Unhealthiness is not just a damaged back or asbestos. The fact that mental ill-health seems to increase in our society is well known. Statistics from Arbetsmiljöverket proves a fourfold increase of work-related disorders since 1997. These are primarily caused by organizational and social factors, 60% are considered caused by stress and a heavy workload. Sick leave due work related fatigue and depressions are scarily common today.

The main purpose of the project was to identify potential environmentally harmful substances which can be leached from rubber asphalt. A method for analysing asphalt was developed and three rubber asphalt materials were analysed after being cryogrinded. One of the materials was also tested in a road machine made for testing of asphalt paving. The particles created in the machine were analysed in the same manner as the cryogrinded asphalt materials.The asphalt materials were leached by water during 24 hours. The leachates were extracted with dichloromethane, dried with sodium sulphate and concentrated to a small volume.

It's an everyday experience shared by many that nature can be of help in relieving pain, reducing stress, support mental recovery etc. In the last three decades or so this experience has also found support in a large number of scientific investigations. Among other things the experience of nature has been shown to reduce stress and pain in patients and to boost concentration and reduce impulsive behavior in children. Most of this research however has mainly been concerned with the visual modality. In this thesis the aim has been to focus on the auditory modality in this context by trying to reveal some effects on people from the exposure of nature sounds played indoors in three different environments: a grammar school class room, a kindergarten play room and a post-surgery wake up room at an intensive care unit.

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) has for many years been used in products to reduce their flammability, mainly in electronic products, textiles and construction materials. In 2003, Sweden imported 300 tons of brominated flame retardants. Leakage of these compounds has polluted natural environments. Fishes has shown increased contents of these substances, especially fat fish, since brominated flame retardants tends to accumulate in fatty tissues. They are also regarded as persistent and that gives them the ability to travel long distances. What also is really scary is that increased levels of brominated flame retardants have been detected in human breast milk. The knowledge of the brominated flame retardants is limited and not so much research has been done in this field. There are many reasons though, to keep the research going. Partly their structural resemblance to well-known toxics as PCB, but also their ability to accumulate in biological systems and enrich in food chains. In which way they affect humans we really don?t know yet.

Lake lowering in sulphide-rich areas is currently a major environmental impact for surface water. This study focuses on whether there is a relationship between a gradient of lake lowering and surface water impacts in areas of sulphide-rich sediments, in order to better understand their contribution of heavy metals and sulfuric acid. Also, is it a reasonable method to use the reduced lake area in order to quantify the gradient? The survey was conducted by collecting water samples from reference lakes and lowered lakes from south to north in coastal areas within the county of Västerbotten. Water samples were then analyzed for TOC, pH, conductivity, anions, base cations, alkalinity, acidity, sulfate, Al, Cd, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn and Pb.

The door and its surrounding, is an important part of all buildings. It often amount to a significant part of buildings total costs. The more demands of functions the largerdoes the costs grow.The purpose of this report is to analyze those demands and how to fulfill them.Another purpose is to examine of which reasons the cost grow and how to avoid it inthe best possible way. The study will be performed in collaboration with Bjerking AB. To define the demands a literature study will also be performed.

SammanfattningSyftet med examensarbetet är att utveckla en ny algoritm för att bedöma förarens framförhållningsförmåga. I arbetet ingick att undersöka vilka produkter som finns på marknaden idag, hur en förare kan påverka bränsleförbrukningen samt vilka principerna för Heavy EcoDriving är och hur de kan användas i de IT-lösningar som examensarbetets uppdragsgivare Fleetech utvecklar och säljer.Av två möjliga inriktningar, backkörning och accelerations- och bromsanalys, valdes det senare för utveckling av algoritmen. Tre olika koncept togs därefter fram:? Koncept 1: Utrullningskvot Där tiden som föraren använder motorbromsen(utrullning) loggas och ställs i relation till den tid som bromsen används.? Koncept 2: Accelerations- och bromskvot Där den hastighet som bromsas bort ställs i relation till den hastighet som har accelererats upp för att ge ett mått på bortbromsad energi.? Koncept 3: Framförhållning Detta koncept är tredelat. Antalet korta stop, tiden mellan broms och nästa acceleration samt hur mycket utrullning en enskild inbromsning innehåller.Koncepten modellerades och simulerades varefter de omsattes till kod.

The purpose of this study is to examine which factors played an important role in the food price crisis of 2007-2008. Theories used are Microeconomic theory, explaining changes in supply and demand, and Macroeconomic theory, explaining the impact of changes in exchange rate on prices. A theory regarding speculation is also used to explain the impact of speculative activities effects on price. The method used is multiple regression analysis in order to determine the effects which ethanol production, oil price and dollar exchange rate had on the surge in the price of corn, rice and wheat.The data used is in monthly observations during the period 2005-2008. However, other factors are taken into consideration during the study, such as production quantity, stock size, economic growth, speculative activity and population growth.

The global climate-change means increasing mean-temperature and higher precipitation in Sweden, which leads to shorter periods of frozen ground in the forest. At the same time the harvesting machines are getting bigger and more powerful. The forest industry aim at an even wood flow, and the ground damage has to be as low as possible. The two biggest causes for ground-damage is the bearing capacity of the forest ground and the ground-pressure of the harvesting machines. The aim of this study was to find out some rules for the machine choice considering ground pressure, when harvesting on ground with low bearing capacity.A field study, using a Valmet 890.3 forwarder, was carried out where different ground pressures and their effect on the ground were tested on two different types of ground.Additionally, an inventory of damaged harvesting grounds was made.

Background: Previous research demonstrates that negative stress in the current situation is common among nurses working in emergency care. The stress is demonstrated to be associated with poorer provided care for patients and impaired health of nurses. Aim: The purpose of the study was to highlight nurses' perception of stress and their work for a good nursing care on an emergency care department. Method: An empirical design with qualitative approach has been used. Five semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurses and forms the basis of the results of the study.

Purpose: We will understand and explain Dell?s value gap through an extended intellectual capital theory. This will be done by deriving the value to the different parts of the intellectual capital value scheme. We will also use value scheme to describe the ongoing strategy shift. Methodology: The qualitative method and an abductive reasoning have been employed during the progress.

The following report comprises my bachelor´s thesis in Industrial design, 30 hp. It is executed in collaboration with Bonum senior housing, who has been the client and assignment- maker of this project.The goal was to design a bench for their entrances, which could represent not only the needs of the target group but also Bonum as a trademark. The work is done with great care for both human kind and the environment, with sustainability as beacon.The design process has been followed.Initially, you will find the definition of a bench for entrances, the framework including inclusive as well as sustainable design, a function- and market analysis followed by the inspiration part of the project. Getting to know the target group and their specific needs has been essential for this work.Investigations about what senior house living and senior products are and what the target group thinks and feels, has been done. As a result, two ?personas? has been developed.With the help of a purposely chosen group of people, surveys and ergonomic studies has been executed, as well as prototype-testing.The fact-finding has formed the stable and unavoidable foundation of this project, which later on gets more creative and idea based.

Projektets utgångspunkt är ett nytt konstmuseum i Uppsala, i området bakom Uppsala centralstation, som nyligen genomgått ett ansiktslyft.Museets långsmala karaktär har hämtats från det intilliggande godsmagasinet och från tomtens form. Genom byggnaden har ett diagonalt stråk öppnats, för att ge möjlighet åt fotgängare att passera genom byggnaden och för att skapa liv och rörelse på platsen.Genom fönstren i passagen kan förbipasserande få en skymt av vad som händer inuti muséet. I passagen ligger museets entré, den pedagogiska verksamheten och ett kafé för allmänheten.Museets fasad är inspirerad av den arabiska mashrabiyan. Byggnaden har fönster längs hela fasaden, som i sin tur är täckta av skärmar tillverkade av sträckmetall. Ljuset tillåts komma in i byggnaden samtidigt som sträckmetallen täcker fasaden och bevarar något av museets hemligheter för förbipasserande.Museets inre väggar består av massiva betongskivor, placerade i ett rutnät som fått sin riktning av passagen genom huset.

Due to stress, the workplace is a setting where actions of health promotion are of great importance in the perspective of public health. Stress is caused by heavy workload, low control of organizing their tasks and lack of support from colleagues and supervisors. This can lead to cardiovascular disease, depression and insomnia. Due to the health problems that this causes, it is important to examine how senior immigration offices perceive their psychosocial work environment.The aim of this thesis is to examine how the senior immigration offices at the Migration Board perceive their psychosocial work environment. The study is based on a qualitative approach with deductive content analysis and the data has therefore been collected through interviewing six people based on a semi-structured interview guide.The result has shown that the senior immigration offices are pleased with their work environment and that their workload is constantly changing.

Biogas is a renewable fuel that can be extracted from anaerobic digestion of many differentsubstrates, for example biological household waste. An alternative handling of the waste is tomix it with other wastes and incinerate it in a combined heat and power (CHP) plant. Thisstudy uses life cycle assessment to investigate which type of waste handling that is betterfrom an environmental point of view, anaerobic digestion with biogas production orincineration. The results are based on a case study of a biogas production plant owned by thecompany Ragn-Sells in Vänersborg. The alternative is incineration at a CHP plant inGothenburg.