No description available.

A brain-computer interface (BCI) enables communication without movement based on brain signals measured with electroencephalography (EEG). BCIs usually rely on one of three types of signals: the P300 and other components of the event-related potential (ERP), steady state visual evoked potential (SSVEP), or event related desynchronization (ERD). Although P300 BCIs were introduced over twenty years ago, the past few years have seen a strong increase in P300 BCI research. This closed-loop BCI approach relies on the P300 and other components of the event-related potential (ERP), based on an oddball paradigm presented to the subject. In this paper, we overview the current status of P300 BCI technology, and then discuss new directions: paradigms for eliciting P300s; signal processing methods; applications; and hybrid BCIs. We conclude that P300 BCIs are quite promising, as several emerging directions have not yet been fully explored and could lead to improvements in bit rate, reliability, usability, and flexibility.

Because the mechanisms that lie behind the formation and preservation of asymmetric non-sorted stripes have not yet been established, and their particular shape has been given little attention by authors before, this study aims at giving a better understanding of the landforms and the environmental conditions under which they exist, with emphasis on under what circumstances the asymmetry develops. For this purpose, the roles of vegetation and snow were key concerns as well as the wind regime in relation to the vegetation, snow and morphology. The study consists of a thorough description of non-sorted stripes in the valley Gohpasvaggi, near Abisko field station in Northern Sweden. It comprises investigations of the ground thermal regime, soil moisture and other environmental parameters considered likely to have implications for the occurrence and appearance of the landforms. Results showed that the non-sorted stripe continues to the depth of ca 40-50 cm in the form of distortions of the deeper horizons, whereas the asymmetry is limited to the shallower A-horizon. In the stripe ridges there seems to be an upward movement in the soil that is likely physically driven (e.g. frost action). The furrow between the stripe ridges appears to be a quiescent area with normal soil development. The net downward movement here is likely biologically driven. The asymmetry can be related to the wind based on their corresponding direction and on the understanding of how feedback mechanisms involving wind, snow and vegetation works to maintain the micro topography. Differential frost heave and free convection of water in soil are plausible explanations for the origin of the non-sorted stripes in Gohpasvaggi. The current maintenance of the stripes is likely a combination of biological, physical and hydrological mechanisms that interact and depend on each other.

Current climate warming has a disproportionally large impact on Arctic glaciers and ice caps. In this thesis, I examined stratigraphic changes observed in the top ~15 m of two Arctic ice caps: one located at Svalbard (Lomonosovfonna) and the eastern Canadian Arctic Archipelago (Penny). The objective was to find out if and how the increasing regional temperatures have impacted the stratigraphy and densification rates of these ice caps, and particularly since the 1990s when Arctic warming accelerated. This was accomplished by analyzing and comparing recent (2000s) and earlier (1990s) ice-core density and stratigraphic measurements from these two ice caps, and also regional temperature data from Svalbard and the eastern Canadian Arctic over the period 1995-2013. Data over the amount and thickness of ice layers in the ice cores are also used and compared with the density development. A decrease in elevation for the formation of infiltration ice layers at Lomonsovfonna is concluded as well as a strong increase in temperature where the winter temperatures increase the most. In the ice cores it ́s also seen that each core has certain spatial variability when it comes to the distribution of infiltration ice.

No description available.

Submitted to the faculty of Indiana University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science in the department of Bioinformatics in School of Informatics of Indiana University 29 January, 2004 / Background: Toll and Toll-related proteins play an important role in antibacterial innate immunity and are widespread in insects, plants, and mammals. The completion of new genomes such as Anopheles gambiae has provided an avenue for a deeper understanding of Toll evolution. While most evolutionary analyses are performed on protein sequences, here, we present a unique phylogenetic analysis of Toll genes from the perspective of upstream regulatory regions so as to study the importance of evolutionary information inherited in such sequences. Results: In a comparative study, phylogeny on the protein products of Toll like genes showed consistency with earlier literature except for the single point of divergence between insects and mammals. On the other hand, the phylogeny based on upstream regulatory sequences (-3000 to +10) showed a broader distinction between the plants and the rest, though the tree was not well resolved probably due to poor alignment of these sequences. The phylogeny based on TFBs necessitated the development of a supervised statistical approach to determine their “evolutionary informativeness”. Employing the frequency of evolutionarily informative TFBs, a phylogeny was derived using pair-wise distances. It suggested a closer relationship between Anopheles and plants than to Drosophila and a significant homology among mammalian TLRs. Conclusions: A unique approach of using TFBs in studying evolution of Toll genes has been developed. Broadly, this approach showed results similar to the protein phylogeny. The inclusion of the evolutionary information from TFBs may be relevant to such analyses due to the selective pressure of conservation in upstream sequences.

A changing climate could result in more intense rainfall events. This might result in an increasedload on stormwater systems in the urban environment. The building or updating of stormwatersystems is relatively expensive. To reduce costs, it is important to build the right type of system.This project aims to examine what type and size of stormwater system is most efficient from aneconomic perspective. Different parameters were analysed to compare alternative types of stormwater systems, includingthe effectiveness in retaining water, the building cost as well as the maintenance cost. In this reportthree alternative solutions were studied: retention tanks, retention ponds and a local solution inthe form of gravel swales. These alternative options were modelled using two different numericalmodels within the software MIKE URBAN. One smaller model over Viksjö and one larger modelover Kungsängen. Retention tanks and retention ponds were split into three systems with a differentnumber of facilities. The systems were examined for ten and one facility in both models, threefacilities in the smaller model and four in the larger. The local solution was modelled by mimickingthe swales spread across all catchment areas. To examine the effectiveness in retaining water all thesolutions and systems had to achieve a set of criteria: a max flow in the end pipe of the system,no flooding, and a rain with recurrence interval of 10 years and duration of 24 hours. From theset of critera a total retention volume was obtained from modelling the different systems in MIKEURBAN. The costs of building and maintaining the systems were calculated from the retentionvolumes. As the models had existing pipe-networks two results were obtained, one including andone excluding the cost of the changes made to the pipe network. The result calculated from modelling retention volumes in MIKE URBAN showed that the systemwith a larger number of facilities required a lower total retention volume than the systemswith fewer facilities. Retention tanks with ten facilities required the smallest total retention volumefollowed by retention ponds, whereas gravel swales required the largest volume. The local solutionrequired the least change of the pipe network followed by systems with ten, three/four and onefacility. The economic calculations showed that the building cost for retention ponds was the lowest followedby gravel swales and retention tanks. The maintenance cost of retention ponds was the highestfollowed by retention tanks and gravel swales. The total cost, pipes excluded, calculated from thederived retention volumes, building cost, and net present value of the maintenance for 40 years showedretention ponds being the best solution from an economic perspective. Retention ponds costaround four times less than retention tanks and gravel swales. Gravel swales and retention tankscost about the same. When the cost of the pipe network was included retention ponds were still the best option, followedby gravel swales and retention tanks. The difference in cost depending on the number of facilitiesincreased in favour of the systems with a larger amount of facilities when the cost of rebuildingparts the pipe network was included / En framtid med ett förändrat klimat kan innebära mer och kraftigare regn. Detta kan komma attställa högre krav på de dagvattensystem som existerar i dagens städer men även på de system somkommer byggas i framtiden. Att bygga nya och bygga om befintliga dagvattenanläggningar innebärkostnader. Syftet med detta projekt var att undersöka olika typer av dagvattenlösningar och hur storlekenpå dessa påverkar totalkostnaden för dagvattensystemet. Genom att undersöka detta var målet attbestämma vilken typ av anläggning, samt storleken på dessa, som är mest samhällsekonomisktlönsamma för nybyggnad och ombyggnad av dagvattensystem. För att bestämma vilken typ av dagvattenanläggning som är mest samhällsekonomiskt lönsam studeradeseffektivitet i att fördröja dagvatten, uppförandekostnad samt drift för olika typer av dagvattenlösningar.I denna rapport studerades dagvattendammar, fördröjningsmagasin och en lokallösning bestående av krossdiken. Krossdiken är ett metersdjupt dike fyllt med makadam. Hur effektivade olika lösningar var på att fördröja vatten utvärderades genom modellering i MIKE URBANdär två olika modeller användes, en mindre modell över Viksjö och en större modell överKungsängen. Modellerna som användes bestod av redan befintliga ledningsnät. Dagvattendammaroch fördröjningsmagasin fördelades på tre olika system. System ett bestod av mindre anläggningaroch fördelades på totalt tio anläggningar. System två med medelstora anläggningar bestod av tre anläggningari den mindre modellen och fyra anläggningar i den större. Det tredje systemet bestod avenbart en stor anläggning. Den lokala lösningen med krossdiken modellerade på ett sätt där krossdikenantogs vara utspridda över varje delavrinningsområde. Modelleringen av de olika systemenskedde genom att dessa utvärderades mot ett antal parametrar gemensamma för samtliga lösningar.Dessa parametrar innefattade flödesbegränsningar, typen av regn och översvämningar i modellen.Utifrån kraven som ställdes kunde den total fördröjningsvolymen som krävdes för de olika dagvattenlösningarnabestämmas. Utifrån de bestämda fördröjningsvolymer och kostnader för drift ochuppförande kunde en totalkostnad för de olika dagvattenlösningarna bestämmas. Två resultat presenterades,ett resultat inklusive kostnad för förändrade ledningar och ett resultat exklusive kostnadför ledningar. Resultatet från modelleringen visade att systemen med ett större antal anläggningar krävde lägrefördröjningsvolymer än systemen med färre anläggningar. Systemet med tio anläggningar med fördröjningsmagasinkrävde den minsta volymen följt av dagvattendammar. Krossdiken krävde denstörsta totala fördröjningsvolymen. Krossdiken krävde minst antal meter ombyggda ledningar följtav tio, tre/fyra och en anläggning. Resultatet från de ekonomiska undersökningarna visade att uppförandekostnaden för dammar varlägst följt av krossdiken och fördröjningsmagasin. Driftkostnaden var högst för dammar följt avfördröjningsmagasin och krossdiken. Slutkostnaden exklusive ledningar beräknades utifrån fördröjningsvolymernafrån modelleringen tillsammans med kostnader för uppförande och nuvärdetav driftkostnaden under 40 år. Slutkostnaden visade att dagvattendammar var den lösning som varmest samhällsekonomiskt lönsam, cirka fyra gånger billigare än övriga lösningar. Fördröjningsmagasinoch krossdiken var likvärdiga i totalkostnad exklusive ledningar. Då kostnaden inklusive förändrade ledningar beräknades var dammar billigast följt av krossdikenoch fördröjningsmagasin. Skillnaden mellan totalkostnad beroende på antalet anläggningar ökadetill fördel för de system med flera anläggningar då dessa krävde mindre ombyggnation av ledningar.

Stress i arbetet, stress hemma, stress i livet, överallt finns stress, detta är en naturlig del i livet. Vid långvarig stress eller negativ stress blir den sjuklig. När det föreligger obalans mellan arbetsuppgifter och tid, kan detta ge upphov till stress hos sjuksköterskor För att inte utveckla symtom på utmattning eller andra sjukdomar måste det på allvar göras något åt stressen som finns, i detta fall på sjuksköterskors arbetsplats. Tidigare studier visade att sjuksköterskor upplevde och hade erfarenhet av stress av för låg bemanning och när de fick dåligt stöd av chefer. Att bibehålla de professionella etiska reglerna upplevdes också svårt. Syftet med denna litteraturstudie var att belysa sjuksköterskors upplevelse och erfarenhet av stress i arbetet. Metodval gjordes genom att följa Fribergs (2017, ss. 141–143) modell för litteraturöversikt. Databaserna Cinahl, PubMed och PsychInfo användes för litteratursökningen. Detta resulterade i åtta artiklar. Fem kvantitativa, två kvalitativa och en med både kvantitativ och kvalitativ metod. Litteraturstudien påvisar att sjuksköterskor upplever eller erfar stress i arbetet. Stressen orsakades inte av samma stressorer för alla, men många orsaker till stress hade artiklarna gemensamt. Detta var att särskilt hög arbetsbelastning som ofta orsakades av underbemanning och bristande arbetsledning var vanligaste orsaken till stress. Ett bra socialt nätverk kunde mildra stressupplevelserna. Med ständig underbemanning eller överbeläggning, är det svårt att upplevelser och erfarenheter av stress för sjuksköterskor kommer att minska. När sjukvården ibland bedrivs som företag som inte får kosta för mycket, kan en del av glädjen i arbetet tappas men också omtänksamhet och omvårdnad från personalen.

The purpose of this study is to explore and describe how the staff experiences from social services, schools and HVB of collaboration in honor-related violence against young girls. The study is based on six semi-structured interviews. The interviews consist of two staff from the social services, school and HVB. The results of the survey show that the social services, the school and HVB are in need of an increased collaboration and that collaboration is considered a problem area. The obstacles that the staff experience are communication, knowledge, consensus and business domains. The results also highlight that the lack of an action plan on how to work to support, respond to and manage vulnerable girls is unclear and affects collaboration in that there is no common approach with each other. The results collected are confirmed in both previous research and the theoretical starting points. Keywords: Collaboration, honor-related violence, staff, barriers, challenges

During the last 60 years the plastic production has increased more than 190 times and plasticpollution both at sea and land is a growing issue. Every year millions of tons of plastic waste fromland reaches the oceans, but the land-based sources are diffuse. One possible source of plasticwaste and microplastics are from plastic litter in urban areas which is common all over the world.The aim with this laboratory study was to study the photodegradation patterns of macroplasticsthat is usually found as litter in urban areas to contribute with knowledge and to theunderstanding of how macroplastics degrade to microplastics. The laboratory study wasstructured around the use of ultraviolet light exposure from UVA 340 nm lamps to acceleratephotodegradations of plastics in air. The test was divided into four different time intervals: stage7 days, stage 14 days, stage 28 days, and stage 56 days to study the evolution of plasticfragmentation over time. Effect of the UV radiation and test duration were combined to derivethe equivalent real time duration. Using Luleå as a benchmark the computed equivalence were0.27 years for every seven days of UV exposure. For stage 7d, a test with different mediums(water and air) were performed to compare the degradation processes between differentenvironments. However, for the longer time intervals air was the only tested environment. Newplastic products were bought which were among the most produced types of plastic or mostcommon plastic litter. The plastics were the following: polystyrene (PS) as plastic coffee cup lid,polypropylene (PP) as chocolate wrapping, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as plastic bottle,low- density polyethylene (PE-LD) as plastic grocery bag and cellulose acetate (CA) as cigarettefilter or butts. The analytical techniques used were a particle size and number counter, with theselected particle size interval between 4-120 μm, and a camera mounted microscope to studyshapes of microplastic particles. Before photographing the particles, the samples were filtered ona 10 μm aluminium filter. The results showed that photodegradation with UV light did in factaccelerate the degradation process even for short time intervals. Potential for fragmentation ofparticles in air was larger, due to air being a more oxidizing environment and weakening theplastics. The results implied that the degradation processes for PS is slower in water compared tothe other plastics in the same environment. In PS there was a larger amount of particles for theUV- exposed samples compared to the other plastics. This is interpreted as it has a slowerdegradation processes due to the fact when looking on the other plastics in stage w.7 (in water),the control samples have a higher particle count than for the UV exposed samples. It can beinterpreted as PS does not become as effected by the UV light while in water compared to theother plastics. Therefore, the conclusion is that the particles degraded and became smaller thanthe analysed size range (4 μm) and were therefore not detected, consequently, showing a lowerparticle count. After 56 days of UV radiation the largest amount of detected particle mass wasproduced by PP (chocolate wrapping) with 0.0143 mg/cm2 material and the least amount ofdetected particle mass in stage 56d was of PE-LD (plastic bag) with 0.00042 mg/cm2 material.Based on the comparison of the water stage and air stages together with conclusions from earlierstudies, the potential for a substantial destructive breaking of large particle are considered higherin air than in water, because the oxidation weakens the material making it less resilient tomechanical stress.