En fastighetsaffär är en av de allra största och viktigaste investeringarna som kan ske i en människas liv. Det är därför viktigt att aktuell lagstiftning följs när dessa affärer genomförs. Efter att en fastighet har sålts är det inte ovanligt att det uppstår tvister och oklarheter kring vem som ansvarar för så kallade dolda fel i fastigheten. Dolda fel är något som kan uppmärksammas efter köpet. Enligt jordabalken gäller i normalfallet att säljaren ansvarar för dessa fel i 10 år från det att köpet gjordes. Säljaren kan undvika detta ansvar genom att friskriva sig från fel i fastigheten. Enligt jordabalken är sådana friskrivningar ogiltiga i de fall då en näringsidkare säljer en fastighet till en konsument. Enligt vår tolkning av lagen och dess förarbeten gäller detta även när kommuner säljer fastigheter till privatpersoner. I denna studie ska det undersökas hur väl kommunerna är medvetna om att denna begränsning i lagen finns och hur de såväl i praktiken som i teorin förhåller sig till den, vid fastighetsförsäljningar till privatpersoner. För att söka svar på frågorna ska en kombination av en juridisk och en kvalitativ metod använts. Totalt ska det under studiens gång granskas 46 stycken kontrakt från 10 olika kommuner. Studien baseras på en granskning av 46 stycken kontrakt, varav 52 % visade sig vara ogiltiga enligt JB 4 kap. 19 d. Vidare visade granskningen att majoriteten av dessa är utformade på ett av tre alternativa sätt, där samtliga innehöll minst en friskrivning från fel och brister i fastigheten. Studien visar även att stor okunskap råder i kommunerna angående hur regeln ska tolkas och hur denna typ av friskrivning därför bör hanteras i de kommunala kontrakten. Dessutom visar studien på att de ansvariga i kommunerna inte heller verkar vara medvetna om att samma syfte som de vill uppnå genom en friskrivning kan åstadkommas genom en grundlig förklarande beskrivning av köpeobjektet. / Buying a property is one of the biggest and most important investments in a person´s life. When this kind of purchase is being performed it´s important that the Swedish legislation is being considered and followed correctly by both parties when writing the contract. After a property is sold it's not unusual that some disputes and uncertainties rises about who´s responsible for the so called "hidden defects" on the property, which can be found after the purchase has become final. According to Swedish law the seller is responsible for these defects for the following 10 years after the purchase is completed. However there is one way for the seller to avoid this kind of responsibility - by using a disclaimer from these hidden defects. When a trader is selling a property to a consumer, this kind of disclaimers, according to jordabalken (JB) 4 cap. 19 d §, is invalid. According to what the writers can interpret by reading the text of law and the legislative history, JB 4 cap. 19 d § also should be applied in those cases where a municipality is selling a property to a private individual. The purpose of this study is to map the municipalities awareness of the existence of the law and how they consider that the law should be handled when selling a property to a private individual. To seek the answers to these questions a combination of a juridical and a qualitative method have been used. During the study a total of 46 contracts from 10 different municipalities have been examined. The study came across a total of 46 disclaimers, which a percantage of 52 % according to JB 4 cap 19 d § considers as invalid. The majority of these disclaimers was proved to be designed as one of three alternative ways, where every one of them contained some kind of disclaimer from hidden defects and flaws in the property. The study proves that there is big ignorance and lack of knowledge at the municipalities about how the law in JB 4 cap. 19 d § should be interpreted and how this kind of disclaimer therefore should be treated in the contracts. Also, the study shows that the municipalities doesn't seem to be aware that the same purpose that they want to achieve by using the disclaimer, can be accomplished by a detailed description of the property.

We study the sensitivity of fixed target neutrino experiments (LSND, T2K, CENNS, and COHERENT) and proton beam dumps (MiniBooNE off-target, and SHiP) to sub-GeV dark matter. In order to reproduce the observed thermal relic abundance, these states are coupled to the Standard Model via new, low mass mediators in the form of a kinetically mixed U(1)0 vector mediator or a vector mediator gauging baryon number. We present a model for the production of low mass dark matter from proton-nucleon collisions in fixed targets. Sensitivity projections are made using signals from elastic electron- and nucleon-dark matter scattering, as well as coherent nuclear-dark matter scattering and dark matter induced inelastic π 0 production. A fixed target Monte Carlo code has been developed for this analysis, and documentation is included. We find that analyses using current and future proton fixed target experiments are capable of placing new limits on the hidden sector dark matter parameter space for dark matter masses of up to 500\,MeV and mediator masses as large as a few GeV. / Graduate

Explorations into the organisation of spontaneous activity within the brain have demonstrated the existence of networks of temporally correlated activity, consisting of brain areas that share similar cognitive or sensory functions. These so-called resting state networks (RSNs) emerge spontaneously during rest and disappear in response to overt stimuli or cognitive demands. In recent years, the study of RSNs has emerged as a valuable tool for probing brain function, both in the healthy brain and in disorders such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. However, analyses of these networks have so far been limited, in part due to assumptions that the patterns of neuronal activity that underlie these networks remain constant over time. Moreover, the majority of RSN studies have used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), in which slow fluctuations in the level of oxygen in the blood are used as a proxy for the activity within a given brain region. In this thesis we develop the use of magnetoencephalography (MEG) to study resting state functional connectivity. Unlike fMRI, MEG provides a direct measure of neuronal activity and can provide novel insights into the temporal dynamics that underlie resting state activity. In particular, we focus on the application of non- stationary analysis methods, which are able to capture fast temporal changes in activity. We first develop a framework for preprocessing MEG data and measuring interactions within different RSNs (Chapter 3). We then extend this framework to assess temporal variability in resting state functional connectivity by applying time- varying measures of interactions and show that within-network functional connectivity is underpinned by non-stationary temporal dynamics (Chapter 4). Finally we develop a data driven approach based on a hidden Markov model for inferring short lived connectivity states from resting state and task data (Chapter 5). By applying this approach to data from multiple subjects we reveal transient states that capture short lived patterns of neuronal activity (Chapter 6).

Recurrent events are very common in a wide range of scientific disciplines. The majority of statistical models developed to characterise recurrent events are derived from either reliability theory or survival analysis. This thesis concentrates on applications that arise from reliability, which in general involve the study about components or devices where the recurring event is failure. Specifically, interest lies in repairable components that experience a number of failures during their lifetime. The goal is to develop statistical models in order to gain a good understanding about the driving force behind the failures. A particular counting process is adopted, the non-homogenous Poisson process (NHPP), where the rate of occurrence (failure rate) depends on time. The primary application considered in the thesis is the prediction of underground water pipe bursts although the methods described have more general scope. First, a Bayesian mixed effects NHPP model is developed and applied to a network of water pipes using MCMC. The model is then extended to a mixture of NHPPs. Further, a special mixture case, the zero-inflated NHPP model is developed to cope with data involving a large number of pipes that have never failed. The zero-inflated model is applied to the same pipe network. Quite often, data involving recurrent failures over time, are aggregated where for instance the times of failures are unknown and only the total number of failures are available. Aggregated versions of the NHPP model and its zero-inflated version are developed to accommodate aggregated data and these are applied to the aggregated version of the earlier data set. Complex devices in random environments often exhibit what may be termed as state changes in their behaviour. These state changes may be caused by unobserved and possibly non-stationary processes such as severe weather changes. A hidden semi-Markov NHPP model is formulated, which is a NHPP process modulated by an unobserved semi-Markov process. An algorithm is developed to evaluate the likelihood of this model and a Metropolis-Hastings sampler is constructed for parameter estimation. Simulation studies are performed to test implementation and finally an illustrative application of the model is presented. The thesis concludes with a general discussion and a list of possible generalisations and extensions as well as possible applications other than the ones considered.

The study explored the learning experiences of first-year resident physicians during the first year of graduate medical education. The experiences of four intern physicians in the first year of residency training at an urban academic health system provided the site for the research. An exploratory case study research design was employed to examine the learning experiences of these new physicians. A qualitative approach was used to analyze data from interviews and ethnographic observations. The findings of this research study provide evidence surrounding how and what these physician trainees learned regarding professionalism during the first year of residency training. The findings indicate these first-year resident physicians experienced significant learning related to professionalism through incidental learning in the clinical environment, particularly from role models and the hidden curriculum. The interns learned both positive and negative professional behaviors from attending physicians. The findings illustrate the increases and decreases of confidence due to the development of clinical skills, increase in responsibilities, and increase in autonomy experienced by all four participants across the first year of residency training. Additionally, the findings highlight the important role of critical incidents, particularly memorable patient encounters, as potentially transformative learning experiences for these interns. Finally, the findings enumerate the pervasive influence of the hidden curriculum of graduate medical education on what these new physicians learned about professionalism, particularly the unprofessional social norms transmitted through attending physicians and others within the context of clinical learning. The findings of the research study support the conclusions that a) incidental learning experiences during the first year of residency education directly influenced how and what these new physicians learned regarding professionalism; b) these intern physicians experienced non-transformative learning during the first year of residency, but critical reflection and critical self-reflection after critical incidents did hold the potential to result in learning that was transformative; and c) the ubiquitous nature of the hidden curriculum significantly impacted what these first-year residents learned about professionalism. These conclusions contribute to the literature related to the development of professionalism in the new physician and the power of the hidden curriculum in medical education to influence professional identity development. Implications for medical educators and recommendations for future research are also identified.

A common alga of oligotrophic slightly acidic fresh water habitats, Synura sphagnicola, has never been suspected for a presence of cryptic diversity. The publicly available SSU rDNA sequences showed very slight genetic differences between the S. sphagnicola isolates. However, I suspected that if any cryptic lineages exist, the sequencing of ITS region will show the differences between them. A total of 37 S. sphagnicola sequences (36 from Europe and 1 from Korea) were analyzed in this thesis. The ITS rDNA sequencing clearly recognized the presence of two distinct cryptic species, referred here as lineage SP1 and SP2. The morphological analysis of 14 cultivated strains (6 belonging to the lineage SP1 and 8 to the lineage SP2) validated the genetic distinction. The statistical analyses showed that 4 morphological aspects (length of a scale, width of a scale, length of a spine, length of a rim) were found to have significant differences in length of measured factors between species. The most visible difference is in the length of a spine that is connected to the scale. The analysis of published S. sphagnicola scales showed that the two lineages can be morphologically distinguished also in natural conditions. According to the morphological analyses, the lineage SP2 (species with a longer spine)...

This paper presents a two-stage model of optimization as a quick method to choose the best potential links for implementing urban travel demand management (UTDM) strategy like road pricing. The model is optimized by minimizing the hidden cost of congestion based on user equilibrium (MHCCUE). It forecasts the exact amount of flows and tolls for links in user equilibrium condition to determine the hidden cost for each link to optimize the link selection based on the network congestion priority. The results show that not only the amount of total cost is decreased, but also the number of selected links for pricing is reduced as compared with the previous toll minimization methods. Moreover, as this model just uses the traffic assignment data for calculation, it could be considered as a quick and optimum solution for choosing the potential links.

At its core, a nanopore detector has a nanometer-scale biological membrane across which a voltage is applied. The voltage draws a DNA molecule into an á-hemolysin channel in the membrane. Consequently, a distinctive channel current blockade signal is created as the molecule flexes and interacts with the channel. This flexing of the molecule is characterized by different blockade levels in the channel current signal. Previous experiments have shown that a nanopore detector is sufficiently sensitive such that nearly identical DNA molecules were classified successfully using machine learning techniques such as Hidden Markov Models and Support Vector Machines in a channel current based signal analysis platform [4-9]. In this paper, methods for improving feature extraction are presented to improve both classification and to provide biologists and chemists with a better understanding of the physical properties of a given molecule.

Tip growth is a ubiquitous process throughout the plant kingdom in which a single cell elongates in one direction in a self-similar manner. To sustain tip growth in plants, the cell must regulate the extensibility of the wall to promote growth and avoid turgor-induced rupture. This process is heavily dependent on the cytoskeleton, which is thought to coordinate the delivery and recycling of vesicles containing cell wall materials at the cell tip. Although significant work has been done to elucidate the various molecular players in this process, there remains a need for a more mechanistic understanding of the cytoskeletonÂ’s role in tip growth. For this reason, specific emphasis should be placed on understanding the dynamics of the cytoskeleton, its associated motors, and their cargo. Since the advent of fluorescence fusion technology, various quantitative fluorescence dynamics techniques have emerged. Among the most prominent of these techniques is fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP). Despite its prominence, it is unclear how to interpret fluorescence recoveries in confined cellular geometries such as tip-growing cells. Here we developed a digital confocal microscope simulation of FRAP in tip-growing cells. With this simulation, we determined that fluorescence recoveries are significantly influenced by cell boundaries. With this FRAP simulation, we then measured the diffusion of VAMP72-labeled vesicles in the moss Physcomitrella patens. Using finite element modeling of polarized cell growth, and the measured VAMP72-labeled vesicle diffusion coefficient, we were able to show that diffusion alone cannot support the required transport of wall materials to the cell tip. This indicates that an actin-based active transport system is necessary for vesicle clustering at the cell tip to support growth. This provides one essential function of the actin cytoskeleton in polarized cell growth. After establishing the requirement for actin-based transport, we then sought to characterize the in vivo binding interactions of myosin XI, vesicles, and filamentous actin. Particle tracking evidence from P. patens protoplasts suggests that myosin XI and VAMP72-labeled vesicles exhibit fast transient interactions. Hidden Markov modeling of particle tracking indicates that myosin XI and VAMP72- labeled vesicles move along actin filaments in short-lived linear trajectories. These fast transient interactions may be necessary to achieve the rapid dynamics of the apical actin, important for growth. This work advances the fieldÂ’s understanding of fluorescence dynamics, elucidates a necessary function of the actin cytoskeleton, and provides insight into how the components of the cytoskeleton interact in vivo.

Self-directed work groups are a growing phenomenon in the field of organisational psychology (Kauffeld, 2006; Neck & Manz, 1994). While much is known about what factors affect information sharing in these kinds of groups, little is known about why these factors have an impact and how they relate to each other. Through the concept of hidden profiles (tasks that by nature have shared and unshared information), this study explored the information sharing and group decision making processes and aimed to illuminate the group processes involved. The study employed a qualitative, ideographic approach where case studies were used. The sample consisted of twenty four undergraduate and postgraduate students studying at the University of the Witwatersrand divided into groups of four members each. A group task to rank the best candidate for a job was self-designed based on the theory and design utilized by Stasser and Titus (1985; 1987). This was first completed individually and then as a group – the group discussion was filmed and coded using a self-developed observation rubric. Participants also completed a self-developed post-task questionnaire regarding their perspectives of various aspects of the decision making process. The analysis was carried out using frequency counts and thematic content analysis. It was found that all the groups discussed more shared information and more unshared negative information was discussed than unshared positive information. Information sharing increased when there was debate about which pieces of information were relevant. In most cases, group members were motivated to share information because they wanted to have their opinion heard. Although the majority of the sample stated that they did not withhold any information, there was evidence of strategic information sharing. Group 5 made a decision that was closest to the ideal decision. Characteristics of this group that could have contributed to this included: long duration of discussion; high number of talking turns; respecting each other’s talking turns; moderate levels of disagreement; no obvious role of leader; moderately high levels of group familiarity; diversity in race not gender; similar educational backgrounds and a norm of critical evaluation. The study found that the interactions between factors that were perceived to affect the information sharing and decision-making (such as duration of discussion, number of talking turns, group familiarity, competitive aspects, group composition and group roles) were more interwoven than previously thought.