<p>Neurological disorders are a major public health concern due to prevalence, severity of symptoms, and impact on caregivers and economic losses. While genetic susceptibility likely has a role in most cases, exposure to toxicants can lead to neurotoxicity, including potentially developmental origins of adult disease or increased risk of disease onset. These exposures are not necessarily large, acute exposures, but could accumulate, with a chronic low-dose exposure, causing toxicity. This research focuses on the potential neurotoxicity of two classes of dietary toxins/toxicants, heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). HAAs, such as PhIP, harmane, and harmine, are formed in charred or overcooked meat, coffee, tobacco, and other foods. PFAS are largely used in making household materials, but are found in small amounts in eggs and dairy products and largely in contaminated water. While these two classes are diverse in terms of structure, common neurotoxic targets and mechanisms often exist. Therefore, we tested the effects of these chemicals on cell viability and neurotoxicity. In the first aim, we aimed to elucidate the mechanism of toxicity of harmane and harmine, focusing on their ability to cause mitochondrial dysfunction. The second aim was to determine the effects of either harmane or PhIP on the nigrostriatal motor systems and motor function of rats and mice, respectively. The third aim determined the effects of PFAS on neurodevelopment of Northern leopard frogs, focusing on changes in neurotransmitter levels and accumulation in the brain. Harmane did not cause motor dysfunction, but potentially affected the nigro-striatal motor system in an age- or sex-dependent manner. PhIP had differential effects on dopamine levels over time and caused motor dysfunction after subchronic exposure in mice. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) accumulated in the brains of frogs and PFAS caused changes in neurotransmitter levels that were dose- and time-dependent. Overall, this research shows that toxins/toxicants humans are exposed to over their whole lives through their diet and contaminated water can cause neurotoxicity, potentially leading to or increasing risk of disease states. </p>

A constant research of more ecological and efficient structures has enabled bridges to be more innovative through the years. Nowadays, as the need is greater than ever, a new kind of bridge is expanding in the entire world: the network arch bridges. The concept was developed by professor and engineer Per Tveit in 1955 and has been improved since then. But it is only for 10 years that many bridges of this sort have been built. The aim of the thesis is to investigate the structural behavior of these bridges and their efficiency comparing to traditional bridges. It is also proving the efficiency of the network arches used for rail traffic. To do so, a single-track railway network arch has been designed according to the Eurocodes. A 2D model has been designed to be optimal and tested under Abaqus for the loads defined in the Eurocodes. Guidelines from the literature and Per Tveit’s work have been used to determine the optimal geometry of the bridge. The steel weight needed for the 75 meters long bridge is assessed from the final design and is the main parameter to compare and evaluate the network arch structural efficiency. These results are compared with Tveit’s statements and with other structures.

This study is based on data regarding the social, economic, and demographic characteristics of 130 countries, and uses fixed effects estimation for the model analysis. It demonstrates that tourism development represents a complex process, which requires the implication of a multitude of stakeholders. Macroeconomic factors, such as GDP per capita growth and economic openness, are having a positive impact because they benefit private ownership and motivate people to open tourism-related businesses. Overall, higher carbon dioxide emissions and worse safety are having a negative effect over tourism development. Human development factors, such as education, are generally beneficial to the long-term tourism growth because they serve as positive externalities. Clustering the initial dataset based on various economic, demographic and social factors brought several new conclusions. Particularly, GDP per capita growth is not an important tourism development factor among developed countries, whereas the dummy variable for the year 2010 is a substantial one. Education and economic freedom are particularly important regressors for post-socialist states. The former is also crucial among African countries and in the Latin American region, where safety has also an essential impact over tourism development. Finally, tourism in small states would benefit the most from lower emissions,whereas in big states the best strategy for the policymaker would be to increase safety measures.

As the quest for higher data rates continues, future generations of wireless communications are expected to concur even higher frequency bands, particularly at terahertz (THz) frequencies. Even though the vast bandwidths at the THz band promise terabit-per-second (Tbps) data rates, current baseband technologies do not support such high rates. In particular, the complexities of Tbps channel code decoding and ultra-massive multiple-input multiple-output data detection are prohibitive. This work addresses the efficient data detection and channel-code decoding problem under THz-band channel conditions and Tbps baseband processing limitations. We propose ultra-massive multiple-input multiple-output THz channel models, then investigate the corresponding performance of several candidate data detection and coding schemes. We further investigate the complexity of different detectors and decoders, motivating parallelizability at both levels. We recommend which detector to combine best with which channel code decoder under specific THz channel characteristics.

Background. CoGNIT is a computerized test battery for cognitive assessment, used in diagnosing and treating patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (INPH). The disorder causes symptoms of dementia, among other things. Apart from other diseases with similar symptoms, like Alzheimer’s, INPH can be countered. CoGNIT is performed by a patient before and after drainage of cerebrospinal fluid. If a significant improvement in cognition is detected after the extraction, the patient receives shunt surgery which reduces all symptoms. The test battery is long and tedious, which makes it difficult for people with cognitive impairments to complete. Objectives. The objectives of this study are to rework original CoGNIT with carefully selected game design elements and analyze the effects of the alteration on performance and user experience. If users perform better in a gamified environment, the validity of gathered data will have improved as the data should better reflect their cognitive capabilities. Another objective is to introduce gamification to the medical field. Methods. Game design elements were picked and designed based on suitability for elderly people and with the impairments of INPH patients in mind. A gamified prototype was developed and put to test with healthy individuals against the original version in an experiment. The effects of gamification on performance was examined by comparing resulting score values from both versions of the test. Participants also filled in a questionnaire as proxy for the test’s target group, meaning that questions were answered with how the participants expected a cognitively impaired person to answer. Answers were used to investigate the effect of gamification ofuser experience. Results. The gamified version of CoGNIT shows an improvement in test segments regarding attention, psychomotor speed, executive function, and manual dexterity, but a negative inclination in segments regarding memory. Results from the user experience questionnaire indicates that the gamified version feels less dramatic, more playful, less "test-like" and less tedious compared to the non-gamified version. This suggests that the added game elementsare affecting the user experience in the desired way. Conclusions. An overall positive impact on both performance and user experience from gamification is concluded. The negative effect on memory tests could not be determined to be a cause of the gamification per se. / Bakgrund. CoGNIT är ett datoriserat testbatteri för kognitiv bedömning som används vid diagnos och behandling av patienter med idiopatisk normaltryckshydrocefalus (INPH). Sjukdomen orsakar bland annat symptom som demens. Till skillnad från andra sjukdomar med liknande symptom, som Alzheimers, kan INPH motverkas. CoGNIT utförs av en patient före och efter dränering av cerebrospinalvätska. Om en förbättring av patientens kognitiva förmågor upptäcks efter dräneringen, shuntoperaras patienten och alla symptom minskas. Testbatteriet är långt och tråkigt, vilket gör det svårt för personer med kognitiva nedsättningar att slutföra. Syfte. Syftet med denna studie är att omarbeta CoGNIT med noggrant utvalda speldesignelement och analysera hur prestation och användarupplevelse påverkas av förändringen. Om användare presterar bättre i en spelifierad miljö kommer validiteten av insamlad data att förbättras eftersom datan borde bättre återspegla deras kognitiva förmågor. Ett annat mål är att introducera spelifiering till det medicinska området. Metod. Speldesignelement valdes ut och utformades baserat på dess lämplighet för äldre och med de funktionsnedsättnigar som INPH-patienter har i åtanke. En spelifierad prototyp utvecklades och testades med friska individer mot originalversionen i ett experiment. Effekterna av spelifiering på prestation undersöktes genom att jämföra poängvärden från båda versionerna av testet. Deltagarna fyllde också i ett frågeformulär som "proxy" för testets målgrupp, vilket innebär att frågorna besvarades med hur deltagarna förväntade sig att en kognitivt nedsatt person hade svarat. Svaren användes för att undersöka effekten av spelifiering på användarupplevelsen. Resultat. Den spelifierade versionen av CoGNIT visar en förbättring i testsegmenten som utvärderar uppmärksamhet, psykomotorisk hastighet, exekutiva funktioner och fingerfärdighet, men en försämring i segmenten som utvärderar minne. Resultat från frågeformuläret indikerar att den spelifierade versionen upplevs mindre dramatisk, mer lekfull, mindre "testliknande" och mindre tråkig jämfört medden icke-spelifierade versionen. Detta visar att de tillagda spelelementen påverkar användarupplevelsen som önskat. Slutsatser. En övergripande positiv inverkan på både prestanda och användarupplevelse från spelfiering fastställs. Den negativa effekten på minnestesterna kunde inte bedömas vara en orsak av spelifiering i sig.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are man-made fluorinated compounds that havebeen detected in humans, the environment, and wildlife. The strong C-F bonds contribute tothe high thermal stability of some PFASs and make them extremely resistant to degradationunder normal environmental conditions. The commonly studied classes of PFASs areperfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids and perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids. Though the phase-out ofperfluorooctane sulfonic acid and perfluorooctanoic acid for some time, they were the mostfrequent compounds measured and detected in biota.In this study, the total oxidisable precursor (TOP) assay, which is a method used to indirectlymeasure and estimate PFAS precursors, was evaluated. Different parameters were studied tounderstand their effects on oxidation of precursor compounds following TOP assay method(e.g., oxidation rate, pH of the oxidation solution and different washing steps during solidphaseextraction)The results from this experiment showed that the target precursors were oxidised and part ofthe proportion of the compounds formed ranged from 37 to 100% (molar ratio). Whenperforming TOP assay, it was shown that some precursors oxidised before 0.5 h while otherprecursors were oxidised after 4 hours. However, it was still unknown what products wereformed when some precursors were oxidised e.g., 7:3 fluorotelomer carboxylic acid (7:3-FTCA) and 10:2 fluorotelomer unsaturated carboxylic acid (10:2- FTUCA) because of animbalance of precursors to degradation products (molar to molar ratio).When the washing steps for solid-phase extraction were evaluated for potential losses ofprecursors, it could be seen that the ammonium acetate and the 20% methanol in Milli-Q waterled to the loss of some precursors. These results showed precautions were needed wheninterpreting the results using TOP assay.

A large variety of Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) to degrade trace organic compounds during water treatment have been studied on a lab scale in the past. This paper presents the combination of inline electrolytic chlorine generation (ECl2) with low pressure UV reactors (UV/ECl2) in order to allow the operation of a chlorine-based AOP without the need for any chlorine dosing. Lab studies showed that from a Free Available Chlorine (FAC) concentration range between 1 and 18 mg/L produced by ECl2 up to 84% can be photolyzed to form, among others, hydroxyl radicals (OH) with an UV energy input of 0.48 kWh/m3. This ratio could be increased to 97% by doubling the UV energy input to 0.96 kWh/m3 and was constant throughout the tested FAC range. Also the achieved radical yield of 64% did not change along the given FAC concentration range and no dependence between pH 6 and pH 8 could be found, largely simplifying the operation of a pilot scale system in drinking water treatment. Whereas with ECl2 alone only 5% of benzotriazoles could be degraded, the combination with UV improved the degradation to 89%. Similar results were achieved for 4-methylbenzotriazole, 5-methylbenzotriazole and iomeprol. Oxipurinol and gabapentin were readily degraded by ECl2 alone. The trihalomethanes values were maintained below the Germany drinking water standard of 50 µg/L, provided residual chlorine concentrations are kept within the permissible limits. The here presented treatment approach is promising for decentralized treatment application but requires further optimization in order to reduce its energy requirements.:Introduction Methodology Results and Discussion Conclusions Author Contributions Funding Conflicts of Interest Appendix A References

Syftet med det här arbetet har varit att undersöka vilka omständigheter som låg till grund för, och kan ha påverkat tillkomsten av Kvarteret Vargen i Visby. Ett kvarter som fullständigt bryter av från all annan arkitektur på hela Gotland. Trots att det har ett formspråk som inte går att finna någon annanstans på ön, är det ändå inte så många som lägger märke till det. Undersökningens utgångspunkt har varit att först skapa en bild kring uppkomsten av kvarteret genom intervju med arkitekt Per Erik Nilsson, vars berättelser sedan har lett vidare till gamla maskinskrivna brev, ritningar, bygglovsanteckningar och svartvita foton i arkiv. Därefter har materialet satts i relation till vilka värderingar som rådde i Sverige och på Gotland vid den här tiden, för att se i vilket sammanhang kvarteret byggdes. Arkitekten som då bodde i Stockholm, kom till Visby för att studera åkermarken som skulle bebyggas knappt en kilometer utanför den medeltida stadskärnan. Istället för att ge beställarna det de först hade önskemål om, gjorde han upp planer för ett bostadsområde som var fyra gånger så stort. Förslaget accepterades utan betänketid och stadsplanen fick ge vika för det nya kvarteret som skulle byggas för både fattiga och rika, ensamstående och flerbarnsfamiljer, i en tid då bostadsbristen var stor men framtidstron ljus. Kvarteret Vargens formspråk passades in mellan de stora fortifikationsbyggnaderna i norr och de små egnahemidyllerna i söder samtidigt som bygget skulle underlättade bostadsbrist och öka livskvalitet. Resultatet blev ett kvarter i funktionalistisk anda spetsat med dekorativa element och lokala material, för funktion och trivsel. Tecknen pekar på att det största skälet till varför kvarteret Vargen ser ut som det gör, är för att bostadsbristen inte tillät beställarna att vara kräsna. Arkitekten fick mer eller mindre fria händer att utforma bostäderna efter eget huvud, bara han kunde förse Visby med fler bostäder.

Användningen av per oral cancerbehandling har ökat de senaste åren. Per oral cancerbehandling är inte automatiskt förknippat med samma strikta riktlinjer som vid intravenös behandling, däremot så är biverkningsprofilen med allvarliga och ibland livshotande tillstånd i stort sett densamma. Forskning har visat att följsamheten till den per orala cancerbehandlingen varierar, ibland är låg och inte är bättre än andra kroniskt sjuka gruppers följsamhet. Patienten sköter till stor del behandlingen själv. Konsekvenserna av detta kan vara ett försämrat behandlingsresultat, risk för över resp. underdosering och oförutsägbara biverkningar. Mätning av följsamhet är komplext och det finns ingen standardiserad metod.                              Syftet med denna studie var att belysa faktorer som påverkar patienters följsamhet till läkemedelsordinationer med per oral cancerbehandling. Metoden var en en forskningsöversikt. Sökorden som användes var; oral administration, antineoplastic agents, patient compliance, nursing care, medication adherence, treatment compliance och drug administration methods. De databaser som söktes igenom var PubMed, Cinahl och PsykInfo (Ovid). Totalt så inkluderades 15 artiklar i resultatet. Resultatet visade att förekomst av biverkningar och svårighet att hantera dessa kunde hindra följsamhet. Ett samband mellan följsamhet och chansen till att behandlingen var verksam hittades. Andra faktorer som framkom var att yngre patienter kunde löpa högre risk för att inte följa ordinationen, följsamheten var till viss del lägre bland yngre patienter. Enstaka studier fann ett samband mellan var behandlingen gavs (universitetssjukhus eller andra vårdinrättningar) och socioekonomisk status. Utbildning kunde öka följsamheten enligt en studie. En studie visade att psykologisk hälsa hos patienten kunde påverka följsamheten. Slutsatsen var att följsamhet till per oral cancerbehandling beror på flera olika faktorer. Förekomst av biverkningar, patientens uppfattning om prognos och ålder kan påverka följsamheten. Socioekonomisk status, var behandlingen ges och psykologisk hälsa är faktorer som kan påverka följsamheten och behöver studeras vidare. Informationen måste vara individuell och samtal kring följsamhet kan vara av betydelse. Hantering av biverkningar och information kring konsekvenserna av en låg följsamhet behöver utvecklas. Vårdpersonalen behöver utbildas i vad som kan påverka följsamhet och vara lyhörda för eventuella missuppfattningar kring behandlingens effekt. Vikten av följsamhet bör tas upp av både läkare och sjuksköterskor och gärna tillsammans med anhöriga.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been manufactured and used in differentapplications for several decades, including food packaging materials. During the last 20 yearsthese compounds have been acknowledged as hazardous for humans and the environment, anddifferent regulations on PFAS have been established on both national and international levels.Companies started to phase-out long-chain PFAS, including both PFOA and PFOS, around 20years ago. Since PFAS are persistent, this cause concerns both for our health and theenvironment, as well as possible PFAS contamination in new products due to the recycling ofmaterials. The aim of this study was to find an effective method to extract PFAS from differentfood packaging materials; analyze the samples for their extractable organofluorine (EOF)content using combustion ion chromatography; as well as analyze targeted PFAS in the samplesusing ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The findingsof this study suggest that none of the selected samples had EOF contents above the Danishindicator value of 20 mg/kg dw TOF set to determine whether PFAS has been intentionallyadded to a material, and that only two samples exceeded the limit of detection for EOF. Atakeaway bowl made out of 100% sugarcane contained the highest EOF content while the outerpackaging of a cereal box contained the second highest EOF. Both PFOA and PFOS, alongwith other long-chain PFAS were detected in a majority of the samples. The lowest total PFASconcentrations when analyzing for targeted PFAS was detected in the sugarcane take awaybowl. The highest total PFAS concentration was detected in an egg carton, followed by theouter packaging of a cereal box (same as above) and the outer box of a waffle mix. The targetedPFAS was detected in almost all samples, with PFNA and 6:2 diPAP being the most frequentlydetected PFAS. PFCAs, PFSAs, FTSAs, FOSAAs and PAPs were detected in a majority of thesamples. The highest concentrations were measured for diSAmPAP in a majority of thesamples. Mass balance calculations of the sugarcane bowl showed that the targeted PFAS onlyaccounted for 0.04% of the extractable organofluorine content. In conclusion, none of thesamples displayed EOF contents higher than the Danish indicator value, suggesting that noneof the samples were intentionally treated with PFAS. However, targeted PFAS analysis of thesesamples showed that they still contain PFAS, that could be further recycled along with therecycling of paper and board food packaging materials. Considering the persistence of PFASand that these compounds can remain in the recycling chain, with the risk of also being releasedinto the environment, it is of importance that PFAS is not introduced in any of the stages in apaper or board containers life cycle.