The dynamic nature of science is embodied in the growth of knowledge in magnitude and the transformation of knowledge in structure. More specifically, the growth in magnitude is indicated by a sharp increase in the number of scientific publications in recent decades. The transformation of knowledge occurs as the boundaries of scientific disciplines become increasingly less distinct, resulting in a complicated situation wherein disciplines and interdisciplinary research topics coexist and co-evolve. Knowledge production in such a context creates challenges for the measurement of science.This thesisaims to develop more flexible bibliometric methodologies in order to address some of the challenges to measuring science effectively. To be specific, this thesis1) proposes a new approach for identifying emerging research topics; 2) measuresthe interdisciplinarity of research topics; 3) explores the accuracy of the journal classification systems of the Web of Science and Scopus; 4) examines the role of cognitive distance in grant decisions; and 5) investigates the effect of cognitive distance between collaborators on their research output. The data used in this thesisaremainly from the in-house Web of Science and Scopus databases of the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) at Leiden University. Quantitativeanalyses, in particular bibliometric analyses,are the main research methodologies employed in this thesis. Furthermore, this thesis primarily offers methodological contributions, proposing a series of approaches designed to tackle the challenges created by the dynamics of science. While the major contribution of this dissertation lies in the improvement of certain bibliometric approaches, it also enhances the understanding of the current system of science. In particular, the approaches and research findings presented here have implications for various stakeholders, including publishing organizations, bibliographic database producers, research policy makers, and research funding agencies. Indeed, these approaches could be built into a software tool and thereby be made available to researchers beyond the field of bibliometric studies. / <p>QC 20160406</p>

Traditional water monitoring encounter limitations due to the large number of contaminants present in our waters possible giving raise to mixture effects. This thesis aimed to investigate how the emerging omics approaches (transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics) can be used as an effect-based monitoring approach to assess and predict adverse effects in the freshwater environment. Moreover, this thesis analysed challenges and barrier with omics. A systematic literature search was conducted using Scopus and Web of Science to find case-studies using omics in field studies and reviews regarding challenges and barriers. The results in this thesis suggest that the use of fish species (either collected in the wild or in situ set-ups), transcriptomics and investigations of WWTP recipient was the most common way to apply omics. In order to interpret omics-data multiple studies conducted chemical monitoring in conjunction, investigated additional traditional biomarkers and/or used omics to identify altered biological or functional pathways that possible could lead to adverse effects at higher levels. According to the challenges and barriers identified in this thesis, the future of omics in environmental monitoring rely on the possibility to characterise and quantify natural variability, define appropriate critical effect sizes (i.e. thresholds of critical effects) and define baseline data. Moreover, it is necessary to develop frameworks and standardisations for omics-approaches (e.g. study-designs) to promote the interpretation of the results. Future research is also needed to develop and increase the understanding of how the proteomics and metabolomics can be applied. By improving the use of omics a more holistic water monitoring can be achieved including screenings for biological responses and the ability to detect early warnings which will enhance the prioritisation and site management of polluted water bodies, including those with limited prior knowledge regarding potential contaminants.

Organic solar cells have been showing promise as a way of producing renewableenergy with the help of light, flexible, and production effective materials.The efficiencies and lifetimes reached in organic solar cells have steadily beenincreasing over the years as more research in the field is being conducted.One way of increasing the efficiency in organic solar cell devices is introducingan interlayer between the photoactive material and the anode, referred toas the ’hole transport layer’. Most commonly used as a hole transport layer isthe material PEDOT:PSS, which offers desired properties such as transparency,simple processing and good ohmic contact between anode and photoactive material.PEDOT:PSS is also known to be a degradation site in organic solar cells,as it will corrode the electrode in the presence of water.This project has consisted of investigating PEDOT:PSS along with two othercandidates that may one day come to replace PEDOT:PSS as the most commonlyused material, molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) and phosphomolybdic acid(PMA). The aim was to investigate how the different materials energy bandstructure would be affected upon exposure to sunlight, air and annealing, byobserving the work function under different conditions.

The purpose of this study is to find out the preschool educators’ perceptions to work with the human body. The method used was semi-structured interviews with a prepared interview-guide as a tool. Six educators were interviewed. The result showed that the educators had experience in working with the human body and that they considered it relevant to include the subject in pre-school activities. It also appears that the educators do not think that they work with the subject, even though the result is that it is something they do almost every day. All the educators have a positive attitude towards learning about the human body in the preschool.

Det har tidigare visat sig att lärare under biologilektioner ofta använder sig av begreppet liv som om detta vore ett självklart fenomen (Keeley, 2002) och enligt läroplanen ska elever lära sig skilja på levande organismer och icke levande omgivning (Skolverket, 2011). Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka vilka uppfattningar elever i årskurs 4 har om fenomenet liv. Detta för att lyfta fram svårigheter och synliggöra hur undervisningen kan anpassas och förbättras med utgångspunkt i elevernas förförståelse. Studien baseras på en enkätundersökning som gjordes av sammanlagt 46 elever från två klasser. Därefter genomfördes 13 efterföljande intervjuer med elever från de båda klasserna. Det visar sig i denna studie att eleverna framför allt använder sig av tio olika kriterier för att bestämma om någonting lever eller inte. Dessa är rörelse, kognitiv förmåga, behov av näring, växande, skapande av ljud, andning, blodomlopp, färg, behov av vatten och förökning. Det visar sig även att eleverna inte konsekvent använder sig av några specifika kriterium utan ändrar dessa beroende på organismen. Eleverna i undersökningen anser även att det finns olika typer av liv och att organismer kan leva på olika sätt. Det visar sig även att flera av elevernas kriterium kan liknas med vetenskapliga teorier om liv, men att olika tolkningar av enskilda begrepp ofta leder till att objekt i undersökningen felaktigt klassificeras som levande eller döda.

The extensive alteration of global ecosystems, especially the changes caused by globalized and industrialized economic development activities over the last fifty years, have urged for a better understanding of the human-in-nature management system. Bangladesh, a densely populated developing country, is witnessing rapid environmental degradation while passing through different phases of industrial growth. Leather, one of the oldest industries in this country, provides a very positive picture in the country’s national economy and at the same time produces severe ecological and social crisis in a mutually reinforcing way. At first sight, it seems to fit the SES concept of social ecological trap. The previous scientific studies on ‘Hazaribagh’ leather processing unit in Bangladesh have investigated social, economic, ecological and stakeholder’s perspectives but did not address the pathway that has shaped the present situation. The objective of this case study was therefore to explore the reasons why change of this ‘Hazaribagh system’ has been impeded for so long and if the social-ecological trap concept could help to clarify the reasons for the chronic delay of the relocation of ‘Hazaribagh’ leather processing unit. This study has observed, through a historical investigation that a path dependent social ecological trap situation is persisting in the ‘Hazaribagh system’ where the economic opportunity is playing the role as a juncture between the phases of the process; and power mechanism and the disconnected SES has influenced and strengthened the claim. This study has also addressed some other underlying substantial social issues, which are influencing the process and might contribute to outline further research, and consequently provide insight to escape from the trap situation.

Most humans do not only have a preferred hand to use in different situations, they also exhibit a clear preference when it comes to eye usage. Few studies have assessed whether different tests of eye preference give congruent or incongruent results, and furthermore, there are conflicting findings on whether eye preference correlates with eye dominance, visual acuity, and handedness. The present study assessed whether these variables correlate, alongside factors such as age and sex. A total of 79 subjects, 45 males and 34 females, were tested. A microscope, telescope, photo camera, and caleidoscope were used to assess eye preference, the Dolman test was used to assess eye dominance, the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory was filled in to assess handedness, and visual acuity was measured using a Snellen chart. Care was taken to include subjects of various ages and both sexes. Descriptive statistics show that most subjects were right-handed, had a right-eye preference and were consistent across the four eye preference tasks, and had a dominant right eye. Significant correlations were found between visual acuity and handedness, as well as eye preference and eye dominance.

The middle spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos medius) became extinct in Sweden in 1982. The last population inhabited a fragmented area of 300 km2 and were for a long time a characteristic species for the oak stands of Sturefors and Bjärka­Säby, south of Linköping. The reason why the species got extinct depends mostly on habitat fragmentation. Also, the extinction got hasten by harsh wintering conditions. The purpose of this study is to evaluate which of current populations of Dendrocopos medius could best serve as source of founders for a possible reintroduction of the species in Linköping. Populations from Poland, Germany, Latvia and Lithuania were considered, taking their ecology, phylogeny and genetic diversity into account. The population’s abiotic conditions, in combination with their ability to adapt to different habitat was also considered crucial to conduce a successful reintroduction of middle spotted woodpecker in Linköping. Populations from Bialowieza and Krotoszyn in Poland, Wolfsburg in Germany and Kaunas and Marijampole in Lithuania were considered most suitable to contribute with founders. Since the middle spotted woodpecker could work as a flagship species for old and open oak stands, a reintroduction of the species could turn up the awareness for nature conservation, species conservation and biodiversity.

HEAT-grenades are wing-stabilized grenades using shaped charge technology. Theshaped charge is a method, producing a jet-beam, with the use of a copper linerin which the aim is to focus the detonation energy to be able to penetrate armourand structures. This jet-beam is only eective under a rotational frequency of 15Hz, any frequency above this and the produced jet-beam loses its eciency and willnot be able to penetrate its target. One approach to minimize the inner body'srotation is by using bearings. By the use of ball bearings the intention is to with-hold transferring the angular momentum from the outer rotating body to the innercylinder body. This thesis have been analysing how much rotation the warhead haveacquired from the outer rotation of the grenade divided in an acceleration phase anda ying phase. During the acceleration phase the rotation of the warhead is reach-ing a frequency of 0.35 Hz. Proposals are presented for improving and lowering therotational speeds for future studies.

Previous studies support that the relative width of the upper face (facial width-to-height ratio; fWHR) has evolved to signal threat, but these studies rely greatly on subjective facial ratings and measurements prone to confounds. The present study objectively quantifies threat perception to the magnitude of the observers’ electrophysiological reaction, specifically the event-related potential (ERP) called the late positive potential (LPP), and investigate if brow height and jaw width could have confounded previous fWHR studies. Swedish and international students (N = 30, females = 11, Mage = 24 years, SDage = 2.9) were shown computer-generated neutral faces created with the underlying skeletal morphology varying in brow ridge height, cheekbone width and jaw width. Participants first rated how threatening each face was and then viewed 12 blocks of 64 faces while their electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded. The results supported that the LPP could be used to index threat perception and showed that only brow height significantly affected both facial ratings (p &lt; .001, ɳp2 = .698) and magnitude of the LPP within the 400 to 800 ms latency (p = .02, d = .542). Hence, brow height, not facial width, could explain previous findings. The results contradict the hypothesis that fWHR is an evolved cue of threat and instead support the overgeneralisation hypothesis in that faces with similar features to anger will be perceived as more threatening.