In light of increasing harmful algal blooms and the need to protect human health and aquatic resources, proactive management approaches merit further study. For this purpose I conducted field samplings to characterize plankton community composition and laboratory experiments to test some approaches to new management schemes in the lower Rincon Delta. On site measurements and microscopic analysis showed that environmental parameters and plankton community composition varied considerably among sampling stations and sampling dates. A recent modeling study suggested that manipulation of freshwater inflow to estuaries might prevent phytoplankton blooms and enhance secondary productivity. To test this theory I conducted three semi-continuous design and flow-through incubation design experiments using natural plankton assemblages. I investigated the effect of two different pulsing regimes of inflow and nutrient loading on zooplankton densities, and phytoplankton biomass and diversity. Despite differences in zooplankton structure and phytoplankton community composition between the two experiment designs, the results confirmed that pulsed inflows might alter plankton dynamics. My findings showed that 3-day pulse treatments consistently supported greater zooplankton densities and higher phytoplankton species diversity when compared to 1-day pulse treatments. In addition, accumulation of phytoplankton biovolume remained low during 3-day pulse treatments. Differences in zooplankton performance between 3-day pulse and 1-day pulse inflow treatments were likely due to the ability of phytoplankton to uptake and store greater amounts of nutrients under conditions of 3-day pulse inflow. This resulted in food of higher quality for zooplankton, and might have supported greater zooplankton population growth rates. Additionally, in an attempt to understand the mechanisms leading to high biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems, I built a resource-storage model and studied the effects of resource-storage on competition of multiple phytoplankton species on multiple abiotic resources. I compared this model with a well-established multi-species competition model. My results showed that for certain species combinations a resource-storage-based model can generate dissimilar outcomes when compared to a model without resource-storage.

In light of increasing harmful algal blooms and the need to protect human health and aquatic resources, proactive management approaches merit further study. For this purpose I conducted field samplings to characterize plankton community composition and laboratory experiments to test some approaches to new management schemes in the lower Rincon Delta. On site measurements and microscopic analysis showed that environmental parameters and plankton community composition varied considerably among sampling stations and sampling dates. A recent modeling study suggested that manipulation of freshwater inflow to estuaries might prevent phytoplankton blooms and enhance secondary productivity. To test this theory I conducted three semi-continuous design and flow-through incubation design experiments using natural plankton assemblages. I investigated the effect of two different pulsing regimes of inflow and nutrient loading on zooplankton densities, and phytoplankton biomass and diversity. Despite differences in zooplankton structure and phytoplankton community composition between the two experiment designs, the results confirmed that pulsed inflows might alter plankton dynamics. My findings showed that 3-day pulse treatments consistently supported greater zooplankton densities and higher phytoplankton species diversity when compared to 1-day pulse treatments. In addition, accumulation of phytoplankton biovolume remained low during 3-day pulse treatments. Differences in zooplankton performance between 3-day pulse and 1-day pulse inflow treatments were likely due to the ability of phytoplankton to uptake and store greater amounts of nutrients under conditions of 3-day pulse inflow. This resulted in food of higher quality for zooplankton, and might have supported greater zooplankton population growth rates. Additionally, in an attempt to understand the mechanisms leading to high biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems, I built a resource-storage model and studied the effects of resource-storage on competition of multiple phytoplankton species on multiple abiotic resources. I compared this model with a well-established multi-species competition model. My results showed that for certain species combinations a resource-storage-based model can generate dissimilar outcomes when compared to a model without resource-storage.

AIMS: This study investigated the perception of generic and disease-specific Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) for adults living with hearing impairment (HI) in Aotearoa/New Zealand (NZ). This study aimed to answer three questions: (1) What is the perception of HRQoL amongst adults with hearing impairment in NZ? (2) How do these perceptions compare to adults with HI living in other countries for which we have data? (3) What are the demographic and audiometric variables related to device ownership? METHOD: HRQoL, demographic, and audiometric information was collected from 126 adults in NZ. The following demographic information was collected: age, relationship length, hours worked per week, income, ancestry, sex, level of education, city size, and sexual orientation. The following audiologic information was also collected: ownership of hearing aids (HA), ownership of hearing assistance technology (HAT), better-ear pure-tone average (BEPTA), worse-ear pure-tone average (WEPTA), and signal-to-noise ratio loss (SNR loss). HRQoL information was collected using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36; Ware & Sherbourne, 1992), and the Hearing Handicap Inventory (HHI) for both elderly (HHIE) and adults (HHIA; Ventry & Weinstein, 1982; Newman, Weinstein, Jacobson, & Hug, 1991). Variables discriminating HA and HAT owners from non-owners were also analysed. RESULTS: The relationship between demographic variables and HRQoL scores revealed that only age and income were significant. Audiometric variables had significant relationships with disease-specific HRQoL scores, as well as HA and HAT ownership. Finally, disease-specific HRQoL scores and all audiometric variables differentiated HA owners from non- owners, but demographic variables did not. Generic HRQoL scores and all audiometric variables differentiated HAT owners from non-owners. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the negative impacts of HI on HRQoL as reported overseas are also present in NZ, and that not only do audiometric variables including SNR loss are related to HRQoL, but HRQoL is a significant predictor for HA and HAT ownership. Further QoL research is warranted amongst the HI population in NZ to identify and understand any causal relationships present amongst these variables. Furthermore, HRQoL instruments and a test of speech understanding in noise have been shown to provide additional meaningful information, and therefore clinicians might consider including them during consultation.

The purpose of this essay was to conduct a survey of the earliest workers at the Sandviken ironworks in Gävleborgs county, Sweden, during the period of 1863-1870 in order to determine their places of birth or origin. The study is primarily based around four books and one article which describe historiographic terms and methods, two books covering the processes behind industrialization and urbanization in the 19th century by historian Lars Nilsson and Welsh historian John Elliot. The two other works originate from Sandin, Sjödin and Skogsbergs book about the town of Sandviken and it’s earliest foundations alongside an article written by Yngve Terenius in 1968 covering the excavation of the canal in Sandviken. The essay’s survey area is limited to the immediate area surrounding the town of Sandviken.The majority of source materials come from the Sandviken municipality’s archives of the Sandviks ironwork company’s historical archives. There, the census records concerning the workers of the company throughout 1863, 1866 and 1870 were studied alongside the parish’s household examination rolls that detailed the birthplace and origins of the workers found within the census records. The result of this study shows that a majority of the workers present in Sandviken throughout the period of 1863-1870 came from the counties of Dalarna, Värmland and Västra Götaland respectively. To summarize, 529 workers’ backgrounds were surveyed. Of these 529 workers, 302 workers were born in counties outside of Gävleborg, whereas 102 hailed from Dalarnas county, 43 from Värmlands county, and 41 from Västra Götalands county. The remaining 227 workers were born in parishes within Gävleborgs county. Four parishes within the county had the largest contribution to the workers’ immigration during the period, namely: Ovansjö parish with 95 workers, Torsåker parish with 39, Högbo parish with 33 and finally Valbo parish with 21. The study showed that the amount of workers from Gävleborgs county steadily increased from 1866 to 1870. In accordance to Sandin et als. book and Terenius' article, they mention workers from Värmland and Västra Götaland as being of importance in the early days of the ironworks. This study confirms those theories. However, alongside the 529 workers there are 935 family members whom weren’t included in the survey. The study results are presented in circular diagrams under the section titled ”Undersökning”, and onwards. The diagrams titled ”tillfälligt anställda arbetare” cover the temporary workers at the ironworks for the year they’re represented. The other 9 diagrams titled ”arbetares födelseorter” pertain to the birthplace of the workers for each year. The final six diagrams under the title ”statistisk sammanslagning” are diagrams describing a merge in numerical data from the surveys of temporary workers and the house examination rolls for each year they’re represented / Uppsatsens syfte var att kartlägga och utforska ursprunget hos de första Sandviksarbetarna mellan perioden 1863-1870. Utifrån forskningsläget framhävs bland annat teorier om industrialisering och urbanisering, samt demografiska grunder som tillämpas i uppsatsens undersökning. Däribland dem behandlas Lars Nilssons bok Den urbana transitionen som beskriver Sveriges urbaniseringsförlopp under 150 år, och engelsmannen John Elliotts bok The industrial development of the Ebbw valleys som förklarar förändringen av ett dalområde i sydöstra Wales genom Storbritanniens industrialisering. För en koppling till den demografiska undersökningen beblandas även Martin Dribe och Maria Stanfors bok Demografins grunder, syftandes till att förse uppsatsen med teorimaterial. Däribland dessa verk finns två litterära källor som beskriver Sandvikens allra tidigaste stadier för både bruket och orten, Slaggsten och syren av Gösta Sandin, Stig Sjödin och Stig Skogsberg som lägger en bakgrund till Sandvikens framväxt och Om kanalen genom Sandviken tagen ur 1968 års upplaga av tidskriften Ur Gästrikland av Yngve Terenius. Terenius behandlar kanalgrävandet i Sandviken 1862-1863, och beskriver hur flertalet av arbetarna som var verksamma där härstammade från bland annat Värmland. Sandin et al. belyser att värmlänningar tillika dalslänningar var verksamma i Sandviken under anläggandet av bruket, och stadens tidiga framväxt. Avgränsningarna drogs utefter geografiska aspekter och Sandvikens bruk med tillhörande närområde inom Högbo socken blev styrande. Undersökningsfrågan som riktades mot källmaterialet ämnade besvara varifrån de första arbetarna kom, vilka födelseorter de har, eller var de är skattskrivna ifall födelseorten saknas. Källmaterialet som användes härstammade från Sandviks historiska arkiv, och det som slutligen granskades var Sandvikens bruks mantalslängder för åren 1864, 1867 och 1870 där mantalslängderna avser det föregående året, förutom längden för år 1870. Kompletterande material till mantalslängderna behövdes för att fastslå arbetarnas födelseorter, därför blev husförhörslängderna för år 1861-1865 samt 1866-1870 hos Sandvikens kyrkoarkiv avseende Högboförsamling aktuella. Resultaten sammanställdes och presenterades genom cirkeldiagram, där arbetares födelseort eller skattskrivningsort påvisades. Resultatet av undersökningen visar i korthet att den arbetsmigration som Sandin et al. tillika Terenius omtalade anses ha stämt rörande Värmland, men att Dalarna var länet där de allra flesta arbetarna härstammade ur. Av samtliga 529 personer som återfinns i källmaterialet är majoriteten, uppemot 302 arbetare, från orter och län utanför Gävleborgs län, där 102 stycken arbetare härstammar från Dalarna. På andraplats kommer Värmlands län med 43 arbetare, och Västra Götalandslän på tredje plats med 41 arbetare. Utifrån Gävleborgs län och dess närliggande socknar var Ovansjö den socken som majoriteten av arbetarna härstammade från med 95 arbetare, följd av Torsåker med 39, Högbo med 33, och slutligen Valbo med 21 arbetare. Genom denna undersökning har ursprunget hos de tidigaste arbetarna vid Sandvikens bruk kartlagts, och den påvisade invandringen från andra län var markant.

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