One fifth of Sweden's children growing up have under their childhood had at least one parent who had an alcohol use disorder. Children are individually affected in different ways by the circumstances of their upbringing and it is not something that is always apparent to those outside the family circle.  It becomes a dilemma when these children's voices aren't heard. Another compounding factor can be an absence of social support and intervention often carried out by social workers. Social programs adapted to these children’s situation can help break the silence and reach the individuals hiding behind the masks put on to shield off the world outside. We were interested how individuals who had been subjected to having a parent with an alcohol disorder described their experiences and how they felt they had been affected by that circumstance. We wanted to leverage this to reach a deeper understanding of how to better support children living with this situation. This formed the purpose of the of this study and gave rise to the questions investigated. The method employed to conduct the study was a thematic analysis on six swedish autobiographies within this framework. After the autobiographies had been read, four different themes to further investigate emerged: escape from reality, consequences embodied as adults, socioeconomic situation, and relevant social work. Analyses showed that the authors were affected by difficult childhoods impacted by parental alcohol use disorders in a multitude of different ways.  By example, they devised different methods to flee their predicament as children. The results also showed these children could be found in different types of homes and strata across the spectrum of socioeconomic statuses. The now grown children also believed that their childhoods would have been improved if they had had more caring, secure adults in their vicinity to their lives otherwise filled with chaos.

Organic coatings are extensively used as protective coatings in several industries including the automotive and aircraft industries. The last few years have witnessed an increased interest in improving not only the mechanical properties but also the corrosion protection properties of organic coatings. Among the currently investigated methods of improving the performance of organic coatings is the incorporation of additives in the organic paint matrix. Vapor grown carbon nanofibers (VGCNFs) are a class of carbon fibers that are produced by catalytic dehydrogenation of a hydrocarbon at high temperatures. Depending on the method of synthesis and the post-treatment processes, the diameter of the VGCNFs is normally in the 10-300 nm range. The small size, light weight, high aspect ratio, and unique physical, thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties of VGCNF make it an ideal reinforcing filler in polymer matrix nanocomposites to enhance the mechanical properties of the pure polymeric material in high performance applications in several industries such as the automotive, aircraft, battery, sensors, catalysis, electronics, and sports industries. The main objective of the current investigation was to study the corrosion protection offered by the incorporation of VGCNFs into a commercial alkyd paint matrix applied to the surface of mild steel coupons. The corrosion protection was investigated by immersing samples in air saturated 3% NaCl solution (artificial seawater). The samples were studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) along with other measurements, including electrochemical (open circuit potential, cyclic voltammetry), chemical (salt spray test), electrical conductivity, and surface analysis (SEM, AFM, optical profilometry, and nanoindentation). The study involved the investigation of the effect of the weight percent (wt %) of the VGCNF as well as the coating film thickness on the corrosion protection performance of the coated steel samples when exposed to the corrosive electrolyte. By way of contrast, the EIS behavior of steel coupons coated with a paint coating incorporating different weight percents of powdered silicon carbide (SiC) particles was also studied. The EIS spectra were used to calculated and graph several corrosion parameters for the investigated systems. At the end, the studied coatings were ranked in order of their anticorrosive properties.

Denna studie undersöker potentialen för frodvuxen gran (Picea abies) som isoleringsmaterial i historiska byggnader, med syftet att utvärdera sambandet mellan densitet och värmeledningsförmåga. Bakgrunden till studien ligger i behovet av hållbara och effektiva isoleringsmaterial som kan användas för att förbättra energiprestandan i byggnader samtidigt som de bevarar deras historiska karaktär och estetiska värde. Frodvuxen gran har växt snabbt vilket lett till en lägre densitet än lägsta värdet som finns att tillgå i den svenska standarden för olika materials värmeledningsförmågor.  Metodologin innefattade både laboratorieanalyser och fältstudier. I laboratoriedelen användes ett hot-disk instrument för att mäta värmeledningsförmåga sedan beräknades densitet och fuktkvot. Fältstudierna genomfördes för att identifiera praktiska tillämpningar och utmaningar vid användning av frodvuxen gran som konstruktionsmaterial. Dessa studier omfattade inspektioner av byggnader uppförda med frodvuxen gran och intervju med ansvarig för uppförandet av dessa byggnader för att utreda dess potentiella funktion som konstruktionsmaterial.  Huvudresultaten från laboratorieanalyserna visade ett starkt samband mellan densitet och värmeledningsförmåga, vilket indikerar att frodvuxen gran med sin lägre densitet har förbättrade isoleringsegenskaper jämfört med senvuxen gran. Fältstudierna bekräftade att frodvuxen gran kan användas som konstruktionsmaterial i byggnader, men pekade också på dess benägenhet till större rörelser vid uttorkning vilket dock går att räkna på för att undvika att problem uppstår vid torkning.  Slutsatserna visar att frodvuxen gran kan vara ett värdefullt tillskott till befintliga isoleringsmaterial tack vare dess förbättrade isoleringsförmåga. Studien rekommenderar vidare forskning för att undersöka långsiktiga nedbrytningseffekter och materialets fuktegenskaper, vilket är avgörande för dess praktiska användning i byggnader. Vidare bör forskningen även studera frodvuxen grans förmåga som putsbärare, både för ler- och kalkbruk, för att utreda virkets kompatibilitet med dessa material. / This study investigates the potential of fast-grown spruce (Picea abies) as an insulation material in historic buildings, aiming to evaluate the relationship between density and thermal conductivity. The background of the study lies in the need for sustainable and efficient insulation materials that can be used to improve the energy performance of buildings while preserving their historical character and aesthetic value. Fast-grown spruce has a lower density then the lowest available in the Swedish standard for materials heat conductivity.  The methodology included both laboratory analyses and field studies. In the laboratory part, a hot-disk instrument was used to measure thermal conductivity, followed by calculations of density and moisture content. The field studies were conducted to identify practical applications and challenges in using fast-grown spruce as a construction material. These studies involved inspections of buildings constructed with fast-grown spruce and interviews with those responsible for their construction to investigate its potential functionality as a construction material.  The main results from the laboratory analyses showed a strong correlation between density and thermal conductivity, indicating that fast-grown spruce, with its lower density, has improved insulation properties compared to slow-grown spruce. The field studies confirmed that fast-grown spruce can be used as a construction material in buildings, but also pointed out its tendency to exhibit greater movement during drying, which can be accounted for to prevent issues during the drying process.  The conclusions suggest that fast-grown spruce can be a valuable addition to existing insulation materials due to its improved insulation performance. The study recommends further research to examine long-term degradation effects and the material's moisture properties, which are critical for its practical use in buildings. Additionally, further research should investigate the ability of fast-grown spruce to serve as a substrate for plaster, both for clay and lime-based plasters, to determine the wood's compatibility with these materials.

This study was conducted in order to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon of drug trafficking with specific reference as to how South African drug mules are used in crossborder drug smuggling. Through media analysis, semi-structured interviews with drug trafficking experts and a literature study the researcher was able to make findings and recommendations as per the objectives of the study. The objectives of the study included examining how drug mules smuggle drugs across South African borders; what role drug mules play in drug trafficking syndicates and the motivations and reasons why South Africans are increasingly being recruited as drug mules. The researcher also attempted to determine the nature and extent of the drug demand supply in and to South Africa. By making the deduction that drug demand and drug supply are interrelated the researcher was ultimately able to conclude that drug mules will continue to engage in drug smuggling as long as there is a demand for drugs and readily available drug supply routes to and from a county. From the media reports analysed cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin were the drugs most smuggled by South African drug mules. It is also clear from the media reports that cocaine and methamphetamine are smuggled in the largest quantities by South African drug mules. The quantities of heroin found in the possession of South African drug mules were insignificantly small. This contradicts treatment centre data analysed that indicated heroin and methamphetamine users were almost double in numbers in comparison to cocaine users being treated at centres. Most South African drug mules are used to smuggle drugs to the cocaine markets in Europe and South Africa; the cannabis/marijuana (herb) market in Europe; the cannabis (resin) hashish market in Canada and the United States of America; the crystal methamphetamine market in the Far East (largely Japan and Korea) and the heroin market in South Africa. Using criminology theories as a basis, the researcher attempted to describe why people are vulnerable to being recruited as drug mules. Findings concluded that structural factors such as poverty and unemployment and substance abuse-related problems, particularly in marginalised and disadvantaged communities, all contribute to South Africans becoming drug mules. Recommendations by the researcher focused on identifying specific vulnerabilities associated with drug mule recruiting and its consideration in legislation relating to drug trafficking in South Africa. The recommendations focus on the specific prosecution of drug abusers, drug mules, drug distributors and drug mule recruiters. Lastly it is projected by the researcher that the drug demand in South Africa will continue to increase if the drug supply routes and drug smuggling operations by syndicates are not addressed more firmly / Criminology / M.A. (Criminology)

This study was conducted in order to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon of drug trafficking with specific reference as to how South African drug mules are used in crossborder drug smuggling. Through media analysis, semi-structured interviews with drug trafficking experts and a literature study the researcher was able to make findings and recommendations as per the objectives of the study. The objectives of the study included examining how drug mules smuggle drugs across South African borders; what role drug mules play in drug trafficking syndicates and the motivations and reasons why South Africans are increasingly being recruited as drug mules. The researcher also attempted to determine the nature and extent of the drug demand supply in and to South Africa. By making the deduction that drug demand and drug supply are interrelated the researcher was ultimately able to conclude that drug mules will continue to engage in drug smuggling as long as there is a demand for drugs and readily available drug supply routes to and from a county. From the media reports analysed cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin were the drugs most smuggled by South African drug mules. It is also clear from the media reports that cocaine and methamphetamine are smuggled in the largest quantities by South African drug mules. The quantities of heroin found in the possession of South African drug mules were insignificantly small. This contradicts treatment centre data analysed that indicated heroin and methamphetamine users were almost double in numbers in comparison to cocaine users being treated at centres. Most South African drug mules are used to smuggle drugs to the cocaine markets in Europe and South Africa; the cannabis/marijuana (herb) market in Europe; the cannabis (resin) hashish market in Canada and the United States of America; the crystal methamphetamine market in the Far East (largely Japan and Korea) and the heroin market in South Africa. Using criminology theories as a basis, the researcher attempted to describe why people are vulnerable to being recruited as drug mules. Findings concluded that structural factors such as poverty and unemployment and substance abuse-related problems, particularly in marginalised and disadvantaged communities, all contribute to South Africans becoming drug mules. Recommendations by the researcher focused on identifying specific vulnerabilities associated with drug mule recruiting and its consideration in legislation relating to drug trafficking in South Africa. The recommendations focus on the specific prosecution of drug abusers, drug mules, drug distributors and drug mule recruiters. Lastly it is projected by the researcher that the drug demand in South Africa will continue to increase if the drug supply routes and drug smuggling operations by syndicates are not addressed more firmly / Criminology and Security Science / M. A. (Criminology)

本論文以近年歐盟會員國境內之孤狼恐怖攻擊趨勢出發，分析歐盟因應孤狼恐怖主義威脅所制定之反恐政策，同時評估歐盟反恐政策之內外反恐成效，藉此檢視孤狼恐怖主義與歐盟反恐政策之因果關係。孤狼恐怖主義緣起於美國「無領袖反抗運動」與「暴力激進化」，並透過「全球伊斯蘭反抗運動」與「外國恐怖主義戰士」成為歐盟內部安全之威脅來源；而歐盟反恐政策之決策機構與執行機關，業已透過戰略方針與行動計畫等歐盟反恐法律文件，對內建立合作機制與輔助工具等內部反恐網絡，藉此強化歐盟與歐盟會員國之間的警察合作、司法合作、資訊與情報交換合作、以及邊境安全合作；對外則透過國際協定形式，與重要第三國以及國際組織建構外部反恐網絡，以雙邊與多邊反恐合作形式強化歐盟反恐能量。本論文亦以四起孤狼恐怖攻擊個案分析歐盟會員國層級之反恐措施，分析近年歐盟孤狼恐怖主義之現況與趨勢。 本論文發現，歐盟孤狼恐怖主義來自「聖戰恐怖主義」、「本土恐怖主義」、與「外國恐怖主義戰士」等三種威脅，而歐盟近年因應孤狼恐怖主義威脅之反恐政策與措施，已朝向2005年11月30日歐盟部長理事會《歐盟反恐政策》四大反恐戰略的「預防」層面發展，並以外國恐怖主義戰士為重要反恐目標；此外，歐盟除了著手打擊「激進化」與「暴力極端主義」等導致孤狼恐怖主義之根本原因原因外，亦持續因應敘利亞與伊拉克等衝突地區之「返國外國恐怖主義戰士」所帶來的後伊斯蘭國時代孤狼恐怖主義威脅。 / With the trend of lone-wolf terrorism in member states of the European Union, the thesis analyzes EU’s policy to counter threat from lone-wolf terrorism and also evaluates internal and external effectiveness of EU’s counter-terrorism policy, in an attempt to examine the correlation between lone-wolf terrorism and EU’s counter-terrorism policy. Lone-wolf terrorism originated in the United States from the “Leaderless Resistance” and “Violent Extremism” and further threatened EU’s internal security via “Global Islamic Resistance Movement” and “Foreign Terrorist Fighters.” The decision-making as well as the executing agencies of EU’s counter-terrorism policy has established mechanisms of cooperation and policy toolkits for internal counter-terrorism network by means of EU’s legal documents of counter-terrorism, strategic guidelines and implementing programs included, in order to consolidate cooperation of police, justice, exchange of communication and intelligence, as well as border security between EU and member states. Meanwhile, EU has also been constructing its external counter-terrorism network with bilateral and multilateral agreements with third states and international organizations of importance. The thesis also offers four case studies of lone-wolf terrorist attacks of EU’s member states to analyze conditions and trends of lone-wolf terrorism in EU. The thesis concludes that “Jihadist terrorism,” “Home-grown Terrorism,” and “Foreign Terrorist Fighters” are the three main types of threat of lone-wolf terrorism in EU, and that EU counter-terrorism policy has been developing strategy of “prevention”, one of which stated in “EU’s Counter-terrorism Strategies” of November 30th, 2005, by Council of the European Union, and considering foreign terrorist fighters as its main target. Additionally, EU has been countering not only root causes of lone-wolf terrorism, such as “radicalisation” and “violent extremism,” but also future threats from “Returning Foreign Terrorists Fighters” heading back home from Syria and Iraq in the Era of Post-Islamic State.

Le nombre d'adultes porteurs de cardiopathies congénitales, de plus en plus sévères est constante progression. A moyen voire long terme certain d’entre eux posent des problèmes d’insuffisance cardiaque et de troubles du rythme parfois létaux. La physiologie de ces complications est multi factorielle et s’écarte souvent des schémas habituels. L’asynchronisme ventriculaire présentent chez un nombre important d’entre eux est connu pour favoriser un remodelage ventriculaire conduisant à l’insuffisance cardiaque sur cœur sain.Dans ce travail en couplant données expérimentales animales et études cliniques, nous avons étudié : 1) l’impact aigu puis chronique de la resynchronisation biventriculaire sur un modèle animal d’insuffisance cardiaque droite mimant la tétralogie de Fallot et sur une population de patients ; 2) le rôle et la conséquence d’une stimulation conventionnelle sur une physiologie de ventricule droit systémique ; 3) l’effet délétère de la stimulation VD prolongée sur un modèle de cœur animal en cours de développement.Nous avons appris que 1) la resynchronisation biventriculaire permet un bénéfice hémodynamique significatif chez l’animal mais aussi sur une population de Fallot implantées ; 2) que l’asynchronisme généré par la stimulation conventionnelle est délétère pour la fonction du ventricule systémique mais aussi pour le cœur de l’enfant en cours développement. La resynchronisation est un traitement prometteur pour traiter l’insuffisance cardiaque mais pourrait aussi l’être pour en prévenir sa survenue. De nouvelles techniques d’implantation nous permettent aujourd’hui d’implanter des patients qui présentent beaucoup d’obstacles anatomiques et d’éviter nombre de complications grave de la stimulation. / The number of adults with severe congenital heart disease is constantly growing. At medium to long-term follow up, these patients may present with heart failure or conduction disorders, which may lead to death. The pathophysiology and clinical course of these complications is multi-factorial and may be different from that in patients without congenital heart disease. In normal hearts, electromechanical dyssynchrony is known to induce ventricular remodeling and heart failure. Ventricular asynchrony is also present in a substantial number of adults with congenital heart disease. In this study, we combined animal experiments and clinical studies to investigate: 1) the acute and chronic effect of biventricular resynchronization therapy on cardiac function in an animal model mimicking right ventricular heart failure in Tetralogy of Fallot, as well as in patients with Tetralogy of Fallot; 2) the consequences of conventional ventricular pacing in patients with ‘systemic right ventricle physiology’; 3) the effects of chronic right ventricular pacing in an animal model of the developing heart.We found that: 1) biventricular resynchronization induces significant hemodynamic benefit in the animal model of Tetralogy of Fallot as well as in Fallot patients; 2) ventricular asynchrony induced by conventional ventricular pacing is deleterious to the function of the systemic right ventricle; 3) chronic right ventricular pacing is harmful to the developing (pediatric) heart with normal biventricular anatomy. Cardiac resynchronization therapy is promising as a treatment for heart failure, but may also prevent heart failure. Nowadays, new implantation techniques allow us to implant pacing devices in patients with limited anatomical access due to prior surgery and help to avoid numerous severe complications of conventional pacing therapy

A new method, probability distribution of diffusivities (time scaled square displacements between succeeding video frames), was developed to analyze single molecule tracking (SMT) experiments. This method was then applied to SMT experiments on ultrathin liquid tetrakis(2-ethylhexoxy)silane (TEHOS) films on Si wafer with 100 nm thermally grown oxide, and on thin semectic liquid crystal films. Spatial maps of diffusivities from SMT experiments on 220 nm thick semectic liquid crystal films reveal structure related dynamics. The SMT experiments on ultrathin TEHOS films were complemented by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). The observed strongly heterogeneous single molecule dynamics within those films can be explained by a three-layer model consisting of (i) dye molecules adsorbed to the substrate, (ii) slowly diffusing molecules in the laterally heterogeneous near-surface region of 1 - 2 molecular diameters, and (iii) freely diffusing dye molecules in the upper region of the film. FCS and SMT experiments reveal a strong influence of substrate heterogeneity on SM dynamics. Thereby chemisorption to substrate surface silanols plays an important role. Vertical mean first passage times (mfpt) in those films are below 1 µs. This appears as fast component in FCS autocorrelation curves, which further contain a contribution from lateral diffusion and from adsorption events. Therefore, the FCS curves are approximated by a tri-component function, which contains an exponential term related to the mfpt, the correlation function for translational diffusion and a stretched exponential term for the broad distribution of adsorption events. Lateral diffusion coefficients obtained by FCS on 10 nm thick TEHOS films, thereby, are effective diffusion coefficients from dye transients in the focal area. They strongly depend on the substrate heterogeneity. Variation of the frame times for the acquisition of SMT experiments in steps of 20 ms from 20 ms to 200 ms revealed a strong dependence of the corresponding probability distributions of diffusivities on time, in particular in the range between 20 ms and 100 ms. This points to average dwell times of the dye molecules in at least one type of the heterogeneous regions (e.g. on and above silanol clusters) in the range of few tens of milliseconds. Furthermore, time series of SM spectra from Nile Red in 25 nm thick poly-n-alkyl-methacrylate (PnAMA) films were studied. In analogy to translational diffusion, spectral diffusion (shifts in energetic positions of SM spectra) can be studied by probability distributions of spectral diffusivities, i.e. time scaled square energetic displacements. Simulations were run and analyzed to study contributions from noise and fitting uncertainty to spectral diffusion. Furthermore the effect of spectral jumps during acquisition of a SM spectrum was investigated. Probability distributions of spectral diffusivites of Nile Red probing vitreous PnAMA films reveal a two-level system. In contrast, such probability distributions obtained from Nile Red within a 25 nm thick poly-n-butylmethacrylate film around glass transition and in the melt state, display larger spectral jumps. Moreover, for longer alkyl side chains a solvent shift to higher energies is observed, which supports the idea of nanophase separation within those polymers.

A new method, probability distribution of diffusivities (time scaled square displacements between succeeding video frames), was developed to analyze single molecule tracking (SMT) experiments. This method was then applied to SMT experiments on ultrathin liquid tetrakis(2-ethylhexoxy)silane (TEHOS) films on Si wafer with 100 nm thermally grown oxide, and on thin semectic liquid crystal films. Spatial maps of diffusivities from SMT experiments on 220 nm thick semectic liquid crystal films reveal structure related dynamics. The SMT experiments on ultrathin TEHOS films were complemented by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). The observed strongly heterogeneous single molecule dynamics within those films can be explained by a three-layer model consisting of (i) dye molecules adsorbed to the substrate, (ii) slowly diffusing molecules in the laterally heterogeneous near-surface region of 1 - 2 molecular diameters, and (iii) freely diffusing dye molecules in the upper region of the film. FCS and SMT experiments reveal a strong influence of substrate heterogeneity on SM dynamics. Thereby chemisorption to substrate surface silanols plays an important role. Vertical mean first passage times (mfpt) in those films are below 1 µs. This appears as fast component in FCS autocorrelation curves, which further contain a contribution from lateral diffusion and from adsorption events. Therefore, the FCS curves are approximated by a tri-component function, which contains an exponential term related to the mfpt, the correlation function for translational diffusion and a stretched exponential term for the broad distribution of adsorption events. Lateral diffusion coefficients obtained by FCS on 10 nm thick TEHOS films, thereby, are effective diffusion coefficients from dye transients in the focal area. They strongly depend on the substrate heterogeneity. Variation of the frame times for the acquisition of SMT experiments in steps of 20 ms from 20 ms to 200 ms revealed a strong dependence of the corresponding probability distributions of diffusivities on time, in particular in the range between 20 ms and 100 ms. This points to average dwell times of the dye molecules in at least one type of the heterogeneous regions (e.g. on and above silanol clusters) in the range of few tens of milliseconds. Furthermore, time series of SM spectra from Nile Red in 25 nm thick poly-n-alkyl-methacrylate (PnAMA) films were studied. In analogy to translational diffusion, spectral diffusion (shifts in energetic positions of SM spectra) can be studied by probability distributions of spectral diffusivities, i.e. time scaled square energetic displacements. Simulations were run and analyzed to study contributions from noise and fitting uncertainty to spectral diffusion. Furthermore the effect of spectral jumps during acquisition of a SM spectrum was investigated. Probability distributions of spectral diffusivites of Nile Red probing vitreous PnAMA films reveal a two-level system. In contrast, such probability distributions obtained from Nile Red within a 25 nm thick poly-n-butylmethacrylate film around glass transition and in the melt state, display larger spectral jumps. Moreover, for longer alkyl side chains a solvent shift to higher energies is observed, which supports the idea of nanophase separation within those polymers.

In the stories of olden times and in those of our own American Indians, we learned of the picture writing of primitive peoples. It became an early method of recording people's thoughts. This was a very useful method at a time when the race was young. This in turn was the beginning of our alphabet, later the beginning of shaping letters into words, and then word into sentences and paragraphs. As our world has grown older, new idea have come into use and we are no longer content to live as our grandparents lived. We travel by fast express trains, high powered auto- mobiles, airplanes, or zeppelins. The radio gives us the news before our papers containing it are on the street. are not able to talk with people on the other side of the world. Business men find this a very valuable means of doing business when time means money. The motion pictures bring us the story of the book we have not had time to read and the characters from its pages talk to us from the screen. In short, we must have quicker ways of doing things.