Many wildlife populations globally are experiencing unprecedented declines, and without accurate and precise estimates of abundance, we will not be able to conserve these vulnerable species. Remote cameras have rapidly advanced as wildlife monitoring tools and may provide accurate and precise estimates of abundance that improve upon traditional methods. Using remote cameras to estimate abundance may be less expensive, less intrusive, less dangerous, and less time consuming than other methods. While it is apparent that remote cameras have a place in the future of wildlife monitoring, research, and management, many questions remain concerning the proper use of these tools. In an effort to answer some of these questions, we used remote cameras to study a population of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) in Utah, USA from 2012 to 2014. In Chapter 1, we compared methods using remote cameras against 2 traditional methods of estimating abundance. In Chapter 2, we evaluated the relationship between deployment time of cameras and proportion of photos needed to be analyzed to obtain precise estimates of abundance. We found that methods using remote cameras compared favorably to traditional methods of estimating abundance, and provided a number of valuable advantages. In addition, we found that remote cameras can produce precise estimates of abundance in a relatively short sampling period. Finally, we identified the optimal sampling period to produce precise estimates of abundance for our study population. Our findings can help researchers better utilize the potential of remote cameras, making them a more suitable alternative to traditional wildlife monitoring.

Many wildlife populations globally are experiencing unprecedented declines, and without accurate and precise estimates of abundance, we will not be able to conserve these vulnerable species. Remote cameras have rapidly advanced as wildlife monitoring tools and may provide accurate and precise estimates of abundance that improve upon traditional methods. Using remote cameras to estimate abundance may be less expensive, less intrusive, less dangerous, and less time consuming than other methods. While it is apparent that remote cameras have a place in the future of wildlife monitoring, research, and management, many questions remain concerning the proper use of these tools. In an effort to answer some of these questions, we used remote cameras to study a population of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) in Utah, USA from 2012 to 2014. In Chapter 1, we compared methods using remote cameras against 2 traditional methods of estimating abundance. In Chapter 2, we evaluated the relationship between deployment time of cameras and proportion of photos needed to be analyzed to obtain precise estimates of abundance. We found that methods using remote cameras compared favorably to traditional methods of estimating abundance, and provided a number of valuable advantages. In addition, we found that remote cameras can produce precise estimates of abundance in a relatively short sampling period. Finally, we identified the optimal sampling period to produce precise estimates of abundance for our study population. Our findings can help researchers better utilize the potential of remote cameras, making them a more suitable alternative to traditional wildlife monitoring.

The wear comfort of a prosthesis is of great importance for amputee patients. The wear comfort can be affected by changes in the interface between the residual limb and prosthesis socket, which can be caused by time-dependent volume fluctuations of the tissue, leading to unwanted local pressure marks. The basis to ensure time-independent wear comfort of a prosthesis is to identify these changes. Common techniques for identifying these variations have a negative impact on the sensitive interface between the residual limb and prosthesis. The following paper contains a proof of concept for the detection of local pressure marks without affecting the described interface using structural dynamics measurements, exemplarily shown at a prosthetic socket for transfemoral amputees in a test bench scenario. The dynamical behaviour of the investigated system is analysed in the form of frequency response functions acquired for different pressure locations and preloads using an impact hammer for excitation and a triaxial acceleration sensor. The frequency response functions show major changes for the various boundary conditions with respect to their frequency-dependent compositions. The results demonstrate how the utilised method enables the identification of changes in local pressure marks regarding the variation of position and magnitude.

This essay primarily focuses on the rental housing market in Sweden. The problem addressed is the housing shortage and the underlying factors contributing to the housing shortage we are facing. We consider research on this issue to be necessary for society. The essay takes into account the regulations and systems on which the market is built. We attempt to address the general issues in Sweden's rental housing market to answer our research question. We use Norway, Denmark, and Finland as reference points to understand how housing policies can be structured differently. This provides us with a good understanding of multiple systems and helps us reach a rational conclusion. The study employs a deductive approach with qualitative interviews to gain a thorough understanding of the subject, furthermore, building on interviews with knowledgeable respondents.The main aspects we focus on are the utility value system and land and planning processes. We consider these as central components of an inefficient system and part of the explanation for the housing shortage.

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I takt med att klimatet förändras ökar frekvensen av extrema väderhändelser. I Sverige har den ökade årsmedeltemperaturen och nederbörden förhöjt risken för översvämningar. Översvämningar är inget nytt fenomen och har i Sverige orsakat stor skada på privat och offentlig egendom, kritisk infrastruktur och samhället i stort. Med tanke på översvämningarnas breda definition avgränsas denna studie till översvämningar som härleds från havet, sjöar eller vattendrag.  För att skydda samhället mot översvämningar och mildra de sociala, ekologiska och ekonomiska skador som uppstår, implementerar kommuner och privata fastighetsägare olika typer av skyddsåtgärder, såsom skyddsvallar och dammar. Syftet med denna rapport är att undersöka vilka skyddsåtgärder som tillämpas, om privat mark tas i anspråk för att etablera översvämningsskydd och vilka ersättningsprinciper som används.  För att besvara uppsatsens frågeställningar tillämpas en kvalitativ metodansats, inkluderande fallstudier, litteraturstudier och semistrukturerade intervjuer, för att samla in data. Fallstudier från tio kommuner med kända översvämningsrisker utgör grunden för de erhållna resultaten och ger insikt i hur dessa frågor hanteras i kommunerna. Intervjuerna, som har genomförts digitalt, utgör den primära datakällan för fallstudierna och har kompletterats med relevant litteratur. Eftersom resultatet baseras på den data som erhållits från intervjuer styrs resultatet av den kompetens och kunskap respondenterna har samt hur insatta de är i ämnet.  I den teoretiska bakgrunden ges en översyn över de juridiska förutsättningar som kommuner har för att skydda egendom, infrastruktur och samhället mot översvämningar. Denna bakgrund tillhandahåller nödvändig information för att nyansera och kontextualisera resultatet.  I rapportens resultatdel presenteras fallstudier utförda på följande kommuner: Arvika, Göteborg, Halmstad, Kalmar, Karlstad, Kristianstad, Lomma, Trelleborg, Vellinge och Värnamo. Varje fallstudie analyserar och beskriver kommunens översvämningsrisker, genomförda skyddsåtgärder, processer för markåtkomst och ersättningsmodeller. Dessa studier illustrerar hur olika kommuner anpassar sina strategier utifrån förutsättningar och de juridiska verktyg som finns till hands. Kommuner som Kristianstad, Vellinge, Arvika och Karlstad har tagit privat mark i anspråk för att upprätta översvämningsskydd. I dessa kommuner har även ersättning utgått till fastighetsägarna för intrång i äganderätten. Ambitionen är att lösa förvärven via frivilliga överenskommelser, där befintlig lagstiftning underlättar förhandlingarna. Ersättningen baseras vanligtvis på en oberoende värdering av marknadsvärdet plus ett påslag på 25 % för att ge en skälig ersättning för skadan. I Vellinge har ersättningsfrågan varit särskilt omdiskuterad, och efter ett domstolsbeslut i Mark- och miljööverdomstolen fastställdes den intrångsersättning som utgick till fastighetsägarna.  I Göteborg och Trelleborg uppförs skydden inom ramen för detaljplaneprocessen. I de fall där kommunen inte äger mark, vilket dessa kommuner gör i stor utsträckning, har förvärvet av marken säkerställts inom ramen för de civilrättsliga avtal som upprättas när detaljplanerna realiseras. I Värnamo, Lomma och Halmstad har översvämningsskydden upprättats på kommunal mark, vilket innebär att ingen ersättning har utgått till privata fastighetsägare.  Från resultatet framgår tydligt att kommunernas unika förutsättningar styr de strategier som implementeras. I vissa kommuner tas privat mark i anspråk för säkra samhället mot översvämningar, vilket förefaller bero på vikten av att säkerställa kompletta skydd och de rådande markägoförhållandena. Majoriteten av förvärven har säkerställts med frivilliga överenskommelser, där lagstiftningen utgör grunden för förhandlingarna. Att skydda samhällen mot översvämningar är avgörande för att skapa socialt och ekonomiskt hållbara samhällen för medborgarna. Ett koordinerat kommunalt arbete med goda förutsättningar att upprätta skydd och stödja privata fastighetsägare kan bidra till säkrare och bättre rustade samhällen för att hantera de risker och skador som härleds till översvämningar. / As the climate changes, the frequency of extreme weather events increases. In Sweden, the rising annual average temperature and precipitation have heightened the risk of flooding. Flooding is not a new phenomenon and has caused significant damage to private and public property, critical infrastructure, and society at large in Sweden. Given the broad definition of flooding, this study is limited to floods originating from the sea, lakes or rivers.  To protect society against flooding and mitigate the social, ecological, and economic damages that occur, municipalities and private property owners implement various protective measures, such as levees and dams. The purpose of this report is to investigate the protective measures that are applied, whether private land is appropriated for establishing flood defenses, and the compensation principles used. This thesis employs a qualitative methodological approach, including case studies, literature reviews, and semi-structured interviews, to gather data. Case studies from ten municipalities with known flood risks form the basis of the results and provide insight into how these issues are managed locally. The interviews, conducted digitally, serve as the primary data source for the case studies and have been supplemented with relevant literature. Since the results are based on data obtained from interviews, they are influenced by the competence and knowledge of the respondents and their familiarity with the subject. The theoretical background provides an overview of the legal frameworks available to municipalities to protect property, infrastructure, and society against flooding. This background provides essential information to nuance and contextualize the results. The results section presents case studies conducted in the following municipalities: Arvika, Gothenburg, Halmstad, Kalmar, Karlstad, Kristianstad, Lomma, Trelleborg, Vellinge, and Värnamo. Each case study analyzes and describes the municipality's flood risks, implemented protective measures, land acquisition processes, and compensation models. These studies illustrate how different municipalities adapt their strategies based on conditions and available legal tools. Municipalities such as Kristianstad, Vellinge, Arvika, and Karlstad have appropriated private land to establish flood defenses. In these municipalities, compensation has also been awarded to property owners for infringements on property rights. The goal is to resolve acquisitions through voluntary agreements, where existing legislation facilitates negotiations. Compensation is usually based on an independent valuation of the market value plus an additional 25% to provide fair compensation for the damage. In Vellinge, the issue of compensation has been particularly contentious, and after a court ruling in the Swedish equivalent to Land and Environment Court of Appeal, the compensation awarded to property owners was established. In Gothenburg and Trelleborg, the defenses are constructed within the framework of the detailed planning process. In cases where the municipality does not own the land, which is often the case in these municipalities, the acquisition of land has been secured within the framework of the civil law agreements established as the detailed plans are realized. In Värnamo, Lomma, and Halmstad, the flood defenses have been established on municipal land, meaning that no compensation has been paid to private property owners. The results clearly show that the unique conditions of the municipalities dictate the strategies implemented. In some municipalities, private land is appropriated to secure the community against flooding, which appears to depend on the importance of ensuring complete protections and the prevailing land ownership conditions. The majority of acquisitions have been secured through voluntary agreements, where legislation forms the basis of the negotiations. Protecting communities from flooding is crucial for creating socially and economically sustainable communities for citizens. Coordinated municipal efforts with good conditions for establishing defenses and supporting private property owners can contribute to safer and better-prepared communities to manage the risks and damages associated with flooding.

The purpose of this master's thesis is to explore how priests interpret the parables in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Mark using a hermeneutic qualitative approach and semi-structured interviews. The aim is to shed light on a selected group of priests in their roles within the context of the Church of Sweden, where interpretation is a part of their work, primarily focusing on the parables in the fourth chapter of Mark's Gospel and how this is done in interpretation, both in encounters with individuals and in preaching. An inductive approach has influenced the study, which also permeates the qualitative method with a focus on creating understanding to gain knowledge about the nature of these various phenomena among four priests. Generalization is not possible due to the small number of informants for making overall generalizations. Nor is it what has been sought. The aim of qualitative research is to gain a deeper understanding of a phenomenon and to illuminate how individuals experience it in their context. The study aims to understand how a specifically selected group of individuals, namely priests who have worked for an extended period within the Swedish Church, interpret the parables in Gospel of Mark.

I conducted demographic and behavioral studies of Western Sandpipers (Calidris mauri) breeding on the Yukon-Kuskokwim River Delta, Alaska (1998-2005). In chapter one, I estimated apparent annual survival (product of true survival and site fidelity) while correcting for the probability of encounter for 237 males and 296 females. Overall return rates (individual returned to the site in a subsequent season) were lower for females (40%) than males (65%), as was apparent annual survival (± SE, females = 0.65 ± 0.05, males = 0.78 ± 0.03), and encounter rate (females = 0.51 ± 0.07, males = 0.74 ± 0.04). In chapter two, I examined the effects of mate and site fidelity on nesting success (N = 430 nests). Annual divorce rate ranged between 37-83%, with 17-63% of pairs reuniting annually. Reuniting pairs initiated clutches earlier than newly formed pairs, and clutches that were initiated early in the season had higher nest success rates compared to late-season nests. When I controlled for clutch-initiation date, nests tended by individuals with prior breeding-site experience had higher daily survival rates compared to birds breeding at the site for the first time. The effect of site experience was greater for males than females. In chapter 3, I reported that Western Sandpipers exhibited aggregated breeding behavior on a 36 ha plot. Breeding aggregations occurred when dominant and/or older individuals excluded younger, subordinate individuals from preferred habitat. The pattern of habitat occupancy conformed to an ideal despotic distribution with aggregated nesting birds in less preferred habitat experiencing lower reproductive success. In chapter 4, I described and demonstrated the form and function of parent-chick communication in the Western Sandpiper. Through experimental playback of adult vocalizations to chicks in the field, I demonstrated: (1) chicks respond to the alarm call by vocalizing relatively less often and moving away from the signal source, (2) chicks respond to the gather call by vocalizing relatively more often and moving toward the signal source, (3) and chicks respond to the freeze call by vocalizing relatively less often and crouching motionless on the substrate for extended periods of time. I also describe two distinct chick vocalizations (chick-contact and chick-alarm calls). / Ph. D.

Freshwater mussels (Unionidae) in the United States have experienced dramatic declines, and 25% species are listed as federally endangered. Hence, recovery plans for endangered species proposed a strategy of propagation of young mussels for release to natal rivers to augment declining populations. In this study, I conducted laboratory experiments, assessed site suitability for mussel restoration, and evaluated survival and growth rates of released mussels to meet the requirements of recovery plan. I conducted multiple experiments to develop an improved protocol for juvenile mussel propagation and culture. Significantly greater survival and growth rates were found in newly metamorphosed juveniles of the rainbow mussel (Villosa iris) reared in a substrate of fine sediment and one-month-old juveniles of wavy-rayed lampmussel (Lampsilis fasciola) fed on natural food in pond water. Bio-filter media greatly increased water quality by reducing the concentration of ammonia and nitrite. The negative impacts of flatworm predation and filamentous algae in juvenile culture were controlled, and juvenile escapement was prevented. Juvenile mussels were successfully produced and cultured to stockable size (>15 mm) for release. I released laboratory-propagated mussels at three historically important sites in Clinch and Powell rivers for the assessment of site suitability. Use of cages was the most effective method to determine site suitability because the free-released mussels (untagged, tagged) had low catchability. Mussels released at Horton Ford, Clinch River, exhibited significantly faster growth. Horton Ford is the most suitable site, while environmental conditions at Fugate Ford, Powell River, are deemed unsuitable for mussel restoration and recovery. To facilitate the detection of released mussels, I applied Passive Integrated Transponder tags to laboratory-produced juveniles of the endangered Cumberlandian combshell (Epioblasma brevidens) and released them near Brooks Bridge, Powell River. The detection probability increased above 98%. I developed a set of hierarchical Bayesian models incorporating individual variations, seasonal variations, periodic growth stages and growth cessation to estimate survival, detection probability and growth of released mussels in a changing environment. Mussels of E. brevidens exhibited great survival (> 99% per month) and growth, indicating suitable conditions for recovery of this endangered species at this site. / Ph. D.