This project was aimed to study the degradation of polystyrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SBS). SBS is used to modify bitumen, the binder in asphalt. From earlier studies it is known that SBS degrades in bitumen, but the degradation products have not been identified. To be able to determine the long term effects of SBS in the environment, degradation products need to be identified. Polystyrene forms rigid blocks with polybutadiene as a rubbery matrix between the ridgid blocks.

The following essay aims at the interplay between regional och municipal growth work, and theway cultural heritage is used in growth work strategies. The main issue has been whether theregional strategies are followed up in the municipal strategies, which has been investigated bymeans of question which impact the region?s strategies has at the local level.The essay draws upon an Instrumental perspective on cultural heritage and cultural environment,here defined as instruments in the national development and growth efforts. Three publicationsthat highlights potential roles of cultural heritage and cultural environment to act as instrumentsin the regional and municipal development and growth efforts has thereby been selected astheoretical models. These roles has further been summarized in a tabular form as a schematicdivision of main themes with sub-categories, used as a framework for deciphering the regionaland municipal strategies.A content analysis of available strategies at both regional and local levels have been used as amethod for investigating the issue, where the role of cultural heritage and cultural environment(as defined in the schematic table) has guided the reading.

The aim of this master thesis is to examine information seeking andinformation use among high school pupils in two Norwegian highschools. The main research question focuses on different kinds ofinteraction or lack of interaction in the pupils? information seeking andinformation use.The theoretical framework of the thesis is based on a socioculturalperspective which allows for a specific focus of various forms ofinteraction. I investigate interaction in relation to concepts such associal practices, previous experiences and meaning making. Theempirical material consists of data from a large scale questionnaire (n=217) and in-depth interviews with six pupils.The results show that these pupils are used to interact with digital tools.The pupils trust printed sources more than digital ones, but at the sametime they prefer digital sources since these are easier to handle, it isquicker to locate information and this is easier to understand.

This Bachelor's thesis examines and describes the ideas and ideological traits surrounding the public library within the governmental cultural policy. The Bachelor's thesis demonstrates how the public library ? even though its relevance in the modern society has shifted over time ? has maintained a connection to the governmental cultural policy and has therefore been shaped by the ideological changes in the political sphere as a whole. The main issues are: Which ideas concerning the public library's functions are expressed in the governmental cultural policy? Which ideological tendencies can be identified in the national cultural policy? Which ideas concerning the public library can be extracted through the found ideological tendencies? The method used in order to study the governmental bill is an ideology analysis based on a framework created by Dorte Skot-Hansen.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka musiklärares syn på och hantering av elevers övning. Data har samlats in genom intervjuer med fyra Instrumentalpedagoger som arbetar på kulturskola/gymnasiet/folkhögskola eller musikhögskola. Två av informanterna arbetar i huvudsak inom den klassiska genren och två arbetar inom både den klassiska och afro-genren. Intervjuformen var kvalitativ med en övergripande huvudfråga och sedan öppna följdfrågor. Analysen av data är gjord utifrån ett designteoretiskt perspektiv.

CSR, Corporate Social Responsibility, has become increasingly important in a globalised world where the responsibilities of companies and governments are somewhat blurry. The textile industry is an industry where long supply chains and raw material production in developing countries are factors adding to the complexity and difficulties of solving ethical issues. Cotton production faces many environmental, social and financial challenges in the value chain. Therefore this case study takes a closer look at five Nordic home textile companies, Ikea, Hemtex, S Group, Moko and Finlayson, and how these companies choose their cotton related CSR tools and communicate their work on this area. These companies are of various sizes and therefore the resources for CSR work are also different, as well as the perceived values for working with CSR.

The aim of this thesis is to explore the relationship between the surrounding world and the library with respect to the library?s need to provide a Library 2.0 web site. We also explore the relationship between the physical and the virtual library. Our research objects are the public libraries of Stockholm and the Umeå region, that maintain the web sites Biblioteket.se and minabibliotek.se respectively. By applying Dorte Skot-Hansen's theory of rationales we found that the Stockholm public library is acting in accordance with the experience rationale, whereas the libraries of Umeå are influenced by the Instrumental rationale.

The purpose of this study is to examine the view of Swedish language teachers on the role of fiction and of school libraries within the compulsory school?s teaching of Swedish of form 6-9. The questions to be answered are:? What part do Swedish language teachers (hereafter called teachers) think fiction is playing regarding the pupils inclination to read and reading promotion?? What is the attitude of teachers regarding the function of fiction in the Swedish subject?? What do teachers consider being the role of the school library in education, and can this be related to the local school library resources?To answer the questions a questionnaire was sent out to thirty-five teachers. Four qualitative interviews were also carried out among the fourteen teachers that answered the questionnaire.

The purpose of this Master's thesis is to contribute to a betterunderstanding of children's free time reading book practices by studyingpupils in the school library and their processes of finding and borrowingbooks for themselves to read silently in the classroom, so called free timereading books. The study also includes observations of the staff's role,particularly the school librarian's in supporting pupil's book selection.The empirical material consists of field notes from an etnographic studywhere pupils in 4th grade (aged 10-11) and staff were observed duringthree school library visits. The theoretical framework is inspired byLennart Björneborn's concepts of information practices in libraries:serendipity, integrative library interface, mediation flow and affordancespaces.The study shows that pupils' search for free time reading books in theschool library is relatively routine-based at the same time as it isspontaneous. The process is an interplay with factors such as time,display and interaction in the integrative library interface. In the presenceof adults, finding books becomes an imposed task for the pupils.

Abstract Integrated mental training is a method that entails a systematic and long-term training of mental processes (thoughts, images, emotions) that aims to enhance performance as well as gratify feelings and improve thought processes. This training develops an alternative system of control by using substitute state of consciousness and self-hypnosis. The method is concerned with both mindfulness and performance approaches, which is crucial in order to feel and function better. The intent of this study is to highlight the experience of the different steps of integrated mental training to gain an understanding of how, where, and when changes occur. To achieve the objective of this study, a qualitative empirical method was used.

Syftet med studien är att få en fördjupad inblick i hur Instrumentallärare behandlar musikteori i sin undervisning för elever i grundskoleålder. Forskning tyder på att elever väljer bort musikteori som ämne på grund av bristande intresse. För att få en bild av i vilken mån Instrumentallärare integrerar musikteori i sin undervisning gjorde jag korta strukturerade intervjuer med ett större antal musiklärarstudenter. Jag gjorde också djupintervjuer med fyra Instrumentallärare som på ett aktivt sätt integrerar musikteori i sin undervisning. Som teoretisk utgångspunkt i studien har jag använt mig av teorier om lärande.I resultatet visas två olika arbetssätt över hur musikteori kan läras.

Abstract Integrated mental training is a method that entails a systematic and long-term training of mental processes (thoughts, images, emotions) that aims to enhance performance as well as gratify feelings and improve thought processes. This training develops an alternative system of control by using substitute state of consciousness and self-hypnosis. The method is concerned with both mindfulness and performance approaches, which is crucial in order to feel and function better. The intent of this study is to highlight the experience of the different steps of integrated mental training to gain an understanding of how, where, and when changes occur. To achieve the objective of this study, a qualitative empirical method was used.

Denna studie har undersökt gymnasieelevers motivation i franska, med elevinterjuver som empiriskt material. Den grundläggande strukturen för dessa intervjuer har baserats på det aktuella forskningsläget, vilket främst utgjordes av verk som behandlade motivation inom ramen för andra- och tredjespråksinlärning. Från detta forskningsläge inhämtades även ett antal termer, vilka agerat utgångspunkter för jämförelse i den senare diskussionen, däribland lingvistiskt kapital, Instrumental motivation, integrativ motivation samt situationsbunden ångest. Studiens syfte var att undersöka gymnasieelevers uppfattningar av språkinlärning i allmänhet och franskundervisning i synnerhet, vilket realiserades med ett fenomenografiskt perspektiv, där de analyserade utsagorna strukturerades i hierarkiserade beskrivningskategorier. Dessa beskrivningskategorier är även studiens primära resultat, alltså att de intervjuade respondenterna hade omfattande språkliga resurser, att de hade väldigt olika synsätt på språks funktion och värde samt högst varierande uppfattningar av Frankrike och fransmän.

The aim of this paper is to research and discuss the role the cultural politics play for the Swedish employment office (Arbetsförmedlingen) and the meaning culture politics have within the labour market policy. A research has shown that Arbetsförmedlingen evaluates unemployed cultural workers differently than regular registered jobseekers. From an Instrumental perspective on political implementation this can be considered as an anomali. Arbetsförmedlingen?s mandate derives from the government and its authority is a tool for carrying out state policy.

The purpose of this study is to examine the view of Swedish language teachers on the role of fiction and of school libraries within the compulsory school?s teaching of Swedish of form 6-9. The questions to be answered are:? What part do Swedish language teachers (hereafter called teachers) think fiction is playing regarding the pupils inclination to read and reading promotion?? What is the attitude of teachers regarding the function of fiction in the Swedish subject?? What do teachers consider being the role of the school library in education, and can this be related to the local school library resources?To answer the questions a questionnaire was sent out to thirty-five teachers. Four qualitative interviews were also carried out among the fourteen teachers that answered the questionnaire.