Our study illustrates the nature and characteristics of the virtual world Second Life. We have identified that the online community aims to satisfy hedonistic needs through social and conspicuous consumption, for online use only, concentrating on socially accepted identity construction..

The aim of this thesis is to investigate and analyse the debate of ideas on gender equality policy during 1998 - 2011. The questions raised in this thesis are; which gender equality policy ideology has prevailed during 1998 - 2011, and which ideological orientation have the different ministers of gender equality expressed during the same period of time? I have conducted the study by analysing government publications and debate articles against a ideological framework consisting of different types of feminist theory. In order to get a result as representative as possible, I have only used the material from each of the ministers during their time in office. The research method that I have used when analyzing the material is qualitative text analysis.

Med utgångspunkt från att det finns en antydan till en berättelse i datorspelet Final Fantasy IX argumenterar denna uppsats för att spelet innehar en narrativ struktur. Diskussionen förs genom att undersöka om vi kan uppfatta spelet som en text; om det är möjligt att applicera Gérard Genettes teorier om berättelsers hastighet samt om det är möjligt att urskilja en dubbel kronologi i spelet. Som teoretisk bakgrund används datorspelsforskning, textteori, narratologi samt termer hämtade från ny medieforskning, vars ändamål är att undersöka om vi kan utläsa en berättelse i Final Fantasy IX..

Denna uppsats är en undersökning och en jämförelse av redigeringsprogrammen Avid Media Composer och Final Cut Pro X. Utgångspunkten i analysen är användbarhet och användaren. Saker som tas upp och diskuteras är teknikutvecklingen och konkurrensen mellan redigeringsprogrammen. Den historiska aspekten presenteras och förklaras för att lägga en grund till hur det ser ut i dagsläget. Några av de sakerna som jag kommer fram till är att teknikutvecklingen ofta sker på användbarhetens bekostnad och att användaren ofta måste anpassa sig efter tekniken.

Background: Asthma is an illness that many adolescents have today. The symtom can prevent them to live like contemporaries and the development phase they experience makes asthma difficult to get control of. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe adolescent?s experience of living with asthma. Method: The literature review was performed by reviewing nine scientific articles.

AbstractThis is a thesis done in cooperation with the firm Somas and University of Karlstad. The project is an independent final examination part of the program in Innovation and DesignEngineering comprising 22.5 points, and performed by Mia Myrén Zreloff during spring term 2012. In parallel and collaboration, Fredrik Kjellin performs a similar job for the same company and with the same extent, but for the Program in Mechanical Engineering.The client and supervisor at the company have been Magnus Jansson and Anders Josefsson. At Karlstad University has technical supervisor been Hans Johansson, and in the design- and development process it was Monica Jakobsson. Examiner has been Fredrik Thuvander, professor in the Faculty of Technology and Science at Karlstad University.The mission has been to make a basis work for the company's own development and make a computational model to calculate, visualize and implement materials and other solutions in the manufacture of the company's ball valves.The project has undergone three major phases that included thorough study of the company, production, the problem and product.

Aim: The aim was to describe adult patients quality of life after cardiac arrest and resuscitation with CPR. Method: A literature overview based on eight scientific articles and one master thesis. Results: The result is presented in three categories, physical, psychological and social quality of life. Sleeping disorders, fatigue and low energy level affected the physical quality of life in a negative way. The psychological quality of life was often impaired the first time after the cardiac arrest, to be improved over time.

The aim of this study was to increase the knowledge about and deepen our understanding for people who are treated with dialysis in aspects of quality of life and coping strategies. The research questions were: How does the scientific literature describe quality of life and coping strategies from people?s perspective who are treated with dialysis? How does dialysis affect patients and their lives? How/what can the nurses do for people who are treated with dialysis to keep or improve their quality of life. The result is based on eight scientific articles and after interpretation of the result we found six themes that describes how patients have to restructure their lives to a new normal life, how they adapt to a life with dialysis treatment, how dialysis affect their physical condition, witch meaning does the family and others have, how they keep their self-esteem in relation to the dependence of dialysis treatment and which factors are associated with a long life with dialysis..

The project was carried out in cooperation with the department of product development IOS at IKEA. The work included improvements of a new existing product that Ikea soon will release on the market, Observatör, a wall bracket for flat screens. The product is supposed to fulfil the needs within this market for IKEA. However, since Ikea was not satisfied with it, our work was to carry out the improvements that were specified in the beginning of the project. Another task in the project was to develop a side-product that is supposed to be used together with Obeservatör for storage of DVD/decoders.The project included labour as problem definition to final technical drawings and a prototype.

The purpose of the study was to discover how nurses can maintain a good quality of life for cancerpatients at the end of life. We examined seven scientific articles in accordance with Polit, Beck & Hungler (2001) criteria for scientific validity. We used Carnevali's (1996) model of demand and resources as a frame of reference. The results showed that physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs affect quality of life in different ways. It also came out that it was difficult to measure something as individual as quality of life..

The aim with our paper has been to get a picture of which factors one of the heterogeneous group that we've chosen of old persons, 75-90 years, in Scania, in south Sweden, have experienced to be of importance for their life quality today and what they wish to preserve of their actual life style when they eventually shall use the elderly care. Also how their individual life course has influenced their experience of the quality of life.We found this subject interesting as the group of old people in the society is constantly increasing and when the group becomes bigger, then greater demands will be put on the elderly care. We have proceeded from a standpoint that all people are unique individuals and that people become what they are from their life histories and from the choices they have made during their life. We have used the life course theory that says that one should see the individual in his/her wholeness and the whole life history of a person in order to understand him/her. We have also studied earlier research concerning the different determinants of the life quality.

The strategy when you change the visual part of the brand identity is often referred to as Corporate rebranding and is seen as a good way to show that a company has undergone a change. Despite high risks and high costs, this strategy has become more common and there are companies today who make the choice to change an already well-known graphic profile. This phenomenon is what underlies this essay?s problem statement: Why does a company with an already well-known graphic profile choose to change it and how does the process behind the change occur? In what way have the company?s customers recognized the change and how has the company?s image changed in this context? The purpose of this essay is therefore to explore the process that occurs when a company in the sport and fashion industry changes its visual identity and to explore how the company?s customers have perceived the change.To fulfil the purpose of the essay a case study was carried out on a company?s Corporate rebranding process. The company that was chosen was the Swedish sports retail chain Stadium Sweden AB who decided to change its graphic profile even though their logo was one of the two most recognized in their field.

This thesis describes the planning and development of a volume meter of pine and spruce cones. The product was designed and developed for Stigsjö Skog och Frö AB in Härnösand. It was developed taking into account a number of requirements set by the supervisor David Zetterlund. The main requirements were that the volume measurement would be fast and give accurate results. These are two requirements that are missing in today's volume measuring method which is very problematic for the company.The plant was visited several times in Härnösand, mainly to discuss the generated concepts with the supervisor and perform tests on the prototype.

This thesis is based upon the work done at Westinghouse electric company (WEC)inVästerås during the spring semester of 2015 and describes the development of a quickcoupler with associated blade changing tool. These are meant to be used togetherwith a sawing tool that the company uses for the dismantling of nuclear reactors,which is performed under water.The aim of the thesis was to develop a complete manufacturing documentation withdrawings and related CAD models which Westinghouse later can use to manufacturethe tool and the quick coupler. It was also included in the assignment to, if necessary,modify parts of the saw tool to adapt these to the intended blade changing tool.A number of visits to the company's workshop was made during the time to study thesaw that the thesis is based upon. The purpose of these visits was to get a better ideaof the dimensions, construction and the field of use of the saw. On three of thoseoccasions various engineers and consultants accompanied us to discuss possibleproblems with different ideas.This was interspersed with information in the form of literature studies on quickcouplers to create a clearer picture of the nature of the task.When enough information had been gathered a functional analysis was made to dividethe main problem into subthis phase the idea and concept generating process took place.The methods used for this was mainly brain writing and brainstorming.

According to FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) shall at least a mean of 10 trees per hectare including riparian zones and other areas with high biological values be left in final felling. In addition large clear areas should not be created and all retained trees with high environmental value shall be spared. To leave trees in final felling means a lower cutting volume and hence a lower income from the cutting, but it also means that the production in the next generation becomes less because of competition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect retained trees have on the production in the new generation of forest, and to investigate if there is any way to lower this effect. The environmental care has also been estimated by the amount left in final felling.