results in shortage of skilled workers. At same time technology changes are on their boom which puts new requirements of skills including diversifying competencies. The companies like consultancy faces issues to find right people with right skills and at right time. This unavailability of resources impacts the strategic goal of company. Smaller companies need to compete with mid-size and large companies over the same skilled workforce. Due to the lack of branding and company recognition, this can cripple the companies to grow and gather a completive advantage. Previous work has failed to address this issue, especially related to the smaller IT consultancies which is the fastest growing segment. The 99% of all business in Europe represents by small or medium size companies. IT consultancy companies represented the most growing and major contributor in value creation in information and communication sector in Europe. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to answer in what way the low unemployment rate affects the strategical process and execution for small IT consultancy companies. Furthermore, this study looked into the role of recruitment process to attract and retain skilled employees. A qualitative approach combined with semi-structured interviews was used as the main methodology to gather empirical data and answer the key problems of this study. The semi-structured interviews were chosen due to the possibility to give the interviewers a freedom to speak and explain moderately, especially strategy processes, which are different from one company to other ones. This study found that small IT consultancy companies had little or no formal structure in the strategical processes in relation to the literature available in the topic, but still highlighted and expressed that strategy is important for the companies. Although if small IT companies want to grow, they must rethink the organizational structure. All studied companies are providing high salaries, freedom of work, technology learning, and job satisfaction as a key tool to attract talent. All companies in general asked the most critical questions on how to grow their business with the basis of their own limitations. Unfortunately, none of the companies reviewed and monitored their objectives on frequent and regular basis.  This study found that the low unemployment rate plays a critical role which can increase the profit margin, but cannot increase the number of employees and potentially minimize the importance of the strategical process. The study also found that low unemployment rate creates a healthy competitive environment where all large and small consultancy companies enables each other to grow instead of competing.

<p>Manlighet och känslor är, historiskt sett, två sällan sammankopplade fenomen. Mannen har i stor utsträckning setts som den rationella och känslokalla av de två könen. Manlighetsidealet håller dock på att förändras och både forskning och mina informanter menar att mannen idag tillåts visa känslor i mycket större utsträckning än vad som var tillåtet i det manlighetsideal som fanns förr. I Sverige verkar det som att vi numera har androgynatet som dominerande patriarkatfas, vilket innebär mer jämlikhet och individualism. Detta verkar innebära mer frihet för mannen att välja vilka delar av manlighetsidealet han ska internalisera i sitt liv. Utifrån mina informanters resonemang bedömer jag att det rådande manlighetsidealen för dem i stor utsträckning är en medveten man som har kontakt med sitt känsloliv och kan vara sig själv.</p> / <p>Masculinity and emotions is a rarely combined phenomenon, at least historically speaking. Men have to a large extent been seen as the rational and unemotional of the two sexes. The ideal masculinity is about too change though and both research and my informants claim that men today are allowed to show more emotions than was allowed in the ideal masculinity in the past. In Sweden it seems that we nowadays live in a context with an androgynous direction of patriarchy, which means more equality between men and women and more individualism. This seems too imply that men have more freedom to choose which part of the ideal masculinity they want to internalize in their lives. I estimate from my informants point of view that the current ideal masculinities for them is a conscious man that are connected with his emotions and that could just be him self.</p>

<p>The purpose of this thesis was to develop novel ways to study tinnitus, to investigate the course of tinnitus, and to study the effects of cognitive-behaviour therapy on tinnitus related distress. Data from 377 tinnitus patients were collected.</p><p>A group of 216 patients completed audiological measures and were assessed in a structured interview. The Klockhoff and Lindblom's grading system was used and its inter-rater reliability assessed in a subsample showing a high degree of correspondence. A discriminant analysis showed that a substantial proportion of patients could be correctly classified into grade II or III, by measures of pitch, minimal masking level of tinnitus, avoidance of situations because of tinnitus, and tolerance in relation to onset.</p><p>Using tests developed in cognitive psychology, it was found that tinnitus patients had impaired performance. There was no evidence for an attentional bias towards tinnitus related words using a computerized emotional Stroop task, but masking sounds of an "on-and-off" character were more disruptive than constant masking when patients performed the digit-symbol test. It is suggested that tinnitus distress may be increased by the 'changing-state' character of the tinnitus signal, or alternatively by intermittent masking sounds.</p><p>In a case-study a patient received an i.v. injection of lidocaine while Positron Emission Tomograpy was conducted. The brain activity associated with tinnitus included the left primary, secondary and integrative auditory brain areas, as well as right paralimbic areas related to negative feelings. The precuneus (Brodmann area 7) might be a brain area involved in the aversiveness associated with tinnitus.</p><p>Using a tinnitus questionnaire as the dependent measure it was found that tinnitus maskability at admission predicted distress at follow-up for an average of five years following admission. Some improvement in tinnitus occurred over time, but this was more evident in patients who had received a cognitive-behavioural treatment program.</p><p>The effect of an Internet based cognitive-behavioural self-help treatment program for tinnitus was investigated showing a high dropout rate, but with positive results in that the treated patients improved.</p>

The purpose of this thesis was to develop novel ways to study tinnitus, to investigate the course of tinnitus, and to study the effects of cognitive-behaviour therapy on tinnitus related distress. Data from 377 tinnitus patients were collected. A group of 216 patients completed audiological measures and were assessed in a structured interview. The Klockhoff and Lindblom's grading system was used and its inter-rater reliability assessed in a subsample showing a high degree of correspondence. A discriminant analysis showed that a substantial proportion of patients could be correctly classified into grade II or III, by measures of pitch, minimal masking level of tinnitus, avoidance of situations because of tinnitus, and tolerance in relation to onset. Using tests developed in cognitive psychology, it was found that tinnitus patients had impaired performance. There was no evidence for an attentional bias towards tinnitus related words using a computerized emotional Stroop task, but masking sounds of an "on-and-off" character were more disruptive than constant masking when patients performed the digit-symbol test. It is suggested that tinnitus distress may be increased by the 'changing-state' character of the tinnitus signal, or alternatively by intermittent masking sounds. In a case-study a patient received an i.v. injection of lidocaine while Positron Emission Tomograpy was conducted. The brain activity associated with tinnitus included the left primary, secondary and integrative auditory brain areas, as well as right paralimbic areas related to negative feelings. The precuneus (Brodmann area 7) might be a brain area involved in the aversiveness associated with tinnitus. Using a tinnitus questionnaire as the dependent measure it was found that tinnitus maskability at admission predicted distress at follow-up for an average of five years following admission. Some improvement in tinnitus occurred over time, but this was more evident in patients who had received a cognitive-behavioural treatment program. The effect of an Internet based cognitive-behavioural self-help treatment program for tinnitus was investigated showing a high dropout rate, but with positive results in that the treated patients improved.