Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a major fermentation product generated during the production of beer, the subsequent release of this gas within the fermentor results in agitation that is necessary for sustained industrial fermentation. CO2 is sometimes monitored allowing brewers to stoichiometrically relate CO2 released to other products. In this manner the rate of gas release from the fermentor may be used to assess, control and predict other aspects of fermentation. The dynamics of CO2 generation, transport and release are explored throughout this thesis over several studies. The tools used to examine CO2 production were scrutinized including a miniature assay using various modeling techniques. A miniature scale fermentation assay included in the methods of the American Society of Brewing Chemists was compared to industrial scale fermentations. It was found that discrepancies were possibly due (at least in part) to fermentor geometry. Following this study, a literature review of CO2 solubility in aqueous sugar, and ethanol solutions was conducted. This study exposed previously undescribed inaccuracies in literature, i.e., it was found that several gas solubility tables were empirical derived and are therefore unlikely to accurately reflect all styles of beer. The next study scrutinized the consumption of sugars during barley fermentation and found that these fermentations often exhibit asymmetric sigmoidal attenuation. A five parameter logistic model was introduced to model this sugar consumption more accurately than previously described techniques. Using methods refined during the aforementioned studies, a fermentation was conducted where a mass balance was used to track all major fermentation parameters (the consumption of individual sugars, and the production of ethanol, carbon dioxide, yeast biomass and glycerol). This allowed an assessment of Balling’s theorem as compared to modern theory. It was shown that while accurate in predicting original extract, Balling’s theorem incorrectly quantified other fermentation parameters. This has large ramifications for both industry and research as the estimation of fermentation parameters (such as ethanol and fermentation time) is now better understood. From these studies, the production of beer becomes less of a “black box” operation, and CO2 saturation, transport and release can be better explained. Of the many fermentation aspects monitored during these studies, most were predicted by theory, however, there were notable exceptions. For instance, it was found that both the inhibition of maltose consumption and yeast sugar consumption dynamics (which remained relatively constant throughout the fermentation at ~ 50 pg·h-1 for cells with an average mass of ~ 40 pg). were found to deviate from previously described reports. These, and other findings improve our understanding of brewing fermentations allowing for additional applications of theory and recommendations in industrial operations.

Det har varit många debatter i den svenska media om sockerintag och forskning som visar att barn i dag äter mer godis, läsk, snacks och mindre av frukt och grönt.  Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka några pedagogers syn på kosten och dess sockerhalt i synnerhet, och de pedagogiska måltiderna i allmänhet, vid en förskola. Vad har pedagoger för syn på hur en bra förebild ska vara vid de pedagogiska måltiderna?  Jag gjorde kvalitativa intervjuer med sex pedagoger. Kosten har förändrats mycket och sockerintaget har minskat på förskolan under de år de har arbetat, anser pedagogerna. Pedagogerna kan inte påverka kosten men kan välja att ta bort vissa livsmedel på avdelningen som de anser inte är nyttiga. Majoriteten av pedagogerna ansåg att det är viktigt att vara en bra förebild. Under de pedagogiska måltiderna är det viktigast att vara en bra förebild, som blir till ett pedagogiskt lärtillfälle. / There have been many debates in the Swedish media about our sugar consumption, and research shows that children today are eating more candy, soda, snacks and less fruit and vegetables.  The purpose of this paper is to examine some pedagogues’ views on diet and its sugar content, in particular, and the pedagogical meals in general, at a pre-school. What is pedagogues’ view of how a good role model should be at the pedagogical meals? I did qualitative interviews with six pedagogues. The pedagogues believed that the diet has changed a lot over the years and sugar consumption has decreased in pre-school during the years when they been working. The pedagogues can not affect the diet but can choose to remove some food at the department that they believe is not wholesome. The majority of pedagogues considered it important to be a good role model. During the pedagogical meals it is important to be a good role model; which becomes an educational learning opportunity.

This thesis consists of an introductory part and three papers. Paper [I] examines how taxes affect consumption of commodities that are detrimental to health and the environment. Specifically, this paper examines if a tax increase leads to a significantly larger change in consumption than a producer price change, which is referred to as the signaling effect from taxation. The analysis uses aggregated cross-sectional time series data and information on major legislation introductions in Sweden, Denmark and the United Kingdom from 1970 to 2009. We find the main result to be that the signaling effect is significant for “Electricity” in Sweden and Denmark and significant for “Electricity” and “Petrol” in the United Kingdom. Paper [II] examines how sin taxation changes long-term consumer behavior regarding commodities which are deemed harmful for both health and the environment. These include tobacco, alcoholic beverages, sugar and confectionary, household energy, and motor fuel. Specifically, we examine the signaling effect from taxation which is seen if a tax increase leads to a significantly larger change in consumption than a producer price change. The empirical analysis is conducted by a US panel data study, during the period 1988-2012 for the four US census regions, using the Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS). We find the main result to be that the signaling effect from taxation is significant for tobacco as well as for electricity and motor fuel.    Paper [III] examines state and industry responses on consumption of cigarettes and petroleum in the United States from 1998-2012. Upon facing consumption choices, the consumer faces two competing sets of messages, one from the government and another from the industry. The objective of the state is to steer consumption in the right direction due to the harmful effects from consumption and asymmetric information among consumers. This is done mainly via taxation and state media expenditures. The industry, on the other hand, seeks to incentivize the public to ignore or reject state research and signals as well as maximizing net economic returns. This is mainly done via industry media and lobbying expenditures. We find that the main results indicate, for cigarettes, industrial media and lobbying expenditure is statistically significant on consumption. For petroleum, we find that producer prices, state media expenditure, and industrial lobbying expenditure are statistically significant on consumption.

Som tandhygienist är det mycket intressant att studera karies-epidemiologiska undersökningar på både nationell och internationell nivå. Syftet med denna litteraturstudie är att beskriva och jämföra kariesstatus (DMFT) hos 12-åringar i Sverige och Irak, och några av de faktorer som kan påverka DMFT komponenternas roll och inverkan.För att besvara syftet användes information från litteratur och tidskrifter samt WHO:s databas om länderna. Resultatet visar att DMFT för 12-åringar i Irak var 1.7 (2003) och i Sverige 1.0 (2005). DT-komponenten, d.v.s. obehandlad karies, var hög hos irakiska barn medan FT- komponenten var hög för danska barn (inga data tillgängliga för Sverige). DMFT-medelvärde, sockerkonsumtion, ekonomiska resurser för tandvård, antal tandvårdpersonal och fluorprogram var mycket olika i Sverige och Irak, men differensen i DMFT var ändå inte markant. / As a dental hygienist it is relevant to study caries epidemiological studies on both national and international levels. The purpose of this literature study has been to describe and compare dental caries status (DMFT) of 12 years olds in Sweden and Iraq and the factors underlying the DMFT and DMFT components and facilitating role. To achieve the objective information from scientific literature and publications, and data from WHO database on these countries were used. Results showed that the DMFT for 12 year olds in Iraq and Sweden was 1.7(2003), 1.0 (2005) respectively. DT component was high among Iraqi children (untreated caries) while the FT component was high in Denmark, (no data was available for Sweden). DMFT mean, sugar consumption, economic resources for dental care, number of dental health professionals, and fluoride applications were very different in Sweden and Iraq, yet DMFT difference was not marked and serious.