Research in international trade situations has mainly focused on understanding the exporter?s actions and has showed ways on how these can be optimized. Although the importer in most cases, until this day, has been left outside this focus, it has been showed that the importer often is the active participant in an international dyad. It is the importer who is actively seeking suppliers for its production or distribution. Based on previous research in the area, the following study identifies the factors that are vital to the importer for satisfactory relations.

Roads and railroads have significant impact on the surrounding landscape and the wildlife living in it. This study aims to provide an overview of the effects caused by railways to reindeer, roe deer and moose in Sweden in order to make more detailed assessments within this topic in the future. The method used is a study of literature on the subject and a synthesis of databases with information about wildlife mortalities, traffic intensity and fences in the study area; northern and central Sweden. The databases were used to compile digital maps using ArcGIS. Infrastructure brings change to the surrounding landscape and its function as habitat for wildlife. Railroads cause barrier effects such as fragmentation, wildlife mortality, loss of habitat and loss of connectivity.

For a few decades, the wild boars are established over large areas in southern and centralSweden. Where they cause problems in terms of damage to crops in the agriculturelandscape, where rooting, browsing and trampling, but also damage to the crop when wildboars chosen daily rest in the cultivated fields. Along with the growing number of wildboars the rate of car accident with wild boars has also increased.Here I examined the daily rests of wild boar (Sus scrofa) sows in southern Sweden, todetermine the factors which the wild boars sows choose for daily rest. By determining whatfactors are important in this selection of daily rests, we may be able to make managementmeasures to reduce the damage wild boars make in the agriculture landscape by attractingthem to places where they do less economic damage and accidents on roads.In this study I have examined 123 daily rest positions from 14 different individual wildboar sows fitted with GPS collared in Southern Sweden, Skåne County in Christinehof,Högestad Kronovalls estate. Data was collared over the years 2004-2006 during the periodfrom June 1 to September 30.

Ungulates are causing conflicts between stakeholders due to browsing damage on forests and agricultural crops. At the same time there is a big demand of keeping high ungulate densities for sports hunting and recreational purposes. Movement patterns of ungulates are strongly correlated with forage availability. Therefore, measures affecting forage quantity and distribution might be a tool to reduce the economical losses in forestry without decreasing the ungulate densities and thereby decrease the conflict between different interest groups.This study investigated the potential biomass production and utilisation of marrow-stem kale (Brassica oleracea var. medullosa), at game fields in Misterhult, Sweden, as well as browsing effects on adjacent forests.

The aim of this study was to analyse ninth graders self reported screen based activities, sedentary time and musculoskeletal symptoms and pain intensity. The other aim was to examine changes regarding musculoskeletal pain and inactivity between ninth graders from a cross sectional study in year 2004. To meet this aim, following questions were designed: How is the relationship between screen based activities, inactivity, musculoskeletal symptoms, pain intensity and differences between girls and boys? How have musculoskeletal symptoms and screen time changed since year 2004?Method: The method used for this study was a quantitative method. The research was carried out using a questionnaire that was answered by pupils from 11 schools from all over Sweden.

Background: Obesity has expanded to a nationwide issue that affects millions of people. The healthcare system struggles to handle the epidemic as the problem grows. Studies show that healthcare workers have negative attitudes toward obese and overweight people and that they lack knowledge and proper tools to support this patient group. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a known technique for initiating lifestyle changes with patients. Aim: The aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of MI as a tool for weight loss and sustainable lifestyle changes for people with obesity and overweight. Method: This study uses a literature review methodology with a systematic perspective. Data is gathered and analyzed to investigate how MI affects weight loss.

Beans are a global source of plant-based protein, and in some countries, they constitute a primary source of protein intake. With ongoing climate change, including rising temperatures, it is necessary to adapt beans to ensure a reliable food supply. An important mechanism that many plants have, to cope with high temperatures, is cooling through transpiration. During transpiration, stomata open and release water vapor. Water molecules use heat energy from the leaf to convert into gas, thereby cooling the leaf.

Wildlife contributes with many benefits to humans but also brings economic costs. From being eradicated in Scandinavia the grey wolf (Canis lupus) is returning to South-Western Sweden and people are not used to its presence. In Scandinavia carnivores have to co-occur with humans in a landscape used for many different interests. Consequences of wolf establishments are e.g. competition for moose, depredation on sheep and attacks on hunting dogs.

Automatic milking systems (AMS) provide the opportunity for less manual labour and an increased milking frequency. But in order to reach an optimal milking frequency a well-functioning cow traffic is crucial. There are many factors affecting cow traffic but one factor that has not been studied thoroughly yet is the effect of different light intensities during the night, 22.00 h to 05.00 h. Therefore the aim of this study was to determine the effect of different light intensities during the night on number of selection gate passages (GP), milking frequency and milk yield. The study was conducted as a Latin square were three light intensities were applied: LOW (11 ± 3 lux), INT (33 ± 1 lux) and HIGH (74 ± 6 lux), in three different herds.

Today, pigs are moved on farm, between farms, between countries and to abattoirs. This movement of live pigs requires handling practices that are designed for the purpose. The objective of this study was to research the use of paddle in moving pigs, to investigate if there were different methods of paddle practice, explore the time efficiency of different kinds of paddle use and if there were any time variations in methods that varied in intensity of touch. This study was done on two Swedish abattoirs for a total of five weeks. A total of 22 transporters working at two different abattoirs where studied during unloading of pigs at the abattoirs.

Background: Practical blood flow restriction (pBFR) combined with resistance training has been proven to facilitate muscle strength despite training at low intensity. However, research investigating the effects of long-term pBFR-training and its periodization with strength training (ST) at a higher intensity is lacking, as well as the effects of occlusion training on blood lactate levels (BLL) over time.Purpose: To compare the effects of 2 weeks of pBFR training followed by 2 weeks of ST (BFR-ST) with 2 weeks of ST followed by 2 weeks of pBFR training (ST-BFR) on anaerobic performace and BLL.Method: 5 adults (age 23 ± 2 years) with a minimum of 1 year of ST experience were recruited and randomized into BFR-ST (n=2) or ST-BFR (n=3). Anaerobic performance was measured using a 30-s Wingate-test and BLL samples were collected <1 and 5 minutes post-Wingate. Data and samples were collected before the intervention and after the 2 protocols.Results: No differences were seen between groups in anaerobic output or BLL after 4 weeks of training (p>0,1 for all values). A decrease in time to peak power (tPP) were seen in both groups with an advantage for BFR-ST (-37 ± 8 %) over ST-BFR (-27 ± 22 %).

Aerated steam treatment is a modern and environmental friendly method for seed borne fungus sanitation, mainly used on cereals. The method involves exposure to heat and high humidity, factors which are known to induce a fast ageing of seeds, thus resulting in reduced storability. This thesis clarifies the interdependence between seed age and the aerated steam treatment intensities. Two studies were carried out in this thesis. In the first study the storage longevity of seeds treated with aerated steam was examined. The second study investigated the shelf-life of the pre-tests used to determine the aerated steam treatment tolerance of a seed lot, by testing the treatment tolerance of seeds aged prior to the treatment.

Half of Sweden?s 140 000-150 000 sows are culled and replaced by 75 000 gilts annually. Culling of old sows is necessary and allows new breeding material to enter the herd. However, many of the culled sows are young, and have not yet become profitable at the time for culling. Therefore, it is an important question for the pig industry, how to raise gilts to sows with a high and sustainable production level.

This paper used a qualitative technique from a social scientific perspective, a model based on Hewitt and his theory of the self-concept. The purpose of this study was to investigate why some elite athletes experience troublesome periods after their career ending. Interviews were performed with five elite athletes with varying experiences after career ending. The length of the elite athlete careers vary between 7 to 17 years. Two groups were made based upon experiences after career ending.

This thesis analyzes the effects of different fertilization strategies on forest management at Holmen Skog in Umeå district. Harvesting volumes, net present values and fertilization intensity are presented for each fertilization scenario. The planning reserve (percentage area older than minimum final felling age) was also analyzed in this study.The thesis covers the analysis of five different fertilization scenarios, varying in fertilization intensity, from no fertilization at all, to fertilization at every harvesting operation (thinning or final felling). A sub-study was also carried out so the reader in detail can see how the different fertilization scenarios affect individual forest stands of different nature. The analysis has been done with the planning tool PlanWise, which is an application of the Heureka analysis and planning system.