Inköp av material i byggbranschen genomförs traditionellt med lägsta pris som främsta kriterium. Vidare sker inköpen ofta lokalt i respektive byggprojekt, vilket oftast leder till kortsiktiga relationer med leverantörer. Dock visar forskning på att kortsiktiga relationer inte alltid är mest gynnsamma. Det anses istället vara mer fördelaktigt att låta sig inspireras av andra industrier och upprätta långsiktiga relationer och leverantörssamarbeten som sträcker sig över flera byggprojekt. År 2014 förvärvade ett av Sveriges största byggföretag en fabrik som tillverkar prefabricerade produkter i fiber- och gråbetong. Uppköpet var en så kallad vertikal integration och en del i ett koncept för att industrialisera bostadsbyggandet. Förvärvet innebar inte bara ett upprättande av en långsiktig relation utan således även en integration av en leverantör i företagets värdekedja.  Syftet med det här examensarbetet är att bättre förstå hur en sådan intern långsiktig leverantörsrelation fungerar i byggbranschen. Syftet med studien är även att utveckla kunskap och komma med förbättringsförslag kring hur en långsiktig intern affärsrelation kan utvecklas.  Studien anses som kvalitativ och grundar sig på en litteraturstudie, semi-strukturerade intervjuer, interna dokument, platsbesök och observationer. En abduktiv forskningsansats har använts då teori och empiri varvats längs studiens gång. Undersökningen kan även ses som explorativ då slutmålet från början inte var känt.     Studien påvisar och konfirmerar att en intern långsiktig relation är komplex men fördelaktig då det bland annat möjliggör en ökad kontroll och utveckling av både den levererade produkten och relationen. Vidare visar studien att den levererade produktens komplexitet har stor betydelse. Undersökningen åskådliggör även att en kombination av ett externt och internt förhållningssätt till en relation kan vara mest fördelaktigt trots att leverantören definitionsmässigt är intern. Likväl som i externa långsiktiga relationer är även begrepp såsom tillit, engagemang, förväntningar och beroende centrala i interna relationer, men bör utifrån förutsättningarna ses på ett annat sätt. Byggbranschens projektorientering och traditionsenlighet visar sig också påverka en implementering av långsiktiga interna relationer. Vidare förekommer andra mötesforum och socialiseringsprocesser tillskillnad mot externa kortsiktiga relationer. Då den undersökta relationen är en del i ett större koncept visar det sig även möjliggöra förekomsten av fler än två parter, vilket får en påverkan på beslutsfattandet i relationen.     För att utveckla relationen anses tidigare nämnda begrepp som tillit, förväntningar, engagemang, kommunikation, beslutsfattande och beroende vara något som man tankemässigt bör ha med sig. Vidare bör beställare och leverantör tillsammans anpassa sig till varandras processer och arbetsstrukturer. Gemensamma långsiktiga mål bör även formuleras.  För att utveckla en långsiktig intern relation bör även institutionaliseringens fördelar utnyttjas. Detta innebär att kontaktmönster, kommunikationsverktyg och kontaktvägar bör vänjas in och utvecklas över tid. För att engagera och motivera individerna till att vara delaktiga i relationen rekommenderas även nya typer av mötesforum som komplement till de redan existerande. / Purchasing of material in the construction industry is traditionally carried out with lowest price as main criteria. In addition, purchasing often occurs separately in each project, which usually ends up with short-term relationships with suppliers. However, research shows that that short-term relationships are not always the most advantageous. It is considered as more advantageous to obtain inspiration from diverse industries and establish long-term relationships with suppliers that lasts over numerous projects.  In 2014 one of Sweden’s largest construction companies acquired a manufacturer that produces prefabricated concrete elements. The acquisition was a vertical integration and a part of an industrialized house building concept. Hence, the acquisition did not only establish a long-term relationship, it also integrated a supplier in the company’s supply chain.  The purpose with this thesis is to clarify and understand how an intra-organizational long-term supplier relationship is managed in the construction industry. The purpose is also to contribute with knowledge in how to develop such a relationship.  The study is considered as qualitative and is based on literature studies, semi-structured interviews, internal documents, site visits, and personal impressions from meetings. An abductive research approach has been conducted since empirics and theory have been alternated during the study. The survey can also be identified as an explorative study since there was not a clear objective when the study was initiated.  The study reveals and confirms that an internal long-term relationship is complex but advantageous. The long-term focus enables an increased control and development of the product as well as the relationship. The study also illustrated that a combination of an external and internal approach to the relationship is most advantageous, even though the relationship is defined as intra-organizational. In inter-organizational relationships, concepts such as trust, commitment, expectations, and dependence seems to be important in intra-organizational relationships as well, but should be viewed in a different way. The strong project orientation and traditionalism in the construction industry is also considered to affect an internal long-term relationship. Furthermore, in contrast to inter-organizational short-term relationships, other kinds of meeting forums and socialization processes exists. Since the studied relationship is part of a larger concept, more than two parties seem to be involved in the relationship. This, among other things, affect the decision-making process in the relationship.  To develop the relationship, stated concepts such as trust, expectation, commitment, communication, decision-making and dependence should be kept in mind. Furthermore, buyer and supplier should try to adapt to each other’s processes and work structures. To develop a long-term internal relationship, the benefits of institutionalization should also be used, enabling buyer and suppliers to develop and familiarize roles, communication tools and contact routes. To engage and motivate individuals to participate in the relationship, new types of meeting forums are also recommended to complement the ones that already exist.

Située dans le Nord-Est de la Colombie-Britannique, la formation de Montney est une zone d’exploitation gazière par fracturation hydraulique capable de rejeter des contaminants comme les éléments-traces, dont certains peuvent affecter la santé des femmes enceintes et leur enfant. Notre étude visait 1) l’évaluation de l’exposition de femmes enceintes de cette région à plusieurs éléments-traces à partir d’échantillons urinaires répétés, 2) la comparaison des concentrations à celles de populations de référence et 3) l’évaluation de la variabilité intra- et inter-individuelle dans les concentrations urinaires. 85 femmes enceintes participant à notre étude Exposures in the Peace River Valley (EXPERIVA) ont fourni 1 échantillon urinaire quotidien pendant 7 jours consécutifs. 20 éléments-traces y ont été analysés. Des statistiques descriptives ont été effectuées et la variabilité a été évaluée à l’aide du coefficient de corrélation intraclasse (CCI). Les concentrations urinaires médianes étaient supérieures à celles des populations de référence pour le baryum (2 fois), le cobalt (3 fois) et le strontium (2 fois). Durant la semaine, le 95e centile de référence était dépassé au moins 1 fois par de nombreuses participantes pour le baryum (58%), le cobalt (73%), le cuivre (29%), le manganèse (28%), le sélénium (38%), le strontium (60%) et le vanadium (100%). Les CCI variaient de 0.288 à 0.722 selon l’élément-trace. Nos résultats laissent supposer que les femmes enceintes de cette région peuvent être particulièrement exposées à certains éléments-traces (baryum, cobalt, cuivre, manganèse, sélénium, strontium et vanadium) et qu’un seul échantillon urinaire peut être insuffisant pour estimer adéquatement l’exposition à certains éléments-traces. / Located in Northeastern British-Columbia, the Montney formation is an important area of gas exploitation by hydraulic fracturing which can release contaminants like trace elements. Gestational exposure to these contaminants may lead to deleterious developmental effects. Our study aimed to assess gestational exposure to trace-elements in women living in this region through repeated urinary measurements, to compare these values to those from reference populations, and to evaluate inter- and intra-individual variability. 85 pregnant women participating in the Exposures in the Peace River Valley (EXPERIVA)study provided daily spot urine samples over 7 consecutive days. Samples were analyzed for 20 trace elements. Descriptive statistics were performed, and variability was evaluated through intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) calculation for each trace element. When compared with those from North American populations, median urinary levels were higher in our population for barium (2 times), cobalt (3 times) and strontium (2 times). The 95th percentile of reference populations was exceeded at least 1 time by many participants during the week for barium (58%), cobalt (73%), copper (29%), manganese (28%), selenium (38%), strontium (60%) and vanadium (100%). ICCs varied from 0.288 to 0.722 depending on the trace element. Our results suggest that pregnant women living in this region may be more exposed to certain trace elements (barium, cobalt, copper, manganese, selenium, strontium, and vanadium), and that one urine spot sample could be insufficient to adequately estimate exposure to certain trace elements.

Die Intra-Tumor-Heterogenität spiegelt eine kontinuierliche Entwicklung zwischen den Zellen eines einzelnen Tumors wider. Sie ist eine der Hauptursachen für Arzneimittelresistenz bei der Krebsbehandlung. Um dieses Problem anzugehen, ist es daher wichtig, die Tumorevolution innerhalb eines einzelnen Patienten zu verstehen und erfolgreich zu modellieren. Bisherige Arbeiten haben sich nicht erfolgreich mit der Evolution von Tumoren befasst, deren Treiber strukturelle Veränderungen im Genom sind, wie z. B. somatische Kopienzahlveränderungen (SCNAs). Diese Arbeit befasst sich mit der Herausforderung, die Tumorevolution als Folge solcher Veränderungen zu charakterisieren. Wir verwenden einen phylogenetischen Ansatz zur Analyse von multiregionalen Datensätzen in einer großen Pan-Krebs-Kohorte. Wir untersuchen häufige SCNAs in verschiedenen Stadien der Tumorentwicklung und führen eine neue Methode, MEDICC2, ein, die die Tumorevolution innerhalb eines einzelnen Patienten rekonstruiert. In dieser Arbeit haben wir häufige SCNAs charakterisiert, die früh in der Tumorentwicklung auftreten. Aufgrund der Struktur der Kohorte ist die Charakterisierung der subklonalen SCNAs nicht eindeutig. Unsere neue Methode, MEDICC2, akzeptiert höhere Kopienzahlzustände und berücksichtigt die Verdopplung des gesamten Genoms, ein häufiges Ereignis in Tumoren, was eine genauere Modellierung der Tumorevolution ermöglicht. / Intra-tumor heterogeneity reflects an ongoing evolution among cells of a single tumor. It is one of the leading causes of drug resistance in cancer treatments. Therefore, to address this issue, it is important to understand and successfully model tumor evolution within a single patient. Previous work has failed to successfully address the evolution of tumors whose drivers are structural changes in the genome, such as somatic copy number alterations (SCNAs). This work addresses the challenge of characterizing tumor evolution as a result of such changes. We use a phylogenetic approach to analyze multi-region datasets in a large pan-cancer cohort. We investigate frequent SCNAs at different stages of tumor development, and introduce a new method, MEDICC2, which reconstructs tumor evolution within a single patient. In this work, we characterized frequent SCNAs that occur early in tumor development. Due to the structure of the cohort, the characterization of subclonal SCNAs remains inconclusive. Our new method, MEDICC2, accepts higher copy number states and takes into account whole-genome doubling, a frequent event in tumors, which allows for a more precise modeling of tumor evolution.

Atleter mellan 16-18 år migrerar allt oftare till andra orter inom Sveriges gränser med ambitionen att fortsätta sin idrottsliga karriär parallellt med gymnasiala studier, så som genom ett riksidrottsgymnasium [RIG]. En migration bland så unga atleter är dock en osäker investering och följs utifrån en migrationsaspekt utav flera anpassningssvårigheter samt psykologiska, psykosociala och akademiska utmaningar. RIG-uppsättningen är ämnad att dämpa denna övergång genom att erbjuda bra utbildning tillsammans med en god idrottsutveckling. Under Covid-19 försvårades den migrationsanpassning som RIG-elever förväntas göra i form av att flera restriktioner lades på individerna. Trots att några studier har gjorts på såväl elevers som idrottares påverkan under pandemin, har inga gjorts på individer som dessutom satsar på dubbla karriärer och migrerade under pandemin, så som RIG-elever. Därför ville jag i denna studie undersöka RIG-elevers upplevelser och erfarenheter av en migration och anpassning till en ny miljö under Covid-19 med syftet att skapa förståelse för hur pandemin påverkade migrationen samt hur individerna lyckades överkomma de hinder och utmaningar som de stod inför. Följande möjliggjordes genom att göra en fallstudie på RIG-simmare från Helsingborg och Jönköping. Fem semistrukturerade intervjuer fördes med RIG-simmare, vilka senare analyserades genom en tematisk analys. Bourdieus teoretiska ramverk och begreppen kapital, habitus, fält och illusio vägledde mig i tematiseringen och den efterföljande analysen/diskussionen. Resultatet visar att RIG-simmarna upplevde olika svårigheter att anpassa sig utifrån de resurser och tidigare förutsättningar de besatt. Olika typer av kapitalinnehav innebar också olika typer av anpassningar vilket i ett längre led påverkade motivationen i positiv eller negativ bemärkelse. Samtliga elever, oavsett kapitalinnehav, upplevde utmaningar i distansundervisning, disciplin och rutiner samt brist på gemenskap. Utifrån undersökningen konkluderas det därmed att RIG-elevers anpassning är beroende av hur mycket kapital man besitter inom det nya fältet och hur stark känsla av illusio individerna upplever att de har. Undersökningen belyser i ett längre led hur viktigt det är att hitta hållbara sätt att stödja karriärmöjligheter för unga idrottsutövare, även under en samhällskris som Covid-19. / Athletes between the ages of 16-18 are increasingly migrating to other locations within Sweden with the ambition to continue their athletic careers in parallel with their secondary education, such as through a national sports high school [RIG]. However, migration among such young athletes represents an uncertain investment and is accompanied, from a migration perspective, by several challenges of adjustment, as well as psychological, psychosocial, and academic challenges. The RIG system is intended to ease this transition by offering a good education alongside athletic development. During Covid-19, the migration adjustment that RIG students are expected to make was made more difficult by several restrictions. While some studies have been conducted on the impact of the pandemic on both students and athletes, none have been conducted on individuals who are also pursuing dual careers and migrated during the pandemic, such as RIG students. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine RIG students' experiences and perceptions of the move and adjustment to a new environment during Covid-19, with the goal of understanding how the pandemic affected migration and how individuals were able to overcome the obstacles and challenges they faced. This was made possible by conducting a case study on RIG swimmers from Helsingborg and Jönköping. Five semi-structured interviews were conducted with RIG swimmers, which were later analyzed through a thematic analysis. Bourdieu's theoretical framework and concepts of capital, habitus, field, and illusio guided the thematic analysis and subsequent discussion. The results show that RIG swimmers experienced different difficulties in adapting based on the resources and previous conditions they possessed. Different types of capital ownership also meant different types of adaptations, which in the longer term affected motivation positively or negatively. All students, regardless of their capital ownership, experienced challenges in distance learning, discipline and routines, as well as a lack of community. The study therefore concludes that RIG students' adaptation depends on how much capital they possess within the new field and how strong a sense of illusio they have. In the longer term, the study highlights the importance of finding sustainable ways to support career opportunities for young athletes, even during a societal crisis such as Covid-19.

L’agriculture intra et périurbaine est pratiquée dans la région urbaine de Dakar au Sénégal. Cependant, elle fait face à certaines menaces entraînant une réduction de ses espaces. Ce qui suscite la question de savoir l’importance qui serait accordée à ces espaces agricoles dans le contexte dakarois. La présente recherche vise ainsi à mieux comprendre ce phénomène. Dans ce cadre, le concept de multifonctionnalité a été adopté. Ce dernier postule que la reconnaissance de l’agriculture passe par celle des multiples fonctions qu’elle peut jouer au sein de la société. Ces dernières peuvent être d’ordre social, économique et environnemental. De plus, l’approche normative de ce concept a été adoptée posant que la multifonctionnalité de l’agriculture d’un territoire est fonction des enjeux territoriaux locaux. Donc elle ne peut être uniforme pour tous les territoires. Or ce concept a été plus utilisé dans des contextes occidentaux de sorte qu’il a été jugé « eurocentré ». Notre objectif était donc de d’explorer sous un angle particulier la multifonctionnalité de l’agriculture intra et périurbaine de Dakar, région urbaine d’un pays en développement. Dans ce cadre, nous nous sommes intéressée au concept de valeurs qui permet d’avoir une portée plus large des rôles que cette agriculture pourrait jouer. Pour y arriver, nous avons adopté un cadre théorique qui puise des champs de l’économie, des études paysagères, de l’écologie et de la géographie. L’objectif étant double : saisir les valeurs accordées à l’agriculture de Dakar, mais également comprendre le contexte d’émergence et de construction de ces valeurs afin de mieux comprendre ce phénomène d’évolution de l’agriculture. Notre approche devait donc également être multiacteur, car, dans l’approche normative de la multifonctionnalité, l’acteur agricole n’est plus le principal concerné par l’agriculture, mais tous les acteurs du territoire. En effet, la valeur de cette agriculture serait appréciée à partir des valeurs qu’elle représente pour l’ensemble des acteurs. Nos résultats nous ont montré que les acteurs urbains portent des valeurs qui apparaissent différentes selon leur lien avec ces espaces. Mais l’unanimité existe sur certaines valeurs de nature alimentaire et économique. Toutefois, de nouvelles valeurs de nature environnementale, esthétique et immatérielle apparaissent alors qu’elles étaient jusqu’ici peu mises de l’avant comme valeurs prioritaires dans le cadre de la multifonctionnalité d’une ville du Sud. Un autre élément déterminant des résultats est la compréhension des composantes du paysage ou le contexte d’émergence des valeurs. Ce contexte met en avant à la fois des éléments positifs, négatifs et ambivalents vis-à-vis de l’agriculture. Ainsi, les acteurs agricoles semblent plus évoquer les composantes positives tandis que d’autres acteurs tels que les techniciens et les citoyens évoquent plus des contraintes ou composantes négatives de nature foncière. / Intra- and peri-urban agriculture is practiced in the urban region of Dakar in Senegal. However, it faces some threats resulting in a reduction of its spaces. This raises the question of the importance that would be given to these agricultural areas in the Dakar context. This research aims to better understand this phenomenon. Within this framework, the concept of multifunctionality has been adopted. The latter postulates that the recognition of agriculture goes through that of the multiple functions that it can play within society. These can be social, economic and environmental. In addition, the normative approach of this concept has been adopted, positing that the multifunctionality of agriculture in a territory depends on local territorial issues. So it cannot be uniform for all territories. However, this concept has been used more in Western contexts so that it has been deemed “Eurocentric”. Our objective was therefore to explore from a particular angle the multifunctionality of intra- and peri-urban agriculture in Dakar, an urban region of a developing country. In this context, we are interested in the concept of values which allows us to have a broader scope of the roles that this agriculture could play. To achieve this, we have adopted a theoretical framework that draws from the fields of economics, landscape studies, ecology and geography. The objective is twofold: to grasp the values given to agriculture in Dakar, but also to understand the context of the emergence and construction of these values in order to better understand this phenomenon of the evolution of agriculture. Our approach should therefore also be multi-actor, because, in the normative approach of multifunctionality, the agricultural actor is no longer the main one concerned by agriculture, but all the actors of the territory. Indeed, the value of this agriculture would be assessed on the basis of the values it represents for all the actors. Our results have shown us that urban actors carry values that appear different depending on their link with these spaces. But there is unanimity on certain food and economic values. However, new values of an environmental, aesthetic and immaterial nature appear whereas they were hitherto little put forward as priority values within the framework of the multifunctionality of a city of the South. Another determining element of the results is the understanding of the components of the landscape or the context in which the values emerge. This context highlights both positive, negative and ambivalent elements vis-à-vis agriculture. Thus, agricultural actors seem to evoke more positive components while other actors such as technicians and citizens evoke more constraints or negative components of a land nature.

Introduction : La littérature sur l’innovation responsable en santé et en recherche participative encourage l’implication des utilisateurs finaux des technologies dès leur conception, mais manque de documentation sur les méthodes pour les impliquer efficacement. À l’occasion du développement de technologies intra-auriculaires (TIA) intégrant l’intelligence artificielle pour la détection et le monitorage de la maladie de Parkinson (MP), une approche participative, a été adoptée par l’équipe de recherche dans le but de co-créer un protocole de pilotage des TIA. Ce mémoire vise à documenter cette pratique collaborative et à en explorer les retombées ainsi qu’à étudier la faisabilité et l’acceptabilité du protocole de recherche co-développé. Méthodologie : Trois personnes avec la maladie de Parkinson (PMP), une proche aidante (PA) et une orthophoniste ont été recrutées pour le co-développement du protocole de recherche. Le processus collaboratif consiste à réaliser trois cafés scientifiques (CS) pour l’augmentation de la littératie en technosanté, suivis d’une table ronde (TR) de co-construction du protocole. Avant et après chaque CS, les participants remplissaient un questionnaire sur leur niveau de connaissances du sujet abordé. Après la TR, les participants ont rempli un questionnaire sur l’utilité perçue des CS et ont participé à une entrevue semi-dirigée portant sur leur expérience. Finalement, 3 PMP et une PA ont été recrutés pour expérimenter les TIA. À la fin de l’expérience, ils ont rempli un questionnaire sur l’acceptabilité des technologies portables et ont participé à une entrevue post-expérience pour étudier l’acceptabilité et l’utilisabilité des TIA. L’entrevue post-expérience a servi aussi pour étudier l’acceptabilité du protocole codéveloppé. Une analyse quantitative des questionnaires et une analyse qualitative déductive et inductive des verbatims issus des rencontres ont été menées. Résultats : La pratique collaborative déployée a permis une implication réelle des usagers malgré quelques critiques concernant la longueur du processus. L’acceptabilité et la faisabilité du protocole ont été confirmées après son expérimentation réelle. Conclusion : La pratique collaborative était une opportunité d’amélioration de la recherche malgré la présence des enjeux liés à la précocité de son adoption. / Introduction: Literature on responsible innovation in health and participative research encourages involving end-users in technology development from its inception but lacks documented methods for their engagement in early stages. In the context of developing intra-auricular technologies (IAT), integrating promising artificial intelligence for detecting and monitoring Parkinson's Disease (PD), a participative approach based on increasing health technology literacy was adopted. This approach involved PD patients (PDP), caregivers (CG), and clinicians to co-create the IAT pilot protocol. This study aims to document this collaborative practice and explore its outcomes. Methodology: Three PDP, one CG, and a speech therapist were recruited for the protocol's co-development. The collaborative process included three scientific cafes (SC) for increasing health technology literacy, followed by a Co-Construction Roundtable (CR) for the protocol. Before and after each SC, participants completed a knowledge level questionnaire. Following the CR, participants answered a survey on the perceived utility of the SC and participated in a semi-structured interview discussing their experiences. Finally, three PDP and a CG were recruited to pilot the IAT. At the experience's end, they completed a Smart Wearables Acceptance Model (SWAM) questionnaire and engaged in a post-experience interview to study the IAT's acceptance and usability. The post-experience interview also investigated the acceptability of the co-developed protocol. Quantitative analysis of surveys and deductive and inductive qualitative analysis of meeting transcripts were conducted. Results: While the SC enriched participants' knowledge and established a climate of trust promoting their active participation, they were not without criticism. Protocol acceptability was confirmed after real-world experimentation despite some challenges related to IAT acceptability and usability. Technological challenges led us to question the early inclusion of end-users in technological prototyping studies. Conclusion: Collaborative practice presented an opportunity for research improvement despite the challenges related to its early adoption.

Sammanfattning Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka vilken betydelse ickemänniskor har i förskolans innemiljö under barns fria lek och vilken betydelse de har för barns subjektskapande. För att samla in vår empiri har vi använt oss av en kvalitativ ansats och genomfört en deltagande observation på en förskoleavdelning med hjälp av anteckningar. För att få fatt i vårt syfte och våra frågeställningar har vi utgått från ett posthumanistiskt perspektiv och tagit stöd av ett flertal performativa begrepp. I våra analyser har vi lyft fram ickemänniskor som till exempel rum, ytor, möbler, leksaker och material som generellt sätt kan ses som mindre betydelsefulla i förskolans vardag. Dessa ickemänniskor kan ses som performativa aktörer som deltar, får saker att hända och tillför förändringar i barnens fria lek. I analysen går det även att förstå hur ickemänniskor blir medskapare i barnens subjektskapande och att barnens handlande inte beror på hur de är innerst inne. Med en posthumanistisk syn kan pedagoger i förskolan bemöta barnen mer etiskt då de uppmärksammar hur ickemänniskor är deltagare och medskapare i barnens fria lek.

Denna studie behandlar den pedagogiska inomhusmiljön på förskolan och undersöker hur utbud och tillgänglighet av material samt miljöns utformning, kan möjliggöra för barns naturvetenskapliga utforskande. Metoden som har använts i studien är gåturer med barn som genomförts på två olika förskolor och dokumenterats med filmkamera. Med hjälp av en bl.a. checklista har även förskolornas lokaler och naturvetenskapligt kategoriserade material inventerats och dokumenterats med fotografier. I analysen har agentisk realism valts som teoretiskt perspektiv för att synliggöra materialets samverkan med barnen och lyfta dess roll för naturvetenskapligt utforskande i förskoleverksamhet. Resultatet visar att den pedagogiska miljöns utformande är viktig för barns möjligheter att få möta och utforska olika material. Utbudet av naturvetenskapligt kategoriserat material behöver dock inte vara avgörande för att barn ska kunna utforska naturvetenskap på förskolan. Studien visar att barnen skapar egna användningsområden för material utifrån deras intressen och materialens intra-aktion med barnen. Ett naturvetenskapligt utforskande kan på så vis möjliggöras med en mångfald av materialkategorier som vanligtvis finns inomhus på förskolan.

The costal populations of perch (Perca fluviatilis) in some parts of the Baltic Sea have been in decline for about two decades. Recruitment failure in the early larval stages has been put forward as a possible cause and the decline has also been suggested to coincide with increases in three-pined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) densities. The aim of this study was to study the effects of growth and survival of newly hatched perch larvae in the presence of the three-pined stickleback, and if possible determine the main mechanism behind any negative effects the perch may suffer under such conditions. Using large scale experimental ponds as a controlled habitat, an experiment was conducted where perch larvae were being exposed to sticklebacks under four different stages of their development. Results showed that the three- spine stickleback can have a strong negative effect on the survival of young perch. This effect was strongest in the earliest stage of perch development and decreased as they grew bigger. The zooplankton densities didn't differ between the controls and stickleback treatments, suggesting that the young perch didn't suffer from food limitation. Instead predation was identified as the main mechanism behind the high mortality. The results of this study highlight the potential danger of the observed patterns of decreasing predator populations in conjunction with increasing populations of smaller prey species in the Baltic Sea.

Traditionally, reaction time (RT) was conceived of as an average speed of a number of responses made by an individual, or mean RT. Increasingly, however, intraindividual variability in reaction time (RT IIV) – the consistency of responses by a single person across trials – is used as an additional or even alternative measure. RT IIV is often found to be elevated in a number of conditions that affect the central nervous system functioning, such as traumatic brain injury or neurodegenerative diseases. It can predict change in cognitive performance in ageing, progression from normal ageing to mild cognitive impairment, and even death. Therefore, RT IIV may be of great practical importance. However, RT IIV and mean RT are correlated; therefore it is often problematic to draw conclusions about unique associations between these and other variables. One objective of the work presented in this thesis was to investigate determinants and correlates of simple and choice RT IIV and to test which associations may be accounted for by the individual differences in mean RT. The first investigation was concerned with age differences in RT IIV. Following a systematic review of literature, a series of meta-analyses demonstrated that older individuals (aged 60 years and above) have greater RT IIV than young or middle-aged adults in simple and choice RT tasks. The effects were reduced but still significant when RT IIV was adjusted for mean RT. The next study was a cross-sectional investigation of the associations between age and RT IIV, as well as of sex differences in RT IIV, across the lifespan in participants ranging in age from 4 to 75. Non-linear effects of age were found for RT IIV measures, such that variability decreased with age in children and increased with age in older adults. A novel finding from this study was that sex differences in RT IIV were present among adults but not children, suggesting that there might be an age threshold at which sexes diverge in their RT IIV trajectories. The results also indicated that findings regarding RT IIV may differ depending on the variability measure used (that is, whether and how mean RT is controlled). The second study on the same sample investigated variability on a trial-by-trial basis. Specifically, it tested the hypothesis that sex differences in variability are due to females being disproportionately slower at the first trial which inflates their overall RT IIV. This hypothesis was not supported. Another investigation used longitudinal data from the West of Scotland Twenty-07 study. Three cohorts of individuals aged approximately 15, 35 and 55, were followed up for 20 years and had RT data collected at four occasions. Analyses confirmed non-linear effects of age on RT IIV found in the earlier cross-sectional investigation. The final study investigated the effect of high altitude on RT IIV. It found that altitude-related increase in RT IIV is fully accounted for by general slowing of RT at high altitude. The overall pattern of results obtained from the investigations suggests that RT IIV increases with age in adults and that not all of the increase is due to general slowing. Moreover, the results show that sex differences in RT IIV are not uniform across the lifespan. Finally, whereas associations of RT IIV with some variables, for example age, are relatively robust to controlling for mean RT, others are fully attenuated by such practice.