At SLU, Divison of Reproduction, Dept of Clinical Science, there is an ongoing project on the development and evaluation of new methods for the assessment of stallion semen quality. This EEF-study, which is a part of that larger project, has focused on the effects on motility and fertility of stallion semen of two different extenders and selection. Both an objective method and a subjective method for analysis have been used and compared in the study. The increase in the use of artificial insemination with cooled semen in Swedish horse breeding over the last decade is thought to play a part in declining foaling rates (Kareskoski et al, 2006, Kuisma et al, 2006). This calls for better evaluation methods of semen quality since cooling and transportation put higher demands on semen quality in order to maintain fertility (Aurich, 2005).

AbstractIn this bachelor thesis I discuss and analyse the current situation of the Venezuelan democracy. By using a theoretical framework based on the theory of horizontal accountability, I focus on the interaction between different institutions and branches within the state of Venezuela. The analysis focuses on the strenghts and flaws of the newly accepted constitution, and to what extent the institutions of checks and balances remain true to the laws and the constitution of 1999. My conclusions are that in terms of vertical accountability, the Chávez-regime acknowledges a wide popular support for their governmental actions. In contrast, the incumbent administration shows almost no respect for horizontal accountability.

Objective: The study will investigate whether cash liquidity have a negative affect on profitability and share value of companies, listed on Nasdaq OMX Stockholm 2008-2011. Part of the purpose is also to show if the industry risk is of importance for treasury management of these companies.Method: The methodology for the study is key analysis through hypothesis testing and regression analysisConclusion: The liquidity ratio affects profitability in a negative direction on the entire sample. No other conclusion can be drawn..

The purpose of this paper is to examine how LKAB are portrayed in the newspaper Dagens Nyheter (DN). The methods that were used were: Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) combined with Critical Linguistic Analysis. These were used since they help to reveal the structures and unconscious meaning and power of word. It gives the tools to see how authority, power and meaning of words are constructed during social practice of the way they are used. To complement the method the theories that?s used are discourse analysis since CDA is both a method and a theory.

The construction industry can contribute to a healthier sustainable community. A development that is going on right now is by using more prefabricated volume- and plan elements on the construction sites. Building with this method not only provides a benefit to the environment, but also reduces production rates by taking up to 80 percent less time to build. By building in this way it will be easier to recycle and keep all the material that otherwise would go to waste. Also by building inside a protected environment, the material retains its good quality.This report will take forward proposals on further development of prefabricated volume element of wood, by first presenting this construction methods advantages and disadvantages..

In order for a judgement to be enforceable in another Member State, there is a certain requirement for an "intermediate? court procedure, a so-called exequatur procedure. An exequatur procedure is both expensive and time-consuming. The average cost of the procedure within the EU is 2 200 euro in a case without particular difficulties. In more complex cases, the cost of the procedure can be validated up to 12 700 euro.

The waste of material is a big expense for manufacture companies caused by lack of quality. The cost by lack of quality often totaled to a big percentage share of the turnover when all cost related to lack of quality is included. New manufacturing systems like Lean production or Just In Time demands better internal quality for the manufacturer. To make those manufacturing system with small and none buffer stock successful the quality improvement continuously have to be developed.Measuring of waste of material in Bubs Candy?s factory where not simple due to the products does not have a permanent weight during the manufacturing process.

This thesis describes possibilities for Metso Paper to lower their costs of spray pipes for their pulp wash press TRPE, with maintained good functionality and quality.Information that can be used by competitors has been censored in this version of the essay.To find solutions, alternative suppliers have been contacted and asked to quote. There has also been a new spray pipe designed. The manufacturing costs of the new design have been calculated.The thesis also contains a concept generation of an alternative product to the spray pipes in installations where a high pressure washer is used.To be able to ask other manufacturers of spray pipes to quote, a demand specification based on the currently used spray pipe was made. This was then sent to two alternative suppliers.An investigation of earlier used spray pipes, and the currently used, shows that the nozzles are a big part of the total costs of the spray pipes. To attempt to reduce the nozzles high cost an concept generation was made to find the best solution for a new design.There was a request that it should be possible to change the internal brushes in the spray pipe without cutting and welding.

This thesis describes possibilities for Metso Paper to lower their costs of spray pipes for their pulp wash press TRPE, with maintained good functionality and quality.Information that can be used by competitors has been censored in this version of the essay.To find solutions, alternative suppliers have been contacted and asked to quote. There has also been a new spray pipe designed. The manufacturing costs of the new design have been calculated.The thesis also contains a concept generation of an alternative product to the spray pipes in installations where a high pressure washer is used.To be able to ask other manufacturers of spray pipes to quote, a demand specification based on the currently used spray pipe was made. This was then sent to two alternative suppliers.An investigation of earlier used spray pipes, and the currently used, shows that the nozzles are a big part of the total costs of the spray pipes. To attempt to reduce the nozzles high cost an concept generation was made to find the best solution for a new design.There was a request that it should be possible to change the internal brushes in the spray pipe without cutting and welding.

The composing of new standards in the area of machinery safety is a continuous work which aims at writing standards that works as a tool for companies and enables them to control if the fundamental demands of security and health which is prescribed by law are reached. It is optional for the companies to choose if they want to use the standards. This report is written in cooperation with SIS and the study were performed within the technical committee SIS/TK 282. The report aims to investigating if the companies that choose to use standards see any economic advantages due to this work, how these advantages take form and where they originate. The main question formulation is how the profitability among companies that have adjusted their production to machinery safety standards are affected. The study was performed with an initial literature study which aimed at obtaining knowledge and an overview over the subject as well as investigate what former studies had resulted in.

Intelligent IT-based solutions, often called Smart Grids, are considered to be the future balancers of renewable energy sources. One area within the Smart Grid concept is called demand response, which is focused on making customers more consumption flexible by making them more active in their consumption. In this thesis the aim is to analyze a business model by investigating the income potential for a demand response solution as well as its market potential. This has been done through literature studies, interviews and development of a computational model.The use of 5000 households with flexible consumption can provide a cost reduction of 17.2% or 2.4 million SEK for a balance responsible party during an average year. If the solution is used to make strategic bids on the regulation markets the study indicates that the largest potential for revenues lies within this strategy.

The Swedish potential of electricity production from roof mounted solar panels has been determined in three steps: accessing the existing roof top areas, simulating the amount of electricity solar panels can produce on these areas and finally analyzing how large the necessary economical change is to make the solar cells profitable.The total existing amount of roof top areas are 319 square kilometers and the area distribution follows the distribution of people. This leads to an installed power of 47,9 GW which are expected to produce 49,0 TWh electricity per year. If the quality of the electricity is prioritized the highest the power is reduced to 3,7 GW, generating 3,8 TWh yearly, but if the hosting capacity is calculated from Sweden?s total electricity need, the capacity is 42 TWh per year.Today, solar panels are not profitable in Sweden for houses, even though there is a subsidy of 35 % of the investment costs, discounted in 25 years. The profitability is calculated with a cost of capital of 5 %, a price on electricity of 1 SEK/kWh and an investment cost of 20 SEK/Wp.

A clean and affordable energy source for cooking is deficient in developing countries. People rely on fuels that contribute to environmental, social and health problems.Biogas is an alternative energy source and an increased investment in small-scale biogas production can in several developing countries be found. Several projects have started to use the technology in developing countries because of the benefits with biogas. Some cases in the establishment of biogas plants have succeeded and some have not. The study is a literature review supplemented by two field studies.

The study aimed to highlight workplace meetings´ benefit and what level of development. The study was done at a school in Lidköping and included two qualitative observations. Most of the groups´ members were women; one man was included in each group, and there was a mixed age structure of the meeting participants. The collection of data was then paired with the scientific literature and scientific articles. .. Our results demonstrate that group 1 spend 59% of the time on information and 41% of communication.

This thesis of 15 hp has been implemented at Halmstad University, in collaboration with Saab Dynamics in Linköping. Saab Dynamics is a company operating in the defence industry where competition is tough. This necessitates new ways to increase efficiency in the company, which is the basis for this thesis. Saab Dynamics wants to introduce simulation driven design. Since Saab Dynamics engineers have little experience of simulation, required a user methodology with clear guidelines.