Measurement of plasma concentrations of natriuretic peptides have been suggested to be of diagnostic and prognostic value in canine cardiac disease. In several previous canine studies, however, a considerable overlap between investigated groups has been identified. A reliable natriuretic peptide test for use in clinical practice requires establishment of reference values for natriuretic peptides in healthy dogs and cut-off values for subclinical disease as well as for clinical signs of congestive heart failure. Numerous physiological, pathological and pharmacological factors, aside heart function, may influence concentration of natriuretic peptides. A potential effect of dog breed on natriuretic peptide concentration has been suggested but has, to our knowledge, not previously been specifically studied.

The aim of this study is to examine which factors in the receiving-country that have had an influence on three now adult unaccompanied refugee children. The method used in the study is qualitative interviews with the three above-mentioned participants. The results show that some factors are perceived as helpful, having a positive influence on the participants life while other factors are perceived as worsening, having a negative influence on their life. Depending on the context some factors such as age, the Swedish language and housing arrangements have had both positive and negative influences on their life. Positive factors are among other things: access to good treatment and support, help with processing trauma and bad mental health, help with understanding coherence, access to a social network, family reunification, resilience and other internal factors.

The purpose of this thesis is to ascertain the main determinable factors of Swedish SMEs capital structure decisions and to investigate whether existing capital structure theories are applicable on Swedish SME financing. We have used panel data to run regressions of various capital structure determinants on three measures of capital structure; short- term debt, long-term debt and total debt. We found that growth opportunities, profitability and age are the most important capitalstructures determinants for our sample. Firm size shows a small explanatory result but the effective tax rate and the asset tangibility do not seem to explain the capital structure at all. Thematurity matching principle is considered significant..

Background: Good quality of communication has a significant role and is essential in the care, and there are many factors that have an impact on the communication between nurse and patient. It is important that the interaction and communication is directed to and focused on understanding in broad sense in order to make sure that the meeting between nurse and care taker will result in something positive. Through a greater understanding the cooperation between nurse and the patient will be facilitated, which will create opportunities for both sides to be part of and contribute to a meaningful rehabilitation.Purpose: The aim of the study is to describe how the elderly patient and the nurse experience the communication within the health care, however also to identify what factors that are essential for an optimal communication.2Method: In this study the method that has been chosen is metasynthesis. The metasynthesis method implies that qualitative studies, that illustrate elderly patients and nurses perceptions and experiences of communication within health care, have systematically been reviewed and compiled to a result.Result: The analysis of the study?s results in a composition that consist of the following three themes; the patients and the nurses perspective on how information should be conveyed, the role of the time aspect in communication and the impact of the attitude on communication.

The aim of this Master´s thesis is to explore how public libraries in a successful way can work in projects with young people. It intends to point out different factors that in a legible way affect the accomplishment and outcome of the project. Another purpose of the study is to uncover the various approaches existing within the projects towards young people and to find out why it is seen as important to work with youngsters, considering the hard work that it requires and the reluctance of the young to visit the library. The examination is based upon eight different and fulfilled projects. Information about these has been received through project descriptions, project reports and documents describing applications for economical benefits.

The purpose of this study was to investigate and expand the knowledge of how bereaved spouses in palliative care handled their grief. Attempts were also made to distinguish common patterns among the experiences that the bereaved spouses expressed.  Furthermore the study aimed to understand how the bereaved spouses handled their grief, and to understand what helped them to move on. A qualitative method was used in this essay, related to the purpose of investigating the spouses? emotional experiences. The questions used to reach an understanding of the matter were: How did the bereaved experienced their grief? Were there important contributing factors worsening their grief or making it easier? How did the bereaved persons handle their grief, and what helped them to work things through and carry on with their lives? The result was analyzed by using Antonovsky?s theory; a feeling of coherence, Lazarus? coping theory combined with Folkman?s revised coping theory.

The aim of this essay is to find out how different factors influence the occupational role in a rehabilitation garden. The study is based on two qualitative interviews with and shadowing of the gardeners in the rehabilitation gardens of Alnarp and Gröna Rehab in Gothenburg. The result shows that the main factors that influence the occupational role is the gardener?s background, the garden/place, the participants, the team and the possibilities for development. The occupational role appears to consist of several different roles; the team-worker, the activity and project manager, the source of inspiration, the educationalist, the informer, the therapist and the fellow human being.

AbstractSocial welfare workers employed in the same county base their assessments on the same laws, routines and guidelines, yet it seems that they sometimes come to different decisions. It's the discretion that enables the social workers to make individualized decisions adapted to each clients unique situation.The purpose of this paper is to examine social welfare workers reflections on discretion and what influences their discretion in the professional role.Six qualitative interviews were conducted with social welfare workers in three communitys i the middle of Sweden.The main result shows that it is primarily four factors that affect the social welfare workers discretion in the professional role :External factors such as other organizations change of regulations and cooperation with other organizations.Organizational factors such as routines, rules and guidelines .Professional factors such as the opportunity to use experience and professionalknowledge to determine which measure works in different situations.Individual factors like the workers ability for initiative and the clients individualcircumstances. Social welfare workers feel that they have a relatively wide discretion in their profession. They believe they have the ability to make individual evaluations of each client, however they also believe that their discretion often is limited by lack of time.Key words: social welfare workers, clients, discretion, assessments. .

Syftet var att kartlägga arbetstillfredsställelsen hos chefer i svensk äldreomsorg samt undersöka om det fanns några skillnader mellan chefer i privat och offentlig verksamhet. En rikstäckande webbenkätundersökning (N=104) genomfördes. Denna genererade både kvantitativ och kvalitativ data. Cheferna som sammantagen grupp visar på en förhållandevis hög arbetstillfredsställelse. Resultatet visade dock att det fanns signifikanta skillnader mellan privata och offentliga chefer vad gäller arbetstillfredsställelse. En högre grad av arbetstillfredsställelse kunde utläsas bland cheferna inom den privata sektorn.

The aim with this master thesis is to analyze a scientific material concerning the context between learning and child/student development, and factors which controls process of learning, to create an image with quality account and teaching in mathematics, which then can raise the mathematical knowledge among students.The phenomena which stand in focus for the investigation is: why there is a negative tendency for development of knowledge in mathematics, among the Swedish students that TIMSSs investigations showed in intercultural comparison within the years 1993, 1999, 2003 and 2007.The method is the ethnographical method, which is based on: analyzing scientific theories about learning child/student development, factors which controls process of learning, and factors which controls process of learning the most and qualitative empiric investigation with qualitatively analyzes the questionnaires, which is about factors which are controlling the process of learning and factors which are controlling the process of learning the most.Result of the theoretical and empiric analyzes shows that factors as school environment, attitude for subjects and teaching, controls and influence the learning. To end a unenthusiastic tendency as a negative development of mathematical knowledge among students that is shown in TIMSS investigation and to elevate the students' performance in mathematics, an elevated qualitative account and teaching in mathematics, by the factors named. Safe school environments as the intercultural meeting place, the teachers influence part to the students' subjects' attitude in mathematics and goal related grading criteria in teaching, is all required for e qualitative teaching in mathematics..

This essay looks in to the logistics operational significance during the Korean war,1950-1953. The purpose is to give an orientation about how the logistical functioninfluenced the events during the Korean war. Aiming on the investigation anddescription of the logistical organisation and it?s consistency on operations. To achievethe purpose the author searched the answer to two main questions during the analyse ofthe different texts.

Background: Patients with self-harm seek hospital care when something traumatic occurred. Self-harm was a way to cure pain and was expressed overdose, cutting, or by swallowing objects. They described that the staff were derisive, didn?t show empathy and engagement. Aim: The aim was to describe factors that effects staffs answer to self-harm behaviour through their perspective.

The purpose of this thesis is to identify the factors that drive efficiency and effectiveness in technical development projects performed at A?F?s department of product development. In addition to identifying and analyzing these factors, the thesis also analyzes what needs to be taken in to account in order to implement a measurement system that is able to both monitor and control the identified factors.The thesis has been performed in a qualitative manner. It is based on interviews with people from several different technological companies, within different lines of business, all of which are customers to A?F?s department of product development.The results show that there are seven critical factors for project efficiency and effectiveness.

The aims of the present study were to implement and evaluate a three-session Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) stress management intervention in a non-clinical group of university students (N = 25) and to investigate the importance of practice in an ACT-intervention. A design with pre-test and double post-test was chosen. A comparison was made between a nine-hour ACT-intervention containing practice for the participants, a two-hour lecture on ACT and stress management containing no practice for the participants and a control group. Psychological flexibility was assessed with Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-2 and mindfulness was measured with Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills. Perceived stress level was measured with Perceived Stress Scale.

For a long period of time there has been an extensive documentation of how things are presumed not to be at our workplace. However there is little knowledge on how it is supposed to be, what makes us feel good and what makes us retain our well-being. The aim of this study was to survey the attitudes towards factors of well-being at the workplace among personnel at four institutions at Kristianstad University. The work method used in this study is quantitative and a questionnaire survey was carried out to produce an overall picture. The majority considered praise from manager and the opportunity of development discussions of great importance.