Syfte: Att jämföra patientens totala stråldos och undersökningstid från metoderna konventionell röntgen och genomlysning vid undersökningen belastade knän med artrosfrågeställning. Metod: Datainsamlingen utfördes genom att det delades ut dosprotokoll där röntgensjuksköterskorna på röntgenavdelningen fick skriva upp stråldoser och undersökningstid. Datainsamlingen gjordes under en fyraveckorsperiod på ett medelstort sjukhus i Sverige. Datainsamlingen jämfördes genom en hypotesprövning där det utfördes ett Mann-Whitney U-test med en signifikansnivå på fem procent för att se om nollhypotesen (ingen skillnad i stråldos eller tid) höll. Resultat: Studiens nollhypotes för stråldoserna förkastades som hade medelvärdet 444,37 mGycm² (genomlysning) och 212,24 mGycm² (konventionell röntgen). Nollhypotesen för undersökningstiderna förkastades också som hade medelvärdena 5,08 minuter (genomlysning) och 8,48 minuter (konventionell röntgen). Signifikansnivån för båda faktorerna var lägre än 0,001 och därför behölls mothypoteserna att det fanns en skillnad mellan modaliteterna. Slutsats: Studiens resultat visade att konventionell röntgen är den bäst lämpade metoden att använda stråldosmässigt medan genomlysningen är bäst lämpad tidsmässigt. Vilken metod som är lämpligast att använda som standard beror på olika faktorer som stråldos, undersökningstid, bildkvalité och ergonomi. Därför behövs det fler studier för att kunna sammanställa vilken metod som är bäst att använda för alla dessa faktorer. / Purpose:  To compare the patient's total radiation dose and the examination time from the methods conventional radiography and fluoroscopy during the examination congested knees with osteoarthritis issue. Method:  Data was collected by handing a dose protocol in which the radiographers in the radiology department were asked to write down the doses of radiation and the examination time. Data was collected over a period of four weeks in a medium-sized hospital in Sweden. The data collection was compared by one-tail test where a Mann-Whitney U-test was performed with a significant level of five percent to see if the null hypothesis (no difference in the radiation dose or time) was obtained. Results:  The study's null hypothesis regarding radiation doses was rejected due to that an average of 444.37 mGycm² (fluoroscopy) and 212.24 mGycm² (conventional radiography) was obtained. The study’s null hypothesis regarding the examination times had an average of 5.08 minutes (fluoroscopy) and 8.48 minutes (conventional radiography). As significant levels of both factors was less than 0.001 the alternative hypothesis was retained due to a difference between the modalities. Conclusion:  The study results showed that conventional radiography is the most appropriate method to use regarding radiation dose rate while fluoroscopy is best suited in terms of time. Witch method is most appropriate to use as a standard depends on various factors such as radiation dose, examination time, image quality and ergonomics. Therefore further studies is suggested to compile which method is best to use for all these factors.

Differences in cropping practices, including tillage, inputs and crop rotations are the driving factors affecting weed dynamics (weed abundance, composition and crop-weed competition), which can ultimately affect crop yields. Several experiments were carried out to assess the impact of long-term organic and conventional cropping systems on weed abundance, weed community composition, crop yield and yield loss using a long-term (18 year) alternative cropping systems study (ACS) at Scott, Saskatchewan, Canada. The ACS study consisted of three input systems, namely high (conventional tillage), reduced (no-till conventional) and organic input systems and three crop rotation diversities (low diversity, diversified annual grains and diversified annual-perennials). A statistical analysis of the 18-year rotation revealed that the organic rotations have four and seven times higher weed density and 32% and 35% lower crop yields than the reduced and the high input systems respectively. Weed community composition was consistently different in organic rotations compared to the two conventional rotations throughout the years, but year to year random variations were more profound. All cropping systems showed an increase in weed density, weed biomass and crop yields over time, probably due to an increase in rainfall over time. Increasing the crop rotation diversity with annual and perennial crops did not reduce weeds, but decreased crop yields in all systems. A two-year micro-plot experiment with four additional weed competition treatments on the ACS study revealed that the wheat yields were lower in the organic rotations even in the absence of weeds, implying that lower crop yields were due to soil fertility related factors. A greenhouse pot experiment from soils obtained from both organic and reduced rotations revealed that wheat yields were still lower in organic compared to the reduced input systems, even after excess mineral N and P were added. Furthermore, no differences in crop yield loss due to weed competition among cropping systems were identified. Overall, this study revealed that eliminating tillage and reducing inputs are possible without long-term changes in weed abundance, weed community composition or affecting crop yields. However, eliminating synthetic inputs as was done in the form of organic crop rotations resulted in increased weed abundance, changed community composition and decreased crop yields.

Två huvudsakliga metodprinciper används inom cytologi för diagnostisering av cellförändringar, nämligen konventionell och vätskebaserad metod. De kan båda appliceras på såväl gynekologiska som icke-gynekologiska prover, där den senare bland annat omfattar olika sorters exsudat. Syftet med den här studien var att utveckla metoden för den vätskebaserade metoden så att etanolfixerade exsudat kunde prepareras och även påvisa bättre resultat än då de preparerats med konventionell metod. För att göra detta har 61 unika prover kategoriserade som exsudat preparerats totalt, varav 61 med konventionell metod, 54 med vätskebaserad metod och 22 med vätskebaserad metod med tillsats av ättiksyra. De färdiga glasen bedömdes sedan i mikroskop och gavs scorevärden utifrån fyra parametrar: mängden celler exklusive inflammatoriska celler; bedömbarheten av cellmorfologin; mängden inflammatorisk komponent samt mängden bakgrundsmaterial. Resultaten visade ingen förbättring mellan de glas som preparerats med konventionell eller vätskebaserad metod. Däremot visade resultaten för de ättiksyrabehandlade proverna på förbättrade scorevärden jämfört med de andra metoderna. Som slutsats drogs att vätskebaserad metod med tillsats av ättiksyra uppnår syftet eftersom det reducerar mängden bakgrundsmaterial, förekomst av ring på objektglasen samt vidhåller en god cellmorfologi, vilket gör proverna lättare att diagnostisera för cytodiagnostikerna. / Two main principles is used within cytology in order to diagnose cytological abnormalities; conventional and liquid-based cytology. Both methods can be applied on both gynaecological and non-gynaecological samples of which the later includes samples categorized as exudate. The aim of this study was to develop the method for liquid-based cytology so that exudate fixated with ethanol could be prepared and also achieve better results compared to conventional method. In order to do so, 61 unique samples were prepared of which 61 with conventional method, 54 with liquid-based method and 22 with liquid-based method with added acetic acid. The slides was then examined in microscope and was given score values within four parameters: amount of cells; cell morphology; amount of inflammatory component and amount of background. The results indicated no difference between the slides prepared with conventional or liquid-based method. However, the slides prepared with addition of acetic acid indicated more opportunistic score values when compared. The conclusion was that liquid-based method with the addition of acetic acid did satisfy the aim of this study as it reduces the amount of background, reduces “ring formation” on the slides and preserve the cells morphology well, which makes the samples easier to diagnose.

<p>The findings in this case study are mainly based on material collected during a field trip with a fellow student to Laos in February-March 2005, which was sponsored by Sida through a Minor Field Study scholarship. The original interest was to study a political aid project (Governance and Administrative Reform Project Luang Prabang, GPAR LP) in a country like Laos with very complex preconditions such as one-party polity. In Laos my interest in evaluation of political aid grew mainly because I found out that the two donors in the project, Sida and the UNDP, had reached different conclusions in their respective evaluations of the project.</p><p>The main interest in this thesis has been to study how donors have evaluated a political aid project. The study shows that Sida and UNDP used, what in the literature usually is referred to as, Conventional evaluation as methodology when they conducted their evaluations of GPAR LP. The study also shows that the main reason for the different points of view that are expressed in the evaluations depend on a lack of dialogue and consensus, regarding for the project crucial concepts, rather than choice of evaluation methodology. This lack of mutual understanding between the agencies also has implications for the possibilities of the receiving part to create a better understanding and ownership of the project. If Sida and UNDP had chosen to do a mutual evaluation a lot could have been won in the form of time, money and less irritation between the involved parties.</p><p>The study finally shows that a different choice of evaluation methodology, in this case Participatory evaluation, could have had some positive effects mostly due to its supposedly democratic methods which are in line with the goals of the GPAR LP- project. One example here is the use of studies of the political context which would have been useful in this case. Another example is that the methodology could be useful to create a better understanding and ownership of the project through its participatory methods.</p>

Significant support for sustainable agriculture practices exists within the land-grant university system nationwide. Despite this fact, many colleges, including the University of Florida, have not evaluated the individual paradigms held by their faculty. An existing Alternative-Conventional Agriculture Paradigm Scale was modified, improved and converted into an electronic instrument that was administered to a random sample of University of Florida Extension Faculty. It is suggested that data collected through this study serves the following purposes: assist the University of Florida’s decision-makers in better understanding the positions held by their Extension agents; allow improvement of educational programming for Extension agents, agricultural professionals, and communities throughout the state; and provide input for improvement of University-wide policy-making and goal-setting. The study consisted of three phases: a) redevelopment and pilot-test of a new ACAP instrument; b) description of University of Florida Extension faculty’s paradigmatic preferences; and c) determination of any existing relationships between personal characteristics and an individual’s paradigm. A pilot study of the new instrument was conducted with participants belonging to known paradigmatic groups who were not part of the final sample. The survey was found to be reliable with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.94 in a pilot test of 26 individuals. The survey was found to discriminate effectively between the two known paradigmatic groups (t=4.091, p= .001), making it a useful tool in quantitatively assessing agricultural preferences. Following the pilot study, survey research was conducted with a random sample of 188 Extension agents. The majority of faculty aligned with agricultural paradigmatic groups labeled Moderates and Sustainables. Very few of this population aligned with a Conventional paradigm. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a preliminary seven-factor solution. Two individual component factors were found to vary based on Extension discipline and gender, which included Size and Scale of Production and Use of Natural Resources, respectively.

This thesis argues that a shift in the doctrine, organization, equipment and training of armies is required due to a shift in the nature of war. This thesis refers to the "new way of war" as Fourth Generation War (4GW) and this analysis is restricted to the army component of the defense forces. Armies at present are geared to fight the earlier generation of attrition and maneuver wars. In 4GW, an army structured for earlier generations of warfare is militarily dysfunctional. The thesis statement is: Infantry based armies practicing unconventional warfare (UW) are essential for the 4GW battlefield. The thesis argues for the conventionalization of UW. Hypothesis One states that heavy armor/artillery based armies should give way to infantry based armies. Hypothesis Two states that the military doctrine of these infantry based armies should be based on UW. The thesis explains 4GW and examines the relationship between terrorism and 4GW. It studies the impact of 4GW on the Principles of War. It examines whether Special Forces (SF) are the panacea for 4GW and whether increasing the size of SF is the solution. Lastly, the thesis discusses the changes required in the army to fight in a 4GW environment and provides recommendations.

Although grassland bird populations have steadily declined, little research has examined the effect of oil infrastructure on abundances of grassland songbirds. Even less research has identified mechanisms that explain observed effects. To evaluate this, I sampled abundance of 5 songbird species at oil well sites with different pump mechanisms, power sources, and activity levels; I also evaluated the effects of perch and road density and exotic vegetation, all of which are associated with oil development. Both Baird’s sparrows (Ammodramus bairdii) and Sprague’s pipits (Anthus spragueii) had lower abundances at all sites that contained oil infrastructure. The other 3 species, chestnut-collared longspurs (Calcarius ornatus), western meadowlarks (Sturnella neglecta), and Savannah sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis), were relatively unaffected by oil wells, linear features, or exotic vegetation. Given that oil well sites negatively affected two species of concern, more research is needed to determine mitigation strategies. / October 2016

Seit einigen Jahren erfolgt in Deutschland eine verstärkte Einbindung von privatwirtschaftlichen Akteuren bei der Bereitstellung öffentlicher Leistungen. Insbesondere im Bereich der Infrastrukturbereitstellung haben sich Öffentlich-Private-Partnerschaften als eine alternative Beschaffungsvariante etabliert. Diese Vertrags-ÖPP sind in den Kontext einer allgemeinen Privatisierungskritik geraten, vor allem wird die Wirtschaftlichkeit dieser Variante bzw. deren Berechnung diskutiert. Vor diesem Hintergrund liegt das Ziel der Studie darin, die geringe empirische Datenlage zum Status quo der Umsetzungspraxis zu vergrößern, die Beschaffungsalternativen konventionelle Beschaffungsvariante (KBV) und ÖPP komparativ gegenüberzustellen und dabei auch auf Aspekte einzugehen, die im Erfahrungsbericht der Rechnungshöfe nicht behandelt werden, da dieser ausschließlich die Wirtschaftlichkeit von ÖPP fokussiert. Der Untersuchungsgegenstand fokussiert nur kommunale ÖPP-Projekte die einen Lebenszyklusansatz verfolgen, folglich Infrastruktureinrichtungen wie Schulen, Kindertagestätten und Verwaltungsgebäude. Allen diesen Projekten ist inhärent, dass während der Vertragslaufzeit kein öffentliches Eigentum veräußert wird, die Aufgabenverantwortung folglich stets bei der öffentlichen Hand verbleibt und somit auch keine Privatisierung öffentlichen Eigentums erfolgt. Die Studie zeigt, dass bei vielen KBV-Projekten die Betriebskosten in den anfänglich zu erstellenden Wirtschaftlichkeitsvergleichen keine oder nur eine untergeordnete Rolle spielen, während bei ÖPP in der Regel von Anfang an der gesamte Lebenszyklus der Infrastruktureinrichtung betrachtet wird, da der Großteil der Gesamtkosten der Infrastrukturmaßnahme während der Betriebsphase anfällt. (Kostensparende) Synergieeffekte bleiben deshalb bei den KBV vielfach ungenutzt. Die Nutzung von ABC-Ausschreibungen löst dieses Problem nur bedingt, da durch sie Aufwand und Transaktionskosten enorm gesteigert werden. Die Betrachtung unterschiedlicher Wertschöpfungsstufen (Planung, Bau, Finanzierung, Betrieb, Verwertung) stellt den entscheidenden Punkt für die Wirtschaftlichkeit von ÖPP-Projekten im Vergleich zur KBV dar, da die private Seite veranlasst ist, die Bauleistungen betriebsoptimierend zu planen und durchzuführen. Ferner zeigt die Studie, dass die von den Rechnungshöfen angemahnte Verfahrenstransparenz eine Herausforderung bei allen öffentlichen Beschaffungsvarianten darstellt und das Fehlanreize, die durch die Prinzipal-Agent-Problematik entstehen, ebenfalls kein singuläres Defizit des ÖPP-Ansatzes sind. Dem Vorwurf, dass ÖPP-Projekte dazu genutzt würden, Schulden in öffentlichen Haushalten zu verschleiern und Kosten möglichst intransparent darzustellen, wird mit der schrittweisen bundesweiten Umstellung der Kommunen auf doppische Haushaltsführung weitestgehend der Boden entzogen, da ÖPP-Projekte mit Forfaitierung sogar Transparenzvorteile gegenüber den KBV aufweisen. Ziel der Studie ist nicht, die ÖPP als „Königsweg“ der öffentlichen Beschaffung darzustellen, sondern den Versuch zu unternehmen, einen kritischen Blick auf die Beschaffungsvariante selbst und die an ihr geäußerte Kritik zu werfen. Es gilt: Vor dem Hintergrund der langfristigen Bindung des privaten Partners und der damit verbundenen Verantwortungs- und Risikoteilung ist es nach wie vor möglich, dass wirtschaftlichere und bedarfsgerechtere Lösungen als bei der KBV gefunden werden.

The aim of this study is to understand and analyse the relationship between corporate governance (CG) and banking governance (BG) in Conventional and Islamic banking systems. The reason for choosing this topic was because the regulations and banking systems within Conventional banks are differently in comparison to Islamic banks, which means that their corporate governance and banking governance are influenced by different mechanisms and therefore regulated differently. Since Conventional banks stands for a small amount of Islamic banks in their markets and Islamic countries do have Conventional banks in theirs, made this topic a good case study. Furthermore is Sweden a Conventional country where they don’t offer Islamic financial services and the UK is a Conventional country where they do, which was an interesting fact since both of them are European countries with similar regulations. The author of this thesis chose qualitative, semi-structured interviews, where six persons: three from Sweden and three from the UK stood for answers toward their banking systems. Since these respondents were standing on a high position within their organizations did they have the knowledge needed to answer the questions asked. The result showed that the relationship between CG and BC in Conventional and Islamic banking systems have an impact in the way different types of banks operate. Identifying the Conventional and Islamic banks differences and assessing on how the Corporate Governance and Banking Governance do operate solves the complexity in the system. Based on the findings, countries that are applying the Conventional system need to expand their regulations and mechanisms so that other systems could operate without a need for changes in their own. They also need to expand their knowledge, where the population needs to be familiar with other banking systems and services as well.

Aviation industry has a crucial impact on society on the grounds that it offers wider social and economic benefits. The demand of transportation is increasing and it is expected that the worldwide fleet of aircraft and rotorcraft will increase accordingly. This growth will introduce an increased environmental impact which can be controlled with the introduction and the implementation of new and greener technologies which can provide both a reduced carbon foot-print and increased efficiency. Therefore, the simulation of new designs with tools that can capture the flow physics accurately is crucial, on the grounds that an accurate simulation could provide novel designs and new ways in order to design from scratch new vehicles as well as providing a better appreciation of the physics that are involved. This work has a central aim to propose a methodology which combines CFD simulations and the method of performance mapping. It focuses on the application of a ducted tail rotor which can offer significant performance benefits compared to a conventional tail rotor. The developed methodology was tested against the results of an in-house rotorcraft comprehensive code and provided a reasonable qualitative correlation. In principle, this methodology can work for all helicopter flight phases such as hover, climb, cruise, descend but due to the complexity of the investigations, together with the lack of experimental data that can be used to refine the CFD model, only the hover and forward flight were considered. Although CFD studies of a ducted tail rotor currently exist in the literature (though scarce), this work can be considered, to the best knowledge of the author as a first attempt in investigating the performance of the configuration, from low to high forward flight speed, by combining CFD and performance mapping.