This thesis describes new methods for automatic crack detection in pavements. Cracks in pavements can be used as an early indication for the need of reparation.Automatic crack detection is preferable compared to manual inventory; the repeatability can be better, the inventory can be done at a higher speed and can be done without interruption of the traffic.The automatic and semi-automatic crack detection systems that exist today use Image Analysis methods. There are today powerful methods available in the area of Computer Vision. These methods work in higher dimensions with greater complexity and generate measures of local signal properties, while Image Analyses methods for crack detection use morphological operations on binary images.Methods for digitalizing video data on VHS-cassettes and stitching images from nearby frames have been developed.Four methods for crack detection have been evaluated, and two of them have been used to form a crack detection and classification program implemented in the calculation program Matlab.One image set was used during the implementation and another image set was used for validation. The crack detection system did perform correct detection on 99.2 percent when analysing the images which were used during implementation.

AbstractIn the heart of Paris, you will find Sweden?s only cultural center abroad. Since the early 70?s a wealth of cultural activities has been offered, and every year the center receives more than 100,000 visitors. The center is a branch of the Swedish Institute (Si), a public authority which promotes mutual relationships between Sweden and other countries through culture, education, science and business.

Abstract This Concept Analysis according to Walker & Avant (1995) studies the concept of uncertainty in the nursing context. It consists of four parts where uncertainty in general have been encircled in a semantic analysis (part one) and a qualitative content analysis consisting of an questionnaire, distributed to the staff members at one nursing and medicine institution, with an open question about the meaning of uncertainty (part two). The third part is a literature study of the nursing context to find out how uncertainty is described (part three). Part four is the actual concept analysis based on the three first parts. Uncertainty in the nursing context is an individual conscious experience witch is changeable and impressionable. It is chained together with its antecendents and consequences.

This study investigates the use of the social network Facebook among 67 Swedish libraries; 27 academic libraries and 40 public libraries. Data is collected through an analysis of the libraries? Facebook pages and through an email survey. To analyze the data, a series of statistical analyses were performed.The results indicate that the public libraries more actively posted Facebook updates than the academic libraries and that the libraries that had a policy for use of Facebook/social media more actively posted updates than those libraries that did not have such policy. The libraries use Facebook mainly to post links and photos and to announce events, provide book recommendations, and to emphasize special occasions.

This essay examines how the meaning of an absurd play may be affected by how the reader understands the text. To address this problem I have turned to Wolfgang Isers theory of reception. Primarily I have taken on that the creation of meaning comes about when the reader fills in blanks in the text. I have also used Martin Esslins work on the theater of the absurd. I have mainly studied his research on Harold Pinter.

Background: Hypochondriasis is associated with marked impairments in physical and psychological functioning, work performance and increased health care utilization. The prevalence among medical outpatients is estimated to be between 4,2 % and 6,3 %. Notwithstanding there is deficient research in this area. Until recently no specific treatment has been clearly demonstrated to be effective. Objective: The aim was to investigate experiences of what it is like to live with hypochondriasis, but also to examine different treatment options.

A politician on the peak of his career suddenly sees himself in the middle of not one or two, but five different crisis, that demand a fitting response and a well planned crisis management strategy. While focusing on ethos and its development, the following paper analyses the communicative strategies used by Germany's ex-minister of defense, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. Within his one and a half year tenure he had to handle continuing accusations against policy and character. Guttenberg, who in many eyes was seen as Germany's most popular politician and whose ethos, therefore, prior to the first crisis could be described as strong, is loosing his trustworthiness among the military and other politicians the longer each crisis continues.The purpose of this study is to identify the communicative pattern of Mr. Guttenberg, which in the end lead to his resignation, while his popularity continues to be strong.

The main objective of this study is to divide a number of colorectal cancer cases into subgroups based on their molecular features using cluster analysis. The data used is supplied by a research group at Pathology, the Department of Medical Biosciences, Umeå University, and consists, after some preparation, of 455 observations which is a larger data set than many similar studies. The molecular variables that the clustering is based on are CIMP (CpG Island Methylator Phenotype), MSI (Micro Satellite Instability), BRAF- and KRAS-mutations. These are categorical variables and consequently the clustering method used is PAM (Partitioning Around Medoids) which is particularly useful with data on diverse variable level. The final analysis results in four subgroups that are represented by different combinations of attributes on the aforementioned variables.

The aim of the study was to investigate whether the sedation method had an effect on the screening result for hip dysplasia (HD). Another aspect considered was if the dog?s weight had an impact on the results. This study was a follow up on the results from an earlier study of sedation routines in Swedish dogs. The breeds included in this study were the same as in the earlier one; German shepherd, Bernese mountain dog, Boxer, Newfoundland, Rottweiler, Saint Bernard, Golden and Labrador Retriever.

Hälsans Trädgård is a project which is going to start in Gamla Linköping, Sweden. The authors were commissioned by Arbetslivsresurs, a company working with work rehabilitation, to select, define and make job analyses on five work tasks at Hälsans Trädgård in Gamla Linköping. A job analysis means an analysis of the demands the job make of the individual. The job analysis used in this study is called The Revised Handbook for Analyzing Jobs (RHAJ) and is from the US Department of Labor (DOL). As RHAJ is an American instrument, the authors produced a form where the concepts are translated into Swedish to make the analysis easier.

The purpose of this Masters thesis is to examine the attitudes of deaf and hear-impaired people towards libraries, information, and culture. The issues are: What are the attitudes of the informants towards libraries and culture? What do reference group theory and the theory of information access-/avoidance implicate concerning the information behaviour of the informants? In-depth interviews with five deaf and hear-impaired university students have been carried out in this qualitative study. The world of deaf and hear-impaired people is presented as well as a survey of political guidelines to make, for example, libraries and theatres more available to disabled people. The research overview analyses scholarly studies on deaf and hear-impaired people.

Trough the contact with the HR (Human Resources) department of home care management in Halmstad municipality, emerged from the management a wish for a documentation for what should be included in leadership at middle management level in the future. People in middle management positions have a large impact on the operation staff and are also in charge of the individual corporate performance and its success. As we have previously been active in the management of multiple role configurations, including middle-management positions, we have some prior understanding of the complexity of this position. The study was conducted with the aim to investigate different aspects of what leadership for middle managers in home care management in Halmstad municipality may mean to them. With the help of different theories and models various aspects were analyzed due to the impact of leadership.Due to the studies purpose and questions, two focus groups was conducted and interviews with respondents from both the lower and superior positions in home care management in Halmstad municipality was done.

The report describes a measuring method for analysis of energy consumption measurement in microwave ovens. Concurrently that the awareness of the environment evolves the demands are growing for more power saving products. This is also counting within the Home Appliance business, which is Whirlpools business area. Whirlpool is therefore interested of launching microwave ovens with documented low power consumption. To be able to implement this, both asserted measuring equipment, that fulfils all demands, and a standard procedure is required.

Advertising is something that we get in touch with on a daily basis and more or less everywhere. Advertising is used in different mediums, such as magazines, television, radio, internet, cellphones et.c. The aim of the present study is to find out if there are any recurrent dissimilarities how advertising is constructed among the mediums regarding rhetorical and semiotical theories. Two different mediums have been chosen for a comparison, printed advertisments versus internetbanners. The study has been based on a total of ten qualitative image analyses.

This paper has evaluated a new type of prosthetic foot, X-Balance, which aim was to facilitate the performance on uneven ground for the user. This study have performed gait analyzes with three prosthetic feet, the X-Balance, Flex-Foot and assure Ottobock9192 on flat and uneven surfaces using 3D analysis system QTM (Qualisys Track Manager) and associated force plates. During the project a prototype of a design that can perform a mechanical gait were manufactured. The prototype has then been used to fulfill the purpose and objective of this study which is to make different final sets that demonstrate differences between prosthetic feet. Gait analyses of individuals have also been performed to get an idea of what normal gait is.