For several years Uppsala University together with several companies has been involved in a WISENET project aimed at improving railway transport security. By placing a sensor system near the wheels of each wagon, the temperature of the bearings can be measured and transmitted to a collector placed centrally on the wagon. This in turn transmits the collected data to RFID receivers placed intermittently along the railway.As the signals are transmitted wirelessly, problems may occur as the antennas get dirty or coated with ice and snow. To determine the effects of these coatings, several tests were performed examining the reflection coefficient S11, the impedance Z11 and the efficiency eta of an antenna, and how they varied when various coatings were placed over the antenna. Examined coatings were ice, snow and water to determine the effects of weather, and various metal-based coatings: powdered iron both pure and partially oxidized, and iron ore granules.

Milk yield levels in dairy cows are influenced by many factors such as nutrition, breed, health status, management and environment. This study was conducted among small scale farmers in Zambia, where the climate can be dry for up to six months per year and cause a lack of green pasture for livestock and on-farm produced feed. The purpose of this study was to identify management factors that can influence milk yield at small scale dairy farms in Zambia, and present advice that could improve productivity, without the need of expensive investments. The study included semi-structured questionnaires presented to the farmers (n=29) including questions about cattle management and milk production. Testing of somatic cell count (SCC) with DCC (DeLaval Cell Counter) from herd milk samples (n=56) and observation of housing and animal body condition on-farm was also made.

A study has been performed that investigates the variation of iron content in groundwater.The study was initiated by Midvatten AB, which noticed that the iron content in groundwater samples can vary greatly over small distances. The purpose of this study was to geochemically and geohydrologically determine the factors that influence the content of iron and manganese in groundwater from a selection of eskers in Dalarna, and determine how to best sample groundwater with the method used by Midvatten AB. An evaluation was made of how the vertical variation in soil material, water composition, pumping time and pipe material affects the content of iron in groundwater. Piper diagrams were used to study the relationship between the chemical composition of the groundwater and the content of iron and manganese in groundwater samples from the studied areas. The groundwater from the studied areas was then classified in the Piper diagrams, according to the content of the major ions.

In this thesis, a computer program that in a simple way can calculate the performance of control loops at the refinery Preemraff Lysekil has been created. The computer program has been adapted to the environment at Preemraff Lysekil. Theories for evaluation has been studied in aspect of reliability and of automatic implementation. The evaluation has been carried out from data collected directly from control loops at the refinery and from simulated control loops with implemented errors. Among the studied methods are Harris index and Stattin´s oscillation index.

Vattenfall and Svenska Kraftnät perform start-up tests, where hydropower generators are used to power up the electrical grid in case of a blackout. To monitor the electrical grid, Phasor Measurement Units (PMU) are used. Each PMU is individually equipped with a GPS-receiver to precisely timestamp the data relative to the official time UTC. During the test, it is also of interest to timestamp the measurement signals from individual hydropower generators to later compare with PMU-data, and thus study the power grids impact on the generator. The aim is to work out an appropriate method to make these measurements and to build a data acquisition system, capable of timestamp data relative to UTC, from a generator in one of Vattenfalls hydroelectric power stations. The problem is that the generator is located in an underground station which hampers the reception of GPS-signals and wiring should be avoided if possible. Time synchronization has been solved by using Vattenfalls network, which is synchronized by the network protocol NTP.

Risk-based sampling program of microorganisms in the water source in northern SwedenAfter several disease outbreaks caused by parasites in the drinking water during the last years, it is more essential than ever to insure that the water supply companies have enough barriers to counteract the presence of microorganisms in the outgoing water. It is also discussed whether climate changes such as increased precipitation can have a connection to the increased cases of parasites in water sources. The water source at Gäddvik is Luleå municipality?s largest and provides drinking water to 64 500 of Luleå?s 74 000 inhabitants. The investigation of microorganisms in the water source, especially in the Lule River has not been as prioritized as the sampling of chemical parameters.

A peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line) is a catheter that is inserted through a peripheral vein in the arm and then on to a central vein in the chest. It is used to give injections and infusions and to take blood samples of patients who need treatment for longer periods.The aim of this study was to investigate nurses' perceived knowledge of the care and use of PICC line in wards where PICC line does not occur daily. The aim was also to investigate if the nurses expressed a need and wished for more knowledge to be able to use PICC line, and if PICC line is not used investigate the cause of that.The study was of a descriptive design with quantitative approach. An online survey was answered by 40 nurses from five wards at a university hospital in central Sweden.A large number of the nurses who responded to the survey reported that they lacked knowledge of the care and use of PICC line. Despite this, three-quarters of the nurses usually use PICC line at the infusion / injection / blood tests on patients with PICC line, if they are cared for in their ward.

Future emission legislation puts great emphasis on increasing the efficiency of the engine, thereby reducing fuel consumption. The tribological contact between cylinder liner and piston ring is where an great amount of energy is lost due to friction, and by reducing these losses an reduction in fuel consumption can be achieved.The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the tested piston ring coatings against a plasma sprayed cylinder liner and rank these combinations of materials for friction and wear resistance. The coatings that were tested was Cr + Al2O3, (Al,Cr)N, two types of CrN and WC / C.The experimental tests were performed with a so-called pin-plate, where used oil with addition of an acidic mixture of sulfuric and nitric acid to mimic the acidic condensate formed when exhausts recirculate, were added with a continuous flow. The results were then analyzed by weighing, studies by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and profile measurements.The results from each material combination were that the plasma coated cylinder liner wears too aggressively in order to yield a ranking of the piston ring coatings based on the parameters of friction and wear resistance. It is therefore proposed that an alternative coating on the cylinder liner should be developed, lacking the large abrasive wear on piston rings and that can withstand the corrosive environment resulting in engines equipped with EGR.

iProspect is a global digital marketing agency and work primarily with search marketing. They were the first search engine marketing agency in the world when the company started up 1996 in Boston, Massachusetts, and the first in Sweden to offer services in search marketing after establishing themselves on the Swedish market the following year. iProspect can be found in the södermalm office in south central Stockholm. They are a comprehensive agency within search and offer everything from search engine optimization and sponsored links to advertising on social media. They?re goal is to lead developments in search marketing and to keep ahead of competition.

Many pedigree dogs are suffering from inherited diseases or personality disorders caused by selective breeding. The Swedish lapphund is a breed that has been suffering from some loss of genetic variation due to the heavy use of only a few males. Concerns have arisen and crossbreeding has been discussed as a way to manage gene loss. Four breeds has been taken into consideration for this purpose; schipperke, finish lapphund, Norwegian buhund and Norwegian elkhound, black. These breeds has been tested theoretical by a comparison of mentality and health.

The use of Power Line Communication, PLC, as a communication solution for Automated Meter Reading, AMR, is popular by utilities in Sweden and other parts of the world due to demands of accurate and fast meter reading. However the use of the electrical grid as a communication medium is complex and sometimes problematic. This report handles some of the issues and problems that are important to understand when using the grid as a communications medium. Focus is mainly on investigating high frequency distortion in the Kristianstad power grid own by C4energi caused by a frequency converter. Measurements on site are done to investigate signal damping in the grid, different configurations for the frequency converter and signal strength of the PLC-system.

The demands for higher production yields and better quality materials from the forests are increasing globally. Tree breeding programs are directed to meet the future demands on forests. In order to capture the full benefits from the breeding programs, clonal propagation is necessary. For most conifer species, somatic embryogenesis (SE) is the only available option for large scale clonal propagation of Elite clonal material. For Norway spruce (Picea abies L.

The prevailing food and energy crisis of the world, due to the declining reserves of fossil energy and a never ending rise of consumption, forces us to look into new fields to supply our energy demand. The boom of bio energy is criticized, as food crops are used to provide biodiesel and ethanol and the volumes are ridiculously small to supply world demand. Algae are one of the world?s oldest life forms and exist in many different phyla, providing a great variety to choose from, for different purposes. Cultivating microalgae offer a way to produce energy at great volumes without competing with food production and at the same time the algae offer a way to use our expensive nutrients in a more efficient way, besides this the algae are carbon dioxide neutral since their carbon source can be supplied by the atmosphere and the additional energy required can be supplied by algal oil or other renewable sources.

During the 19-century a global warming has been observed, which includes increases in global air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of ice and snow, and rising global sea level. There is a clear connection between emissions of greenhouse gases caused by the human and the increase in temperature. Climatic changes caused by global warming can be stopped trough decreased emission of fossil fuels, for example by an increased use of biogas. Biogas is a renewable energy source which is produced through anaerobic (oxygen free) digestion of organic material. The gas is a mixture of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) and can be among others used as fuel in vehicles.

The use of Power Line Communication, PLC, as a communication solution for Automated Meter Reading, AMR, is popular by utilities in Sweden and other parts of the world due to demands of accurate and fast meter reading. However the use of the electrical grid as a communication medium is complex and sometimes problematic. This report handles some of the issues and problems that are important to understand when using the grid as a communications medium. Focus is mainly on investigating high frequency distortion in the Kristianstad power grid own by C4energi caused by a frequency converter. Measurements on site are done to investigate signal damping in the grid, different configurations for the frequency converter and signal strength of the PLC-system.