ABSTRACT One cause of declines and extinctions of island species is carnivore introduction. Four carnivores, including the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus), are on the IUCN’s list of 100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species. My thesis summarizes global patterns of carnivore introductions and examines ecological, evolutionary, and management impacts of this mongoose. I study abundances of reptiles and amphibians on mongoose-infested and mongoose-free islands in the Adriatic Sea to determine if factors other than mongoose presence can account for abundance differences. For several reptiles and amphibians, the mongoose is implicated as causing differences. Additionally, I assess species abundance in the small mammal community and activity times of introduced ship rats (Rattus rattus) on the same islands. The mongoose is implicated in a shift in rat activity times, but it is difficult to separate mongoose impacts on small mammal abundance from rat impacts. To manage introduced carnivores, we can exclude, control, or eradicate them. I review literature data on mongoose eradication and control campaigns. I compiled a list of all islands with known mongoose populations and focused on assessing successes, failures, and challenges. The mongoose has been eradicated only on six very small islands. Management at low levels by various techniques has been attempted on many islands, with variable success. On almost all islands of introduction, the mongoose has no potential competitors of similar size. However, on three Adriatic islands where the mongoose was introduced, a similar-sized native carnivore, the stone marten (Martes foina), is present, while on one Adriatic island the small Indian mongoose is the sole carnivore. To see if character displacement occurs in the mongoose when the marten is present, and vice-versa, I examined size variation in the diameter of the upper canine tooth (the prey-killing organ) and skull length in these two species on these islands. Character displacement in both traits was evident for the mongoose but not the marten. Lastly, I developed a simulation model to examine genetic consequences of serial introductions of the small Indian mongoose and found that the potential for population genetic data to determine introduction pathways and sequences is limited.

Det verkar råda en stark uppfattning om att indikatorer inverkar positivt på jämställdhetsarbeten. Samtidigt pekar genusvetenskaplig forskning på att kvantitativt jämställdhetsarbete inte är tillräckligt för att uppnå jämställdhet. Syftet med denna uppsats var därför att undersöka i vilken utsträckning jämställdhetsindikatorer kan medföra kvalitativa jämställdhetseffekter. Med fallstudie som metod och begreppet maktförskjutning som analytiskt begrepp har Uppsala universitets jämställdhetsindikatorer analyserats. Analysen visade på att universitetets jämställdhetsindikatorer med stor sannolikhet kommer medföra jämställdhetseffekter, men inga kvalitativa sådana. Det finns dock en möjlighet att rätt kombination av rätt sorts indikatorer kan belysa könsmaktstrukturer och därigenom öppna för kvalitativa förändringar. / It seems as if there are strong opinions about indicators having positive effects on gender equality work. At the same time gender studies indicate that quantitative gender equality work is not enough to achieve equality. The purpose of this essay is therefore to study in what extent indicators measuring equality have the possibility to entail qualitative equality effects. Using case study method and “displacement of power” as an analytic concept, the equality indicators of Uppsala University has been analyzed. The analysis showed that the equality indicators of Uppsala University will most likely entail quantitative equality effects, though it is not plausible that they will lead to any qualitative equality effects. There is however a possibility that a correct kind of combination of the right sorts of indicators may elucidate sex power structures and thereby creates opportunities for qualitative equality.

Time history-analyses of building structures have been used for a quite long time for research at universities. Considering the advantage of time-history analysis relative to the equivalent static force method, the National Building of Canada and other modern building codes around the world require the use of time-history analysis in the design of specified types of buildings located in seismic regions. One of the main issues in the use of time-history analysis is related to the selection and scaling of the seismic excitations (i.e., accelerograms) to be compatible with the design spectrum for the location considered. Currently, both recorded (i.e., “real”) accelerograms and artificial accelerograms are used in the analyses. The objective of this study is to determine the effects of the selection and scaling of seismic excitations on the response of reinforced concrete frame buildings. Three reinforced concrete frame buildings with heights of 4 storey, 10 storey and 16 storey, designed for Vancouver (high seismic zone) were used in this study. Five sets of seismic excitations were used in the analysis – one set of “real” accelerograms, and four sets of artificial accelerograms obtained by different methods. All sets were scaled to be compatible with the design spectrum for Vancouver. Both linear and nonlinear time history analyses were conducted on the buildings considered. Interstorey drifts and storey shear forces were used as response parameters. The results from the linear analysis show that both the interstorey drifts and the shear forces are affected significantly by the type of the excitation set. Similarly, the effects of the type of the seismic excitations on the drifts from nonlinear analysis are substantial. On the other hand, the influence of the excitation sets on the storey shears from nonlinear analysis are quite small. Based on the results from this study, sets of scaled real records are preferred for use in time-history analysis of building structures. If such records are not available, then sets of simulated accelerograms based on the regional seismic characteristics should be used.

The Canadian response following the Haitian earthquake of 2010 was not solely focused on providing humanitarian assistance. Canada also used several immigration measures both at the federal level and the provincial level in Quebec in order to facilitate the immigration of eligible Haitians to Canada and their subsequent reunification with their Canadian family members. This thesis explores these immigration measures and evaluates their effectiveness. In addition, the research examines the role that the large Haitian Diaspora in Canada played in bringing about the adoption of a set of immigration measures specifically for Haitians. The research shows that the Canadian measures implemented were both multi-dimensional – as a variety of immigration mechanisms were used, and multi-level – as the Canadian response included both federal and provincial initiatives in Quebec. While a number of measures were introduced federally, none of these measures could be considered “special” as they were all possible under Canada’s immigration legislation, and they were not unique to the post-earthquake context. In contrast, Quebec’s Humanitarian Sponsorship Program for Haitians was very “special” in that it was the first time such a program was implemented for a large group of people. The research also points to the fact that although using immigration mechanisms to respond to a humanitarian crisis has its benefits, these mechanisms are not designed to provide prompt protection and relief to individuals affected by crisis situations. The research also demonstrates that the use of the available complementary protection measures (humanitarian and compassionate considerations, moratorium and protected person status) did not make up the primary thrust of the Canadian immigration response to the earthquake in Haiti. This fact is indicative of the inadequacy of these measures in providing protection to individuals displaced by environmental factors. Finally, it is argued that although the existence of a large Haitian Diaspora was influential in creating a climate open to the adoption of special measures for Haitians, the Haitian Diaspora did not necessarily influence the specifics of the measures adopted to a significant degree.

Multiphase flow and transport in fractured rock is of importance to many practical and engineering applications. In the field of groundwater hydrology an issue of significant environmental concern is the release of dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) which can cause long-term groundwater contamination in fractured aquifers. This study deals with two fundamental processes – fluid displacement and interphase mass transfer – concerning the behavior of the multiphase contaminants in fractured media. The focus of this work has been placed on improving the current understanding of small-scale (single fracture) physics by a combined effort of numerical modeling analysis, laboratory experiments and model development. This thesis contributes to the improved understanding through several aspects. Firstly, the effect of aperture variability, as characterized by geostatistical parameters such as standard deviation and correlation length, on the DNAPL entrapment, dissolution and source-depletion behaviors in single fractures was revealed. Secondly, a novel, generalized approach (adaptive circle fitting approach) to account for the effect of in-plane curvature of fluid-fluid interfaces on immiscible fluid displacement was developed; the new approach has demonstrated good performance when applied to simulate previously published experimental data. Thirdly, the performance of a continuum-based two-phase flow model and an invasion percolation model was compared for modeling fluid displacement in a variable-aperture fracture and the dependence of fracture-scale capillary pressure – saturation relationships on aperture variability was studied. Lastly, through experimental studies and mechanistic numerical modeling of DNAPL dissolution, kinetic mass transfer characteristics of two different entrapment configurations (residual blobs and dead-end pools) were investigated. The obtained understanding from this thesis will be useful for predictive modeling of multiphase contaminant behavior at a larger (fracture network) scale. / Flerfasflöde och ämnestransport i sprickigt berg är av betydelse för många praktiska och tekniska problem. Tunga, svårlösliga organiska vätskor (engelska: dense non-aqueous phase liquids: DNAPLs; t.ex. klorerade lösningsmedel) kan orsaka långvarig förorening av vattenresurser, inklusive akviferer i sprickigt berg, och utgör ett viktigt miljöproblem inom grundvattenhydrologin. Denna studie behandlar två fundamentala processer för spridning av flerfasföroreningar i sprickiga medier – utbredning av den organiska vätskan och massöverföring mellan organisk vätska och vatten. Arbetet har fokuserat på att förbättra nuvarande kunskap om de fysikaliska processerna på liten skala (enskilda sprickor) genom en kombination av numerisk modellering, laboratorieexperiment och modellutveckling. Avhandlingen har bidragit till utökad processförståelse i flera avseenden. För det första har arbetet belyst effekterna av sprickaperturens variabilitet, uttryckt med geostatistiska parametrar som standardavvikelse och rumslig korrelationslängd, på fastläggning och lösning av organiska vätskor i enskilda sprickor, samt utmattningsbeteendet hos dessa källor till grundvattenförorening. För det andra har en ny, generell metod (adaptiva cirkelpassningsmetoden) för att ta hänsyn till effekten av krökningen av gränsytan mellan organisk vätska och vatten i sprickplanet utvecklats; denna metod har visats fungera väl i simuleringar av tidigare publicerade experimentella data. För det tredje, har en jämförelse gjorts mellan en kontinuumbaserad tvåfasflödesmodell och en invasions-perkolationsmodell med avseende på hur väl de kan simulera tvåfasflöde i en spricka med varierande apertur. Här studerades även hur relationen mellan kapillärtryck och mättnadsgrad på sprickplansskala beror av variabiliteten i sprickapertur. Till sist undersöktes lösning av den organiska vätskan i grundvatten för två fastläggningsscenarier (fastläggning i immobila droppar och ansamling i fällor – ”återvändssprickor”) både genom experiment och mekanistisk numerisk modellering. Kunskapen som tagits fram i denna avhandling bedöms vara användbar även för att modellera spridningen av flerfasföroreningar på större (spricknätverks-) skalor.

Time history-analyses of building structures have been used for a quite long time for research at universities. Considering the advantage of time-history analysis relative to the equivalent static force method, the National Building of Canada and other modern building codes around the world require the use of time-history analysis in the design of specified types of buildings located in seismic regions. One of the main issues in the use of time-history analysis is related to the selection and scaling of the seismic excitations (i.e., accelerograms) to be compatible with the design spectrum for the location considered. Currently, both recorded (i.e., “real”) accelerograms and artificial accelerograms are used in the analyses. The objective of this study is to determine the effects of the selection and scaling of seismic excitations on the response of reinforced concrete frame buildings. Three reinforced concrete frame buildings with heights of 4 storey, 10 storey and 16 storey, designed for Vancouver (high seismic zone) were used in this study. Five sets of seismic excitations were used in the analysis – one set of “real” accelerograms, and four sets of artificial accelerograms obtained by different methods. All sets were scaled to be compatible with the design spectrum for Vancouver. Both linear and nonlinear time history analyses were conducted on the buildings considered. Interstorey drifts and storey shear forces were used as response parameters. The results from the linear analysis show that both the interstorey drifts and the shear forces are affected significantly by the type of the excitation set. Similarly, the effects of the type of the seismic excitations on the drifts from nonlinear analysis are substantial. On the other hand, the influence of the excitation sets on the storey shears from nonlinear analysis are quite small. Based on the results from this study, sets of scaled real records are preferred for use in time-history analysis of building structures. If such records are not available, then sets of simulated accelerograms based on the regional seismic characteristics should be used.

The Canadian response following the Haitian earthquake of 2010 was not solely focused on providing humanitarian assistance. Canada also used several immigration measures both at the federal level and the provincial level in Quebec in order to facilitate the immigration of eligible Haitians to Canada and their subsequent reunification with their Canadian family members. This thesis explores these immigration measures and evaluates their effectiveness. In addition, the research examines the role that the large Haitian Diaspora in Canada played in bringing about the adoption of a set of immigration measures specifically for Haitians. The research shows that the Canadian measures implemented were both multi-dimensional – as a variety of immigration mechanisms were used, and multi-level – as the Canadian response included both federal and provincial initiatives in Quebec. While a number of measures were introduced federally, none of these measures could be considered “special” as they were all possible under Canada’s immigration legislation, and they were not unique to the post-earthquake context. In contrast, Quebec’s Humanitarian Sponsorship Program for Haitians was very “special” in that it was the first time such a program was implemented for a large group of people. The research also points to the fact that although using immigration mechanisms to respond to a humanitarian crisis has its benefits, these mechanisms are not designed to provide prompt protection and relief to individuals affected by crisis situations. The research also demonstrates that the use of the available complementary protection measures (humanitarian and compassionate considerations, moratorium and protected person status) did not make up the primary thrust of the Canadian immigration response to the earthquake in Haiti. This fact is indicative of the inadequacy of these measures in providing protection to individuals displaced by environmental factors. Finally, it is argued that although the existence of a large Haitian Diaspora was influential in creating a climate open to the adoption of special measures for Haitians, the Haitian Diaspora did not necessarily influence the specifics of the measures adopted to a significant degree.

Many of our closest relatives, the primates, are endangered and could be extinct in a near future. To increase the knowledge of non-human primate genomes, and at the same time acquire information on our own genomic evolution, studies using high-throughput technologies are applied, which raises the demand for large amounts of high quality DNA. In study I and II, we evaluated the multiple displacement amplification (MDA) technique, a whole genome amplification method, on a wide range of DNA sources, such as blood, hair and semen, by comparing MDA products to genomic DNA as templates for several commonly used genotyping methods. In general, the genotyping success rate from the MDA products was in concordance with the genomic DNA. The quality of sequences of the mitochondrial control region obtained from MDA products from blood and non-invasively collected semen samples was maintained. However, the readable sequence length was shorter for MDA products. Few studies have focused on the genetic variation in the nuclear genes of non-human primates. In study III, we discovered 23 new single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Y-chromosome of the chimpanzee. We designed a tag-microarray minisequencing assay for genotyping the SNPs together with 19 SNPs from the literature and 45 SNPs in the mitochondrial DNA. Using the microarray, we were able to analyze the population structure of wild-living chimpanzees. In study IV, we established 111 diagnostic nucleotide positions for primate genera determination. We used sequence alignments of the nuclear epsilon globin gene and apolipoprotein B gene to identify positions for determination on the infraorder and Catarrhini subfamily level, respectively, and sequence alignments of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA (MT-RNR1) to identify positions to distinguish between genera. We designed a microarray assay for immobilized minisequencing primers for genotyping these positions to aid in the forensic determination of an unknown sample.

Träbyggnandet i Sverige gick in i en ny era när myndigheterna beslutade att upphäva förbudet mot att bygga byggnader som är högre än två våningar. Denna förändring i lagstiftningen har bidragit till att utveckla träbyggandet under det senaste decenniet. Cross Laminerat Timber (CLT) har blivit erkänt som en ny teknik som använt på ett korrekt sätt ger starka och pålitliga konstruktioner. Materialet visar sig mer och mer intressant huvudsakligen beroende på den styvhet och styrka det visar i olika tester. Ett av de projekt som använt CLT som bärande element är Limnologen i staden Växjö 500 kilometer söder om Stockholm. I detta projekt har både väggar och bjälklag med bärande delar av CLT använts. En av utmaningarna i samband med högre träbyggande är att beräkna och ta hänsyn till de vertikala förskjutningarna i stommen. Orsakerna till förskjutningen är momentana samt tidsberoende. I denna uppsats utvärderas dessa vertikala förskjutningar med två olika metoder. Den första av dessa är experimentell. Förskjutningarna mättes av en grupp forskare från Växjö universitet och utvärderas i denna rapport. Den andra är en Finit Element Modell där förskjutningarna simuleras beroende på parametrar som anses viktiga. Resultatet av simuleringen jämförs med de experimentellt erhållna värdena. Simulering är ett viktigt sätt att förutsäga förskjutningar i CLT byggnader i framtiden. Alla modeller har gjorts med hjälp av finita element programmet Abaqus. FEM- modellen av Limnologen består av ett väggelement per våning i sex våningar. Detta element är det element där också förskjutningarna mätts på plats. På så sätt kan modell och verklighet jämföras. Förutom väggelement modelleras också bjälklagselement och kopplingen mellan vägg och bjälklag. De experimentella resultaten har analyserats i programvaran Matlab. Resultatet blev ett antal grafer som redovisar förloppet. Det viktigaste resultatet är det som visar både den totala relativa förskjutningen samtidigt som den visar fuktkvoten i CLT- skivan. Fuktkvoten beräknades från temperatur och relativ luftfuktighet som båda mättes på plats. Slutsatsen är att man med en simulering kan åstadkomma en acceptabel tillförlitlighet med avseende på vertikala förskjutningar. Krympningen har spelat en viktig roll för förskjutningarna. Den maximala förskjutningen som erhållits från mätningar var 21 mm medan det maximala förskjutningen fått från simuleringen baserad på tre olika antaganden var 35 mm, 33 mm och 17 mm. Skillnaden i resultaten kan delvis förklaras av de antaganden som använts för beräkning av fuktkvot och antagandet om fiberriktningen i timret. I simuleringen antogs fuktkvoten vara konstant över alla tre lager i CLT- skivan i de två första fallen. Orienteringen av fibrerna antogs radiell och tangentiell. Det tredje antagandet bygger på att fukten enbart påverkar det yttersta lagret i skivan. Detta antagande är rimligt på grund av tidsåtgången att uppnå fuktjämvikt och på grund av det limlager som skiljer lagren åt och hindrar fukt att vandra från ett lager till ett annat. / The history of timber buildings in Sweden entered a new era when the authorities decided to lift the ban on constructing more than two-storey timber buildings in Sweden. This change in legislations has contributed to the emergence of timber construction during the last decade. The Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) has become recognized as a new technology that used correctly in construction gives strong and reliable structures. The building material is gaining more credit day by day mainly due to the stiffness and strength it proved throughout the tests in projects where it was used. One of the projects that used CLT as load bearing elements was Limnologen in the city of Växjö 500 kilometres south of Stockholm. In this project, a system of CLT floors as well as CLT walls has been used. One of the challenges related to medium-rise timber buildings in general is to calculate and take account of the vertical displacement of the whole building. The sources for the displacements are instantaneous elastic as well as time dependent. In this thesis we are introducing two evaluation methods for the vertical displacements in Limnologen. The first is the experimentally measured vertical displacement that was performed by a group of researchers from Växjö University, and the second is a Finite Element Model simulating the vertical displacement according to the factors and parameters thought to be important to be included in the modelling. The output of the simulation was to be compared with the experimentally obtained values. Simulation is an important way to predict the vertical displacement in future CLT buildings. All modelling were done using the finite element software Abaqus. The Abaqus model of the Limnologen building consists of six wall elements from six storeys. The modelled wall elements are the wall elements that the vertical displacement devices were installed on. The reason for this is to get a better picture of how the results from the model would yield in comparison to the site measurements. The floor itself and the sylodyn used in the interface between wall and floor were also modelled. The data collected from the site were processed in the software Matlab. Several graphs were attained out of the data processing. The most important graph is the one that include both the total relative displacement and the equivalent moisture content in the CLT. The equivalent moisture content was calculated from the measured temperature and relative humidity. In this thesis it is concluded that a simulation can accomplish an acceptable reliability with respect to the vertical displacements. The shrinkage factor has played a vital role in simulation of the displacements. The maximum displacement obtained from the measurements was 21 mm while the maximum displacement gained from the simulation based on three different assumptions was 35 mm, 33 mm, and 17 mm respectively with the similar displacement pattern. The difference in the results can partly be explained by the assumptions used for the equivalent moisture content and local coordinate system of the CLT layers. In the simulation the moisture content was assumed to be equal over each layer of the CLT-panel. The first two assumptions were formulated due to the amphibolous grain of the middle layer of the CLT-panel which was considered having effect on the vertical displacement. The third assumption was formulated due to the glue layer between the wood layers of the CLT-panel which was considered having effect on preventing moisture diffuse from one layer to another layer. In reality it is questionable if the moisture content is varied in the different layers of the CLT-panel. The diffusion of the moisture content hasn't been taken into account.

This report is product of a degree project accomplishment at Linnaeus University in Växjö, Sweden. It is about designing a testing rig for impact loading of beams for laboratory use. The specimens to be used were 1 meter long 8 standard profiles given in the project assignment. The first step in this project was to design and dimension a testing rig which is suitable for laboratory use. The height and the maximum mass were chosen according to laboratory use conditions and safety issues. The second step was designing the fixation for the test sample to the testing rig without any dislocation by the impact load. The third step was to measure the falling height of the mass onto the test sample and measure the deflection of the beam. In this case, the precision of falling height was not very important but measuring the deflection of the beam with the highest possible precision was most important. A measurement system is used considering this factor. The project started with the idea of affecting the impact loads on the standard steel construction beams. The aim of this project is to design an impact loading testing rig which can be used for the purpose of laboratory experiments and compare the real results from the experiments with the theoretical results from the calculations. In the project, Solid Works and AutoCAD software are often used both in the drawings and strength and stress analyses.