Quantifying Quality of Life

Describes technological methods and tools for objective and quantitative assessment of QoL Appraises technology-enabled methods for incorporating QoL measurements in medicine Highlights the success factors for adoption and scaling of technology-enabled methods This open access book presents the rise of technology-enabled methods and tools for objective, quantitative assessment of Quality of Life (QoL), while following the WHOQOL model. It is an in-depth resource describing and examining state-of-the-art, minimally obtrusive, ubiquitous technologies. Highlighting the required factors for adoption and scaling of technology-enabled methods and tools for QoL assessment, it also describes how these technologies can be leveraged for behavior change, disease prevention, health management and long-term QoL enhancement in populations at large. Quantifying Quality of Life: Incorporating Daily Life into Medicine fills a gap in the field of QoL by providing assessment methods, techniques and tools. These assessments differ from the current methods that are now mostly infrequent, subjective, qualitative, memory-based, context-poor and sparse. Therefore, it is an ideal resource for physicians, physicians in training, software and hardware developers, computer scientists, data scientists, behavioural scientists, entrepreneurs, healthcare leaders and administrators who are seeking an up-to-date resource on this subject

Quantifying Quality of Life

Describes technological methods and tools for objective and quantitative assessment of QoL Appraises technology-enabled methods for incorporating QoL measurements in medicine Highlights the success factors for adoption and scaling of technology-enabled methods This open access book presents the rise of technology-enabled methods and tools for objective, quantitative assessment of Quality of Life (QoL), while following the WHOQOL model. It is an in-depth resource describing and examining state-of-the-art, minimally obtrusive, ubiquitous technologies. Highlighting the required factors for adoption and scaling of technology-enabled methods and tools for QoL assessment, it also describes how these technologies can be leveraged for behavior change, disease prevention, health management and long-term QoL enhancement in populations at large. Quantifying Quality of Life: Incorporating Daily Life into Medicine fills a gap in the field of QoL by providing assessment methods, techniques and tools. These assessments differ from the current methods that are now mostly infrequent, subjective, qualitative, memory-based, context-poor and sparse. Therefore, it is an ideal resource for physicians, physicians in training, software and hardware developers, computer scientists, data scientists, behavioural scientists, entrepreneurs, healthcare leaders and administrators who are seeking an up-to-date resource on this subject

A study on ways to strengthen the skills in media and information literacy education of librarians dispatched to developing countries through the Delphi method

Advances in technology and communication have brought various opportunities, conveniences, and benefits to human society. With the development of information and communication technology around the world, people can connect with each other in real time, regardless of location. Globalization is also accelerating the movement of people and goods. By making the flow of people, capital, information, and goods relatively free from border restrictions, globalization and informatization have fundamentally changed education. The educational paradigm is shifting in various directions. First, the role of non-formal education has become more prominent as education centered on knowledge acquisition, which was appropriate in the era of the Industrial Revolution, has transformed to a pattern in which learners mostly learn on their own. Second, governments and international organizations including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have been stressing that the acquisition and use of information and communication technology (ICT) is an essential condition for people to lead prosperous lives. Third, education policies and curricula developed by countries, which used to target only the domestic education system, are now beginning to address the effects of globalization on education, global citizenship, and digital citizenship. Along with this paradigm shift, the role of the library, which has traditionally been the center of education, society, and culture in the local community, is expanding. Libraries are representative non-formal educational institutions and local cultural venues that provide information, education, and culture services to their users. The composition and needs of libraries vary from country to country. Many developing countries has a history of colonial rule, and as their network infrastructure transforms in a leapfrogging manner directly into wireless internet, they suffer from the rapid widening of inequality in education and access to information. The purpose of this study is to understand the general impacts of this trend and to suggest ways to improve the media information literacy (MIL) competencies of residents in developing countries through the educational role that librarians can play, especially through librarians dispatched to developing countries. To this end, the relationship between library official development assistance (ODA), education in international development cooperation, and library MIL education were VI examined, and existing approaches for strengthening MIL education competency were analyzed through a literature review. In addition, the contents of current library MIL education were derived by analyzing government materials and summarizing the tasks requested for dispatched librarians to developing countries. After that, in-depth interviews were conducted with librarians dispatched to libraries in developing countries to understand the status of librarians’ work and library education programs in developing countries. In addition, through a Delphi survey with various experts, such as teachers who performed MILeducation, professors specializing in MIL, public officers, training experts in developing countries, and dispatched librarians, a few suggestions on ways to strengthen the competencies of librarians in developing countries for MIL were obtained. The study found that major factors hindering the strengthening of MIL education competencies in libraries in developing countries include the lack of professional human resources to carry out library ODA projects, understanding in ODA in the library field, and publicity for libraries’ role in sustainable education. There is also a need in developing MIL training materials and teaching methods. In conclusion, to build dispatched librarians’ MIL education knowledge and skills, it is necessary to conduct more research on the MIL education function of libraries and librarians and develop corresponding teaching methods and textbooks. In addition, various forms of MIL education training should be provided to dispatched librarians to enable them to work together consistently and continuously. Understanding the situation of recipient countries and organizations, their cultural environment, conditions, and customs, and their MIL environment are critical for the effective dispatch of librarians. To support smooth and sustainable education through libraries in the future, the need for building productive collaborative partnerships with various institutions is stressed. Among the functions that dispatched librarians perform in libraries in developing countries, improving users’ MIL competencies, providing information access rights, and supporting users’ non-formal learning are important roles that modern society requires libraries to perform. In addition, non-formal education is the most suitable form of education for MIL education, and MIL is a fundamental competency in modern society. If dispatched librarians and librarians in recipient countries can cooperate organically through activities in educational support, cultural program development, and MIL competency improvement, library ODA can head to a new direction that substantially contributes to the well-being of people in both donor and recipient countries

Social crises and religious change in pre-medieval Japan.

This thesis explores the dynamic interaction of social crises and early Japanese religion from the end of the Jomon period to the rise of Kamakura New Buddhism. It does this believing that no history of religion can be fully understood in isolation from the effects of social crises, and that existing studies have not thoroughly examined this mutual interaction. Both natural and social scientists have demonstrated that complex systems are abundant in most social phenomena. The methodology adopted in my research draws on this insight. In order to explore the autocatalytic growth of Japanese religion in the wake of social crises, I apply such new perspectives as the complexity paradigm, the natural lifecycle model, the impact of climate, and the psychological theory of altered states of consciousness (ASCs). In exploring these relationships, this thesis identifies four forms of religious system in the evolution of early Japanese religion. What I have called prototypical Japanese religion prepared the ground for the emergence of archaic religion in the Late Yayoi Archaic religion continued to develop in the form of a politico-religious system, as the so-called keyhole tomb system, but from the end of the Kofun period another new religious system, monastic religion, began to emerge. Monastic religion became the most dominant mode of Japanese religion from the Nara period until it was superseded by a new religious system, which I call confraternal religion, from the late Heian period. The natural lifecycle of each religious system led to the development of the subsequent one. Finally, this thesis presents a conceptual model called passage of consciousness. This suggests that nonequilibrium states of consciousness (NSCs), which are involuntary induced by social crises, created fluid states of consciousness and led not only to the evolution of religion, but also to the evolution of human thought

A competencies framework of visual impairments for enabling shared understanding in design

Existing work in Human Computer Interaction and accessibility research has long sought to investigate the experiences of people with visual impairments in order to address their needs through technology design and integrate their participation into different stages of the design process. Yet challenges remain regarding how disabilities are framed in technology design and the extent of involvement of disabled people within it. Furthermore, accessibility is often considered a specialised job and misunderstandings or assumptions about visually impaired people’s experiences and needs occur outside dedicated fields. This thesis presents an ethnomethodology-informed design critique for supporting awareness and shared understanding of visual impairments and accessibility that centres on their experiences, abilities, and participation in early-stage design. This work is rooted in an in-depth empirical investigation of the interactional competencies that people with visual impairments exhibit through their use of technology, which informs and shapes the concept of a Competencies Framework of Visual Impairments. Although past research has established stances for considering the individual abilities of disabled people and other social and relational factors in technology design, by drawing on ethnomethodology and its interest in situated competence this thesis employs an interactional perspective to investigate the practical accomplishments of visually impaired people. Thus, this thesis frames visual impairments in terms of competencies to be considered in the design process, rather than a deficiency or problem to be fixed through technology. Accordingly, this work favours supporting awareness and reflection rather than the design of particular solutions, which are also strongly needed for advancing accessible design at large. This PhD thesis comprises two main empirical studies branched into three different investigations. The first and second investigations are based on a four-month ethnographic study with visually impaired participants examining their everyday technology practices. The third investigation comprises the design and implementation of a workshop study developed to include people with and without visual impairments in collaborative reflections about technology and accessibility. As such, each investigation informed the ones that followed, revisiting and refining concepts and design materials throughout the thesis. Although ethnomethodology is the overarching approach running through this PhD project, each investigation has a different focus of enquiry: • The first is focused on analysing participants’ technology practices and unearthing the interactional competencies enabling them. • The second is focused on analysing technology demonstrations, which were a pervasive phenomenon recorded during fieldwork, and the work of demonstrating as exhibited by visually impaired participants. • Lastly, the third investigation defines a workshop approach employing video demonstrations and a deck of reflective design cards as building blocks for enabling shared understanding among people with and without visual impairments from different technology backgrounds; that is, users, technologists, designers, and researchers. Overall, this thesis makes several contributions to audiences within and outside academia, such as the detailed accounts of some of the main technology practices of people with visual impairments and the methodological analysis of demonstrations in empirical Human Computer Interaction and accessibility research. Moreover, the main contribution lies in the conceptualisation of a Competencies Framework of Visual Impairments from the empirical analysis of interactional competencies and their practical exhibition through demonstrations, as well as the creation and use of a deck of cards that encapsulates the competencies and external elements involved in the everyday interactional accomplishments of people with visual impairments. All these contributions are lastly brought together in the implementation of the workshop approach that enabled participants to interact with and learn from each other. Thus, this thesis builds upon and advances contemporary strands of work in Human Computer Interaction that call for re-orienting how visual impairments and, overall, disabilities are framed in technology design, and ultimately for re-shaping the design practice itself

Barebacking and sexual position: An analysis of the personal accounts of HIV-negative and unknown status gay men who have condomless anal sex

Men who have sex with men (MSM) remain disproportionately affected by HIV and sexual infections, which are acquired predominately through condomless anal sex, known as ‘barebacking’. This thesis is concerned with the experiences of HIV-negative or unknown status gay men who have recently engaged in bareback sex. Using data obtained through interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), this thesis makes a unique and holistic contribution to the barebacking discourse by detailing the factors that influence HIV-negative and unknown status MSM to engage in bareback sex through the analytical lens of sexual position. MSM in London were targeted via gay press, e-mail broadcasts and leafleting, and asked to take part in in-depth qualitative interviews. The interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim, and the data were managed using NVivo9™. A total of 13 MSM were interviewed; the average age of participants was 39 years (range 29-55) and all had engaged in bareback sex between 0-90 days prior to the interview. The findings are organised around a pragmatic analytical framework generated from the mens’ narratives and comprise three main themes: ‘How participants set the scene to their barebacking encounters’; ‘The act of bareback sex’ and ‘The meanings men ascribe to bareback sex’. By examining how participants locate their barebacking encounters, how bareback sex is communicated and negotiated during an encounter, and how men ascribe meaning to bareback sex, I demonstrate how participation in bareback sex is the result of a dynamic process involving different combinations of factors. These findings are presented in three separate chapters. In addition, this thesis provides new insights regarding sexual position and bareback sex. The thesis concludes with a discussion about the implications of the findings for those who work with MSM and also considers areas of possible future research

Technology and Aging in America

A report by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that "discusses five chronic conditions that severely affect older persons-osteoarthritis, dementia, osteoporosis, hearing impairments, and urinary incontinence" (p. iii)

A competencies framework of visual impairments for enabling shared understanding in design

Existing work in Human Computer Interaction and accessibility research has long sought to investigate the experiences of people with visual impairments in order to address their needs through technology design and integrate their participation into different stages of the design process. Yet challenges remain regarding how disabilities are framed in technology design and the extent of involvement of disabled people within it. Furthermore, accessibility is often considered a specialised job and misunderstandings or assumptions about visually impaired people’s experiences and needs occur outside dedicated fields. This thesis presents an ethnomethodology-informed design critique for supporting awareness and shared understanding of visual impairments and accessibility that centres on their experiences, abilities, and participation in early-stage design. This work is rooted in an in-depth empirical investigation of the interactional competencies that people with visual impairments exhibit through their use of technology, which informs and shapes the concept of a Competencies Framework of Visual Impairments. Although past research has established stances for considering the individual abilities of disabled people and other social and relational factors in technology design, by drawing on ethnomethodology and its interest in situated competence this thesis employs an interactional perspective to investigate the practical accomplishments of visually impaired people. Thus, this thesis frames visual impairments in terms of competencies to be considered in the design process, rather than a deficiency or problem to be fixed through technology. Accordingly, this work favours supporting awareness and reflection rather than the design of particular solutions, which are also strongly needed for advancing accessible design at large. This PhD thesis comprises two main empirical studies branched into three different investigations. The first and second investigations are based on a four-month ethnographic study with visually impaired participants examining their everyday technology practices. The third investigation comprises the design and implementation of a workshop study developed to include people with and without visual impairments in collaborative reflections about technology and accessibility. As such, each investigation informed the ones that followed, revisiting and refining concepts and design materials throughout the thesis. Although ethnomethodology is the overarching approach running through this PhD project, each investigation has a different focus of enquiry: • The first is focused on analysing participants’ technology practices and unearthing the interactional competencies enabling them. • The second is focused on analysing technology demonstrations, which were a pervasive phenomenon recorded during fieldwork, and the work of demonstrating as exhibited by visually impaired participants. • Lastly, the third investigation defines a workshop approach employing video demonstrations and a deck of reflective design cards as building blocks for enabling shared understanding among people with and without visual impairments from different technology backgrounds; that is, users, technologists, designers, and researchers. Overall, this thesis makes several contributions to audiences within and outside academia, such as the detailed accounts of some of the main technology practices of people with visual impairments and the methodological analysis of demonstrations in empirical Human Computer Interaction and accessibility research. Moreover, the main contribution lies in the conceptualisation of a Competencies Framework of Visual Impairments from the empirical analysis of interactional competencies and their practical exhibition through demonstrations, as well as the creation and use of a deck of cards that encapsulates the competencies and external elements involved in the everyday interactional accomplishments of people with visual impairments. All these contributions are lastly brought together in the implementation of the workshop approach that enabled participants to interact with and learn from each other. Thus, this thesis builds upon and advances contemporary strands of work in Human Computer Interaction that call for re-orienting how visual impairments and, overall, disabilities are framed in technology design, and ultimately for re-shaping the design practice itself