Orientador: Nilton Nobuhiro Imai / Abstract: The acquisition of data using Remote Sensing and in-situ sampling allows several data sources to be integrated for the analysis and observations of environmental characteristics and may require computational methods to support the data processing, exploration and analysis. The need to integrate data from different sources is highlighted in studies of dynamic and complex environments that frequently change, such as hydroelectric reservoirs. Reservoirs are artificial ecosystems, which influence directly the regional characteristics, mainly because of their multipurpose use. The interactions of the electromagnetic energy with the optically active components occur along the entire water column, so that the behavior of the light field reflects the changes applied along the entire euphotic zone. However, the values taken from images are used accordingly to a plane and associated with the respective point or area of surface. The calibration of bio-optical models considering only the surface sampling data can not deliver fully effective results because the electromagnetic radiation interacts with the components located along the water column and the response captured by the sensors does not only represent the value associated with the surface. Considering this scenario, this work proposes an investigation on the influence of the vertical distribution of the optical properties along the water column, in order to contemplate records about the interaction in different levels of depth, b... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Resumo: A aquisição de dados por meio da combinação de Sensoriamento Remoto e amostragens in-situ permite que várias fontes de dados sejam integradas para a análise e observação de características do alvo de interesse e pode exigir métodos computacionais para apoiar o processamento, exploração e análise de dados. A necessidade de integrar dados de diferentes fontes é destacada em estudos de ambientes dinâmicos e complexos que se alteram frequentemente, como os reservatórios hidrelétricos. Os reservatórios são ecossistemas artificiais, que influenciam diretamente nas características regionais, principalmente devido ao seu uso múltiplo uso. As interações da energia eletromagnética com os componentes opticamente ativos ocorrem ao longo de toda a coluna d’água, de modo que o comportamento do campo de luz reflete as mudanças aplicadas ao longo da zona eufótica. No entanto, as grandezas registradas nas imagens são usados de acordo com o plano e limitadas ao respectivo ponto ou área da superfície. A calibração de modelos bio-ópticos, considerando apenas os dados de amostragem da superfície, pode não fornecer resultados totalmente eficazes, porque a radiação eletromagnética interage com os componentes localizados ao longo da coluna de água e, consequentemente, a resposta capturada pelos sensores não representa apenas o valor associado à superfície. Este trabalho propõe uma investigação sobre a influência da distribuição vertical das propriedades ópticas ao longo da coluna d’água, a fim de co... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Doutor

Med avstamp i dagens medielandskap och med tanke på att dagstidningar dragit ned på journalister och särskilt journalister på lokalredaktioner de senaste tio till femton åren, så har syftet med den här uppsatsen varit att studera hur de kvarvarande lokalredaktörerna i Västerbottens inland ser på sin roll, vad som driver dem samt vilka utmaningar och möjligheter de har i sitt arbetsliv på daglig basis. Kvalitativa intervjuer gjordes med alla sju lokalredaktörer som just nu arbetar i Västerbottens inland och sedan analyserades deras uttalanden genom teorier kopplade till lokala medier och demokrati, ett medielandskap i förändring samt yrkesroll och identitet. Studien visar att lokalredaktörsrollen är komplex med flera motsägelser. Deras ideal och ambitioner hamnar i konflikt med deras faktiska arbetssituation. Medan de drivs av starka demokratiska ideal i sitt arbete, så känner de att de inte har tillräckligt med tid för att göra grävande journalistik eftersom mycket av deras tid går åt att bevaka minst två kommuner var. De uttrycker också att den kommun där de inte bor inte får lika mycket bevakning som de skulle vilja och att den blir något bortglömd, hamnar i medieskugga. Flera av lokalredaktörerna är välkända på den plats de bor och jobbar och vissa människor känner en stark koppling till tidningen på grund av dem. Många av dem har också svårt att gå ur sin roll när de är lediga. Samtidigt så uttrycker lokalredaktörerna att de inte har samma kontakt med läsarna som tidigare. De är nära, men samtidigt distanserade från sina läsare. / Based on the current situation in the media and the fact that newspapers have cut down on journalists over the last ten to fifteen years, especially those located in small, remote areas, the main purpose of this thesis was to study how all the remaining local editors in rural Västerbotten think of their role and what their driving forces are as well as what challenges and opportunities they face in their everyday work life. Qualitative interviews were conducted with all the seven local editors who currently work in rural Västerbotten and then analyzed through theories of local journalism and democracy, a media landscape in constant change, journalistic profession and identity. The results showed that their role is complex and has plenty of contradictions. Their driving forces and ambitions conflict with their work situation. While they are driven by high democratic standards in their work, they feel that they don’t have enough time for investigative journalism as a lot of their time goes to reporting from at least two municipalities each. They also express that the one municipality where they don’t live doesn’t get as much coverage as they would like and is somewhat forgotten. A lot of them are well known in the place where they live and work and some people feel a close connection to the newspaper because of them. Many of them also have difficulties stepping out of their role in their spare time. At the same time, they express that they don’t have the same contact with readers like they used to. They are close but at the same time distanced from their readers.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D. Agriculture (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / In South Africa, the presence of inland waterbodies provides opportunities for households to engage in fishing activities. The existence of fish and the availability of several waterbodies in the country's inland provinces provide households with alternative means of generating income and food security. With the prevalence of food insecurity, high unemployment, and poverty in the country, inland fisheries serve as an economic safety net, food, and source of income for rural poor households who live near impoundments. However, policymakers in South Africa have overlooked inland fisheries as a means of supporting rural livelihoods. Furthermore, the sector's economic and social contribution is frequently overlooked and underappreciated. Thus, inland fisheries are classified as informal due to the lack of legislation, despite the fact that rural households rely on this sector for income and food. Furthermore, the inland fisheries value chain is short, with little evidence of post-harvesting activities, and the roles and functions of rural households in this value chain are unknown. Despite this, inland fisheries provide a low-cost source of protein for households, and hence this sector has the potential to help reduce poverty, unemployment, and food insecurity. Given this background information, the study aimed at assessing the contribution of inland fisheries to income generation and food security in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The objectives of the study were to identify and describe the socio-economic characteristics of households and their different roles and functions played along the inland fisheries value chain in the Limpopo Province, to determine the contribution of inland fisheries to household income in the study area and to determine the contribution of inland fisheries to household food security in the study area. The study was conducted within three districts of the Limpopo Province namely, Sekhukhune District Municipality (SDM), Mopani District Municipality (MDM) and Vhembe District Municipality (VDM). Multistage and proportional sampling procedures were used to select 400 participants. In the study, both fishing and non-fishing households were interviewed. The motive behind interviewing non-fishing households is that they are mostly consumers of inland fish. Therefore, snowball and purposive sampling techniques were used to identify households who participate in inland fisheries. Snowball and the Convenient sampling technique were also used to identify the role players of inland fisheries. This was done to obtain information about the roles that households perform along the value chain of inland fisheries. Of the 400 households, about 193 are fishers who play either single or multiple roles within the value chain. A structured questionnaire was therefore used to collect data to achieve the objectives of the study. The collected data was captured on Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 27 for analysis. Several analytical tools from SPSS were employed to run the analysis. For instance, the descriptive statistics was used to identify and describe the socio-economic characteristics of households and their different roles and functions played along the inland fisheries value chain in the Limpopo Province. On the other hand, Pearson Chi-square and Pearson Correlation Moment were used to check the relationship between the socio economic characteristics of households and their functions along the inland fisheries value chain. To determine the contribution of inland fisheries to household income, the study calculated the share of both fishing and non-fishing income activities to the total household income of households who only participate in inland fisheries. This was derived by using income share. To check the level of income diversification for fishing households, the study utilised the Simpson Income Diversity index (SID). The Multiple Linear Regression model was used to analyse factors that influence the income of fishing households. To determine the contribution of inland fisheries to household income, two food security measures were used. This includes Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) and Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). Data were analysed for both fishing and non-fishing households to check the food security differences. Binary Logistic Regression model was employed to analyse the determinants of rural households’ dietary diversity using HDDS which was grouped into Low dietary diversity and High dietary diversity. Furthermore, Multinomial Logistic Regression model was used to determine the effects of inland fisheries on household food security status. Based on the findings, the study concludes that males dominate inland fisheries activities over females. Fishing is practised for food by both males and females, but there is also an aspect of income generation. Furthermore, most fishers prefer to capture fish at state dams, with Tilapia being the most common species in all the three investigated districts. However, Carp, Bass and Catfish are also amongst the preferred fish species. Additionally, households are likely to consume fish from inland waters at least once a week. The findings also show that selling raw fish contributes more to the overall household income in all the three districts. On average, households in SDM and VDM have a medium level of income diversity, whereas households in MDM have a low level of income diversity. Furthermore, the marital status of the household head, access to credit, and average quantity of fish are among the factors influencing the income of fishing households, whereas level of education, distance to fishing area, and number of years fishing are some of the determinants of dietary diversity. Similarly, gender of the household head, total household income, and type of agricultural activity are some of the significant variables that influence the food security status households in the Limpopo Province. Additionally, the results show that there is a significant difference between the household food security of small-scale fishers, subsistence fishers, recreational fishers and non-fishing households. However, households in SDM and VDM are likely to be mildly food insecure where else households in MDM are likely to be severely food insecure. The study found that rural households in the study area play various roles within the inland fisheries value chain. These roles include input suppliers, fishers, traders, processors, and consumers. Additionally, there is exist a relationship between socio-economic characteristics of the households and their functions along the inland fisheries value chain. Lastly, the study concludes that the value chain of inland fisheries is short due to the lack of exports and formal markets in the study area. To this end, the study recommends that policy makers should recognise inland fisheries as another way of sustaining rural livelihoods translating to income and food security. Moreover, awareness of the inclusion of inland fish in household food and the available opportunities for rural households in the value chain should be given attention by the government and relevant institutions. However, sustainable fishing practices is the central issue that should be prioritised by households under the guidance of the government to maintain a long and lasting livelihoods. / Nationa Research Foundation (NRF)

With increasing interest in utilizing the inland waterways (IWW) in European countries, the design of IWW vessels gains attention both from a transport efficiency and an emission control point of view. However, unlike in western and central European countries, in Nordic countries, e.g. Sweden, IWW ships must deal with ice on the fairway during every winter. Usually, IWW ships are designed without ice concerns and are structurally weaker compared to ships designed according to ice class notification from the classification societies. Developing such ships requires particular concerns since there is no strict requirements regarding ice class notifications for IWW ships. A primary challenge is to estimate both the global and local ice loads acting on the ship hull structure. To consolidate the design problems for IWW ice-going ships, Lake Mälaren is selected. Ice conditions, i.e. ice type and concentration, and ice data, e.g. ice thickness and ice flexural strength, are extracted and analysed for the ice load estimation. The ice mechanical properties have great influence on the ice load. Ice characteristics are studied based on empirical formulae and properties are calibrated by reference data. The deterministic approach is widely used to predict the ice loads. It is suitable when all variables, i.e. ship geometry and ice properties, are known and refers to rule-based design hereby. For first year light ice conditions in Lake Mälaren, the Finnish Swedish Ice Class Rule (FSICR) is widely used. The thesis uses guidelines from the Finnish Swedish Ice Class Rules as a reference and compare the results with other methods. The probabilistic approach, on contrary, is useful when certain variables are unknow, which are interpreted as random variables, for instance ice breaking pattern. Here the probabilistic method and ice-hull interaction mechanism are studied. The probabilistic method simplifies the ice pressure in relation to the contact area between the ice and the ship hull. It predicts maximum ice pressure acting on the ship hull based on field ice test data and ice exposure conditions. Such semi-empirical method can be used regardless of ship type and size. For this, a numerical model is introduced based on ice-hull collision mechanisms and the essential ice breaking characteristics. The physical mechanism is studied for idealizing ship-ice impact model. The idealization model includes the ice failure process, ice conditions and ship geometry. The ice failure is assumed to be initiated by crushing ice and followed by breaking due to bending failure. Ice properties are set as constant values without any variations. The stochasticity in interact process is represented by randomness in collision location and number of pieces of ice floe formed after breaking. An energy method is used to calculate the ice crushing force, indentation displacement and contact area. The ice bending scenario is simplified as an infinite plate resting on an elastic foundation under a concentrated load. Ice impact load and critical load can be obtained for global and local structural assessment respectively. The structural responses and structural strength of a representative panel at linear and nonlinear contexts are investigated as well. Ship structure is commonly designed with material yield strength as limit. However, the study shows a lighter structure can be achieved if plastic deformation is allowed without causing failure. Therefore, the design can be optimized with regards to ice loading capacity and weight control.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Cyanobacterial blooms are currently one of the most important issues faced by environmental agencies, water authorities and public health organizations. Remote sensing provides an advanced approach to monitor cyanobacteria by detecting and quantifying chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and phycocaynin (PC). In this thesis, an analytical bio-optical model, more typically applied to ocean waters, was modified to accommodate the complexity of inland waters. The newly developed models work well to estimate inherent optical properties, including absorption and backscattering coefficients, in eight different study sites distributed around the globe. Based on derived absorption coefficients, Chl-a and PC concentrations were accurately retrieved for data sets collected annually from 2006 to 2010, and the estimation accuracy exceeded that of currently used algorithms. An important advantage of the model is that low concentrations of Chl-a and PC can be predicted more accurately, enabling early warning of cyanobacterial blooms. In addition, the results also indicated good spatial and temporal transferability of the algorithms, since no specific calibration procedures were required for data sets collected in a different sites and seasons. The compatibility of the newly developed algorithm with MERIS spectra provides the possibility for routine surveillance of cyanobacterial growth in inland waters.

No description available.

This thesis departures from the urgency to reinterpret the role of the architect. Our job’s main mission can no longer be to supply ideas for cradle to grave type of production. The only way to harmonize our needs with the planetary limits is through a paradigm shift towards reshaping existing materials, infrastructure, and constructions. How could architects better inform and convey their expertise regarding construction, material qualities, and cultural values, in a constructive, forward-looking way? By working hands-on with preexisting contexts and buildings we want to learn the craft of adaptive reuse. This thesis has resulted in a case study of a former hardware store, called Järnbolaget, in the small urban outpost Torsby in the north of Värmland.

Ett företag står inför nya logistiska alternativ när förutsättningar förändras. Det kan handla om infrastrukturförändringar, men det kan också handla om lag- och regelförändringar när samhället vill skärpa krav på miljömedvetenhet och hållbarhetsredovisning. I vänerområdet finns skogsindustri som i sina verksamheter är beroende av tunga transporter. Det är en energiintensiv industri. Historiskt har Vänern och Göta älv använts för utskeppning av exportvaror. Numera går dock många transporter på järnväg för omlastning i Göteborgs hamn. Slussarna i Trollhättan är gamla och betongkonstruktionerna har börjat att vittra sönder. För fortsatt möjlighet att använda fartyg till och från Vänern har Sjöfartsverket, Trafikverket och kommunerna längs Göta älv beslutat att bygga nya och större slussar i farleden. Detta kommer att ge nya möjligheter för industrierna kring Vänern, som framöver kommer att kunna använda större fartyg i sin logistik. I denna uppsats har StoraEnsos kartongbruk i Skoghall studerats för en fallstudie om styrande faktorer vid val gällande lönsam exportlogistik, hållbara transporter och effektiva godsflöden till kund. Semistrukturerade kvalitativa intervjuer har gjorts med representanter för StoraEnso, Sjöfartsverket och representanter för rederier som sedan länge trafikerar Vänern. I en diskussion ställs resultaten mot teorier relaterade till logistik och hållbarhet. Studiens slutsatser indikerar att nya större slussar kan ge fördelar genom ökade alternativ i företagens logistikkedjor och därmed en bättre redundans vid transporter. Det framkom att det finns vissa logistiska hinder på grund av att myndigheter och kommuner längs Vänern och Göta älv bättre borde koordinera underhåll och infrastrukturförändringar. Från respondenterna och från teorin noteras att jämförelser mellan olika transportslags lönsamhet och miljövänlighet är svåra att göra. Företagen har ofta komplexa logistiklösningar som har mejslats fram under lång tid. Det framkom att StoraEnso arbetar tydligt med miljöfaktorer i upphandling av nya logistikfunktioner. StoraEnso ser det som ett viktigt arbete för egen lönsamhet, men också för legitimering av sin verksamhet i samhället. / A company in a changing world is faced with new logistical options when conditions change. It can be about infrastructure changes, but it can also be about law and rule changes when society wants to tighten requirements for environmental awareness and sustainability reporting. In the Lake Vänern area, there is a forest industry that is dependent on heavy transport in its operations. It is an energy-intensive industry. Historically, Lake Vänern and Göta rivers have been used for shipping export goods. Nowadays, however, many transports go by rail for transshipment in the Port of Gothenburg. The locks in Trollhättan are old and the concrete structures have begun to crumble. For the continued possibility of using ships to and from Vänern, the Swedish Maritime Administration, the Swedish Transport Agency and the municipalities along the Göta river have decided to build new and larger locks. This will provide new opportunities for the industries around Lake Vänern, which in the future will be able to use larger ships in their logistics. In this essay, StoraEnso’s cardboard mill in Skoghall has been studied for a case study on profitable export logistics and sustainable transport. Semi-structured qualitative interviews have been conducted with representatives of StoraEnso, the Swedish Maritime Administration and representatives for shipping companies that have been sailing Lake Vänern for a long time. The mill’s audit firm was also contacted. In a discussion, the results are compared against theories related to logistics and sustainability. The study’s conclusions indicate that new, larger locks can provide benefits through increased options in companies’ logistics chains and thus better redundancy in transport. It emerged that there are certain logistical obstacles due to the fact that authorities and municipalities along the Vänern and Göta rivers should better coordinate maintenance and infrastructure changes. Comparisons between the profitability and environmental friendliness of different modes of transport are difficult to make, due to the fact that the companies often have complex logistics solutions that have been developed over a long period of time. StoraEnso works clearly with environmental parameters in the procurement of new logistics functions. StoraEnso sees it as important work for its own profitability, but also for legitimizing its operations in society.

This thesis departures from the urgency to reinterpret the role of the architect. Our job’s main mission can no longer be to supply ideas for cradle to grave type of production. The only way to harmonize our needs with the planetary limits is through a paradigm shift towards reshaping existing materials, infrastructure, and constructions. How could architects better inform and convey their expertise regarding construction, material qualities, and cultural values, in a constructive, forward-looking way? By working hands-on with preexisting contexts and buildings we want to learn the craft of adaptive reuse. This thesis has resulted in a case study of a former hardware store, called Järnbolaget, in the small urban outpost Torsby in the north of Värmland.