The aims of the practical work carried out for this thesis were to redesign a clinical decision support system for thoracic surgeons, called AssistMe, and to evaluate the concept behind this system. The main objective of the thesis is to give an account of the considerations that were found to be of key importance for designing a clinical decision support system for thoracic surgery. Another aim was to let future users test the system after it had been redesigned and evaluate the concept behind it. The thesis also investigates users? experience of the system and their views on whether it would be applicable in their daily work practice.

Information is essential in order for pharmaceutical companies to be successful. This essay focuses on the information provision of pre-clinical scientists at AstraZeneca R&D Lund, and the role of the company library in this process. In semi-structured interviews, four pre-clinical scientists were asked to describe their information provision regarding what type of information they need, how they find it and what sources of information they use. Four librarians from the company library were also interviewed to give their perspective on the information provision of pre-clinical scientist. The study also aimed at comparing the image of the process as described by the scientists themselves and the librarians.

Establishing a reference interval for plasma fibrinogen in foals Fibrinogen concentrations were analysed in EDTA preserved blood plasma samples from 34 thoroughbred foals born in 2001 and 2002 at one stud farm. The foals were between 0 and 240 days old at the time of the sampling, and there were 19 fillies and 12 stallions in the group. The foals were examined for clinical symptoms of disease and their body temperature was measured before blood was sampled from the jugular vein. From totally 156 blood samples, 31 were selected as originating from clinically healthy foals, and used to determine a reference range for thoroughbred foals. Samples originating from foals showing clinical symptoms of disease or an abnormal body temperature at the time of sampling, were classified as coming from unhealthy animals.

This pilot study investigates possible treatment effects and participants' experience in an internet-based treatment of specicfic phobia. Changes in self-reported phobic fear were examined in a series of case studies and changes in attitudes towards avoidance and approach strategies were examined at group level. Seventeen DSM-IV diagnosed patients with specific phobia participated and 10 out of these completed the treatment.The results show that 80 % of the completing participants were clinically improved after the treatment and that the completing participants were significantly more negative towards avoidance strategies after the treatment. The evaluation of the disposition and user-friendliness of the treatment showed that the participants' overall view of the treatment was positive. The main advantage perceived was the flexible nature of the treatment, while the main disadvantages were the high level of motivation and discipline required from the participants.

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the structured and evidence-based assessment tool/method The Brief Child and Family Phone Interview (BCFPI) trough a social psychology perspective of conversation. The aim was especially to seek an understanding of the method considering aspects of children?s participation. The research question was: how do the method users apprehend the advantages and the limitations of the BCFPI method considering aspects of children?s participation.

Background: Osteoarthritis is understood to be a common cause of pain and dysfunction in cats; however there are few validated pain assessment methods for chronic pain in cats. In order to design a proper pain questionnaire, it usability need to be tested in both sound and sick cats. Aim: The aim was to investigate the usability of the pain questionnaire ?Lifestyle changes in cats? by compiling the results from the pain questionnaire reflecting the lifestyle in 30 healthy cats and compare it to the results from a clinical examination, as well as proposing improvements and additions to the questionnaire based on a literature review. Material and method: 30 healthy cats participated in the pilot study; the pet owner filled out a pain questionnaire with 16 questions regarding their cat´s behavioral and eventual changes in behavior and physical function. Thereafter the cat walked over a pressure measurement mat and finally underwent an orthopedic-directed clinical examination. The literature was found on Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Sciencedirect, and Google Scholar and also with the help of my supervisors.

The main purpose of this study was to translate Stuttering Severity Instrument 3 and to evaluate its reliability and validity. Five speech-language pathologists assessed 35 adults who stutter with this assessment tool. Overall the results showed a very high inter- and intrarater reliability. A highly significant correlation between Stuttering Severity Instrument 3 and ratings of severity, made by the speech-language pathologists, strengthen the validityof Stuttering Severity Instrument 3. No correlation was found between the total score of Stuttering Severity Instrument 3 and the self-report measure Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering, whichindicates a lack of social validity in Stuttering Severity Instrument 3.

Syftet med uppsatsen var att undersöka och beskriva hur man arbeta med mentalisering/ reflektiv funktion i olika familjeterapeutiska metoder. Uppsatsen bygger på intervjuer med sex erfarna familjeterapeuter med olika inriktning som besvarar generella frågeställningar samt beskriver hur de skulle arbeta med ett kliniskt exempel.Resultatet visar att familjeterapeuterna, oavsett tidigare kännedom om begreppen tänker likartat kring mentalisering och reflektiv funktion i sitt kliniska arbete, och att alla utom en terapeut väljer snarlika förhållningssätt i arbetet med det kliniska exemplet. Slutsatsen är att mentalisering/reflektiv funktion är något som familjeterapeuterna ser som vägen till att skapa förändring och att familjeterapeutiska metoder kan användas för att arbeta med och förstärka mentalisering och reflektiv funktion.The purpose with this essay was to examine and describe how to work mentalizing and enhancing the reflective function with various family-therapeutic methods. The essay consists of interviews with six experienced family therapists with various orientations who answers general questions and describes how they would work with a clinical example.The essay concludes that the family therapists, regardless of previous knowledge of these concepts, think alike about mentalizing and reflective function in their clinical work. All except one also choose a similar approach in their work with the clinical example.

Uppsatsens syfte var att beskriva hur arbetsterapeuter resonerar kliniskt vid bedömning av arbetsförmåga hos personer med neuropsykiatriska funktionsnedsättningar. För denna studie användes en kvalitativ ansats. Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med fem arbetsterapeuter som jobbar mot arbetsmarknaden. Frågeområdena inspirerades av clinical reasoning ?three track mind? där procedural, interactive och conditional reasoning utgör de tre olika tankemönstren.Resultatet redovisades i fyra kategorier och ett övergripande tema som beskriver arbetsterapeuternas kliniska resonemang: Att forma en frågeställning, Att välja bedömningsmetod, Att utforma en slutrapport och Yrkeskompetens.

The main purpose of this study was to study the heredity of osteochondrosis (OC) in fetlock-, hock- or stifle joints within the Swedish half-bred population, using data from the regional animal hospital in Helsingborg. A large number of horses with clinical symptoms, for example lameness, are radiographed every year at the regional animal hospital in Helsingborg. In addition, many clinically healthy horses are radiographed in order to be sold (inspection radiographed / export radiographed). This study is based on electronically stored data from horses in both of these groups of patients that underwent joint radiography at the regional hospital in Helsingborg during the years 1992-1999. The first file (inspection file) contained 1035 observations from 983 horses that had their fetlock-, hock - or stifle joints radiographed for inspection or export. The other file (clinical file) contained 6121 observations from 3800 horses that were radiographed due to clinical symptoms in the fetlock-, stifle or hock joints.

Hydropericardium or pericardial effusion (PE) is the accumulation of fluid in the pericardial sac and is often secondary to pericardial diseases or diseases related to the heart. It is unusual with clinically relevant pericardial diseases in cats but pericardial effusion is the most common one. Since PE causes serious symptoms and may lead to death it is important with a quick diagnosis and treatment. PE can be acute and cause cardiac tamponade, which gives severe clinical signs. Cardiac tamponade needs to be treated immediately or else the cat will die from cardiogenic chock. More common is chronic PE where the fluid accumulates during a longer period of time and the pericardial sac stretches.

The aim of this study was to deepen the knowledge about the meaning of being internationally adopted for individuals living in Sweden. Through group discussions with young adults data was retrieved, and then analysed with a qualitative phenomenological approach. The study revealed three main themes: 1) experiences of being Swedish, 2) experiences of ethnic origin, and 3) the interaction between the two aspects of the identity, how the internationally adopted individual integrate's his/her ethnical origin with his/her Swedish identity. With regards to previous studies about adoption and psychological theories the meaning of being internationally adopted in Sweden is discussed..

Malassezia otitis in dogs is a common cause of visit to a veterinary service. In otitis externa due to Malassezia overgrowth the dog has a higher number of yeast organisms and/or a local inflammatory response to the micro organism. Common clinical signs include pruritus, erythema, swelling and increased exudate production. Clinical symptoms and results from cytology of ear swabs from the ear canal is the mainstay for diagnosis. Any underlying condition has to be identified and corrected to avoid relapse. The treatment options for infective otitis externa are based upon topical administration of eardrops containing antibiotics, steroids and antifungals.

Transcending sound design is possible. There are unseen possibilities and a great potential for improvement and development in sound and music design ? but there is a great difficulty penetrating the obstacles that lies in the way for such development to take place and to exist. The difficulties in being negotiable and productive lies more within the limits of the audience it has to gain, than in itself. It is as though music and sound design has to evolve very slowly, in an almost evolutionary style; one step at a time, to be accepted.

Soundclash is a phenomenon where groups within the culture of reggae music ?battle? against each other, through strategies including both music and rhetoric. The social interaction in the clash exemplifies the scene hierarchy, in which the participants aim to position themselves as number one. This study includes empirical material from a competition within the Swedish scene, also distributed digitally via Internet sites. The analysis is based on discursive psychology, focusing on rhetoric and the construction of meaning.