Online support and domestic violence : negotiating discourses, emotions, and actions

This thesis makes an original contribution to the study of online support on domestic violence (often referred to as online support communities/groups) through a discursive feminist perspective. Whilst the few previous studies on the topic are limited in scope, this is the first to adopt a mixed methods approach, exploring the topic through three sets of data from one online support forum on domestic violence: qualitative textual analysis of threads (n=215); an online survey (n=70); and two interviews with the manager of the forum and the moderator. The thesis aims to explore the role of an online support forum for women in the process of ending violence in their lives. Six aspects of online support are explored: forum-host’s goals, history and development of the forum; the experience of online support from the perspective of its members; exploring the themes and topics dealt with in the forum; how forum users perceive the impact and relevance of these themes; how members construct emotions, violence, victims and perpetrators in written postings; and how members use violence discourse in support processes. The analysis of these aspects provides a new body of evidence regarding the possibilities of online support groups. First, interviews with the forum hosts give a unique insight to the challenges with hosting the forum, pursuing moderation, and the limits and possibilities with using a public anonymous space. Second, through the survey, a sample of forum-members describes an eclectic form of mutual support, the experience of moderator’s work, and the interaction with other members. The forum's impact on participants’ understanding of violence, help-seeking and decision-making is measured. Third, the analysis of threads demonstrates in-depth members’ reflexive work (Giddens, 1991) in the forum, which comprehends the whole processes of ending violence, and shows how members use violence discourse to understand violence, manage emotions and encourage specific choices and actions. A discursive theoretical perspective explicates how support processes are enacted within and according to a normative practice. The findings suggest previously overlooked issues, in particular with regard to flexible long-term support for women with experiences of domestic violence (Kelly et al, 2014)

Bio-CCS from biogas plants : modeling of CO2 distribution systems

Negative emissions of greenhouse gases will be essential for reaching the goal of net-zero emissions by 2045. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a technique that collects CO2 with the purpose to permanently store it outside of the atmosphere. When CCS is applied to streams of CO2 with biogenic origin, negative emissions are achieved and this is called bio-CCS. Biogas production with upgrading has great potential for applying bio-CCS since CO2 is already separated during the upgrading process. As the separation process is a costly step for all other industries with CO2 emissions, bio-CCS from biogas plants can become the most cost-efficient implement of this technique. This thesis work aims to study the distribution chain of CO2 between biogas plants and a terminal in a bio-CCS system. The studied biogas plants have an annual CO2 production of 1 500-15 000 ton/year and the distances to the terminal can range up to 200 km. The study combines literature studies, communication with actors in industry and simulation of different alternative distribution systems in Matlab to determine which is the most efficient distribution system. The results of this study can be used for planning a strategic implementation of a distribution system for CO2 from biogas plants. The most cost efficient, and one of the most energy efficient solutions, was distribution with stationary storage tanks at the biogas plants and transportation by trucks optimized for maximum load capacity. Upon implementation of this solution for distribution of CO2, the average cost may amount to 230-245 SEK/ton and the energy usage for the transportation may amount to 26-27 kWh/ton. The logistics of the system may be performed by 1-2 vehicles. The most energy efficient distribution system was transportation by pipeline, but this system was only profitable for transportation distances up to one kilometre

The Needs and Experiences of Adolescents With ADHD Related to a Digital Intervention: A Qualiative Exploratory Study

Formål: Det foreligger et behov for å utvikle skalerbare og tilgjengelige intervensjoner for ungdommer med ADHD. Digitale intervensjoner kan være et lovende format for å øke tilgangen til evidentbasert psykologisk behandling for denne gruppen. Implementeringen av en digital intervensjon krever innspill fra målgruppen. Få studier har imidlertid tatt brukerbehovene i betraktning. Denne studien har som formål å utforske behovene og erfaringene til ungdommer med ADHD relatert til en digital intervensjon for denne målgruppen. Funnene vil bidra til utviklingen av en brukersentrert digital psykisk helse-intervensjon ledet av et større forskningsprosjekt ved Haukeland Universitetssykehus. Metode: Kvalitative intervjuer ble gjennomført med åtte ungdommer med ADHD. Refleksiv tematisk analyse ble brukt for å identifisere, tolke og rapportere mønstre fra de kvalitative intervjuene. Resultater: Fem hovedtemaer ble generert: et økt behov for innsikt og aksept, en balanse mellom å motta hjelp og være selvstendig, håndtere energitopper og -daler, potensielle barrierer for behandling og forestilling av en ideell app. Konklusjon: Studien understreker betydningen av å gi informasjon, fasilitere for interaksjon, fremme autonomi, ta i bruk fysisk aktivitet, samt tilrettelegge for etterlevelse i intervensjonen. Funnene diskuteres i lys av selvbestemmelsesteorien, Eriksons psykososiale teori og retningslinjer for behandling av ADHD. Implikasjoner av funnene blir fremhevet.Hovedoppgave psykologprogrammetPROPSY317PRPSY

Non-invasive technology to determine the haemoglobin level of blood donors at the SANBS

Background: Predonation haemoglobin (Hb) check has been done traditionally by the copper sulphate (CuSO4), or the haemocue haemoglobinometer methods. Both of these require a fingerprick of the donor to obtain capillary blood samples. It is thought that a non-invasive, but accurate method of Hb check will reduce stress to the donor and improve the donation experience.Aim: This study aims to establish the suitability of a non-invasive method, the HaemospectR transcutaneous Hb measurement system for screening prospective donors at the cut-off Hb value of 12.5g/dl.Materials and methods: All donors who presented for platelet and/or plasma donation at the multi-disciplinary donor centre of SANBS in Port Elizabeth were considered for enrolment. Hb was measured by both the standard automated method on venous EDTA samples, and by the HaemospectR transcutaneous Hb measuring device.Results: A total of 161 subjects were studied, including white, black, and coloured, male and female donors. The calculated sensitivity of the HaemospectR was 94.6%. The average percentage variance in Hb measurement between the two methods was 1.2%, while 70.8% of subjects had a percentage variance within10% of the venous Hb result.Discussion and conclusion: The result shows that the accuracy of the HaemospectR measurement was within the 1.5g/dl ascribed to the CuSO4 method. This suggests that the non-invasive method was at least as sensitive as the traditional screening methods. Further large-scale study is recommended to validate the findings in this pilot study.Keywords: Donor screening, haemoglobin, non-invasive, capillary sample; copper sulphat

Deepwater flowthrough as a temperature stabilizer in rearing of halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) fry

Through the period of yolk sac absorption, halibut larvae were kept in plastic bags in plastic basins with flowthrough of deepwater. When maintaining sufficient flowthrough, in this period the temperature in the bags was consistently around 6°C, while the ambient temperature varied between 2 and 11°C

Greater Copenhagen – ett väldigt danskt initiativ. En studie om subnationell kapacitet i det gränsöverskridande samarbetet Greater Copenhagen & Skåne Committee

The phenomenon where subnational governments are reaching out for collaboration with external actors in a horizontal dimension are nowadays a common subject for research in local government studies. By examining the transnational organization Greater Copenhagen & Skåne Committee (GCSC), this study aims to develop a further understanding of why subnational governments are joining different kinds of collaborations, networks and partnerships with external actors. GCSC is a collaboration between regions and municipalities in Skåne and Denmark. Drawing on a new theoretical framework constructed by Peter Eckersley, the study explores how the Swedish subnational government’s capacity to achieve political objectives are changing through the collaboration with Denmark. The analytical results indicate that one explanation to why the subnational governments in Skåne have started a collaboration with Denmark is because of a lacking resource. To have a brand name that is internationally known can be identified as an important resource at the subnational level to achieve political objectives concerning economic growth. The analysis further indicates that GCSC is not benefiting the local and regional governments equally, where Skåne’s dependency on Denmark in relation to the brand mark Copenhagen is presented as an explanation

Complete DNA sequences of the plastid genomes of two parasitic flowering plant species, Cuscuta reflexa and Cuscuta gronovii

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The holoparasitic plant genus <it>Cuscuta </it>comprises species with photosynthetic capacity and functional chloroplasts as well as achlorophyllous and intermediate forms with restricted photosynthetic activity and degenerated chloroplasts. Previous data indicated significant differences with respect to the plastid genome coding capacity in different <it>Cuscuta </it>species that could correlate with their photosynthetic activity. In order to shed light on the molecular changes accompanying the parasitic lifestyle, we sequenced the plastid chromosomes of the two species <it>Cuscuta reflexa </it>and <it>Cuscuta gronovii</it>. Both species are capable of performing photosynthesis, albeit with varying efficiencies. Together with the plastid genome of <it>Epifagus virginiana</it>, an achlorophyllous parasitic plant whose plastid genome has been sequenced, these species represent a series of progression towards total dependency on the host plant, ranging from reduced levels of photosynthesis in <it>C. reflexa </it>to a restricted photosynthetic activity and degenerated chloroplasts in <it>C. gronovii </it>to an achlorophyllous state in <it>E. virginiana</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The newly sequenced plastid genomes of <it>C. reflexa </it>and <it>C. gronovii </it>reveal that the chromosome structures are generally very similar to that of non-parasitic plants, although a number of species-specific insertions, deletions (indels) and sequence inversions were identified. However, we observed a gradual adaptation of the plastid genome to the different degrees of parasitism. The changes are particularly evident in <it>C. gronovii </it>and include (a) the parallel losses of genes for the subunits of the plastid-encoded RNA polymerase and the corresponding promoters from the plastid genome, (b) the first documented loss of the gene for a putative splicing factor, MatK, from the plastid genome and (c) a significant reduction of RNA editing.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Overall, the comparative genomic analysis of plastid DNA from parasitic plants indicates a bias towards a simplification of the plastid gene expression machinery as a consequence of an increasing dependency on the host plant. A tentative assignment of the successive events in the adaptation of the plastid genomes to parasitism can be inferred from the current data set. This includes (1) a loss of non-coding regions in photosynthetic <it>Cuscuta </it>species that has resulted in a condensation of the plastid genome, (2) the simplification of plastid gene expression in species with largely impaired photosynthetic capacity and (3) the deletion of a significant part of the genetic information, including the information for the photosynthetic apparatus, in non-photosynthetic parasitic plants.</p

Green Walls for a Restorative Classroom Environment:A Controlled Evaluation Study

In the present research, we evaluated the restorative impacts of green walls with living plants in classrooms of two elementary schools using a controlled, prospective design with baseline measurements and follow-ups at 2 and 4 months. At each time of measurement, children's (n = 170, age = 7-10) cognitive performance, well-being, and classroom evaluations were measured with attentional tests and self-report questionnaires. Results show that children in the four classrooms where a green wall was placed, as compared with children in control groups, scored better on a test for selective attention; processing speed was not affected by the green wall. The green wall also positively influenced children's classroom evaluations. There were no measurable effects of the green wall on children's self-reported well-being. The green walls were generally evaluated positively during the two follow-ups. These results provide some of the first empirical support for green walls as a means for restorative classroom design.</p