The project "Feasibility of evaporative cooling and toilet flushing using rainwater in a public building" combines rainwater harvesting with the evaporative cooling technology and toilet flushing and explores the practicality and viability of implementing this innovative system in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden. This study comprehensively investigates various aspects related to water and energy, and the entire system is computationally modelled using the Equation Engineering Solver (EES) software. The primary objective of the project is to assess the feasibility of utilizing harvested rainwater either for employing evaporative cooling for temperature control or for flushing toilets in a commercial building. By leveraging these sustainable practices, the project aims to reduce both water consumption and energy usage, thereby promoting environmental conservation and decreasing the ecological footprint. The study involves an in-depth analysis of several key aspects. Firstly, the local climate and rainfall patterns in Gothenburg are examined to evaluate the availability and adequacy of rainwater as a resource. Secondly, evaporative cooling technology is extensively investigated to determine its efficiency in cooling indoor spaces. The thermal dynamics and cooling potential of the system are analyzed, taking into account factors such as temperature differentials, humidity levels, and air circulation. The Equation Engineering Solver software is employed to simulate and compute the system's performance under varying conditions, allowing for predictions and optimization. For doing that, three cases with different conditions concerning the priorities of cooling and flushing necessities and the water volume in the two existing tanks in the installation have been developed in order to analyse the benefits they would bring in terms of energy and water savings. The comprehensive analysis of the technical and environmental feasibility of the three cases of study provides some advantageous results. Starting by analyzing the water aspect, in the first case, the one that prioritizes the cooling aspect while the water to fill the toilet flushing necessities is provided just if in the second tank there is any water left, a total of 37% and 10% of the requirements would be filled for the AHU and the toilet flushing respectively. Secondly, the case that still prioritizes the cooling demand but water for toilet flushing is provided as long as the storage tank is half full, meets 69% and 8% of the demand of the AHU and the flushing respectively. Laying aside the flushing aspect considering simply cooling in the third case, 75% of the supply within the AHU is met. When it comes to the thermal part, on the one hand, fractions provided by the new evaporative system are 22%, 32% and 49% respectively. This is due to the fact that almost every month in the three cases studied aims for extra cooling since the system does not hold the quantity of water required and therefore, an extra supply from the current cooling device is needed. Nevertheless, the system brings energy savings of 1005.3, 1510.4 and 2022.4 kWh per year. Furthermore, the energy consumption, in the three cases is very similar and low. The conclusions of the project, from a technical point of view, despite considering the fact that the requirements are not entirely met with actual medium contribution fractions either within the water and cooling aspects, with the existing water availability, the tanks and the pumps sizing and the existing AHU, the system is reliable and is capable to perform properly. Therefore, it can be concluded that it is technically feasible. Concerning the environmental feasibility, the key point of the study, depending on the case, the system would bring different savings. On the one hand, the water savings are 40.3, 47.0 and 8.2 m3 yearly for every case respectively, concluding that the second case is the one that would entail the highest water savings to the system. On the other hand, the energy savings hold values of 1005.3, 1510.4 and 2022.4 kWh annually, with the third case bringing the greatest value. Consequently, the three cases can be considered environmentally feasible since all of them achieve the overall objective of the project, the reduction of water and energy usage. However, depending on the savings’ preferences, either the second case with the highest reduction in water or the third case with the highest decrease in energy could be considered the best ones. From a general point of view, the second case could be the most suitable to set since it is the one that saves more water and moreover, it brings an energy reduction between the average values in the first and in the third case. These outcomes provide valuable insights and inform decision-making processes for the successful implementation and adoption of the system, and they guide future implementation strategies and contributions to sustainable urban development. / Projektet " Genomförbarhet för evaporativ kylning och spolning av WC med regnvatten " kombinerar insamling av regnvatten med evaporativ kylningsteknik och toalettspolning och utforskar möjligheten implementera detta innovativa system i Göteborgs stad, Sverige. Denna studie undersöker aspekter som vatten och energi. Systemet är modellerat med hjälp av programvaran Equation Engineering Solver (EES). Det primära syftet med projektet är att bedöma genomförbarheten av att använda uppsamlat regnvatten antingen för att endast evaporativ kyla för temperaturkontroll i en kommersiell byggnad eller för att spola toaletter med. Genom detta syftar projektet till att minska både vattenförbrukning och energianvändning, och därigenom främja miljö och minimera det ekologiska fotavtrycket. Studien gör en djupgående analys av flera nyckelaspekter. För det första undersöks det lokala klimatetoch nederbördsmönstren i Göteborg för att utvärdera tillgängligheten och tillräckligheten av regnvatten som resurs. För det andra undersöks tekniken för evaporativ kylning för att fastställa dess effektivitet vid kylning av inomhusutrymmen. Systemets kylningspotential analyseras med hänsyn till faktorer som temperaturskillnader, fuktighetsnivåer och luftcirkulation. Programvaran Equation Engineering Solver används för att simulera och beräkna systemets prestanda under varierande förhållanden, vilket möjliggör exakta förutsägelser och optimering.För att göra det har tre fall med olika förutsättningar avseende prioritering av kyl- och spolningsbehov samt vattenvolymen i de två befintliga tankarna i anläggningen testats för att analysera deras respektive energi- och vattenbesparingar. Utifrån vattenaspekten kunde det första fallet, den som prioriterar kyla medan vattnet för att fylla toalettens spolningsbehov tillhandahålls om det finns något vatten kvar i den mindre tanken, fylla totalt 37% och 10% av vattenbehovet för evaporativ kyla respektive toalettspolning. För det andra fallet, prioritering av kylbehovet men vatten för toalettspolning tillhandahålls så länge lagringstanken är halvfull, tillhandahåller 69 % och 8 % av behovet av evaporativ kyla respektive spolningen. För det tredje fallet, där allt vatten avses användas till evaporativ uppfylls 75 % av vattenbehovet. När det gäller den energimässiga aspekten tillhandahålls 22 %, 32 % respektive 49 % av det kylbehovs som krävs. Detta beror på att det under de tre studerade månaderna inte finns tillräckligt med vatten och därför krävs extrakyla. Systemet ger ändå en energibesparingar på 1005, 1510 respektive 2022 kWh per år.Projektets slutsatser, ur teknisk synvinkel, är att trots att man beaktar att hela behovet inte helt uppfylls vare sig inom vatten- och kylaspekterna, med den befintliga vattentillgången, tankarna och pumparnas dimensionering och den befintliga AHU:n är systemet pålitligt och kan fungera korrekt. Därför kan man dra slutsatsen att det är tekniskt genomförbart. När det gäller den miljömässiga genomförbarheten, den viktigaste punkten i studien, skulle systemet medföra olika besparingar beroende på fallet. Å ena sidan är vattenbesparingarna 40,3, 47,0 och 8,2 m3 årligen för varje fall, således är det andra fallet är det som skulle medföra störst vattenbesparing för systemet. Å andra sidan är energibesparingen störst för det tredje fallet. Följaktligen kan de tre fallen anses vara miljömässigt genomförbara eftersom de alla uppnår projektets övergripande mål, att minska vatten- och energianvändningen. Men beroende på besparingarnas preferenser kan antingen det andra fallet med den högsta minskningen av vatten eller det tredje fallet med den högsta minskningen av energi anses vara det bästa. Ur en allmän synvinkel kan det andra fallet vara det mest lämpliga att ställa in eftersom det är det som sparar mer vatten och dessutom ger det en energireduktion mellan medelvärdena i det första och i det tredje fallet. Slutligen ger dessa resultat ger värdefulla insikter hur framtida liknande system kan utformas för att bidrag till hållbar stadsutveckling.

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[pt] O presente trabalho se propôs a efetuar uma investigação resumida do mercado de mineração de criptomoedas no Brasil e analisar a viabilidade econômica da implantação de uma fazenda de mineração de Bitcoins em território brasileiro. O estudo foi realizado em três etapas, onde foram abordadas análises determinísticas baseadas em possíveis cenários, observação da sensibilidade do investimento em relação as principais variáveis do problema e por último a utilização de métodos estocásticos visando estimar o risco do investimento, em razão do ambiente de incerteza. Os resultados demonstram que este é um investimento de altíssimo risco e que não existe viabilidade econômica em minerar Bitcoin no Brasil, com cotação do abaixo de US$ 10.065. O estudo aponta o custo da energia elétrica como o mais expressivo, seguido do investimento nos equipamentos de mineração e sugere que a operação seja estabelecida em países com menor custo de eletricidade, clima mais baixo e menores taxas de importação e de imposto de renda. / [en] This work carries out a brief investigation of cryptocurrencies mining market in Brazil and to analyze the economic viability of the investment in a Bitcoin mining farm in Brazil. The study was carried out in three stages, where deterministic analyzes were based on possible scenarios, observation of the sensitivity of the investment relative to the main variables of the problem and finally the use of stochastic methods to estimate the investment risk under uncertainty. The study points to the cost of electricity as the most significant, followed by investment in mining equipment and suggests that the operation be established in countries with lower electricity costs, lower climate and lower import and income tax rates.

Background: The standard of care for mediastinal staging during endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) is Systematic Sampling (SS) where a minimum of 3 lymph node (LN) stations are biopsied, even if they appear normal on imaging. When LNs appear normal on PET and CT, the Canada Lymph Node Score can also identify if they appear normal on EBUS. For these Triple Normal LNs, the pretest probability of malignancy is < 6%, and routine biopsy may not be required. This preliminary study introduced Selective Targeted Sampling (STS), which omits biopsy of Triple Normal LNs and compared it firsthand to SS. Methods: A prospective, feasibility RCT was conducted to determine whether the progression of a definitive trial was warranted. Primary outcomes and their progression criterium were recruitment rate (70% acceptable minimum); procedure length (no overlap between sampling methods’ 95%CIs); and missed nodal metastasis (overlap between sampling methods’ diagnostic accuracy 95%CIs and crossing of the null for the percent difference in diagnosis). cN0-N1 NSCLC patients undergoing EBUS were randomized to the STS or SS arm. Patients in the STS arm were then crossed over to the SS arm to receive standard of care. Wilson’s CI method and McNemar’s test of paired proportions were used for statistical comparison. Surgical pathology was the reference standard. Results: Thirty-eight patients met the eligibility criteria, and all were recruited (100%; 95%CI: 90.82 to 100.00%). The median procedure lengths, in minutes, for STS and SS were 3.07 (95%CI: 2.33 to 5.52) and 19.07 (95%CI: 15.34 to 20.05) respectively. STS had a diagnostic accuracy of 100% (95%CI: 74.65% to 100.00%), whereas SS was 93.75% (95%CI: 67.71% to 99.67%) with the inclusion of inconclusive results. Percent difference in diagnosis between sampling method was 5.35% (95%CI: -0.54% to 11.25%). Conclusion: With the progression criteria successfully met, a subsequent multicentered, non-inferiority crossover trial comparing STS to SS is warranted. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / Before deciding on treatment for patients with lung cancer, a critical step in the investigations is finding out whether the lymph nodes in the chest contain cancer. This is best done with a needle that biopsies those lymph nodes through the walls of the airway, known as endobronchial ultrasound transbronchial needle aspiration. Guidelines require that every lymph node in the chest be biopsied through a process called Systematic Sampling. However, new research has suggested that some lymph nodes may not need a biopsy. These lymph nodes are ones with a very low chance of cancer, based on their imaging tests. In this study, Selective Targeted Sampling was introduced whereby lymph nodes that appeared normal were not initially biopsied. The study followed a feasibility design, which proved sufficient patient interest, adequate safety and possible benefits in pursuing a larger trial comparing Selective Targeted Sampling to Systematic Sampling.

Purpose: Currently, there is no outlined process for the front end of innovation suited for digital innovation. Thus, incumbent manufacturers face challenges when striving to execute their digital innovation initiatives and tend to invest in unfeasible initiatives. Therefore, the purpose of this master thesis is to bridge identified research gaps in order to enhance digital innovation through creating a front-end innovation process. Method: In order to fulfill the purpose of this master thesis, an abductive, qualitative research approach has been adopted. We build on a case study of an incumbent manufacturer within the aerospace industry. Specifically, we leverage 20 explorative and semi-structured interviews with various roles involved in digital innovation initiatives. To derive findings through the interviews in combination with previous research, a thematic analysis was conducted. Findings: Through this master thesis, three key barriers to digital innovation in incumbent manufacturers were identified; difficulties in securing appropriate data, constrained digital development resources, and uncertainties in the value digital innovation may generate. Furthermore, a front-end innovation process with three phases has been constructed in order for firms to better handle the early phases of digital innovation. The phases included in the process are; digital idea generation, digital feasibility recognition, and evaluation. Theoretical contributions: This study extends the current research within front end innovation and digital innovation and thus bridges the gap among these research fields. Specifically, we add to the literature by illustrating principles and key activities for a revised front end process for digital innovation and provide novel decision criteria and principles for evaluating and prioritizing digital innovation initiatives. Managerial implications: The managerial implication of this study is that we provide practical guidelines for leveraging digital innovations in early stages of development. Firms tend to invest in ideas with low feasibility, however, our process framework enables decision–makers to minimize uncertainty and streamline their front-end innovation process for digital innovation. The framework further forces decision-makers to understand the foremost determinants of feasibility and further embrace decreased investment costs in failing innovation. Limitations and future research: To make the process framework as intuitive and easy-to-follow as possible, we sought to simplify the process by reducing the number of steps required. Furthermore, we sought to simplify any technical aspects that have been brought up during interviews with certain respondents, to further make the process framework easy to follow for any manager working within innovation. For the future, we hope other researchers further validate our process framework within other industries, especially within industries driven by digitalization. Moreover, future research pinpointing who is responsible for making decisions throughout the process framework would be of relevance to further extend the knowledge regarding front end innovation for digital innovation. / Syfte: För närvarande finns det ingen process för att hantera de tidiga stadierna av digital innovation. Följaktligen uppstår utmaningar då bolag ska exekvera digital innovation vilket ofta leder till att bolag investerar resurser i digitala initiativ som inte är genomförbara. Därav ämnar denna studie överbrygga gapet mellan digital innovation och innovation i tidiga skeden i syfte att förbättra digital innovation. Metod: För att uppfylla syftet med studien har en abduktiv och kvalitativ forskningsansats använts. Mer specifikt bygger studien på 20 explorativa och semi-strukturerade intervjuer med respondenter som har erfarenhet inom digital innovation. Vidare analyserades insamlad data genom en tematisk analys och genom det kunde slutsatser dras. Resultat: Studien resulterade i tre barriärer för digital innovation; svårigheter i att anskaffa lämplig data, begränsade resurser för digital innovation och svårigheter i att fastställa värdet av digital innovation. Vidare skapades ett processramverk innehållande tre faser som ska möjliggöra att bolag på ett mer adekvat sätt kan hantera digital innovation. De tre faserna är digital idégenerering, digital genomförbarhet och utvärdering. Teoretiskt bidrag: Studien adderar till nuvarande forskning inom digital innovation och innovation i tidiga faser genom att överbrygga gapet mellan de olika områdena. Mer specifikt bidrar vi genom att illustrera principer och nyckelaktiviteter för digital innovation i tidiga skeden och genom att fastställa beslutskriterier och principer för att prioritera och utvärdera digital innovation. Praktiskt bidrag: Studiens praktiska bidrag är vägledning för att utveckla digital innovation i tidiga skeden. Bolag tenderar att investera i digital innovation som inte är möjlig att genomföra och därav möjliggör vårt processramverk att beslutsfattare kan minska osäkerheten och effektivisera deras process för digital innovation. Vidare skapar ramverket en förståelse för de viktigaste aspekterna av genomförbarhet kopplat till digital innovation, vilket möjliggör att bolag inte behöver investera resurser i digital innovation som inte är genomförbar. Begränsningar och vidare forskning: För att öka användbarheten av vårt processramverk, förenklade och reducerade vi antalet steg i ramverket. I syfte att öka läsbarheten av rapporten har vi även förenklat tekniska aspekter, då rapporten ska kunna förstås av alla anställda som arbetar med digital innovation, utan krav på teknisk kunnighet. För att vidareutveckla vårt ramverk och den teori vi skapat inom FEI, önskar vi som ett nästa steg att ramverket kan valideras i andra industrier och kontexter, särskilt i de industrier som huvudsakligen är drivna av digitalisering. Bortsett från det önskar vi att framtida forskning kommer utreda vidare kring ansvarighet inom beslutsfattande om digital innovation, exempelvis vem som bör ansvara för att gå igenom ramverket, för att ytterligare skapa förståelse över hur bolag bör arbeta med tidiga skeden av digital innovation.

Performance analysis of Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technologies, which are implemented on existing telephone subscriber loops, is of vital importance to DSL service providers. This type of analysis requires accurate prediction of the local loop structure and precise identification of the cable parameters. These cables are the main components of the loop and are typically comprised of multi-conductor twisted pair type currently being used on existing telephone subscriber loops. This system identification problem was investigated through the application of single port measurements, with preference being placed on measurements taken from the service provider's end of the loop under investigation. Once the cabling system has been identified, the performance analysis of the loop was obtained through simulation. Accurate modeling is an important aspect of any system identification solution; therefore, the modeling of the twisted pair cables was thoroughly investigated in this research. Early modeling attempts of twisted pair cabling systems for use with (DSL) technology has not been vigorously investigated due to the difficulty in obtaining wideband physical data necessary for the task as well as the limitations of simulators to accurately model the skin effects of the conductors. Models are developed in this research that produce a wideband representation of the twisted pair cables through the use of the data measured in high frequency spectra. The twisted-pair cable models were then applied to the system identification problem through a de-embedding type approach. The identification process accurately characterizes the sections of the subscriber loop closest to the measurements node, and these identified sections were then modeled and de-embedded from the system measurement in a layer removing, or "peeling", type process. After each identified section was de-embedded from the system measurement, the process was repeated until the entire system was identified. Upon completion of the system identification process, the resulting system model was simulated between the central office (CO) and resulting identified customer nodes for the evaluation of performance analysis. The performance analysis allows the providers to identify points where the DSL technology is feasible, and where so, the rates of the data transfer to the nodes that can be expected. / Ph. D.

No / Person-centred care (PCC) is recommended when working with patients with neurological difficulties. Despite this, to date there has been no appropriate methodology for assessing or developing PCC in neurorehabilitation settings. Dementia Care Mapping (DCM) is a well-established tool for assessing and developing PCC in dementia settings and the current study investigated the feasibility of applying DCM on an acute neurorehabilitation ward. DCM procedure and coding required minor adaptations for use in this setting and further recommended adaptations were subsequently identified. It was found that the DCM coding system was generally suitable and could identify strengths, weaknesses and areas for development in ward care. Q-methodology identified that staff views endorsed the feasibility of using DCM in neurorehabilitation, with staff reporting that they found DCM useful and relevant to their work. DCM could be further developed for this setting by amendments to the behaviour coding system, concept and coding of person-centred care, and a population-specific manual. DCM is a promising methodology to develop and promote PCC in neurorehabilitation.

Yes / Promoting the health and well-being of couples where one partner has dementia is an overlooked area of care practice. Most postdiagnostic services currently lack a couple-centered approach and have a limited focus on the couple relationship. To help address this situation, we developed a tablet-based self-management guide (DemPower) focused on helping couples enhance their well-being and relationship quality. The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of the DemPower app. A nonrandomized feasibility design was used to evaluate the DemPower intervention over 3 months among couples where a partner had a diagnosis of dementia. The study recruited 25 couples in the United Kingdom and 19 couples in Sweden. Outcome measures were obtained at baseline and postintervention. The study process and interventions were evaluated at various stages. The study was completed by 48% (21/44) of couples where one partner had dementia, of whom 86% (18/21) of couples accessed all parts of the DemPower app. Each couple spent an average of 8 hours (SD 3.35 hours) using the app during the study period. In total, 90% (19/21) of couples reported that all sections of DemPower were useful in addressing various aspects of daily life and helped to focus on how they interacted in their relationship. Of the 4 core subjects on which the DemPower app was structured, home and neighborhood received the highest number of visits. Couples used activity sections more often than the core subject pages. The perception of DemPower's utility varied with each couple's lived experience of dementia, geographic location, relationship dynamics, and opportunities for social interaction. A 5.2-point increase in the dementia quality of life score for people with dementia and a marginal increase in the Mutuality scale (+1.23 points) for caregiver spouses were found. Design and navigational challenges were reported in the DemPower app. The findings suggest that the DemPower app is a useful resource for couples where one partner has dementia and that the implementation of the app requires the support of memory clinics to reach couples at early diagnosis. ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN10122979; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN10122979. / Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). This research is part of Work Programme 6 of the ESRC/NIHR Neighborhoods and Dementia mixed methods study (reference ES/L001772/1)

Public Law 95-87, the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA), mandates that mined land be reclaimed in a fashion that renders the land at least as productive after mining as it was before mining. In the central Appalachian region, where prime farmland and economic development opportunities for mined land are scarce, the most practical land use choices are hayland/pasture, wildlife habitat, or forest land. Since 1977, the majority of mined land has been reclaimed as hayland/pasture or wildlife habitat, which is less expensive to reclaim than forest land, since there are no tree planting costs. As a result, there are now hundreds of thousands of hectares of grasslands and scrublands in various stages of natural succession located throughout otherwise forested mountains in the U.S. The purpose of this study is to develop a framework for understanding/calculating the economic implications of converting these reclaimed mined lands to forests under various silvicultural regimes, and to demonstrate the economic/decision-making implications of an incentive scheme on such a land use conversion. The economic feasibility of a range of land-use conversion scenarios was analyzed for both mixed hardwoods and white pine, under a set of low product prices and under a set of high product prices. Economic feasibility was based on land expectation values. Further, three types of incentive schemes were investigated: 1) lump sum payment at planting (and equivalent series of annual payments), 2) revenue incentive at harvest and 3) payment based on carbon volume. Mixed hardwood LEVs ranged from -$2416.71/ha (low prices) to $3955.72/ha (high prices). White pine LEVs ranged from -$2330.43/ha (low prices) to $3746.65/ha (high prices). A greater percentage of white pine scenarios yielded economically feasible land-use conversions than did the mixed hardwood scenarios, and it seems that a conversion to white pine forests would, for the most part, be the more appealing option. It seems that, for both mixed hardwoods and white pine, it would be in the best interests of the landowner to invest in the highest quality sites first. For a conversion to mixed hardwood forests, a low intensity level of site preparation seems economically optimal for most scenarios. For a conversion to white pine forests, a medium intensity level of site preparation seems economically optimal for most scenarios. Mixed hardwoods lump sum payments, made at the time of planting, ranged from $0/ha to $2416.71/ha (low prices). White pine lump sum payments, made at the time of planting, ranged from $0/ha to $2330.53/ha (low prices). Mixed hardwoods benefits based on an increase in revenue at harvest, ranged from $0/ha to $784449.52/ha (low prices). White pine benefits based on an increase in revenue at harvest ranged from $0/ha to $7011.48/ha (high prices). Annual mixed hardwood benefits, based on total stand carbon volume present at the end of a given year, ranged from $0/ton of carbon to $5.26/ton carbon (low prices). White pine benefits based on carbon volume ranged from $0/ton of carbon to $18.61/ton of carbon (high prices). It appears that, for white pine scenarios, there is not much difference between incentive values for lump sum payments at planting, revenue incentives at harvest, and total carbon payments over a rotation. For mixed hardwoods, however, it appears that the carbon payment incentive is by far the cheapest option of encouraging landowners to convert land. / Master of Science