Training a deep neural network is computationally expensive, but achieving the same network performance with less computation is possible if the training data is carefully chosen. However, selecting input samples during training is challenging as their true importance for the optimization is unknown. Furthermore, evaluation of the importance of individual samples must be computationally efficient and unbiased. In this paper, we present a new input data importance sampling strategy for reducing the training time of deep neural networks. We investigate different importance metrics that can be efficiently retrieved as they are available during training, i.e., the training loss and gradient norm. We found that choosing only samples with large loss or gradient norm, which are hard for the network to learn, is not optimal for the network performance. Instead, we introduce an importance sampling strategy that selects samples based on the cumulative distribution function of the loss and gradient norm, thereby making it more likely to choose hard samples while still including easy ones. The behavior of the proposed strategy is first analyzed on a synthetic dataset, and then evaluated in the application of classification of malignant cancer in digital pathology image patches. As pathology images contain many repetitive patterns, there could be significant gains in focusing on features that contribute stronger to the optimization. Finally, we show how the importance sampling process can be used to gain insights about the input data through visualization of samples that are found most or least useful for the training.

High performance computing is a topic that has risen to the top in the era ofdigitalization, AI and automation. Therefore, the search for more cost and timeeffective ways to implement HPC work is always a subject extensively researched.One part of this is to have hardware that is capable to improve on these criteria. Different hardware usually have different code languages to implement theseworks though, cross-platform solution like Intel’s oneAPI framework is startingto gaining popularity.In this thesis, the capabilities of Intel’s oneAPI framework to implement andexecute HPC benchmarks on different hardware platforms will be discussed. Using the hardware available through Intel’s DevCloud services, Intel’s Xeon Gold6128, Intel’s UHD Graphics P630 and the Arria10 FPGA board were all chosento use for implementation. The benchmarks that were chosen to be used wereGEMM (General Matrix Multiplication) and BUDE (Bristol University DockingEngine). They were implemented using DPC++ (Data Parallel C++), Intel’s ownSYCL-based C++ extension. The benchmarks were also tried to be improved uponwith HPC speed-up methods like loop unrolling and some hardware manipulation.The performance for CPU and GPU were recorded and compared, as the FPGAimplementation could not be preformed because of technical difficulties. Theresults are good comparison to related work, but did not improve much uponthem. This because the hardware used is quite weak compared to industry standard. Though further research on the topic would be interesting, to compare aworking FPGA implementation to the other results and results from other studies. This implementation also probably has the biggest improvement potential,so to see how good one could make it would be interesting. Also, testing someother more complex benchmarks could be interesting.

Sales forecasting is an important aspect of business strategy, as it helps companies make informed decisions for their business development. With the rise of machine learning and AI, companies are using statistical and machine learning models to forecast short-term and long-term sales more accurately. In addition, it is important for companies to be able to estimate the impact of advertising on sales for different markets in order to optimize ad campaigns and make informed decisions about their advertising strategies. To address the former problem, ARIMA and LightGBM models with and without feature selection using Lasso regression are used to forecast revenue of an airline across different markets. The performance of the models is measured using Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Symmetric Mean Absolute Percentage Error (sMAPE) metrics and both of them are compared to a simpler naïve approach called baseline. As for the impact of advertising, CausalImpact package is used to estimate the effect of non-advertising on revenue for each market for a specific period.

LightGBM models without feature selection performed better in terms of error metrics for the majority of markets with improvements ranging between 41%-77% for sMAPE score and 30%-81% for MAE score when compared with baseline approach. While feature selection aided some markets in achieving lower error scores, it did not consistently improve performance across all markets. As for the effect of non-advertising on revenue, the analysis could not show a negative effect on revenues in all markets. It is difficult to say whether the effect was solely positive or negative for every market, because the results were not statistically significant for most markets, except one.

Using sensors to observe real-world systems is important in many applications. A typical use case is target tracking, where sensor measurements are used to compute estimates of targets. Two of the main purposes of the estimates are to enhance situational awareness and facilitate decision-making. Hence, the estimation quality is crucial. By utilizing multiple sensors, the estimation quality can be further improved. Here, the focus is on target tracking in decentralized sensor networks, where multiple agents estimate a common set of targets. In a decentralized context, measurements undergo local preprocessing at the agent level, resulting in local estimates. These estimates are subsequently shared among the agents for estimate fusion. Sharing information leads to correlations between estimates, which in decentralized sensor networks are often unknown. In addition, there are situations where the communication capacity is constrained, such that the shared information needs to be reduced. This thesis addresses two aspects of decentralized target tracking: (i) fusion of estimates with unknown correlations; and (ii) handling of constrained communication resources. 

Decentralized sensor networks have unknown correlations because it is typically impossible to keep track of dependencies between estimates. A common approach in this case is to use conservative estimators, which can ensure that the true uncertainty of an estimate is not underestimated. This class of estimators is pursued here. A significant part of the thesis is dedicated to the widely-used conservative method known as covariance intersection (CI), while also describing and deriving alternative methods for CI. One major result related to aspect (i) is the conservative linear unbiased estimator (CLUE), which is proposed as a general framework for optimal conservative estimation. It is shown that several existing methods, including CI, are optimal CLUEs under different conditions. 

A decentralized sensor network allows for less data to be communicated compared to its centralized counterpart. Yet, there are still situations where the communication load needs to be further reduced. The communication load is mostly driven by the covariance matrices since, in this scope, estimates and covariance matrices are shared. One way to reduce the communication load is to only exchange parts of the covariance matrix. To this end, several methods are proposed that preserve conservativeness. Significant results related to aspect (ii) include several algorithms for transforming exchanged estimates into a lower-dimensional subspace. Each algorithm corresponds to a certain estimation method, and for some of the algorithms, optimality is guaranteed. Moreover, a framework is developed to enable the use of the proposed dimension-reduction techniques when only local information is available at an agent. Finally, an optimization strategy is proposed to compute dimension-reduced estimates while maintaining data association quality. 

Cauchy problems for elliptic equations arise in applications in science and engineering. These problems often involve finding important information about an elliptical system from indirect or incomplete measurements. Cauchy problems for elliptic equations are known to be disadvantaged in the sense that a small pertubation in the input can result in a large error in the output. Regularization methods are usually required in order to be able to find stable solutions. In this thesis we study the Cauchy problem for elliptic equations in both bounded and unbounded domains using iterative regularization methods. In Paper I and II, we focus on an iterative regularization technique which involves solving a sequence of mixed boundary value well-posed problems for the same elliptic equation. The original version of the alternating iterative technique is based on iterations alternating between Dirichlet-Neumann and Neumann-Dirichlet boundary value problems. This iterative method is known to possibly work for Helmholtz equation. Instead we study a modified version based on alternating between Dirichlet-Robin and Robin-Dirichlet boundary value problems. First, we study the Cauchy problem for general elliptic equations of second order with variable coefficients in a limited domain. Then we extend to the case of unbounded domains for the Cauchy problem for Helmholtz equation. For the Cauchy problem, in the case of general elliptic equations, we show that the iterative method, based on Dirichlet-Robin, is convergent provided that parameters in the Robin condition are chosen appropriately. In the case of an unbounded domain, we derive necessary, and sufficient, conditions for convergence of the Robin-Dirichlet iterations based on an analysis of the spectrum of the Laplacian operator, with boundary conditions of Dirichlet and Robin types.

In the numerical tests, we investigate the precise behaviour of the Dirichlet-Robin iterations, for different values of the wave number in the Helmholtz equation, and the results show that the convergence rate depends on the choice of the Robin parameter in the Robin condition. In the case of unbounded domain, the numerical experiments show that an appropriate truncation of the domain and an appropriate choice of Robin parameter in the Robin condition lead to convergence of the Robin-Dirichlet iterations.

In the presence of noise, additional regularization techniques have to implemented for the alternating iterative procedure to converge. Therefore, in Paper III and IV we focus on iterative regularization methods for solving the Cauchy problem for the Helmholtz equation in a semi-infinite strip, assuming that the data contains measurement noise. In addition, we also reconstruct a radiation condition at infinity from the given Cauchy data. For the reconstruction of the radiation condition, we solve a well-posed problem for the Helmholtz equation in a semi-infinite strip. The remaining solution is obtained by solving an ill-posed problem. In Paper III, we consider the ordinary Helmholtz equation and use seperation of variables to analyze the problem. We show that the radiation condition is described by a non-linear well-posed problem that provides a stable oscillatory solution to the Cauchy problem. Furthermore, we show that the ill–posed problem can be regularized using the Landweber’s iterative method and the discrepancy principle. Numerical tests shows that the approach works well.

Paper IV is an extension of the theory from Paper III to the case of variable coefficients. Theoretical analysis of this Cauchy problem shows that, with suitable bounds on the coefficients, can iterative regularization methods be used to stabilize the ill-posed Cauchy problem.

Battery electric trucks (BETs) offer environmental benefits in terms of reduced carbon emissions and enhanced energy efficiency but have been challenged with economic viability compared to conventional internal combustion engine trucks (ICETs) caused by substantial acquisition costs, limited charging infrastructure, and concerns regarding range and payload capacity. 

Previous studies focus on TCO at the vehicle or policy level but overlook the system and firm-level impacts. Operational aspects like vehicle utilization, battery utilization, charging planning, and route optimization are often ignored, potentially underestimating electric freight cost-competitiveness.The research gap does not address the practical needs of fleet operators, especially in scenarios where charging infrastructure is lacking. There is therefore a need to consider the complex system level interactions, market dynamics, technology developments, and operational processes involved in freight shipping.

By applying a decision-making under deep uncertainty (DMDU) framework, this study enables informed decisions in unpredictable scenarios, bridging the gap between strategic choices like battery capacity and operational optimization like route planning. This study identifies the most significant factors that affect the TCO of BET fleets and cost-competitiveness relative to ICET fleets, taking into account market-operational interfaces between unpredictable market dynamics and operational processes such as stochastic demand and feature selection from a strategic and operational perspective. 40 tonne truck-trailers for freight distribution networks with distances up to 250 km are considered in the study. 

A TCO model of BET and ICET fleets was developed taking into account vehicle route optimization, vehicle selection, and vehicle utilization which was then programmatically iterated by sampling and simulating optimized vehicle routes for a total of 220 224 iterations. The parameter space was screened and reduced with Feature Scoring using Extra Trees approximation of 1st order Sobol Indices. The reduced parameter space was then sampled using Sobol sampling to conduct a Sobol Global Variance decomposition Analysis of TCO, TCO delta, and service level in order to identify the most significant factors affecting BET fleet TCO and cost-competitiveness.To identify cost-competitive scenarios, the Patient Rule Induction Method (PRIM) was used to identify parameter sub spaces to determine scenarios where BET fleets have a lower TCO than ICET fleets. Further visual analysis was done using linear and polynomial regression and kernel density estimation.

The analysis shows that both TCO and cost-competitiveness of BETs are primarily affected by shipment demand, distance between distribution center and delivery sites, and battery size, and that a trade-off is made between cost-competitiveness and service level. The results show that cost-competitiveness of electric freight scales with demand, with larger fleets being better able to optimize routing and shipment allocation; balancing the shipment demand to minimize charging times that otherwise would make the fleet less competitive than their fossil-fuel counterparts. This, paired together with higher degrees of vehicle utilization and appropriate battery sizing, allow for electric freight to be cost-competitive even for long-haul distances up to 250 km. 

Furthermore, optimization of the Electric Vehicle Routing Problem (E-VRP) with shifts and time windows is shown to have a highly significant effect when minimizing TCO on a fleet level, with the vast majority of optimal ICET routes not being optimal for BETs.The benefits of E-VRP optimization scales with demand and fleet size, indicating that large-scale electrification is required to make BETs cost-competitive.Electrification of road freight is therefore highly contingent on effective route planning and charging scheduling with E-VRP optimization in order to be cost-competitive, which has not been considered in previous literature. Thus previous literature have therefore likely underestimated the cost-competitiveness of electric freight, particularly at medium-long haul distances. 

Water pollution has long been considered a challenge in urban areas. Urban wastewater and stormwater act as transport pathways for pollutants from urban areas to receiving waters. Microplastics are a pollution problem of growing concern. As part of the zero-pollution action plan for 2050, the European Commission has set the target to reduce emissions of microplastics to the environment by 30% from 2016 to 2030. The majority of the microplastics originate from sources on land, and urban areas are viewed as particular hotspots. More knowledge is needed on the sources and pathways of microplastics within the urban area, such as to and from urban water systems. To be able to reduce microplastics pollution, there is also a need to understand where control measures can be introduced and make an impact in terms of reduced loads to the environment. For control measures to be implemented, there is also a need to understand the incentives and challenges that the actors, who have a responsibility related to the flows, encounter when working with pollution control.   

The aim of this thesis was to contribute to enhanced understanding of flows of microplastics in urban water systems and how the flows can be controlled, in order to facilitate mitigation actions for these flows. This aim was addressed by identifying and quantifying sources with emissions to urban wastewater and stormwater and pathways from the urban water system, with inspiration from the method substance flow analysis. The estimated sources were also compared to measurements in raw wastewater and stormwater from four different catchments to identify matches and differences. Further, control measures were introduced to the quantified sources and pathways. Municipal officials, who can implement the control measures, were also interviewed about their incentives and challenges when controlling microplastics and other pollutants in the urban water system.   

The emissions of microplastics to stormwater were estimated to be much higher than those to wastewater. Tyre wear particles and cigarette butts were estimated to be the largest sources. While stormwater measurements confirmed tyre wear particles, cigarette butts, and paint particles, which was another large source according to the source estimates, could not be confirmed. Instead, the samples contained other types of microplastics. These mismatches indicate that large flows of microplastics may come from sources that have yet to be identified and quantified. The largest source to wastewater was estimated to be synthetic fibres (mainly polyester) released during laundry washing. Polyester also had the largest share in the wastewater measurements. Untreated stormwater was the largest pathway to receiving waters, followed by treated stormwater. Treated wastewater and overflows had comparatively small emissions. The measures introduced to wastewater had the potential to reduce the load of microplastics in the wastewater by half. However, as wastewater treatment retain most of the microplastics, and because the largest emissions came from stormwater, this reduction made a small difference in terms of total loads to receiving waters. Reduced urban traffic, changed driving behaviour, and more stormwater treatment, were also required to reduce emissions of microplastics from the urban water system to receiving waters by 30% in accordance with the EU target.   

Three types of incentives for pollution control among the municipal officials were identified. One incentive was that pollution control positively affected other aspects that were seen as important, such as that it had economic benefits or increased water- and sludge quality. Another incentive was a perceived responsibility for water quality, for the environment, or to be role models. A third incentive was a “pressure” to act from the local environmental control authorities or through local politics. The challenges for pollution control were primarily related to insufficient resources in terms of time, finances, and knowledge. Changing, limited, or lack of legislation was also identified as a challenge. Other identified challenges, such as unclear responsibilities and unclear expectations of the work, can be alleviated with a strategy or plan, but a plan did not ease all challenges. Support, in terms of financial means and guidance, is also needed so that actions set out in the plans can be implemented.  

So far, the control measures for microplastics related to urban water systems have primarily been preventive and focused on restricting use of microplastics in certain applications. There are no restrictions on emissions yet. If such restrictions come, where they are placed will impact the type of measures that will be introduced. This, in turn, will have consequences at the system level: for example, if it will lead to emissions in another part of the system, and which actors will be responsible for managing the pollution. 

Syftet med den här studien är att bidra med kunskap om hur bildstöd används både i förskolan inne- och utemiljö. Utifrån två frågeställningar vill vi ta reda på hur bildstöd används i de olika miljöerna, samt hur det skiljer sig åt. Vi har genomfört en studie med både kvantitativ- och kvalitativ metod, genom observationer och intervjuer, för att kunna ge ett bredare perspektiv på vår studie. Genom observationerna fick vi ett sammanställt resultat med antal för bildstödets användande, medan intervjuerna gav oss en mer djupgående bild för hur verksamheterna arbetar med bildstöd. Utifrån våra frågeställningar samt vårt insamlade material skapade vi sex stycken teman för att kunna genomföra en grundlig analys. Resultatet genom observationerna visar att det finns tydliga skillnader mellan inne- och utemiljöer, vilket också intervjuerna bekräftade. Genom citat från intervjuerna har analys och tolkning gjorts för att kunna få ökad förståelse för varför bildstöd inte finns i lika stor mängd utomhus. Slutligen diskuterar vi resultatet för att sammanställa studiens slutsatser och genom dessa besvara frågeställningarna.

Chronic pain and emotional problems are common, often co-occur, and result in substantial suffering and social costs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a family of treatments that have been extensively studied and has empirical support for its effectiveness in treating both conditions. However, CBT show small benefits for patients with comorbid pain and emotional disorders, and treatments are mostly adapted for one condition or the other. Hence, there is a need for transdiagnostic interventions, targeting both problematic pain behaviors and emotional components. In this thesis, I present results from three experimental studies investigating possibilities to refine and enhance CBT for chronic pain patients with emotional distress by using emotion regulation strategies and skills training from mindfulness-based interventions.

In Study I the aim was to evaluate the efficacy of a tailored transdiagnostic hybrid treatment, integrating basic CBT principles with strategies from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), an acceptance and mindfulnessbased approach developed for individuals with difficulties regulating emotional responses. The hybrid treatment was compared in a randomised controlled trial to an internet-delivered active control condition (iCBT). Intent-to-treat analyses showed that the hybrid treatment had positive long-term effects 9 months after treatment on outcomes such as pain interference and symptoms of depression compared to the control condition. We concluded that the hybrid treatment may be considered an acceptable, credible, and efficacious treatment approach.

In Study II the aim was to investigate the importance of hypothesized treatment processes of the hybrid treatment, specifically pain-related dysregulation (catastrophizing, fear-avoidance, and non-acceptance of pain), and general emotion dysregulation (difficulties to regulate a wider range of emotional responses). Mediation analysis within the framework of structural equation modelling (SEM), using the full intention-to-treat sample, showed that decreased pain-related dysregulation mediated the effects of the hybrid treatment on both pain interference and symptoms of depression. Furthermore, indirect effects through pain-related dysregulation were more evident for participants scoring higher on this variable at baseline. In addition, decreased general emotion dysregulation mediated effects on symptoms of depression. We concluded that these findings provided further support for the conceptual principles of the hybrid treatment.

The aim of Study III was to investigate the effects of components of mindfulness-based interventions, specifically looking at the importance of attentional focus during mindfulness exercises on experiences of experimentally induced pain using the Cold Pressor Test (CPT). In a mixed experimental design, healthy participants were randomly assigned to brief mindfulness exercises with internal focus (body scan), external focus (mindful listening), or a control group using spontaneous coping. Compared to spontaneous coping the mindfulness exercises had positive effects on pain tolerance, pain threshold, pain unpleasantness, frequency of negative thoughts, and belief in thought content during the CPT. While our results showed that changes in attentional focus were consistent with the experimental manipulation, no significant differences were found between internal and external focus on any outcome measure. We concluded that the results did not support the notion that attentional focus would be essential for benefits of mindfulness, and that exercises with both external and internal focus could be beneficial when coping with pain.

In conclusion, the results from these studies support integrating basic CBT principles with emotion regulation strategies and skills training from mindfulness-based approaches to enhance treatments for patients with chronic pain and emotional distress. In addition, our findings provide some insights for future research regarding the importance of targeting pain-related dysregulation, and the possibilities of using mindfulness exercises with different attentional focus.

The sustainability goals of the modern world and the fascinating properties of sub-micron scale materials promote development of materials in thin film form. Thin films are materials that have thicknesses ranging from sub-nanometer to several micrometers, synthesized by various deposition techniques. They are used for diverse applications, such as light emitting diodes, solar cells, semiconductor chips, etc. The primary objective of this research project is to develop a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process for conformal boron carbide thin films. Since boron carbide is a promising neutron converter material for solid-state neutron detectors, the process was validated by depositing on prototype detector chips.  

In this study, triethylboron (TEB) was used as single source CVD precursor to deposit boron carbide thin films. The initial experiments focused on low reaction rate deposition by depositing in a kinetically limited regime. The films deposited at ≤450 °C in 8:1 aspect ratio micro-trench structures were highly conformal and show a stoichiometry of about B5.2C. We attribute this observed conformality to the slow reaction kinetics of the TEB at the low deposition temperature enabling the diffusive transport of the precursor molecule down the trench. The depositions carried out on the prototype detector-chips show promising results.  

We expand our studies to investigate a new strategy with the prospect of improving the step coverage at higher temperatures for better film properties. We hypothesize that adding a suitable heavier molecule, diffusion additive, with an appropriate partial pressure can enhance the step coverage by pushing the lighter precursor molecule via competitive co-diffusion. It was tested by adding Xe gas to the boron carbide CVD from TEB. The result shows that with this diffusion additive the step coverage was improved from 0.71 to 0.97. From our experimental results, we suggest a competitive diffusion model that can be adapted to other CVD processes to enhance the film step coverage.  

The CVD process is further validated by depositing onto carbon nanotube membranes. The initial results show that the process was able to afford evenly deposition around the individual nanotubes in the carbon nanotube membrane. Raman spectroscopy measurements show a similar D-band to G-band intensity ratio before and after the deposition indicating that no defects were induced in the nanotubes.      

Background: The menopausal transition is, for most women, accompanied by hot flushes and night sweats (i.e., vasomotor symptoms, VMS). VMS has been associated with a worsened cardiovascular risk profile, but whether VMS constitutes an independent risk marker for developing subclinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is still uncertain. Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) contributes more to systemic low-grade inflammation than abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (ASAT), enhancing atherosclerosis development. Physical activity is an effective behavioral strategy to maintain and improve cardiovascular health. Whether a resistance training intervention (RTI) could reduce low-grade inflammation and VAT volume in postmenopausal women with VMS remains unclear, and whether the RTI-associated effects could be maintained over time requires further investigation.

Material and Methods: This thesis is based on three studies. Study 1 was conducted on a subset of participants from the cross-sectional population-based Swedish CArdioPulmonary BioImage Study (SCAPIS), including women 50-64 years of age. The women underwent comprehensive cardiovascular assessments and completed an extensive female-specific questionnaire. VMS was assessed on a 4-point scale. Subclinical ASCVD was detected via coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), computed tomography (CT), and carotid ultrasound. Study 2 is a sub-study of 65 postmenopausal women with VMS and low physical activity, randomized to either three days/week of an RTI or unchanged physical activity for 15 weeks. Women underwent anthropometric measurements, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and blood sampling at baseline and after 15 weeks. During the last followup contact in Study 2 after two years, 35 women agreed to attend an additional clinic visit to reevaluate cardiovascular risk markers, marking the inception of Study 3.

Results: Of 2995 women included in Study 1, 14.2% reported severe VMS (n = 425), 18.1% moderate VMS (n = 543), and 67.7% no or mild VMS (n = 2027). Current or previous severe VMS, but not moderate VMS, was significantly associated with CCTA-detected coronary atherosclerosis, with odds ratio (OR) before and after multivariable adjustment 1.36, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08 – 1.72 and 1.33, 95% CI 1.02 – 1.72, respectively. This association was only present for >5 years durations of severe VMS or when the onset of severe VMS occurred before menopause. Adjustment for menopausal hormone therapy strengthened the association for women with severe VMS >5 years (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.16 – 2.40). Women compliant with an RTI had compared to a control group (CG), decreased adiponectin (p < 0.01), ASAT (p < 0.01), VAT (p < 0.01), total abdominal adipose tissue (TAAT) (p < 0.01) and fat ratio (p <0.001). Furthermore, an RTI reduced moderate to severe VMS frequency to six months post-intervention compared to a CG, but did neither contribute to preserved cardiovascular health markers nor improved health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after two years compared to a CG.

Conclusions: There is a need for extra vigilance regarding cardiovascular risk factors in the group of women suffering from severe VMS. Implementing a 15-week RTI in these women could counteract the VAT redistribution and alter the frequency of moderate to severe VMS with maintained effects up to six months.

Konstnärliga uttryck är centrala för människan och har en potential att beröra oss. Vi kan ge­nom konsten uppleva sådant som vi inte själva har någon erfarenhet av, genom att någon skickligt har fångat en erfarenhet som levandegörs för en annan människa på scen, i ett musikstycke eller i ett konstverk. Att få uttrycka sig konstnärligt kan ta oss ännu närmare en djupare förståelse, för att skapandet är något sinnligt, något vi erfar både med våra kroppar och våra sinnen. Forskning visar att estetiska lärprocesser kan bidra med att skapa mening, att fördjupa och berika förståelsen för det som undervisas och att göra lärandet lustfyllt. Det kan också bidra med en större förståelse, för sig själv och för andra. Trots detta finns det en utveckling inom grundskola och gymnasium där de estetiska ämnena får allt mindre utrymme i läroplanen. Inom folkhögskolan däremot finns en stor mängd kurser i konstnärliga uttrycksformer och eftersom det inte finns någon centralt styrd läroplan finns förutsättningar att arbeta med konstnärliga uttryck på ett fritt sätt. Den här uppsatsen vill undersöka vad konstnärliga uttryck kan bidra med i undervisning på folkhögskola. 

Genom fallstudien som metod utforskas estetiska lärprocesser på en teaterlinje. Genom en deltagande observation av ett repetitionsarbete noteras hur läraren undervisar och i en djupintervju delar läraren med sig av sina erfarenheter av undervisning. Resultatet analyseras med hjälp av framför allt Biestas teorier om subjekttillblivelse. Resultatet visar att läraren erbjuder deltagarna motstånd, hon ställer frågor och borrar hela tiden vidare i vad som driver deras roller och vad de vill, vilket bidrar till en ökad förståelse, för karaktärerna, och för en annan människas livssituation. Hon drar deltagarna in i dialog med världen de möter. De får utrymme att själva formulera sig kring sina karaktärer, samtidigt som läraren driver arbetet framåt genom att utmana och stötta. Hon använder sig av vad Biesta benämner som avbrott, fördröjning och stöttning. I diskussionen diskuteras lärarens sätt att undervisa utifrån den teoretiska bakgrunden. Lärarens berättelse och observationen av repetitionsarbetet visar att hon leds av idéer om vilken slags undervisning som är hjälpsam för deltagarna i sitt praktiska pedagogiska arbete. 

The participation of older individuals in the labour market has increased as a result of recent demographic and societal shifts, as well as reforms of pension and social security systems. However, employment inequalities in late working life and labour market exit persist. Early exit from the labour market affects the sustainability of public finances and the availability of skilled labour, as well as the financial, social, mental, and physical well-being of individuals. So far, the literature on employment in late working life and labour market exit has mainly focused on individual choices. However, employment and exit in late working life are complex phenomena that depend on a variety of factors, such as individual life courses and labour market conditions. Based on Swedish register data, this thesis examines inequalities in employment and labour market exit among people aged 55 and over in Sweden, and the role of life course and age-related labour market disadvantages, including studies on: inequalities and diversity between gender and educational groups (Study 1); the relationship between mid-life labour market attachment and patterns of labour market exit (Study 2); age-related disadvantages in unemployment risk and re-employment chances (Study 3); and the link between older workers’ hiring chances and the characteristics and labour market conditions of employers (Study 4). Study 1 shows that employment trajectories, including the receipt of pension, unemployment and disability benefits, are structured by gender and education. While women tend to exit the labour market earlier than men and are more likely to receive disability benefits, men are more likely to move into self-employment or to receive unemployment benefits. Study 2 demonstrates that individuals with low labour market attachment early (at age 30) or late (at age 50-59) in their working careers are more likely to exit the labour market early, while low labour market attachment in mid-career (at age 40-49) is linked with later labour market exit. However, low labour market attachment in all career stages is associated with the receipt of work-related benefits in the year of labour market exit. Study 3 reveals that older workers (in their late 50s and early 60s) are less likely (compared with workers in their early 50s) to be wage-employed after a spell of unemployment, and more likely to become self-employed, to remain unemployed, to exit the labour market, or, if re-employed, to experience downward mobility (lower wage or part-time unemployment). Finally, Study 4 shows that the age and educational composition of employees, combined with the sectoral affiliation of employers and local labour market conditions, are directly related to the likelihood of hiring older workers. That is, older workers are more likely to be hired in establishments with a high share of older and low educated employees, in the health, education, transport and storage sectors, and in municipalities with a high share of older people of working age, a high unemployment rate, and a low share of unfilled vacancies. This thesis makes a unique contribution to the literature on inequalities and age-related disadvantages in late working life, as well as on policies to extend working life and tackle inequalities in old age. The overall conclusion is that the diversity of employment trajectories is socially structured and related to individuals’ employability, workability, and flexibility to change employment or exit from the labour market – structured by individual life courses and labour market conditions. Policies towards equal and prolonged working lives should focus on sustainable working conditions, lifelong learning, and discriminatory practices, not only in late working life but throughout the overall working life course.  

Purpose In this paper, the authors attempt to understand how labour market attachment during the ages of 30–59 influences individuals' transition out of the labour market. Design/methodology/approach Using high-quality Swedish register data, the authors follow individuals born in 1950 and observe their labour market attachment during mid-life and their exit from the labour market. Findings The authors find evidence that labour market attachment in different stages of the career is differently related to exit from the labour market. At the age of 30, as well as between the ages 50–59, low attachment is related with earlier exit from the labour market. On the contrary, low labour market attachment during the ages 40–49 is related with later exit from the labour market. However, regardless of age, lower labour market attachment increases the risk of work-related benefit receipt in the exit year. The authors also find evidence that gender, migration status and childhood socioeconomic disadvantages may represent obstacles to longer working lives, while high education is a consistent factor in avoiding early exit from the labour market. Originality/value This study provides insights on the link between labour market attachment in different stages of the career and the exit from the labour market as well as work-related benefits dependency in the year of exit.

Stockholms stad står i begrepp att uppdatera stadens miljöprogram, klimathandlingsplan och klimatbudget. I revideringen ska hänsyn tas till nya vetenskapliga rön om vad som krävs för att begränsa den globala upphettningen till 1,5°C samt till vad som anses rättvist utifrån stadens historiska utsläpp. Denna rapport bidrar med underlag för bedömningar av vad som kan anses vara Stockholms stads rättvisa bidrag till det globala klimatarbetet till år 2030. Syftet studeras med utgångspunkt i de senaste vetenskapliga rönen kring utsläppsbudgetar och klimaträttvisa samt erfarenheter från jämförbara städer.

Världens länder är enade i en strävan efter att begränsa den globala uppvärmningen till 1,5°C år 2100. Anledningen är enkel, en global uppvärmning som överstiger 1,5°C anses få svåröverblickbara konsekvenser, inte minst för fattiga och sårbara befolkningar, samt öka risken för att utlösa irreversibla återkopplingsmekanismer i klimatsystemet som leder till en kraftigt förstärkt klimatuppvärmning.

I rapportens första kapitel presenteras en översikt av det aktuella forskningsläget kring det förbrukade och kvarvarande utsläppsutrymmet för att begränsa upphettningen till 1,5°C. Även om osäkerheterna är stora är slutsatsen att det kvarvarande utsläppsutrymmet är begränsat mycket robust. För att ha en 67-procentig chans att begränsa ökningen av jordens medeltemperatur till 1,5°C högre än under förindustriell tid kan mänskligheten släppa ut cirka 400 miljarder ton koldioxid, förutsatt att utsläppen av andra viktiga växthusgaser som metan och lustgas kraftigt begränsas. Med utsläpp av koldioxid på 2020 års nivå är detta utsläppsutrymme slut runt år 2030.

Den globala, kollektiva ansträngning som behövs för att förhindra farlig mänsklig påverkan på klimatsystemet är oerhört utmanande. Målet om att begränsa uppvärmningen till 1,5°C skapar rambetingelser för världssamfundets kollektiva klimatarbete men besvarar inte frågan om ansvarsfördelning för att nå målet. Parisavtalet åberopar Klimatkonventionens svårtolkade princip om gemensamt men differentierat ansvar och uppmanar länderna att beskriva hur principen väglett ambitionsnivån i deras bidrag till det globala klimatarbetet. Eftersom Sverige omfattas av EU:s gemensamma åtagande gentemot FN är det inte möjligt för Stockholms stad att luta sig mot hur Sveriges regering vägletts av principen. Rapportens andra kapitel beskriver hur Klimatkonventionens rättviseprincip har tolkats i vetenskaplig litteratur, vilket sammanfattas i en lista med exempel på viktiga indikatorer för att beräkna ett ansvarsfullt och rättvist bidrag till det globala klimatarbetet. Framförallt behöver beslut fattas kring vilken typ av fördelningsmekanism som ska ligga till grund för ansvarstagande, utifrån: 1) hävdvunna rättigheter (grandfathering), 2) historiskt ansvar (förorenaren betalar), 3) förmånstagarens betalningsansvar, 4) allas lika rätt till utsläppsutrymme och 5) kapacitet att agera. Inom ramarna för dessa fördelningsmekanismer krävs en rad detaljerade beslut. Om exempelvis historiskt ansvar ska tillämpas för att fastställa ett klimatmål krävs att beslut bland annat fattas om ansvar ska stå i proportion till historiska utsläpp, hur långt bakåt i tiden ansvaret ska sträcka sig, vilka datakällor som ska användas för att beräkna ansvar samt vilken hänsyn som ska tas till ickelinjära samband i klimatsystemet. Utöver val av fördelningsmekanism(er) – och beslut kring de med mekanismerna associerade valen – krävs också en rad beslut om systemgränser för ansvarstagande, exempelvis kring hur osäkerheter i klimatvetenskapen ska hanteras och hur stort utrymme som får ges till att kompensera utsläpp av växthusgaser till atmosfären med återtag av koldioxid från atmosfären. Indikatorerna kan användas för att bygga olika modeller för en rättvis fördelning av utsläppsbudgeten för 1,5°C.

I det tredje kapitlet sammanställs hur klimatmål och klimatplaner i andra städer förhåller sig till klimaträttvisa. Denna del av rapporten är inriktad på en jämförelse av resonemang kring klimaträttvisa i Oslos och Göteborgs klimatplaner, det vill säga nordiska städer med liknande förutsättningar att agera som Stockholm. I båda fallen har städerna en högre klimatambition än nationellt. I exempelvis Göteborg ska utsläppen minska med 80 % till 2030 jämfört med 1990 i både den handlande och icke handlande sektorn, vilket kan jämföras med Sveriges nationella mål att minska utsläppen med minst 85 % till 2045 jämfört med 1990 och med 63 % i den icke handlande sektorn till 2030, också det jämfört med 1990. I Göteborg görs också bedömningen att utsläppsminskningstakten i staden bör överträffa den genomsnittliga minskningstakten som krävs globalt för att begränsa uppvärmningen till 1,5°C, annars kan Göteborg inte anses leva upp till Parisavtalet. Att Göteborg antagit mycket ambitiösa klimatmål för 2030 jämfört med Sverige och EU är tydligt, men vilka rättviseprinciper och fördelningsmekanismer som eventuellt informerat denna ambitionsnivå är otydligt. Oslos klimatplaner, som likt Göteborgs är betydligt mer ambitiösa än Norges nationella mål och med EU avtalade åtagande, präglas av likartad otydlighet i resonemang gällande klimaträttvisa.

Rapportens fjärde kapitel beskriver tre scenarion baserade på genomgången av litteratur kring hur Klimatkonventionens rättviseprincip kan tolkas och omsättas i praktiken. Om beräkningarna baseras på den totala utsläppsbudgeten för mänskligheten (från år 1850 och framåt) gäller det i samtliga fall att Sveriges och Stockholms utsläppsutrymme för längesedan är slut och att det finns en stor utsläppskuld. För att utsläppsutrymmet ska vara praktiskt möjligt att basera klimatpolitik på används det globala kvarvarande utsläppsutrymmet för att begränsa upphettningen till 1,5°C, specificerat ovan, för att konstruera scenarion. Det första scenariot använder fördelningsmekanismen förmånstagarens ansvar och det andra använder principen allas lika rätt till utsläpp. I scenariot baserat på förmånstagarens ansvar tilldelas Stockholm en utsläppskvot på mellan 10,8 och 12,0 miljoner ton koldioxid om principen baseras på ackumulerad BNP, eller mellan 6,75 och 6,92 miljoner ton koldioxid om beräkningarna baseras på Världsbankens (2021) uppskattning av totalt välstånd. I scenariot baserat på allas lika rätt till utsläpp tilldelas Stockholm en utsläppskvot på cirka 45 miljoner ton koldioxid. Det tredje scenariot baseras på kapacitet att agera och utgår istället från grunden, snarare än att på principbasis fördela ett globalt utsläppsutrymme. Tillvägagångssättet utgår från politiska ambitioner och tekniska möjligheter att minska utsläpp i kombination med att identifiera de utsläpp som kommer vara svåra att minska eller helt fasa ut. Denna metod står i skarp kontrast till grandfathering-principen, där inlåsningsmekanismer antas begränsa förmågan att agera, och tar i stället en framåtsyftande ansats och ser kapacitet som en möjlighet att agera. I detta scenario tilldelas Stockholm ett utsläppsutrymme på cirka 13 miljoner ton koldioxidekvivalenter i perioden 2020–2040.

Därefter följer ett kort kapitel med rekommendationer till Stockholms stad. Rekommendationerna baseras i sin tur på de slutsatser som dras i rapporten, vilka presenteras i rapportens sista kapitel. Fem rekommendationerna ges, baserade på förförståelsen att Stockholms stad, i sitt klimatarbete, vill ligga i linje med Parisavtalet:

1. Klimaträttvisa ska vägleda fördelningen av klimatansvar. Ett rättviseperspektiv bör därför genomsyra beslut om Stockholms stads klimatmål.
2. I avsaknad av politisk och vetenskaplig samstämmighet kring hur klimaträttvisa ska tolkas och omsättas i praktiken kan och bör Stockholms stad fatta egna beslut om hur rättviseperspektivet ska operationaliseras.
3. I enlighet med Parisavtalets transparensramverk bör Stockholms stad redovisa hur klimaträttvisa operationaliserats med hänsyn taget till de omständigheter som präglar Stockholms förutsättningar att agera.
4. I ansvarsutkrävande syfte bör Stockholms stad dessutom tydligt kommunicera geografiska, sektoriella och övriga systemgränser för ansvarstagandet.
5. Även om minskning av växthusgasutsläpp är prioriterat bör Stockholms stad också verka för att främja återtag av koldioxid från atmosfären inom Stockholms kommun, bland annat för att kompensera för utsläpp inom kommunen som är svåra att reducera och för att bidra till metod- och teknikutveckling i det globala klimatarbetet.

Cell-based therapy is considered as Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product, (ATMP), which had increasingly stricter regulations in the last decade. The cells must be produced according to the ‘Guidelines on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) specific to Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products’, adopted by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). A fully compliant autologous keratinocyte-based ATMP certified for clinical use remains an unmet challenge in Europe. This necessitates the development of a comprehensive bio-production workflow to tackle key technical bottlenecks along this procedure. On the other hand, adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs) hold promise as an effective alternative to primary keratinocytes in treating difficult-to-heal wounds, particularly for patients with extensive skin wounds. The overall aim of this thesis is to provide a bio-production workflow addressing the challenges associated with developing an autologous keratinocyte-based ATMP. Additionally, the thesis aims to elucidate the molecular and functional mechanisms that modulate the wound healing capabilities of keratinocytes and AD-MSCs. In papers I-III the bio-production procedure for an autologous keratinocyte-based ATMP to treat difficult-to-heal wounds was divided into 3 main stages; keratinocytes extraction, expansion, and transportation. Paper I validated the use of an animal-origin-free enzymatic workflow for the extraction of keratinocytes from the epidermis, compared to the classical workflow containing animal-derived products. Both workflows proved comparable in efficiency in terms of the final cell yield from skin samples, in addition to the purity and functionality of the keratinocytes following cultivation. This report confirms the feasibility of an entirely xeno-free workflow for acquiring GMP-compliant epidermal cells suitable for clinical application without altering key features of keratinocytes. Paper II evaluates an expansion approach for keratinocytes on three culture substrates (1) glass (2) conventional polystyrene (plastic) and (3) animal-derived collagen I ECM matrix. Keratinocytes cultured on glass showed better colonization and survival during the first 3 days of culture. Further molecular characterization revealed evidence of accelerated epidermal differentiation in keratinocytes cultured on glass. Henceforth, functional characterization revealed that glass enhanced the temporal angiogenic and migratory capabilities of keratinocytes. Our findings provided evidence that glass can be a promising substrate capable of supporting keratinocyte cultures, with enhanced wound repair characteristics favourable for transplantation applications. In paper III, we evaluated four candidate solutions for transporting keratinocytes in suspension at 4°C for 24h, namely (1) normal saline; (2) saline with 2.5% human serum albumin; (3) chemically defined, xenofree keratinocyte media; and (4) keratinocyte media with bovine pituitary extract. The tested conditions showed that 2.5% HSA preserved keratinocyte viability, colonization as well as phenotype. This study helped the research team to implement the use of human serum albumin as transportation solution for the proposed keratinocyte-ATMP approach. In paper IV, a direct co-culture model for human keratinocytes and AD-MSCs was proposed to investigate the ability of keratinocytes to enhance AD-MSCs’ differentiation toward the epidermal lineage. Furthermore, miRNA and protein content of human keratinocytes and AD-MSCs were analysed and bioinformatically analysed to identify possible regulations between differentially expressed miRNAs and proteins. This study predicted two potential miRNA-mediated gene regulations with strong implications in AD-MSCs-to-epidermal differentiation; the first was centred on epidermal growth factor (EGF) through miR-485-5p, miR-6765-5p and miR-4459. The second was the regulation of interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1α) by four isomers of miR-30-5p and miR-181a-5p. Paper V evaluates the regenerative potential of autologous AD-MSCs in-vivo using an excisional full-thickness porcine wound model. The data generated from miRNA and protein screening of AD-MSCs was re-analysed with a focus on possible regulations of AD-MCSs in wound healing. Our computational analyses predicted that miR-155 mediates multiple gene regulations of fibroblast growth factor 2 and 7, C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1. The predicted model was verified experimentally and revealed a positive regulation between miR-155 and the identified four factors. Each of these factors carries out key functions within the wound healing process including vascularization, inflammation, proliferation, and remodelling. In summary, the core of the work presented in this thesis provides a complete, in-vitro validated, and EMA-compliant bio-production procedure for autologous keratinocyte as an ATMP. We also presented novel miRNA-mediated epigenetic regulations in human keratinocytes and AD-MSCs. These models can serve as a valuable tool to develop novel hypotheses aiming to elucidate the biology of stem cell differentiation and wound healing. 

This study compares adult education systems in Sweden and Eritrea using a qualitative method based on document analysis. The research fills a gap in the literature by examining the similarities and differences in adult education policies of the two nations. The researcher will look for information on the purposes, legal bases and providers of adult education in Sweden and Eritrea before coming up with an explanation of the parallels and differences he discovered throughout his research. The study covers basic and upper secondary levels of adult education and uses relevant laws, regulations, legislation, and publications. The findings show that adult education is primarily used to foster civic competence, employable skills, and environmental awareness in both countries. However, there are differences between the two nations, such as Sweden's unique non-formal program called popular adult education and Eritrea's focus on literacy and life skills (Integrated functional adult education). Despite these differences, both countries view adult education as essential for fostering a democratic political culture. 

Bakgrund: Cancer drabbar årligen drygt 62 000 individer. Sjukdomen och behandlingar kan inskränka på fysisk funktionsförmåga och mental hälsa. Trots klarlagda positiva hälsoeffekter av fysisk aktivitet är det få individer som når den rekommenderade nivån. Det saknas forskning kring hur anpassad gruppträning inom friskvården kan påverka målgruppens fysiska aktivitetsförmåga.

Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva upplevelser och erfarenheter av att öka eller vidmakthålla fysisk aktivitet bland individer med cancerdiagnos under och efter deltagande i anpassad gruppträning inom friskvård. 

Metod: Studien var en kvalitativ semistrukturerad intervjustudie och data analyserades med manifest innehållsanalys utifrån en induktiv ansats. Sex informanter med erfarenhet av cancerdiagnos och deltagande i den anpassade gruppträningen intervjuades.

Resultat: Analysen resulterade i fyra huvudkategorier: relation mellan mående och att vara fysiskt aktiv, individens förhållningssätt och strategier för fysisk aktivitet, faktorer i omgivningen och vikten av en trygg och social miljö. 

Konklusion: Olika personliga faktorer och omgivningsfaktorer lyftes påverka förmågan till fysisk aktivitet. Den anpassade gruppträningen kan fungera som en brygga frånsjukvårdens rehabilitering till fysisk träning inom friskvården för vissa individer. Vidare forskning behövs för att belysa hur patienter med olika cancerdiagnoser och inställning till fysisk aktivitet i studiepopulationen kan påverka resultatet.

This thesis investigates how experienced preschool teachers integrate digital and analog tools in their teaching. The thesis focuses on so-called STEM teaching, where the subject areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics make up the content of integration. The thesis results are based on four studies where empirical material was generated from online surveys, interviews, and documentation of STEM teaching where preschool teachers used digital tools.  Article I reports an online survey study that aimed to describe how digital tablets are used to support preschool learning both in general, and with a particular focus on technology education. In Article II, which is a follow up of article I, preschool teachers’ implementation of programming activities in their pedagogical practice is investigated using an additional online survey. Article III, which is based on semi-structured interviews, presents a study on how experienced preschool teachers integrate digital tools when teaching science. In Article IV, the results from Study III are deepened through recall interviews and analyses of collected documentation of science activities. The overall results of the thesis show that preschool teachers handle the task of digitalizing preschool teaching by combining digital and analog tools to offer innovative and multidimensional teaching, where the curriculum’s fundamental values are in focus. For example, children’s perspectives, interests, and agency are brought to the fore by combining digital and analog tools to complement different ways of learning. Preschool teachers see analog resources as fundamental and digital tools as supplementary and reinforcing. In preschool science education, digital tools are purposefully used to expand an already multidimensional teaching and to offer different paths for creative explorations. New activities, such as programming, have also been introduced into practice using digital tools and are often described by teachers as a didactic tool for general education. The community of practice within which these committed teachers work is significant for how, and whether, digitalization initiatives are implemented. This is since routines and prevailing epistemological beliefs within the teachers’ working community influence what becomes possible to implement. The results of the thesis demonstrate how digitalized teaching can be used to push the boundaries of an already established multidimensional pedagogical practice within STEM when teachers have the knowledge, resources, and intentions for meaningful implementation. 

Over the last few years, electrically assisted cycling, e-biking, has increased substantially worldwide. Replacing car driving for individual journeys, especially commuting, is highlighted as important to mitigate climate change, improve public health, and reduce congestion and other unwanted consequences connected to the car. Car driving, how-ever, is still the overwhelmingly dominant mode of personal transport globally and the ‘system of automobility’ permeates the whole of soci-ety. Flexibility and autonomy are considered the main reasons for the car’s dominance (Urry 2004). By analysing interviews and diaries kept by e-bikers, collected in semi-urban and urban settings in Sweden, this art-icle aims to contribute to knowledge about emerging micromobility practices such as e-biking in relation to a transport system where flexi-bility is the norm. The results show that e-biking encompasses elements that give the practice potential to both recruit and retain practitioners. By successfully combining elements of conventional cycling and car driving, it offers reliability, convenience, and flexibility. E-biking facili-tates transforming a dull commute into leisure as the rider can enjoy the sensuous and reflective aspects of the journey. At the same time, through that squeezing of time, it does not challenge prevailing struc-tures but rather maintains the time-space of automobility

Effektiv lagerhantering är av yttersta vikt för tillverkningsföretag, vilket är avgörande för att upprätthålla ett smidigt produktionsflöde och bibehålla konkurrenskraften. Denna studie riktar sin uppmärksamhet mot en anläggning belägen i Hillerstorp som specialiserat sig på ytbehandling av metaldetaljer. Denna anläggning är en del av Proton Finishing Industripulver, ett företag med totalt sex anläggningar i Sverige. Uppsatsen riktar in sig på att identifiera och lösa problem relaterade till den interna logistiken och lagerhanteringen på anläggning. Syftet med studien är att analysera och identifiera de processteg som begränsar flödet och sedan föreslå förbättringsförslag för dessa och därigenom bidra till minskade kostnader och minskad ledtid på längre sikt. Detta uppnås genom att noggrant kartlägga de interna transporterna, interna processer och anläggningens layout för att påvisa eventuella ineffektiva arbetssätt. Målet är att identifiera och föreslå förbättringar för flödesbegränsande faktorer och därmed effektivisera lagerhanteringen i denna anläggning. För att uppnå detta syfte har studien använt sig av en kombination av observationer och intervjuer. Genom att involvera de anställda och sammanföra teoretiska koncept med praktiska exempel från den verkliga produktionsmiljön är vår övergripande ambition att öka anläggningens effektivitet genom att hantera det interna transporter på ett mer effektivt sätt. Brist på utrymme och trängsel vid ankomstkontrollen påverkar lagerarbetarnas arbete. Onödiga förflyttningar av material sker mellan lagerpunkter och produktionslinjerna vilket ger upphov till extra arbete inom den interna hanteringen. Spagettidiagram används som en visuell hjälp för att belysa detta problem. Varje produktionslinje står inför sina egna utmaningar och flaskhalsar. Kapacitetsbegränsningar, kvalitetskrav och omställningstider påverkar produktionen på olika sätt. Vi har utarbetat en rad konkreta förbättringsförslag som inkluderar en ny layout baserad på Lean principer. Dessa inkluderar eliminering av onödiga rörelser och smart organisation av arbetsområden. Studien visar att några av maskinerna vid produktionslinjerna behöver bli mer effektiva, dessa kan effektiviseras med hjälp av optimering. Ett nytt layoutförslag tas fram med hjälp av Lean principer, detta kan förenkla hanteringen av artiklar och därmed effektivisera de interna transporterna. För att jämna ut flödet och minska slöseri introduceras också Kanban-kort för ett av flödena i anläggningen.

The complex orbifold structure of the moduli space of Riemann surfaces of genus g (g≥2) produces a stratification into complex subvarieties named equisymmetric strata. Each equisymmetric stratum is formed by the surfaces where the group of automorphisms acts in a topologically equivalent way. The Riemann surfaces in the equisymmetric strata of dimension one are of two structurally different types. Type 1 equisymmetric strata correspond to Riemann surfaces where the group of automorphisms produces a quotient surface of genus zero, while those of Type 2 appear when such a quotient is a surface of genus one. Type 1 equisymmetric strata have been extensively studied by the authors of the present work in a previous recent paper, we now focus on Type 2 strata. We first establish the existence of such strata and their frequency of occurrence in moduli spaces. As a main result we obtain a complete description of Type 2 strata as coverings of the sphere branched over three points (Belyi curves) and where certain isolated points (punctures) have to be eliminated. Finally, we study in detail the doubly infinite family of Type 2 strata whose automorphism groups have order the product of two primes.

In todays complex society many companies have large and complex workflows which may involve several different tools. This report will look into the workflow of a big programming company, from when a mistake is found in the code until it has been corrected and see how the workflow can be improved.

In the wake of declining student performance and interest in science education, efforts to improve the quality of science teaching have intensified, including physics education. A recurring proposal to improve physics teaching is the use of formative assessment. Policy reforms tend to view the implementation of formative assessment as easy, but studies indicate that integrating these strategies into teachers’ practices can be challenging.  

Using a phenomenological approach and hermeneutic reflections, the present study explores the opportunities and challenges that teachers’ and students’ experience when implementing formative assessments in the physics classroom. For example, teachers may encounter resistance from their students and colleagues with different expectations of physics teaching, limiting teachers’ opportunities to ‘break free’ from established traditions. However, the study also highlights opportunities for physics teachers to evolve by taking risks and embracing formative assessment as an overarching learning assessment approach.  

Furthermore, the present study confirms the results of previous research indicating that students may see assessment rubrics in a positive light as their use can clarify teachers’ expectations and reduce uncertainty in this regard. However, the results of the present study also show that students may approach rubrics only as mechanical and strategic tools to obtain their desired grades, which risks conveying the message to students that physics knowledge is quantitative in nature. The students’ experiences also demonstrated that the use of rubrics could cause stress and anxiety, limiting the formative potential of rubrics. 

The results of the study are discussed in relation to the support that teachers and students need in implementing formative assessment and rubric use, and they have implications for teachers’ assessment literacy, including their ability to implement formative assessments in relation to different purposes of physics teaching. One conclusion is that teachers’ and students’ lived experiences of formative assessment and rubric use need to be understood in relation to the wider context of their lifeworlds, which is marked by an increased focus on performance and results. This is crucial so that teachers and students would not be portrayed as the problems when investments in formative assessment do not meet expectations. 

In this degree project, I have explored how the upholsterer’s knowledge of textile design and craftsmanship can be used to update the product chair covers.

My goal was to design, develop and manufacture prototypes of chair covers for the chair NON, designed by Komplot Design for Källemo. I sought answers to the question how chair covers can change the experience and relevance of the chair.

The project was carried out with an exploratory working method where I tested different solutions to finally decide on four different products. I used the three aspects of ergonomics, aesthetics and function as a framework for the project and delved into these aspects through research in literature, internet and conversations.

Syftet med studien är att analysera det handlingsutrymme som skolkuratorer anser sig ha i deras arbete med elever som utsätts för eller riskerar att utsättas för hedersrelaterat våld och förtryck i skolan. För att samla in data användes semistrukturerade intervjuer med sju skolkuratorer i Sverige. Intervjuerna handlade om skolkuratorernas beskrivningar av svårigheter och deras möjligheter att hjälpa och stötta elever. Utifrån en tematisk analys identifierades fyra teman som jag sedan har analyserat med hjälp av det som jag har inhämtat från tidigare forskning samt Michael Lipskys teori om gräsrotsbyråkrater och handlingsutrymme.

Resultaten i studien visade att alla skolkuratorer beskriver sitt handlingsutrymme som stort och fritt men i praktiken är det mycket mer komplicerat än så. Studien visar att detta beror på att deras handlingsutrymme kan begränsas av tid, vårdnadshavare, elever, lärare eller i samarbetet med socialtjänsten. Bristen på tydliga arbetsbeskrivningar kan dessutom påverka deras möjligheter att agera i situationer som rör hedersrelaterat våld och förtryck. Resultaten i studien visar också att deras handlingsutrymme ligger i att stödja elever genom att bland annat validera deras känslor, bekräfta dem och ge vägledning om var man kan söka hjälp. Trots detta kan skolkuratorer möta på svårigheter i sitt arbete med hedersrelaterat våld och förtryck. Exempel på dessa svårigheter inkluderar att veta när man ska göra en orosanmälan, rädsla för att förvärra situationen för eleven, svårigheter att nå fram till elever och hjälpa dem att förstå och reflektera över sin egen situation samt svårigheten med att upptäcka problematiken från första början. Dessa svårigheter har en påverkan på deras förmåga att hjälpa och stödja elever på ett effektivt sätt.

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the entire gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth down to the rectum. The disease is progressive and involves flare-ups of symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, weight loss, fever, and fatigue. The exact pathophysiological cause is unclear but is believed to be related to various factors, including genetic, environmental, and immunological factors. It is known that individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) express a higher population of mast cells and eosinophils in the intestinal submucosa, which can cause diverse symptoms. Histamine-4 receptors are G-protein-coupled receptors that play a key role in mediating inflammatory responses and are involved in immune cell migration to inflamed tissues.

The aim of the project is to study the expression of the histamine receptor H4 on eosinophil granulocytes and mast cells in inflamed intestinal tissue from patients with CD. Sixteen patients participated, including 8 with CD and 8 control patients who underwent surgery for colon cancer. The expression of eosinophils, mast cells, and histamine-4 receptors was studied using immunohistochemical methods.

The results show statistically significant differences between the patient and control groups in terms of the number of eosinophils and mast cells, with a p-value <0.05. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of un-stained cells expressing histamine-4 receptors, eosinophils and/or mast cells expressing the receptor.

In conclusion, there is a need to further study this area with larger sample sizes and possibly improved methods to arrive at conclusive findings.