Högskolebiblioteket i Halmstad Publikationer
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The Cost of Survival : A Qualitative Case Study of South AfricaInvestigating the Personal Costs of Prostitution andthe Potential Impact of Policy Changes
No full text Like in many other countries, there has been an ongoing debate in South Africa for more than 30 years on legal approaches to prostitution. This thesis investigates the cost of prostitution for individuals and highlights the policy implications of these costs in a “deviant” African case with a relatively high GDP. The primary materials are seven qualitative interviews with survivors of prostitution and/or human trafficking in South Africa—prior research, news reporting, non-governmental organizations, and international legal authorities provide secondary materials. The main analytical techniques consist of causal narratives and process tracing. It is demonstrated that decriminalizing prostitution most likely increases costs for individuals and society, supporting radical feminists’ argument against decriminalization and for the Equality/Nordic Model. According to previous research, decriminalization leads to an increased demand for prostitution, an increased number of those victimized, and more harmful buyers. These consequences, in turn, lead to more costs for individuals and society. According to the results of this thesis, for individuals in South Africa, prostitution costs are primarily associated with the loss of income and increased healthcare expenses. For society, there is an increased need for easily accessible healthcare due to more severe trauma and more individuals needing help to survive. From a comparative-politics perspective, South Africa and other countries, especially with limited resources, should not decriminalize prostitution but take measures to decrease demand and, in turn, lower costs associated with prostitution and invest the money where it is needed—in functioning safe houses and exit programs. Governments should focus on helping current survivors instead of contributing to creating new survivors and victims who never reach survival
Kinematic with conveyor tracking
No full textOptimization is essential in industries today to increase efficiency and profitability.In the context of a production line for the prefabrication of walls, a section of theproduction line consisting of a Cartesian robot performs nailing on a stationarywall. From the time the wall enters the section until it exits, it is called cycle time,Tc , and it is used for evaluating the efficiency. The Tc could decrease if the wallis worked on as it moves through the section. An optimization of this section wasdeveloped on Siemens hardware and tested on a 1:10 scale version mimickingthe Cartesian robot that performs the nailing. The solution also uses parameteroptimization with Matlab and Simulink to achieve a station that will minimizewear on mechanical components. The new and optimized station was comparedto the Tc of a benchmark simulation where the wall remained stationary. Theresult showed a 43.2% decrease in Tc with the optimizations made. The parameteroptimization gave parameters to use that meant the robot would finish workingon the wall just before the wall left the work area. The report concludes that theoptimized application in the TIA Portal decreased the Tc by operating on a movingwall within the work area. Further improvements were identified to reduce thework area and Tc further at the cost of mechanical wear on components. Theprogram in the TIA Portal can be implemented in the production lines to increasethe efficiency of production lines for the prefabrication of walls
Reading crisis : Reading development methods and strategies
No full textUnder de senaste åren har det kommit fram en rad undersökningar gällande skolan exempelvis Skolverkets undersökning PIRLS, där lyfts det fram att läsförmågan hos svenska elever är låg och fortsätter att sjunka, vilket har gjort att utbildningsminister Johan Persson har angett att landet befinner sig i en “läskris”. Detta är bakomliggande anledningen till att regeringen sedan genomförde en rad satsningar med syftet att öka läsförmågan hos eleverna i landet. Arbetet undersöker och presenterar olika metoder och strategier som lärare för årskurs 4–6 i svenska skolor kan använda sig av, genom att implementera i undervisningen för att öka läsförmågan bland eleverna. Dessa metoder och strategier är bland annat dialogiska metoder, samt undersöker undervisningstillfällen där läraren arbetar med läroböcker respektive skönlitterära böcker. Arbetet besvarar forskningsfrågan ” Vilka metoder och strategier använder mellanstadielärare i Sverige sig av för att öka läsförmågan hos sina elever?”. Arbetet är baserat på en bred variation av källmaterial och underlag som består av både kurslitteratur och forskningsartiklar från två olika databaser, vilka är OneSearch och SwePub
Design and Parallel Implementation of JavaScript Monitoring Software
No full textThis project addresses inefficiencies in wind turbine management software by designing and implementing an interactive, responsive, and user-friendly desktop application for Arise AB. The primary focus is on improving operational efficiency through prioritized turbine management, reducing downtime costs, and maximizing turbine uptime. Focus is also directed towards the performance of the application and studies to determine whether a single or multithreaded solution is favourable in the case of the application. By leveraging multithreading, the application achieves faster execution times and ensures a responsive graphical user interface (GUI), even during computationally intensive tasks such as sorting and prioritizing turbine data. Performance analysis demonstrated measurable improvements, with a speed-up of 25.60% achieved on a 6-core system when utilizing parallel execution compared to sequential execution. While multithreading delivered faster execution times, single-threading exhibited more consistent scalability when processing larger datasets. The application design prioritizes real-time responsiveness, enabling managers to address critical turbine issues quickly and efficiently. Additionally, societal benefits are achieved by supporting the operational sustainability of wind energy systems, contributing to the broader transition to renewable energy
Being a relative of a person with Parkinson's disease : The experiences and needs from relatives
No full textBakgrund: Parkinsons sjukdom ökar både globalt och i Sverige. Symtomen kan leda till stora hinder i vardagen och att patienten blir beroende av hjälp från andra, både vårdpersonal och anhöriga. Sjuksköterskans ansvar är att ge personcentrerad vård vilket omfattar både patienten och patientens anhöriga. Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva anhörigas upplevelser av att vara anhörig till en familjemedlem med Parkinsons sjukdom. Metod: Studien genomfördes som en allmän litteraturstudie med induktiv ansats. Resultat: De fem kategorier som framkom i studiens resultat var vardagens stressorer, förändrade relationer, personlig utveckling och copingstrategier samt behov av information och stöd från hälso- och sjukvården. Konklusion: Att vara anhörig till en person med Parkinsons sjukdom innebär ett behov av acceptans och av anpassning, både i relationer och livet i övrigt. Sjuksköterskan bör så långt som möjligt inkludera anhöriga i vården kring familjemedlemmen med Parkinsons sjukdom. Anhörigas behov av stöd och information behöver belysas både i klinisk verksamhet och sjuksköterskeutbildning. Vidare forskning behöver belysa sjuksköterskors perspektiv av att inkludera anhöriga i vården. Background: Parkinson's disease is increasing both globally and in Sweden. The symptoms can result in great difficulties in everyday life and the patient becomes dependent on help from both professional caregivers and relatives. The nurse’s responsibility is to provide person-centered care, which includes both patient and relatives. Purpose: The purpose was to describe relatives' experiences of being a relative of a family member with Parkinson's disease. Method: The method was a general literature study with an inductive approach. Results: The five categories that appeared were everyday stressors, change in relations, personal development and coping strategies and the need for information and support from healthcare systems. Conclusion: Being a relative to a person with Parkinson's disease involves a need for acceptance and adjustment, both regarding relations as well as life in general. The nurse should, as far as possible, include relatives in the caregiving of the person with Parkinson's disease. Relatives need of support and information needs to be enlightened in clinical practice and nurse education programs. Future research should examine nurses' perspective on including relatives in healthcare.
Personers upplevelser av att leva med migrän : En allmän litteraturstudie
No full textBackground: Migraine is a chronic neurological disorder that significantly affects quality of life through recurring episodes of severe headaches, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound. Despite its impact, there is lack of understanding and inadequate treatment in healthcare, leading to frustration, social isolation, and reduced work capacity. Aim: To explore persons experiences of living with migraines. Method: A general literature review with a qualitative approach was conducted. Systematic searches in PubMed and CINAHL identified 39 articles. After screening titles and abstracts, 15 full-text articles were reviewed, ten met the inclusion criteria and were quality-assessed using Carlsson and Eiman’s (2003) checklist. Results: Three categories: The Impact of Migraine on Daily Life, Experiences of different treatment strategies, Lack of Understanding and Knowledge in Healthcare. Conclusion: The study revealed that migraine has a profound impact on individuals' everyday lives, particularly in terms of mental health, social relationships, and working life. It highlights the need for increased awareness and understanding of migraine among healthcare professionals. Personalized treatment that combines both medical and non- medical approaches may contribute to improved quality of life. Further research is needed to develop more effective care strategies and raise awareness about the extensive consequences.Bakgrund: Migrän är en kronisk neurologisk sjukdom som avsevärt påverkar individens livskvalitet genom återkommande episoder av intensiv huvudvärk, illamående samt ljus- och ljudkänslighet. Trots sjukdomens omfattande inverkan upplever många personer bristande förståelse och otillräcklig behandling inom vården, vilket kan leda till frustration, social isolering och nedsatt arbetsförmåga. Syfte: Syftet var att undersöka personers upplevelser av att leva med migrän. Metod: En allmän litteraturstudie med kvalitativ ansats genomfördes. Systematiska sökningar i databaserna PubMed och CINAHL identifierade totalt 39 artiklar. Efter genomgång av titlar och abstrakt, lästes 15 artiklar i fulltext, därav tio uppfyllde inklusionskriterierna och kvalitetsgranskades enligt Carlsson och Eimans (2003) mall. Resultat: tre huvudkategorier: Migränen inverkar på det dagliga livet, Erfarenheter av olika behandlingsstrategier, Bristande förståelse och kunskap inom vården. Konklusion: Studien visade att migrän har en djupgående inverkan på personers vardag, särskilt inom psykisk hälsa, sociala relationer och arbetsliv. Studien understryker behovet av ökad kunskap och förståelse för personer med migrän inom vården. En individanpassad behandling som kombinerar medicinska och icke-medicinska insatser kan bidra till en förbättrad livskvalitet. Vidare forskning krävs för att utveckla mer effektiva vårdstrategier och öka medvetenheten om migränens omfattande konsekvenser
Redesigning healthcare service delivery processes through medical chatbot integrations : balancing chatbot features and patients’ individual differences
No full textPurpose: The utilization of virtual agents, particularly chatbots, within healthcare and medical contexts is witnessing exponential growth owing to their capacity to provide comprehensive support to patients throughout their healthcare journey, by reshaping the healthcare business processes. Such transformation in healthcare service delivery processes is enabled by those digital entities able to offer a preliminary screening and consultation platform, facilitating patients’ interactions with real medical professionals. However, when redesigning processes through the integration of new technologies, particular attention to the reactions of end users cannot be neglected. Thus, the purpose of this paper is investigating how both chatbots' features and patients' individual differences may shape a redesigned/renewed service in the healthcare sector. Design/methodology/approach: Through two experimental studies (Study 1 and Study 2), we examined the impact of chatbot tone of voice (formal vs unformal) on patients’ behavioral responses, particularly their intention to use. Findings: Our investigation shed light on chatbots’ characteristics in terms of perceived warmth, denoting the friendliness and empathy conveyed by the chatbot, and competence, reflecting its effectiveness in addressing user queries or tasks, when used to reshape the service delivery process; Moreover, we also shed light on the moderating role of emotional receptivity seeking, indicating that the emotionality and non-verbal communication between doctor and patient, cannot be overlooked even in innovative digital environments. Practical implications: Managers and marketers could leverage insights from this study to tailor chatbot interactions, optimizing tone of voice to enhance patient engagement and satisfaction. By focusing on perceived warmth and competence, they can design more effective digital health solutions. Additionally, recognizing the role of emotional receptivity can guide strategies for integrating chatbots in a way that maintains a human touch in patient communications. Social implications: Findings importantly underscore the relevance of chatbot in improving patient care, making digital interactions more empathetic and responsive. This relevance extends to business process management by demonstrating how integrating emotionally intelligent chatbots may contribute to better service delivery on the basis of personalized and effective healthcare experiences. Originality/value: The originality of this paper is about the relevance of considering chatbots’ and final users’ characteristics to strategically plan healthcare services process redesign. Indeed, it examines chatbots' perceived warmth and competence in reshaping service delivery processes. Additionally, it highlights the moderating role of emotional receptivity seeking, emphasizing the importance of emotional communication in digital healthcare environments. © 2025, Emerald Publishing Limited
Brand activism in the era of permacrisis : systematic literature review and future research agenda
No full textPermacrisis – the perpetual state of facing complex and interconnected crises – has been identified as the forces that impact society as a whole. Brand activism (BA) has been emerging as a response whereby companies engage with divisive socio-political crises. However, the BA literature has not adequately addressed the new role that companies should play in mitigating the effects of permacrisis. We conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) of 44 papers published between 2016 and 2024, applying the antecedents, decisions, and outcomes ADO framework. Our SLR inductively builds a framework of brand activism in the permacrisis that integrated themes across micro, meso and macro crises. Additionally, we highlight the interplay between necessity and opportunism in BA within the permacrisis context, offering new insights into its operations and mechanisms. © 2025 The Author(s)
Att bygga broar genom design : Designverktyg för inkludering av marginaliserade grupper i designprocesser
No full textDeltagande design syftar till att ge deltagare inflytande i designprocesser. I deltagande designprocesser används olika metoder och designverktyg för att främja inkludering och delaktighet i exempelvis idégenereringsfasen. Dessa metoder och designverktyg kan ofta brista i hanterandet av olika deltagare som exempelvis marginaliserade grupper. Om designers inte kan inkludera marginaliserade grupper i en deltagande designprocess kan de exkludera individer som redan är underrepresenterade i samhället vilket går emot deltagande designs demokratiska värderingar. Studien undersöker hur deltagande designverktyg kan anpassas i designworkshops för att stärka inkluderingen av marginaliserade grupper. Fokus ligger på storyboards som ett berättande och visuellt verktyg för att underlätta för marginaliserade grupper att uttrycka idéer och behov. Studien resulterade i fyra identifierade anpassningar av hur storyboards kan utformas för att bättre inkludera marginaliserade grupper. Dessa anpassningar var: Samarbete & individuell arbetsprocess, Digital arbetsprocess, Visuellt skapande samt Kommunicera med visuellt stöd. Genom att utforska hur storyboards kan anpassas efter marginaliserade gruppers behov bidrar studien till ett mer inkluderande utövande av deltagande design. Resultatet av studien kan influera anpassningar av metoder och designverktyg i framtida designprocesser för att skapa mer representativa och hållbara lösningar inom deltagande design. Participatory design aims to give participants influence in design processes. Various methods and design tools are used in participatory design processes to promote inclusion and engagement, particularly in the ideation phase. However, these methods and tools often fail to accommodate diverse participants, such as marginalized groups. If designers are unable to include marginalized groups in a participatory designprocess they risk excluding individuals who are already underrepresented in society, which contradicts the democratic values of participatory design. This study explores how participatory design tools can be adapted in designworkshops to enhance the inclusion of marginalized groups. The focus is on storyboards as a narrative and visual tool to help marginalized groups express their ideas and needs. The study identified four key adaptations for making storyboards more inclusive: Collaboration & individual work process, Digital work process, Visual creation and Communicating with visual support. By examining how storyboards can be tailored to the needs of marginalized groups this study contributes to a more inclusive practice of participatory design. The findings may influence future adaptations of methods and design tools in design processes leading to more representative and sustainable solutions within participatory design
Towards Understanding Exercise Dependence : The Mediating Effect of Stress
No full textAlthough physical activity is associated with general well-being and improved quality of life, compulsive exercise behaviour, such as exercise dependence, can be detrimental to an individual’s physical and psychological health. Different models have been introduced to describe the phenomenon, though seldom tested. Based on the expanded interaction model of exercise addiction (Dinardi et al., 2021), the aim of the study was to investigate the mediating effect of stress on the relationship between exercise identity and exercise dependence as well as on the relationship between body dissatisfaction and exercise dependence. Variables were measured using the Exercise Dependence Scale-Revised (EDS-R), Exercise Identity Scale (EIS), Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire’s Appearance Evaluation and -Orientation subscales (MBSRQ-AE/AO) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Participants were 99 regular exercisers (61 women, 38 men; MAge = 33.37, SD = 10.24 years), and data was collected via an online questionnaire. 9.1% of the participants were classified as “at risk for exercise dependence”. While the mediation analysis indicated no significant indirect effect of stress on both relationships, the present study found significant direct effects between exercise identity, body dissatisfaction, and exercise dependence. Additionally, it was found that stress predicts exercise dependence. This partly aligns with the pathways presented in the model. Future research should focus on further testing the model to investigate the role of stress and develop a universal assessment tool for measuring exercise dependence. Även om fysisk aktivitet är förknippat med allmänt välbefinnande och förbättrad livskvalitet, kan tvångsmässigt träningsbeteende, såsom träningsberoende, vara skadligt för en individs fysiska och psykiska hälsa. Olika modeller har introducerats för att beskriva fenomenet, men de har sällan testats. Baserat på den ”expanded interaction model of exercise addiction” (Dinardi et al., 2021) var syftet med studien att undersöka den medierande effekten av stress på sambandet mellan träningsidentitet och träningsberoende samt på sambandet mellan kroppsmissnöje och träningsberoende. Variablerna mättes med hjälp av Exercise Dependence Scale-Revised (EDS-R), Exercise Identity Scale (EIS), Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire's Appearance Evaluation and Orientation subskalorna (MBSRQ-AE/AO) och Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Deltagarna var 99 regelbundna motionärer (61 kvinnor, 38 män; MÅlder = 33,37, SD = 10,24 år) och data samlades in via ett digitalt frågeformulär. 9,1% av deltagarna klassificerades som ”i risk för träningsberoende”. Medieringsanalysen visade ingen signifikant indirekt effekt av stress på båda relationerna, dock fann studien signifikanta direkta effekter mellan träningsidentitet, kroppsmissnöje och träningsberoende. Dessutom visade det sig att stress predicerar träningsberoende. Detta stämmer delvis överens med de samband som presenteras i modellen. Framtida forskning bör fokusera på att ytterligare testa modellen för att undersöka stressens roll samt att utveckla ett universellt mätinstrument för att mäta träningsberoende. This thesis is part of a joint study project where data collection, data analysis, and some parts of the thesis were done together with Ebba Tingström. </p