Hot mot anställda inom polisen är ett arbetsmiljöproblem som riskerar att leda till negativa konsekvenser, både för den som blir utsatt och för verksamheten. Att kartlägga fenomenet och utifrån detta ge de anställda förutsättningarna att kunna hantera utsattheten är därför viktigt. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka aspekter kring de allvarliga hot, och dess konsekvenser, som personal anställd vid Polismyndigheten i Västerbotten blivit utsatt för. En webbaserad enkät distribuerades till alla anställda inom verksamheten (n=616), och datamaterialet analyserades genom χ², oberoende t-test och envägs ANOVA. Resultatet visade att upp till var femte anställd hade blivit utsatt för allvarliga hot under det senaste året och att risken för att drabbas varierade mellan personalgrupper. De allvarliga hoten hade lett till negativa konsekvenser, både för de anställdas privatliv och för deras hälsa samt för yrkesutövningen. Respondenterna uttryckte en inacceptans mot hot i tjänsten och en frustration gentemot rättssystemets hantering av dessa ärenden. Utsattheten tolkades utifrån rutinaktivitetsteorins princip om brottsutsatthet i proportion till närvaro i högriskkontexter och de upplevda konsekvenserna analyserades utifrån theory of shattered assumptions och användandet av undvikande copingstrategier. Förebyggande arbete i form av utbildning, samt hjälp och stöd för den som utsatts är viktigt, och eventuell problematik kring hjälpsökande beteende inom polisorganisation belyses. De förvärvade kunskaperna utgör en del i underlaget som fordras för att det förebyggande arbetsmiljöarbetet ska bli framgångsrikt, och kan bidra till att utveckla arbetsmetoderna för att hantera allvarliga hot mot anställda.

Hot mot anställda inom polisen är ett arbetsmiljöproblem som riskerar att leda till negativa konsekvenser, både för den som blir utsatt och för verksamheten. Att kartlägga fenomenet och utifrån detta ge de anställda förutsättningarna att kunna hantera utsattheten är därför viktigt. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka aspekter kring de allvarliga hot, och dess konsekvenser, som personal anställd vid Polismyndigheten i Västerbotten blivit utsatt för. En webbaserad enkät distribuerades till alla anställda inom verksamheten och datamaterialet (n = 330) analyserades genom χ², oberoende t-test och envägs ANOVA. Resultatet visade att upp till var femte anställd hade blivit utsatt för allvarliga hot under det senaste året och att risken för att drabbas varierade mellan personalgrupper. De allvarliga hoten hade lett till negativa konsekvenser, både för de anställdas privatliv och för deras hälsa samt för yrkesutövningen. Respondenterna uttryckte en inacceptans mot hot i tjänsten och en frustration gentemot rättssystemets hantering av dessa ärenden. Utsattheten tolkades utifrån rutinaktivitetsteorins princip om brottsutsatthet i proportion till närvaro i högriskkontexter och de upplevda konsekvenserna analyserades utifrån theory of shattered assumptions och användandet av undvikande copingstrategier. Förebyggande arbete i form av utbildning, samt hjälp och stöd för den som utsatts är viktigt, och eventuell problematik kring hjälpsökande beteende inom polisorganisation belyses. De förvärvade kunskaperna utgör en del i underlaget som fordras för att det förebyggande arbetsmiljöarbetet ska bli framgångsrikt, och kan bidra till att utveckla arbetsmetoderna för att hantera allvarliga hot mot anställda.

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Various environmental standards have been established for the sake of public health and ecosystem diversity since environmental awareness was awakened in the late 1960s. However, the results were often unsatisfactory. Either environmental goals achieved were far from desired, or regional development was hampered due to some unpractical high environmental standards. The failure of these environmental standards resulted in innovations of environmental policy instruments to find practical environmental goals and methods approaching them scientifically. Another class of environmental policy instruments, so called economic incentive policies, is established based on environmental economics theory. A neo-classical economics framework is founded for setting appropriate environmental goals and assessing efficiency of environmental policies in reaching these goals. This thesis summarizes rationales and factors affecting the performance for environmental policy instruments under the neo-classical economic framework. Since the acid rain program, the first large-scale implementation of the emissions trading policy, has achieved great success in reducing SO₂ emissions from the electricity generators in the United States, the emission trading policy attracted many interests in this kind of environmental policy instrument. Many countries, such as China, plan to adopt the emissions trading policy to address various environmental problems. Hence, factors leading to the success of this program should be identified. Potential risks and problems must be addressed as well lest the emissions trading policy causes some problem during implementation. Feasibility of implementing an emissions trading policy will be discussed based on these results. Three kinds of geographic analyses, change detection, network analysis, and hot spots identification, are conducted in this thesis to study the effectiveness and efficiency of the acid rain program. It is found that the acid rain program is successful in improving the sustainability of the economic development in the United States. But the effectiveness is not as great as the high emissions cutting rate achieved in this program. In addition, the acid rain program lowers the compliance costs of achieving the environmental goal since the radius of the high quality coal service area doubles. Lastly, hot spots are found around the Ohio River valley and Los Angeles. Suggestions on integrating geographic factors into the economic framework are presented in order to eliminate the risk of causing severe environmental problems. Finally, the feasibility of migrating the emissions trading policy to China is discussed. Further work can be conducted in this direction to realize sustainable development quicker with lower costs.

Graphene, a one-atom-thick sheet of hexagonally packed carbon atoms, is a novel material with high electron mobility due to its unique linear and gapless electronic band structure. Its broadband absorption and unusual doping properties, along with superb mechanical flexibility make graphene of promising application in optoeletronic devices such as solar cell, ultrafast photodetectors, and terahertz modulators. How- ever, the current performance of graphene-based devices is quite unacceptable owning to serious limitations by its inherently small absorption cross section and low quan- tum efficiency. Fortunately, nanoscale optical antennas, consisting of closely spaced, coupled metallic nanoparticles, have fascinating optical response since the collective oscillation of electrons in them, namely surface plasmons, can concentrate light into a subwavelength regime close to the antennas and enhance the corresponding field considerably. Given that optical antenna have been applied in various areas such as subwavelength optics, surface enhanced spectroscopies, and sensing, they are also able to assist graphene to harvest visible and near-infrared light with high efficiency. Moreover, the efficient production of hot electrons due to the decay of the surface plasmons can be further implemented to modulate the properties of graphene. Here we choose plasmonic oligomers to serve as optical antenna since they pos- sess tunable Fano resonances, consisting of a transparency window where scattering is strongly suppressed but absorption is greatly enhanced. By placing them in di- rect contact with graphene sheet, we find the internal quantum efficiency of hybrid antenna-graphene devices achieves up to 20%. Meanwhile, doping effect due to hot electron is also observed in this device, which can be used to optically tune the elec- tronic properties of graphene.

The aim of the project was to develop a PCR method to detect HLA-B27 at the Immunology Department of St. James hospital in Dublin. The HLA-B27 gene is common among patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Ninety percent of patients with AS have the HLA-B27 gene and it is therefore counted as a risk factor and could be used as part of the diagnosis. Twenty-two frozen blood samples from patients with AS or suspected AS were donated from the rheumatology department at St. James hospital. PCR is a well known and common technique, many hospital laboratories have a PCR machine and therefore PCR is a good choice for detection of the HLA-B27 gene. A multiplex PCR was developed where a PCR control, primers to the β-globin gene, was used in the same tube as the HLA-B27 primers, to secure that the PCR worked in every tube. Finally a blind test was performed to test the specificity of the PCR. The result shows that the specificity was 100%. Of all patient samples, sixteen was HLA-B27 positive and six were HLA-B27 negative. In addition, optimal conditions for the PCR and the way to extract DNA from frozen blood were successfully established. For future diagnosis, the described PCR can be used to detect the HLA-B27 gene in patients and it can be considered as a start for further development of a real-time PCR for detection of the HLA-B27.

Various environmental standards have been established for the sake of public health and ecosystem diversity since environmental awareness was awakened in the late 1960s. However, the results were often unsatisfactory. Either environmental goals achieved were far from desired, or regional development was hampered due to some unpractical high environmental standards. The failure of these environmental standards resulted in innovations of environmental policy instruments to find practical environmental goals and methods approaching them scientifically. Another class of environmental policy instruments, so called economic incentive policies, is established based on environmental economics theory. A neo-classical economics framework is founded for setting appropriate environmental goals and assessing efficiency of environmental policies in reaching these goals. This thesis summarizes rationales and factors affecting the performance for environmental policy instruments under the neo-classical economic framework. Since the acid rain program, the first large-scale implementation of the emissions trading policy, has achieved great success in reducing SO₂ emissions from the electricity generators in the United States, the emission trading policy attracted many interests in this kind of environmental policy instrument. Many countries, such as China, plan to adopt the emissions trading policy to address various environmental problems. Hence, factors leading to the success of this program should be identified. Potential risks and problems must be addressed as well lest the emissions trading policy causes some problem during implementation. Feasibility of implementing an emissions trading policy will be discussed based on these results. Three kinds of geographic analyses, change detection, network analysis, and hot spots identification, are conducted in this thesis to study the effectiveness and efficiency of the acid rain program. It is found that the acid rain program is successful in improving the sustainability of the economic development in the United States. But the effectiveness is not as great as the high emissions cutting rate achieved in this program. In addition, the acid rain program lowers the compliance costs of achieving the environmental goal since the radius of the high quality coal service area doubles. Lastly, hot spots are found around the Ohio River valley and Los Angeles. Suggestions on integrating geographic factors into the economic framework are presented in order to eliminate the risk of causing severe environmental problems. Finally, the feasibility of migrating the emissions trading policy to China is discussed. Further work can be conducted in this direction to realize sustainable development quicker with lower costs.

Today, a large quantity of waste is generated from the replacement of residential and commercial roofs. Many of the roofs being upgraded with previously constructed from asphalt shingles. Recycled Asphalt Shingles (RAS) contain nearly 30% of asphalt cement by mass, which can be a useful additive to asphalt pavements. In addition, shingles can offer significant potential savings through recycling and recovery as a construction material in flexible pavement. Currently, one and a half million tons of roofing shingle waste is generated each year in Canada related to the replacement of residential and commercial roofs and 90% of this valuable material is sent to landfills. If engineered properly, the addition of RAS into Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) can provide significant benefits. The University of Waterloo’s Centre for Pavement and Transportation Technology (CPATT) is committed to working with public and private sector partners to develop sustainable technologies for the pavement industry. Using RAS in HMA can lead to economical, environmental and social benefits. Examples of which are reduced waste going to landfills and a reduction in the quantity of virgin material required. This research has involved the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) and Miller Paving Limited. It was conducted to evaluate the performance of HMA containing RAS in both field and laboratory tests. A varying percentage of RAS was added to six common Ontario surface and binder layer of asphalt mixes. The intent was to determine if RAS could be added to improve performance and provide longer term cost savings. Laboratory testing was performed to evaluate the mix behavior. The elastic properties, fatigue life and resistance to thermal cracking were all evaluated at the CPATT laboratory. The characteristics of the mixes were evaluated by carrying out Dynamic Modulus, Resilient Modulus, Flexural Fatigue and Thermal Stress Restrained Specimen Test (TSRST) tests following American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. Field test sections were constructed from HMA containing RAS to monitor the pavement behavior under natural environmental and traffic loading conditions. Evaluation of the field sites was performed using a Portable Falling Weight Deflectometer (PFWD) and carrying out distress surveys following the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) guidelines. The results to date show the sections performing very well with minimal to no distress developing. The results of the laboratory testing and field performance evaluations have shown encouraging results for the future use of RAS in HMA. If RAS can properly be engineered into HMA it can be a useful additive in both the surface and binder layers of the flexible pavement structure. Ultimately, the use of RAS in HMA can provide both an environmentally friendly and cost effective solution to the Ontario paving industry.

Warm mix asphalt (WMA) technology has now been successfully used in Ontario for a few years. This shift in usage relates to extensions in construction season, reduced emissions, larger compaction windows, and potential fuel savings. This research between Miller Paving Ltd. and the Centre for Pavement and Transportation Technology attempts to better quantify the difference in hot mix asphalt (HMA) and WMA. The object of this study was three-fold. The first part of the research was to examine the strength characteristics of HMA and WMA as a function of storage time. The purpose of this evaluation was to quantify indirect tensile strength (ITS) and moisture susceptibility of HMA and WMA over time. The second objective involved evaluating the performance characteristics of HMA and WMA. Resilient modulus and dynamic modulus testing were completed on plant-produced HMA and WMA material, which was used to determine long-term performance properties of both mixes. The third and final objective of this study was an economic analysis performed to determine the difference in cost for construction and maintenance for the HMA and WMA pavements. This was completed to determine if the cost of the warm mix technology used in the production of the WMA was offset by fuel savings at the plant. The findings of the research included: • HMA and WMA had statistically equivalent air voids over a four-week storage period. • Dry and wet ITS results for the WMA increased over a four-week storage period while the HMA specimens did not show this same increase. • WMA material had slightly better workability than the HMA material although the values were statistically equivalent. • WMA mix had higher resilient modulus values than the HMA mix. • Dynamic modulus testing showed that at high temperatures, WMA showed to be slightly more susceptible to rutting than the HMA mix, and at lower temperatures, the HMA showed to be slightly more susceptible to fatigue cracking than the WMA mix. • The MEPDG showed that both the HMA and WMA pavements were deemed to be structurally adequate. • An economic analysis of the HMA and WMA pavements compared a life cycle cost analysis over a 20-year design life which included all costs associated with construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation of both the HMA and WMA and showed that the HMA was slightly more cost effective than the WMA. • A field trial was performed by Miller Paving Limited on Highway 62 in Madoc, Ontario showed that the WMA material was more effective at maintaining the temperature of the asphalt mixture during long hauling distances. • Overall the WMA exhibited the same performance properties as the HMA.

Due to the 15-20 year life span of roofing shingles, 1.5 million tonnes of asphalt roofing shingles are being demolished and replaced annually in Canada from both residential and commercial facilities. These roofing shingles are manufactured from very high quality materials which are considered a valuable by-product. Recycled Asphalt Shingles (RAS), a product containing approximately 30% asphalt cement by mass, is a valuable additive to Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) pavements and a potential savings for the construction industry. Recycling of demolished asphalt shingles is a significant new step forward in abating the need to put the waste into landfills. This re-use creates a great opportunity in reducing materials being dumped at landfills while providing an additive to HMA mixtures for paving. Therefore, this leads to economic, environmental, and social benefits for all the stakeholders and road users such as reduced need for landfill space, conservation of virgin materials and environment, and financial saving. The research involved evaluating the use of demolished shingles in six typical Ontario Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) mixtures; HL 3 (1.5% RAS, 13.5% RAP), binder layer mixes SP19 (6% RAS, and 3% RAS, 25% RAP), surface layer mixes SP12.5 FC 1(3% RAS, 17% RAP) and SP12.5 FC2 (6% RAS and 3% RAS, 12% RAP). The six HMA mixes were also designed to contain Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP). This further complicated the research as both RAP and RAS were added. All mixes were designed and tested at CPATT laboratory; in addition a test section was paved at the CPATT Test Track. This research involved both laboratory and field evaluations of mixes containing RAS to develop pavement performance modeling for all six mixes using the updated Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG). A life-cycle assessment of the six HMA mixes was performed to quantify the environmental impacts using the Pavement Life-Cycle Assessment Tool for Environmental and Economic Effects (PaLATE) and rigorous economic costs/benefits were assessed using Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA). Calibrations of models for Ontario conditions were completed. Test slabs were also constructed to simulate climatic changes by running freeze-thaw cycles based on weather data over the past ten years. Three field test sections located in the Town of Markham and one at the CPATT Test Track were monitored and assessed under as part of the research. Regular pavement condition assessments were carried out on all the test sections by performing non-destructive tests using a Portable Falling Weight Deflectometer (PFWD) and distress survey in accordance with the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) guidelines. The CPATT Test Track was evaluated with both the PFWD and surface distresses, whereas only distress surveys were performed on the three residential streets in the Town of Markham. The evaluations demonstrated that the pavements were in good conditions throughout the monitoring period of the research (four years for the three residential streets in the Town of Markham and two years for the CPATT Test Track). The structural analysis using the MEPDG indicated that Mix 3: SP19 3% RAS and 25% RAP had the best performance followed by Mix 2: SP19 6% RAS when considering all factors in the Life-Cycle Assessment. Mix 3 exhibited maximum savings on environmental emissions, energy and water usage, best adoptability to climatic change and skid resistance properties with minimal life cycle costs. The pavement performance and life-cycle assessment modeling demonstrated encouraging results for the use of RAS in HMA pavements from which guidelines were developed for its use. It is important to note that careful mix design should be carried out when RAS is added to HMA especially when RAP is also used. This includes measuring of all key properties especially at low and high temperatures. In short, RAS can be a valuable additive in both surface and binder layers of HMA pavements. It provides an environmentally friendly and cost-effective innovation for the Ontario paving industry and can be considered for usage elsewhere with appropriate engineering.