Peat litter is a soft material with high absorbency. About hundred years ago many farmers in Sweden used peat litter to their dairy cows. After the World War II the use of peat litter decreased and the farmers used more straw. Nowadays (year 2007), when it is harder to find straw and sawdust to buy, peat litter is advancing again. The purpose with this study is to investigate peat as a litter to dairy cows.

In line with Sloan (1996) but on European data (STOXX 600) we are investigating whether stock prices reflect information about future earnings contained in the accrual and cash flow components. The extent to which current earnings performance persists into the future earnings performance is shown to depend on the relative magnitudes of the cash and accrual components of current earnings. Moreover, we still find a significant positive excess return (Jensen?s alpha and size-adjusted return) by replicating Sloans (1996) hedge portfolio by taking a long position in the stock of firms reporting relatively low levels of accruals and a short position in the stock of firms reporting relatively high levels of accruals. However, we find no evidence of negative excess returns for companies with relatively high accruals, this somewhat lower the total excess returns for all the portfolios.

This degree project documents the meeting of four high-school students with working life before and during the practical training period, which is a mandatory part of the Swedish media curriculum. We looked into practical training, which we qualify as the crossroads between school and working life, from a student?s perspective. We chose to approach the problem theoretically via hermeneutics and we used the case study method for our field research. The foundation of our pre-understanding of the media curriculum?s practical training period lays on previously published research, the study of specialist literature, own experience gained during practical training and teaching experience at high-schools as well as a pre-study we carried out.

Healthy, natural pastures is very valuable for biodiversity in the form of both plants and animals. An efficient use of pastures helps to preserve biodiversity, but grazing animals needs to be de-wormed to keep them healthy and to prevent harmful parasites spread on the pasture. The awareness about the environmental impact of the frequent use of deworming agents is low among the public. Some people are unaware that the absorption in horses of anthelmintics is incomplete, which make the circumstances about enviromental effect important to investigate further. The scientific evidence in this area is limited and more studies and trials are needed to deepen the knowledge about the effects of anthelmintics in the environment.

To increase the understanding of how individuals total life situation affects their stress level and health has lately more frequently been discussed in different contexts. Furthermore, it is important to have knowledge of power structures that exist under given circumstances in a society to get an increased understanding of how to structure the health promoting work to get the highest possible benefits. People?s work life is essential to their health, since we spend a lot of time at work. The aim of this study was to find out which factors that relate to nursing staff?s health and stress level from a general perspective.

Purpose: The study examines the risk a rising from the acquisition of shares, and its relation to the expected return. We would like to see how a high-risk portfolio is related to a low-risk portfolio. Although studying the portfolios annual performance.Theory: The theories that have been used in the study are, Capital asset pricing model, CAPM and portfolio theory.Method: The study is based on a quantitative method, the time interval is from 2008 to 2010.The annual reports, historical stock prices for companies and the index are used to perform calculations based on the essay theories.Conclusion: The beta value has positive liner correlation with the expected return. When there are bad times in the world, the companies are negatively affected regardless of industry. The Portfolios developed in the same direction during the time period..

Abstract In high voltage substations there is an increasing demand for computerized equipment, and automation of operation and supervision. The future primary equipment will provide the possibility to collect more information and to provide better control for improved effectiveness. Since ABB has got a large customer target, each product must be custom made to fulfil the customers (often from different countries) demands. Later these products will be configured by engineers who may not be familiar with the tools used at ABB. This is a very expensive and time consuming.

This study aims at investigating the spousal relationships of persons who have been diagnosed with dementia and are living in a nursing home. Eight spouses? descriptions of their relationship, spousal interaction and the relationship´s impact on the spouse´s life were captured through qualitative interviews. The results show three main types of interaction patterns: one of spousal joy and happiness; a combination of both happiness and sadness; and a pattern of no positive reactions. The strength of the relationship was based on the analysis of trust, intimacy and commitment to the relationship.

After the 9/11 attack the United States declared war against terrorism, which launched a conflict between indefinable transnational networks and states. In this war it became clear that the strategies used in traditional wars between states were not sufficient. New strategies have been discussed, but without any concrete results.In this thesis assassinations of terrorist leaders ordered by states is being presented as a possible strategy in the war against terrorism. Assassinations have been used in all times to shift political power but is today not morally accepted. This thesis aims to show that when used under the premisses of the just war theory, the strategy can be equally morally justified as any traditional war.

The aim of this master thesis is to examine high school students? understandings and experiences of gender equality and to critically study the formulations and the basis of the project from Save the Children Sweden which are the basis for this master thesis. By using critical discourse analysis and gender theories the formulations and basis of the project and the interviews has been analyzed. The analysis of the project showed neglect for intersectional perspectives and taken for granted hidden opinions about masculinities and femininities. The interviews have been conducted with four high school students, and the students felt that they attend schools which are equal between genders.

The aim of the present study was to investigate response time variations in tasks for assessment of high level language functions and how response time is related to education, age and gender. Response time is defined as the time to complete a task after it has been presented. 103 subjects, aged 20 to 80 years, were tested with the Assessment of Subtle Language Disorders, Sentence analysis and Morphological completion. The subtest Comprehension of ambiguous sentences showed the longest response time and Morphological completion the shortest. Correlations were found between increasing age and longer response time for Comprehension of metaphors and between education and response time for several subtests.

The main purpose of this study is to examine if variations in voter turnout for the European Parliament elections in each member state is affected by the rate of national party polarization on the EU-dimension of party politics. The theoretical background assumes that a high level of polarization generates higher voter turnout since more alternatives are presented to the electorate. This makes it easier for the electorate to find a party that represents their preferences. This will, in turn, increase the likelihood that they will participate in the election.This study uses a research design based on a quantitative analysis with data from each member state, except those with compulsory voting, in the European Parliament elections of 2004 and 2009. The results of the analysis indicate a relationship between high levels of party polarization and lower turnout in the European Parliament election.

This Master?s thesis investigates user education at high school libraries. The aim of this study is to examine user education and the educational approach that librarian?s experience in their teaching. The method used for the study is qualitative interviews with seven high school librarians.

Hegel?s master-slave dialectic has often been used as a model or starting point for later theories about emancipation and subversive changes in society. But one often overlooks the fact that the chapter in The Phenomenology of Spirit ends in disaster, as Judith Butler remarks. Instead of realising freedom, the consciousness gets entangled in self debasing activities in its attempts to master the unrelenting principles of the abstract freedom. We get ?the unhappy consciousness?.

The purpose of this report is to simplify the process of designing carbon fiber strengthening for existing concrete constructions, specifically beams. The intention has been to establish a flow chart containing information on the necessary testing and calculations for the design, to as far degree it is possible satisfy the requirements stipulated by Swedish and by extension, European authorities.To do this the report will examine a parking garage situated underground by Akademiska Sjukhuset, Uppsala. The parking garage was built in the mid-seventies, and has in recent years been subjected to a greater load than designed for by the construction of a road on top of it. FEM-Design has been used to obtain the internalforces of the beams and thereby determine whether they are in need of strengthening or not and thereafter design the strengthening according to Täljsten (2006) with some corrections from Täljsten (2011) due to new regulations.The result of this report is that the flow chart used is viable to design carbon fiber strengthening, atleast with the conditions met in our reference project.The conclusion drawn after working with this report is that there is a need for a clear standard for carbon fiber strengthening , preferably a standard that can be used throughout Europe..