Unsustainable patterns of consumption by humankind have increased the rate of change in the natural ecosystems and consequently the levels of stress experienced within the environment. Access to sufficient good quality water is essential and a requirement to meet a number of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). However, poor land management and untenable agricultural practices have become the main drivers of the declining watershed services. Upstream farmers often have little or no incentives to take these impacts into account in their decision-making process. Therefore, without investment in ensuring proper land management, the trend in watersheds degradation will continue. Payment for Environmental Services (PES) has emerged as an incentive–based tool that is expected to motivate farmers to improve their agricultural practices. PES is set up to facilitate the process whereby the beneficiaries of environmental services pay compensation to providers of environmental services for conserving the ecosystem. This tool has received increasing attention as a means of creating incentive measures for managing the ecosystem, addressing livelihood issues for the rural poor, and providing sustainable financing for protected areas. The Government of Kenya, as part of its efforts to improve water resource management, is considering use of economic incentive. However, there is insufficient information to guide policy making in that direction. Little is known about the farmers’ preferences for management schemes that will affect land use patterns, their willingness to accept compensation and the willingness of potential buyers to pay for the services. This study evaluates the willingness to accept and the willingness to pay for environmental services with a view to assessing the viability of a PES scheme for the Kuywa Watershed in particular, as well as the Mt. Elgon Ecosystem and other areas with similar conditions. The objectives of the study are threefold (i) to examine respondents preferences for management options for the provision of environmental services in the watershed of River Kuywa of Mt. Elgon Ecosystem; (ii) to evaluate households’ willingness to pay (WTP) and willingness to accept (WTA) payment for improved environmental services from the River Kuywa watershed; and (iii) to propose viable PES approaches for the management of the natural resource of the Kuywa watershed and the Mt. Elgon ecosystem in general. Using six land management attributes relevant to the local situation, the study applied the conjoint method to evaluate farmers’ preferences for management options for the provision of environmental service and assess farmers’ willingness to pay and willingness to accept payment for environmental services. To enable assessment of viability, an analysis was done of the institutional and legal framework within which the PES scheme would operate. Data were collected using literature review and document analysis, questionnaires, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Results indicate that poor water quality was the most acute problem, followed by deforestation. Results from the conjoint models show that the length of commitment period and land size that is 40% or more of the total land holding influence the farmers’ rating of the management scenarios. The study found that a management contract that requires use of 20% of land holding for a period of 5 years, combined with a cash incentive, harvesting partially permitted, administered by a local NGO and requiring contribution of free labour for two days had the highest likelihood of being selected. The conjoint valuation exercise also came up with a WTA by farmers upstream of KSh. 7,080/= per year. The corresponding value downstream was KSh. 43/= per month over and above their regular water bill. In terms of the institutional and regulatory framework, Kenya has a wide range of policies, laws and regulation on water and other natural resources which provide an enabling environment for PES. With the decentralized institutional setup implemented in both the water sector and the agricultural sector, the institutional setting also provides an enabling environment for PES. With a positive WTA and WTP coupled with an enabling legal and institutional environment, the study concludes that PES is a viable environmental management tool for the Kuywa water shed and similar watersheds.

Abstract The principal aim of a population-based cross-sectional survey was to generate information on the lifetime occurrence of prostatitis in Finnish men and their exposure to the disease, and also on the influence of prostatitis-related fears and disturbances on their sexual life. A second aim was to develop and clinically validate a new diagnostic tool for differential diagnosis between the forms of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS), especially between patients belonging to categories IIIA and IIIB in the new NIH (National Institutes of Health) clinical classification. Altogether 1832 men out of 2500 aged 20–59 years chosen randomly from the two most northerly provinces of Finland (Oulu and Lapland) participated in the epidemiological study, a response rate of 75%. The overall lifetime prevalence of prostatitis was 14.2%. The risk of having had the disease increased with age, being 1.7 times greater in the men aged 40–49 years than in those aged 20–39 years, and 3.1 times greater in those aged 50–59 years. More than a quarter of the 261 men who had or had had prostatitis symptoms (27%) suffered from them at least once a year, while 16% suffered from chronic prostatitis symptoms throughout the year. 63% of the men with prostatitis had their worst symptoms during the wintertime (November–march). 17% of the men with chronic prostatitis reported a constant fear of undetected prostate cancer. Erectile dysfunction was reported by 43% of the symptomatic men and decreased libido by 24%. Self-assessment of personality showed that the men with prostatitis were more often busy and nervous and had a meticulous attitude to life and problems than were the non-symptomatic men. 197 patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome participated in three clinical case-control studies during the years 1995–2000, at Oulu University Hospital, the District Hospital of Oulainen and Seinäjoki Central Hospital. The first prostatic tissue pressure measurement (PTPM) study included 34 patients and 9 controls. A novel method was developed to measure intraprostatic tissue pressure with a Stryker® intracompartmental pressure monitor. The PTPM showed a clear increase (p < 0.001) in the patients with symptoms of prostatitis and benign prostatic enlargement (BPE) relative to the controls and the patients with BPE but without pain symptoms. The second PTPM study included 42 patients with chronic prostatitis symptoms without significant BPE and 12 new controls. Significantly higher pressure readings (p < 0.001) were recorded at all three measurement points in the patients than in the controls. 48 new patients and 12 new controls were enrolled for the third PTPM study, the purpose of which was to confirm the results of the previous ones and to compare the prostatic tissue pressures of two clinical groups (IIIA and IIIB). The prostatic tissue pressure was again significantly higher in the patients with chronic prostatitis symptoms than in the controls (p < 0.001). An interesting finding was that prostatitis patients belonging to clinical category IIIA had significantly higher tissue pressures (p < 0.01) than those in category IIIB, probably reflecting more severe inflammation in the prostatic tissue. This new PTPM method provides a more precise and/or exact tool for differential diagnosis between the forms of pelvic pain and CP/CPPS.

En ökad exploatering och markanvändning har under det senaste århundradet kraftigt reducerat odlingslandskapets variationsrikedom och biodiversitet, vilket medfört drastiskt förändrade livsvillkor för många arter på jorden. Forskning visar att militära övnings- och skjutfält har kommit att bli en tillflyktsort för många hotade arter, dels  på grund av att de blivit förskonade från annan markexploatering och dels för att de militära störningarna visat sig gynna många arter.   Denna studie har som syfte  att utreda vilka störningsregimer som historiskt gynnat biodiversiteten på Torhamns övnings- och skjutfält  i sydöstra Blekinge. I denna undersökning analyseras biodiversitet på landskaps- och artnivå. Tidigare resultat från pollenanalyser ca en mil norr om undersökningsområdet visar att regionen har präglats av markanvändningsformerna bete och slåtter under flera tusen år och att den floristiska diversiteten varit hög sedan tidig järnålder. Den militära verksamhet som bedrivits på Torhamns udde under de senaste 100 åren har med stor sannolikhet bidragit till att bevara de unika naturvärden som finns där idag. En viktig slutsats som kunnat dras av denna studie är att biologisk mångfald förändras över tiden och att det finns en tydlig koppling till markanvändningsförändringar. Det är med kunskap om den historiska markanvändningen som det går att förklara varför flora och fauna ser ut som den gör idag och för att kunna främja biologisk mångfald på militära övnings- och skjutfält, är det därför av största vikt, att ha ett paleoekologiskt perspektiv vid upprättandet av bevarandemål och hållbara handlingsplaner. / The increasing exploitation of land and the changes in land use over the last few hundred years has led to a marked reduction in the biodiversity of the landscape. Species populations have diminished in number or even gone locally extinct due to habitat loss. Research has shown that military training areas have become a refuge for many endangered species, partly due to the fact that these areas have been spared from exploitation of the land and partly due to the fact that these species have thrived as a result of the disturbance of habitat caused by military activity.   This study aims to clarify which types of disturbance have had a positive effect on the biodiversity of Torhamns udde in South East Blekinge through history. In this investigation biodiversity is analyzed at the landscape and species levels. Earlier results from a pollen analysis north of the study area show that the region has been affected by land use over a period of several thousand years. The military activity that has taken place in the area over the last hundred years, has contributed to the preservation of the unique natural environment that exists there today. An important conclusion from this study is that changes in biodiversity are strongly connected with changes in land use. The present composition in the flora and fauna may thus largely be explained by the historical land use. In order to positively influence the biodiversity of a military training area, it is important to have a palaeoecological approach, when conservation and management plans are being set up.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(医学) / 乙第13378号 / 論医博第2212号 / 新制||医||1047(附属図書館) / (主査)教授 井上 治久, 教授 髙橋 良輔, 教授 渡邉 大 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

The master‘s thesis deals with the issue of weak points of the distribution network in a municipality with high numbers of photovoltaic sources. Photovoltaic power plants are gradually being added to the current state of the electric power distribution network of a specific municipality, while changes in the network are being monitored. Due to the output of the highest possible power from the sources into the distribution system in compliance with the established rules, the thesis also describes network modifications. These established rules of connection and operation of resources in the distribution network and effects of injecting disturbances in the low voltage network are discussed in the theoretical part of the thesis.

Störningar som damm, buller och vibrationer förekommer vid alla byggarbeten. Detta skapar problem vid byggnation av sjukhus med pågående verksamhet. Stockholms sjukhus uppfyller inte samhällets växande behov på hälso- och sjukvård. Stora investeringar görs därför för att rusta upp sjukhusen, Södertälje sjukhus är det första att moderniseras [2]. Examensarbetet undersöker vilka störningar som vårdpersonalen vid Södertälje sjukhus upplever och vad Locum samt Södertälje Sjukhus AB gör för att reducera dessa. Observationer, möten och litteraturstudier genomfördes för att samla information om Södertälje sjukhus, Locum och byggrelaterade störningar. En enkätundersökning utfördes för att få kunskap om vårdens åsikter gällande kommunikation, störningar och evakuering av verksamhet. Med detta som underlag genomfördes analysering som resulterade i åtgärdsförslag för reducering av vårdens upplevda störningar. Analysen visade att vården upplevt flera störningar från byggnationerna, störst påverkan hade buller och vibrationer. Vårdens inställning och förståelse till byggnationerna var god. God informering via flera kommunikationskanaler ligger till grund för detta. Vidare utveckling av kommunikationskanalerna skulle reducera den upplevda störningen. / Disturbances such as dust, noise and vibrations occur in all construction work. This creates problems in the construction of hospitals with ongoing activities. The hospitals in Stockholm do not meet society's growing need for health care. Huge investments are therefore made to rehabilitate the hospitals, Södertälje Hospital is the first to be modernized [2]. This thesis investigates the perceived disturbances that healthcare personnel experience at Södertälje hospital and what Locum and Södertälje Sjukhus AB do to reduce them. Observations, meetings and literature studies were conducted to gather information about Södertälje Hospital, Locum and construction-related disturbances. A survey was conducted to gain knowledge about the opinions of healthcare personnel regarding communication, disturbances and evacuation operations. An analysis was conducted on this basis, which resulted in proposed measures for reducing perceived disturbance by healthcare. The analysis showed that the healthcare experienced several disturbances from construction work, noise and vibrations had the greatest impact. Personnel’s attitude and understanding to the construction work was good. Good informing shared through multiple communication channels is the basis for this. Further development of communication channels would reduce the perceived disturbance.

The vehicle industry have for many years improved the design of car motors and iterated the control systems associated with it. The systems have become very complex and hard to understand because of this work process. It is today very difficult to perform evaluations of the engine's performance or components theoretically at Powertrain Engineering Sweden (PES). This thesis proposes a test method to estimate the robustness, in terms of stability margins, of the air charge throttle control loop using measurement data. Alternative test methods are also presented, for example system identification performed with MATLAB's SITB. The proposed test method superimposes a sine wave upon the control signal in a closed loop system. The control signal is measured after it is superimposed and after it have made one round trip around the loop. These two signals is regarded as sine in and sine out. The phase shift and relation in amplitude are estimated from the measurements and the robustness is presented by Bode plots. The method finds the phase shift from the time difference between the zero-crossings of the input- and output signal. The relation in amplitude is found by looking at the total sum of the absolute value sine wave. Extensive testing with different tunings of the P-part of the air charge controller shows that the proposed method correctly identifies if the systems stability margins have become larger or smaller. For nine measurements with different P-tunings it is seen that the magnitude curves stay separate throughout the whole Bode plot. It is also shown that the gain margins are decreasing for every increase in P-value. The overall results and findings in this thesis are promising and can act as a foundation for future thesis' work to come.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第18993号 / 工博第4035号 / 新制||工||1621(附属図書館) / 31944 / 京都大学大学院工学研究科電気工学専攻 / (主査)教授 萩原 朋道, 教授 松尾 哲司, 准教授 古谷 栄光 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DFAM

No description available.

Bakgrund: Demens är ett samlingsnamn på flera sjukdomar som påverkar hjärnans kognitiva funktion och drabbar främst äldre personer. Sömnsvårigheter är vanligt förkommande hos personer med demens. Sömnen är ett sätt för kroppen att koppla av och återhämta sig. Det finns olika faktorer som kan påverka sömnen och orsaka sömnsvårigheter hos den drabbade personen. Miljöfaktorer, smärta och substansanvändning kan påverka sömnen negativt. Syfte: Syftet var att kartlägga omvårdnadsåtgärder som kan främja sömnen hos personer med demenssjukdom. Metod: En litteraturöversikt enligt Friberg bestående av 12 artiklar varav 10 kvantitativa studier och två kvalitativa studier. Resultat: I resultatet lyfter olika omvårdnadsåtgärder upp som kan främja sömnen hos personer med demens. Analysen av artiklarna utmynnade i kategorierna: betydelsen av miljön, betydelsen av beröring och betydelsen av meningsfulla aktiviteter. Slutsats: Omvårdnadsåtgärderna i de olika kategorierna kan utifrån det som redovisas i resultatet användas för att främja sömnen hos personer med demens. Genom en personcentrerad och individanpassad vård kan sjuksköterskor tillgodose patienternas behov och önskemål. / Bakgrund: Demens är ett samlingssubstantiv för flera sjukdomar som påverkar hjärnans kognitiva funktion och främst drabbar äldre. Sömnstörningar är vanliga hos personer med demens. Sömn är ett av kroppens sätt att slappna av och återhämta sig. Det finns olika faktorer som kan påverka sömnen och orsaka sömnstörningar hos personer med demens. Miljöfaktorer, smärta och droganvändning kan påverka sömnen negativt. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att kartlägga omvårdnadsåtgärder som kan främja sömn hos personer med demens. Metod: En litteraturöversikt genomfördes enligt Friberg bestående av tolv artiklar: tio kvantitativa studier och två kvalitativa studier. Resultat: Resultaten presenterar olika åtgärder som kan främja sömn hos personer med demens. Resultaten innehåller följande kategorier: miljöns betydelse, vikten av fysisk kontakt och betydelsen av meningsfulla aktiviteter. Slutsats: Omvårdnadsåtgärder kan användas för att främja sömn hos personer med demens. Sjuksköterskor kan möta patienters behov och önskemål genom en personcentrerad och individanpassad vård.