Aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), are associated with disabling sleep and cognitive deficits. Specifically, aging and Alzheimer’s disease is associated with reduced quantity and quality of the deepest stage of sleep, called slow-wave-sleep (SWS). Interestingly, SWS has been implicated in hippocampus-dependent memory in mice. More importantly, sleep deprivation, aging, and AD are all associated with deficits in memory. Therefore, I hypothesize that, in aging and AD, the sleep deficits are, at least in part, responsible for memory impairments and increasing the quantity and quality of SWS will reverse these memory deficits. I first developed mouse models of SWS enhancement in aging and AD. Chemogenetic activation of the parafacial zone GABAergic neurons enhances SWS in aged mice as previously described in adult mice. Similarly, in AD mice, SWS enhancement is as effective as in littermate wild-type controls. Then, I used these mouse models to characterize the role of SWS in memory using novel gain-of-sleep experiments. I found that acute SWS enhancement: 1) reduce spatial memory in adult mice and 2) failed to improve spatial memory in aged mice. In a preliminary study, acute SWS enhancement seems to improve contextual memory in AD mice. Collectively, my work provides a novel mouse model of SWS enhancement in aging and AD, offering a pivotal tool to study the role of SWS in physiological functions and neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, my results suggest that acute SWS enhancement does not benefit the behavioral manifestation of memory consolidation in adult mice and aged mice.

Among the structural materials under consideration for future lead-cooled fastreactors, special attention is paid to ferritic Fe-10Cr-4Al due to its superior corrosionand erosion protective properties, as well as its insensitivity to liquid metalembrittlement in liquid lead. This thesis gives an inside look into the radiation damageproperties of the alloy and the possible embrittlement scenarios. The samples wereirradiated with 5.5 MeV protons and then tested with a slow strain rate testing rig at375oC and 450oC. The results showed that for Fe-10Cr-4Al irradiated to a peak doseof 0.14 dpa, the total elongation to failure was reduced by 3-5%, compared to theunirradiated samples. Moreover, the mechanical properties (yield strength, ultimatetensile strength, and fracture elongation) of the irradiated samples depend stronglyon temperature. The scanning electron microscopy images show no signs of liquidmetal embrittlement. However, the brittle structures at the edges of the samples couldindicate the existence of hydrogen embrittlement. / Bland de strukturmaterial som övervägs för framtida blykylda snabba reaktorer (LFR)ägnas särskild uppmärksamhet åt ferritiska Fe-10Cr-4Al-legeringar på grund av derasöverlägsna korrosionsbeständighet och deras avsaknad av försprödning i den flytandeblymiljön. Denna avhandling ger en inblick i legeringens strålskador och möjligaförsprödningsscenarier. Proverna bestrålades med 5.5 MeV protoner och testadessedan med SSRT-testriggen vid 375oC och 450oC. Resultaten visade att för proverav Fe-10Cr-4Al bestrålat till en dos av 0.14 dpa, minskade den totala förlängningentill brott med 3-5%, jämfört med de obestrålade proverna. Dessutom uppvisar demekaniska egenskaperna (YS, UTS och brottförlängning) hos de bestrålade provernaen större temperaturinverkan. Bilder tagna med svepelektronmikroskopi (SEM)visade inga tecken på flytande metallförsprödning (LME). De spröda strukturerna vidkanterna av proverna, där protonerna implanterades, kan dock indikera förekomstenav väteförsprödning.

Arbetet utforskar hur väl det går att tillämpa Slow Design och dess principer (reveal, expand, reflect, engage, participate, evolve och ritual) inom utvecklingen av digitala artefakter. I kontrast till ett fokus på effektiva interaktioner, fokuserar Slow Design på att främja medvetna interaktioner genom att skapa tillfällen för reflektion. Tidigare forskning har däremot mestadels fokuserat på tillämpningar av filosofin i design av fysiska artefakter. Med detta i åtanke, syftar detta arbete att besvara följande frågeställning: Hur kan principer för Slow Design appliceras i utvecklingen av digitala artefakter för att uppmuntra reflektioner hos användare? Huvudsakliga forskningsstrategin i studien var design science, med fokus på design och demonstration. Problemformuleringen och en del av behovsdefinitionen baserades på insamlad data från ett tidigare projektarbete genomfört av samma författare, där en virtuell matbutik utvecklades baserat på data från en empirisk studie kring mathandel. Utifrån detta togs en behovsdefinition fram för detta arbete, där krav på artefakten fastställdes. Detta kompletterades vidare med en tillämpning av principerna för Slow Design. Designarbetet inleddes därefter med en idégenerering, där ett flertal olika idéer genererades utifrån specificerade krav och principer för Slow Design. En validering med användare resulterade sedan i ett urval av idéer som användes som utgångspunkt för tidiga skisser på nätbutiken. Med utgångspunkt i skisserna utvecklades en prototyp av en nätbutik där olika funktioner implementerades med syftet att gestalta ett flertal principer för Slow Design. Därefter genomfördes en demonstration av prototypen, där sex deltagare ombads utföra ett antal uppgifter med både prototypen och en etablerad nätbutik. Detta genomfördes inom ramen av en mindre kartläggning där både observationer och semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes, som kunde ge insikter kring deltagarnas upplevelser av den utvecklade artefakten jämfört med en etablerad nätbutik. Insamlad data analyserades tematiskt och resulterade i tre teman: transparens, form och temporalitet. Dessa tre teman visade på övergripande aspekter i nätbutiken som kunde påverka reflektion. Utifrån den bedömning som gjordes, lyckades fem av sex implementerade principer framgångsrikt gestaltas i prototypen. Resultatet visade hur Slow Design kunde appliceras i utformning av en nätbutik, samt hur en implementering av de olika principerna kan bidra till en mer reflekterande, medveten och meningsfull mathandel. Därför dras slutsatsen, att arbetet på en mer övergripande nivå tydligt visar hur Slow Design kan appliceras i utvecklingen av digitala artefakter, och hur en tillämpning av principerna kan leda till fler möjligheter för användare att reflektera under användningen av digitala artefakter. / This paper reports on an exploration of how to apply Slow Design and its principles (reveal, expand, reflect, engage, participate, evolve and ritual) to digital artifacts. Unlike a more traditional focus on efficient interactions, the intention behind Slow Design is to promote meaningful interactions by supporting moments of reflection. However, previous research has primarily focused on applying the philosophy to physical artifacts or products. With this in mind, the following research question was defined: How can principles for Slow Design be applied in developing digital artifacts to encourage reflection in users? The primary research strategy used was design science, focusing on design and demonstration. The problem explication and a part of the requirement definition were based on a previous project by the same authors, in which a virtual grocery store was developed based on data gathered through an empirical study of slowness regarding grocery shopping. The main findings of the empirical study are reported on and further operationalized in this study to define the requirements for an artifact. The requirement definition was expanded further by translating the current principles for Slow Design to make them more applicable to digital design. Design concepts were subsequently developed as part of the design and development phase, in which interweaving requirements and principles for Slow Design resulted in multiple ideas. Three users then validated the ideas, resulting in a selection of ideas to be used in early sketches of the online store. Based on these sketches, a prototype was developed with functionality that, in different ways, embodied a total of six (out of seven) principles for Slow Design. A demonstration of the prototype was then conducted, in which six participants were instructed to perform a set of tasks with both the prototype and an already established online store. For this purpose, a small-scale survey was conducted in which observations and semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather data that could highlight differences in the experiences of using both artifacts. A thematic analysis was then conducted to identify overarching patterns in the data, resulting in three themes highlighting properties of the prototype that could influence or limit reflective use: transparency, form, and temporality. The authors then assessed that five (out of six) principles for Slow Design had been successfully embodied in the prototype. The result showed how Slow Design could be applied in the design of an online grocery store and how implementing the principles could contribute to a more reflecting, conscious, and meaningful grocery shopping experience. Therefore, the study on a higher level clearly shows how Slow Design can be applied in the design of digital artifacts, and how applying the principles can lead to more opportunities for users to reflect during their interactions with digital artifacts.

No description available.

[pt] A experiência fundamental da sociedade moderna é a de uma intensa aceleração do fluxo de experiência de cada indivíduo (ROSA, 2019a). Os reflexos deste fenômeno são observados em larga escala, coexistindo com um discurso cultural que relaciona a velocidade a limitações sociais, ambientais e individuais. Frente a isso, nota-se o surgimento de movimentos contestatórios à lógica temporal moderna, utilizados como válvulas de escape em relação à aceleração (BAUER et al, 2015; HUSEMANN e ECKHARDT, 2019; LEVINE, 2015; ROSA, 2019a), dentre os quais o Slow Movement (HONORE, 2019; PARKINS, 2004). Neste contexto, este estudo propõe compreender o processo de desaceleração do consumidor no ambiente estrutural contemporâneo, por meio do consumo sob o rótulo Slow. Como a noção de temporalidade está relacionada ao desdobramento de significados que emergem das práticas de vida, utiliza-se a Sociossemiótica (LANDOWSKI, 2014a) como aporte teórico-metodológico para entender a criação de sentido e os significados da desaceleração em torno do consumo Slow. Com base em entrevistas em profundidade com consumidores do Movimento Slow, foi possível concluir que este tipo de consumo pode equivaler a uma experiência extraordinária de lentificação, revelando-se como oásis de desaceleração (ROSA, 2019a) em meio ao contexto contemporâneo acelerado. Este extraordinário possui a estesia como elemento central, emergindo a partir da busca dos consumidores por sentido no que e em como consomem, da combinação de elementos estruturais e antiestruturais e do emprego de estratégias de desaceleração específicas. / [en] A critical experience of modern society involves an intense acceleration of experience flux of each individual (ROSA, 2019a). The consequences of this phenomenon are observed in a large scale, coexisting with a cultural discourse that relates speed to social, environmental and individual limitations. In view of this, movements have emerged contesting the modern temporal logic, used as escape valves from acceleration (BAUER et al., 2015; HUSEMANN and ECKHARDT, 2019; LEVINE, 2015; ROSA, 2019a), including the Slow Movement (HONORE, 2019; PARKINS, 2004). This study seeks to understand the process of consumer deceleration in the contemporary structural environment, assessing Slow Movement consumption. As the notion of temporality is related to the development of meanings that emerge from life practices, Sociosemiotics (LANDOWSKI, 2014a) is used as a theoretical-methodological approach to understand the creation of sense and meanings from deceleration via slow consumption. Based on in-depth interviews conducted with Slow Movement consumers it was possible to conclude that such type of consumption can ensure an extraordinary experience of deceleration, acting as an oasis of deceleration (ROSA, 2019a) in the fast-paced contemporary context. This extraordinary experience has esthesia as its central element, emerging from the search of consumers for meaning in what and how they consume, the combination of structural and anti-structural elements, and the use of specific deceleration strategies.

Syfte: Studiens syfte är att undersöka hur svenska modeföretag arbetar med transparens av sin värdekedja för att kommunicera de sociala- och miljömässiga avtryck som verksamheten medför. Studiens resultat kan förhoppningsvis bidra till ökad kunskap om hur trovärdighet och tydlighet kan uppnås/användas för att förbättra kommunikationen från företag till konsument. Metod: Studien har en kvalitativ metod med en deduktiv ansats. Semistrukturerade intervjuer har utförts för insamling av empiri. Intervjuguiden har baserats på de definierade centrala begreppen utifrån studiens forskningsfrågor som innehåller begreppen transparens, värdekedja, kommunikation, ansvar och framtid. Resultat: Samtliga företag i studien strävar efter transparens i hela sin värdekedja, vilket omfattar fibertillverkning, tygtillverkning, produktion, färgning och transporter. Genom webbplatser, hållbarhetsrapporter, certifieringar och sociala medier kommunicerar företagen transparens till slutkonsument. Samtliga företag i studien anser att det är nödvändigt att skapa förändring och förbättra delar av sin värdekedja för att bidra till en mer hållbar framtid. Även att kommunicera mer till slutkund angående cirkulariteten hos en modeprodukt och hur företagen i studien kan samarbeta med andra företag för att bygga en bättre och mer hållbar framtid. Relevans: Studien bidrar med relevanta utgångspunkter för hur företag bör arbeta med transparens av sin värdekedja för att bidra till en så hållbar textilbransch som möjligt. Relevansen förstärks då studien ligger rätt i tiden med med konstanta förändringar för hållbarhet inom textilbranschen och där transparens är grundstenen. / Purpose: The aim of the study is to look into how Swedish fashion firms use transparency throughout their value chain to explain and communicate the social and environmental impact of their activities. The result of the study can help to increase knowledge about how to develop trustworthiness and reliability in order to improve business-to-consumer communication. Method: The study has a qualitative method with a deductive approach based on semi-structured interviews that have been conducted for collecting the empirical data. The interview guide is based on the study's research questions' stated keywords, which include topics like transparency, value chain, communication, responsibility, and the future. Findings and conclusion: All five companies strive for transparency across their value chain, which includes fiber production, fabric manufacture, production, dyeing and transportation. Through websites, sustainability reports, certifications and social media, the companies communicate transparency to the end consumer. All businesses believe that changing and improving sections of their value chain is necessary to contribute to a more sustainable future. Also, communicate with their end customers more about the circularity of a fashion product and how to collaborate with other companies to build a better future and be more sustainable. Relevance: The study contributes relevant points on how companies should work with transparency within their value chain in order to contribute towards a more sustainable textile industry. The study's relevance is enhanced by the fact that it is timely, given the ongoing changes in the textile industry and transparency is a central part for that development.

This conflict study in Theology investigates reconciliation possibilities in indigenous lands in northern Sweden to be discussed through the Sámi Trail of Tears Walking Trail – a real-life innovation project. The historical material is based on the depiction of forcefully dislocated Sámis and the now polarized situation where local indigenous groups risk new conflicts partly with each other, partly with extractive industries, motorized tourism, and the majority’s society. Six public media sources were used for a brief thematization to detect discourse ethics used in communicative action. Further, two conferences were visited through participatory observation, revealing the importance of inclusion and visualized sovereignty. Five relevant sites were observed by asking how a walking trail could add value to reconciliation processes, and twenty interviews, or reasonings, were done mainly in Sápmi and Torne River valley, with one additional in Northern Finland to compare the situation of Forest Sámis in both countries. While site observations revealed ongoing slow violence in environments, they also showed how individuals become activated by their existing or absent relationships to a place. The interviews depicted cultural and existential views on place-bodies, reindeer keeping, natural elements, and material and immaterial values connected to them. The research also focused on the indigenous value-based Verdi system, recognized, and remembered by interviewees belonging indigenous communities. Further, the investigation asked about the role of leadership in truth- and reconciliation processes. The material was collected through qualitative indigenous research methods, and completed with perspectives of inclusion, wilderness spirituality, slow violence, and slow tourism. The material was analytically discussed through Jürgen Habermas’s Theory of Communicative Action. The findings points toward importance of continuing truth commissioning, a potential role of the Church in future negotiations, and also criticism against the failings of national leadership participation in truth-telling and reconciliation processes. Lastly, a briefly discussed model of Habitus-Based Reconciliation suggests focusing on long-term existential aspects of shared places and negating natural resources needed for communities and local cultures.

No description available.

Att arbeta med miljö och hållbarhet blir allt vanligare inom modesektorn. Samtidigt ställs höga krav på hastighet inom textil- och klädindustrin som pressas till att leverera trendiga, prisvärda plagg i stora volymer så snabbt och effektivt som möjligt på marknaden. Det leder ibland till överproduktion och negativ miljöpåverkan. Hur kan då den så kallade fast fashion-industrin och den mer hållbara modeindustrin samverka så att fast fashion-företag ska kunna nå en mer hållbar affärsmodell? Begreppet kollaborativ konsumtion förekommer allt oftare, vilket innebär en delad ekonomi där konsumenter får tillgång till varor utan att själva äga dem. Det leder till att överkonsumtionen av varor i samhället minskar och istället främjas den hållbara utvecklingen. Uthyrning som ett alternativ till försäljning är förekommande inom modesektorn, både som ett alternativ till den traditionella försäljningen, men även som ett substitut. Dock är det idag inte lika förekommande med uthyrning av fast fashion-kläder, detta anses därför vara ett intressant ämne att undersöka. Studiens syfte är att undersöka möjligheterna att införa uthyrning av kläder i kombination med traditionell försäljning i fast fashion-företaget Gina Tricot och därefter föreslå en möjlig affärsmodell. Studien grundas i affärsmodellen Busines model generation baserat på nio byggstenar, insamlat material i form av intervjuer och webbaserat material från tre företag. Gina Tricot representerar ett fast fashion-företag, Houdini ett livsstilsföretag med uthyrning som ett alternativ till försäljning samt Klädoteket som representerar ett hyrbaserat företag. De tre företagens affärsmodeller har jämförts med varandra samt analyserats med tidigare studier för att slutligen i en analys och diskussion besvara studiens syfte. Sammantaget har studien kunnat visa hur fast fashion-företaget Gina Tricot kan införliva det allt mer aktuella fenomenet, kollaborativ konsumtion i en ny affärsmodell. Vid ett eventuellt införande av Gina Tricot´s nya koncept kläduthyrning, kan företaget behöva förändra framförallt sex av de nio byggstenarna ur affärsmodellen Business model generation. Genom nya värdeerbjudanden, fler marknadsföringskanaler och bättre kundrelationer med utbildad butikspersonal inom hållbar konsumtion, har den nya affärsmodellen stor potential att lyckas då Gina Tricot har de ekonomiska och mänskliga förutsättningarna. Frågan ställs där emot om Gina Tricot´s fast fashion-kläder verkligen håller den kvalitet som krävs för uthyrning i det nya och mer hållbara konceptet, Fast Fashion 2.0.

There are many problems that lead to analysis of dynamical systems with phase variables of two types, slow and fast ones. Such systems are called slow-fast systems. The dynamics of such systems is usually described by means of different versions of perturbation theory. Many questions about accuracy of this description are still open. The difficulties are related to presence of resonances. The goal of the proposed thesis is to establish some estimates of the accuracy of the perturbation theory for slow-fast systems in the presence of resonances. We consider slow-fast Hamiltonian systems and study an accuracy of one of the methods of perturbation theory: the averaging method. In this thesis, we start with the case of slow-fast Hamiltonian systems with two degrees of freedom. One degree of freedom corresponds to fast variables, and the other degree of freedom corresponds to slow variables. Action variable of fast sub-system is an adiabatic invariant of the problem. Let this adiabatic invariant have limiting values along trajectories as time tends to plus and minus infinity. The difference of these two limits for a trajectory is known to be exponentially small in analytic systems. We obtain an exponent in this estimate. To this end, by means of iso-energetic reduction and canonical transformations in complexified phase space, we reduce the problem to the case of one and a half degrees of freedom, where the exponent is known. We then consider a quasi-linear Hamiltonian system with one and a half degrees of freedom. The Hamiltonian of this system differs by a small, ~ε, perturbing term from the Hamiltonian of a linear oscillatory system. We consider passage through a resonance: the frequency of the latter system slowly changes with time and passes through 0. The speed of this passage is of order of ε. We provide asymptotic formulas that describe effects of passage through a resonance with an improved accuracy O(ε3/2). A numerical verification is also provided. The problem under consideration is a model problem that describes passage through an isolated resonance in multi-frequency quasi-linear Hamiltonian systems. We also discuss a resonant phenomenon of scattering on resonances associated with discretisation arising in a numerical solving of systems with one rotating phase. Numerical integration of ODEs by standard numerical methods reduces continuous time problems to discrete time problems. For arbitrarily small time step of a numerical method, discrete time problems have intrinsic properties that are absent in continuous time problems. As a result, numerical solution of an ODE may demonstrate dynamical phenomena that are absent in the original ODE. We show that numerical integration of systems with one fast rotating phase leads to a situation of such kind: numerical solution demonstrates phenomenon of scattering on resonances, that is absent in the original system.