This essay is about democracy and how a democracy index can be used as a tool to illustratethe gap between reality and ideal. The purpose of this study can be expressed by two researchquestions: Does the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) democracy index illustrate thedistance between reality and the ideal of democracy presented by Dahl? and Can the EIU'sdemocracy index be modified by a) internal adjustments and b) using the variables includedin World Economic Forum?s (WEF) equality index?By using a combination of theories (Dahl?s theory of democracy, Rawls theory of justice andchosen theories critical to liberal democracy) as an analytical framework the following twoquestions have been answered:1) Which of the variables included in the EIU's democracy index have the potential to capturethe level of political equality?2) Which of the variables included in the WEF?s equality index have the potential to capturethe degree of political equality?By using a quantitative method the study?s third and last question has been answered:3) How strong is the rank correlation between the EIU?s democracy index and the WEF?sequality index, that is; how strong is the rank correlation coefficient (rho)?The data presented by the WEF?s equality index indicate that women are systematicallydiscriminated against as a group. From a democratic perspective the EIU may need tomeasure inequalities at a group level in order to capture the lack of political equality betweenindividuals. By reformulating some of the EIU?s variables, by revising the EIU?s point systemand by using the variables included in the WEF's equality index to extend EIU?s democracyindex, the chances of capturing the gap between reality and the ideal of democracy presentedby Dahl would likely increase..

This essay examines the role religion plays in kindergarten. Today, the Swedish kindergarten provides child care for a secular and multicultural society where religion is considered a private matter that should not influence government nor the policy documents of kindergarten and elementary school. According to a study by Jenny Berglund, there is a so-called Protestant bias present in the Swedish elementary school. Protestant bias is shaped by a ?marinade? of liberal Protestant Christianity and has an indirect influence on how other religions are described, how religion is defined and how concepts such as religion, tradition or culture are viwed.The study was also based on Ninian Smart?s dimensions of religion, whichcorrelates to Berglund?s theory on Protestant bias.

Theoretical framework: The Theory of Human Caring by Jean Watson was used as a theoretical framework.Aim: The aim of this literature review was to describe the attitude of nursing patients who go through an induced abortion, from a nurse perspective.Method: This literature review is based on a sample of nine qualitative and quantitative studies, collected in the databases Cinahl, PubMed and PsycInfo. The qualities of the studies were assessed through modified templates. Analysis of the results from the studies was inspired of a content analysis.Findings: The nurses experienced their work as meaningful since they give support to the patient. The nurses felt that their work was justified when the decision to have an abortion was well thought through and they felt respect towards the patient when they were aware of the patient?s circumstances.

In visual programming the developer specifies her code, using visual tools. Within the range of visual programming languages lay icon-based languages, form-based languages, and diagram languages.Mediator is a multimedia authoring tool that allows the user to create interactive CD-ROM presentations, dynamic HTML pages and Flash projects, without any coding or scripting. The user can create interactivity in her project, using event driven and icon-based visual programming, through a ?drag and drop? user interface. This report intends to determine some of the qualifications of a tool of this kind, as well as its limitations.The report is based on a case study, in which a smaller software application was to be updated using Mediator 9.

This work derives from the question ?What is a beautiful road??. The question is being discussed in interviews with two employees at the Swedish National Road Administration and two former members of the ?Council of environment and beauty? at the Swedish National Road Administration. The interviews are summarized in my own discussion about the concept of ?Beautiful roads?.

This essay examines the role religion plays in kindergarten. Today, the Swedish kindergarten provides child care for a secular and multicultural society where religion is considered a private matter that should not influence government nor the policy documents of kindergarten and elementary school. According to a study by Jenny Berglund, there is a so-called Protestant bias present in the Swedish elementary school. Protestant bias is shaped by a ?marinade? of liberal Protestant Christianity and has an indirect influence on how other religions are described, how religion is defined and how concepts such as religion, tradition or culture are viwed.The study was also based on Ninian Smart?s dimensions of religion, whichcorrelates to Berglund?s theory on Protestant bias.

Abstract Aim: Since there is a lack of research based educational interventions concerning the relationship between coaches and young athletes, the aim of this study was to implement and examine the effects of sport psychology intervention for coaches in a track and field club. The research questions were: What are the effects of an educational intervention for coaches, with focus on a motivational climate, on: A) the coaches´ coaching approach B) their athletes´ goal orientation and C) their athletes´ perceived competitive anxiety?Method: The coach education stretched over two months and consisted of four two-hour lessons with focus on motivational climate, goal orientation and sport anxiety. Six coaches (three females, three males), aged 38-52 (M=44.33 years, SD=4.84) and their 59 athletes (27 males and 32 females) aged 12-14 (M=13.10 years, SD=0.82), participated in the study. A control group of 35 athletes (10 males and 25 females), of the same age (M=13.46 years, SD=0.70) and with similar demographic data, was also recruited.

Topography is an important parameter for catchment hydrology, since it is a driver for water flow. Moreover, topography serves as a basis for hydrological models, e.g. ?Top-model?, which is based on a topographical wetness index (TWI). Few studies of TWI have been conducted on agricultural catchment scale. Four fields were studied in a Swedish drained agricultural catchment in order to evaluate the influence of topography on soil wetness.

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to test for the existence of Capital Structure Arbitrage oppertunities in the equity-credit markets. Methodology: The mispricing of Credit Default Swap contracts are calculated and used as input in an Equity-Credit market trading strategy. The returns are then evaluated with a modified Value-at-Risk simulation. Theoretical perspectives: A Merton-based structural model, CreditGrades, is used for credit pricing and a mispricing-convergence trading-strategy between the credit and equity markets is implemented. Empirical foundation: Daily quotes for the Credit Default Swap spread of 37 European firms were collected for a period of two years, as well as equity-prices for the same period and the previous two years, used for model calibration.

Open pit mining creates huge amounts of tailings and waste rock deposits. Due to it's content of sulphide minerals, predominantly pyrite (FeS2), there is a risk of oxidation and formation of acid water containing heavy metals, known as Acid Rock Drainage (ARD). To prevent the process of oxidation, the tailings and waste rock have to be reclaimed. The most commonly used methods of reclamation are a coverage of water or soil. Mining also results in a large-scale interference in the landscape that will make an eternal change of its appearance.

Relationships between defence mechanisms and body movements were investigated in regard to three hypothesis; I. that a difference in frequency of body movements correlates to different signs of defence mechanisms, II. that themes of body movements can be identified in regard to signs of defence mechanisms, III. that no significant differences will be found between the different groups of gender. The aim of the study was to seek a relation between quasicommunicative body movements and defence mechanisms.

The market-leading wage and PA-.system for the Swedish public sector Palasso is developed in Karlstad. In order to achieve the highest quality of code , the developing team behind Palasso has been conducting extensive testing. Testing is done to ensure that the software does what it should do. However, the testing has been done at a high level. In order to continue to evolve, the group that develops Palasso has started to look at the new development methods that have become popular in the computer industry in recent years.

Syfte och frågeställningarSyftet med studien var att undersöka effekten av en kortisoninjektion i bäckenligamenten på patienter med långvarig ländryggssmärta.MetodStudien genomfördes utifrån en single-subject experimental design med sex deltagare med långvarig ländryggssmärta. De utfallsmått som användes var smärtskattning (Numerical Rating Scale, NRS), skattad smärtrelaterad aktivitetsbegränsning (Oswestry Disability Index, ODI), skattad rörelserädsla (Tampa scale of kinesiophobia, TSK-SV), rörlighet (Fingertip-to-floor), funktion genom ett dynamiskt balanstest (Star excursion balance test, SEBT), funktionstest (sit-to-stand) och uthållighetsstyrketest (modifierat Biering- Sørensen), samt fysisk aktivitetsnivå mätt med accelerometermätare. Deltagarna genomförde fem testtillfällen innan och fem eller sex testtillfällen efter intervention. Vid sista besöket skattade deltagarna förändring av besvär enligt global index of change. Resultaten analyserades på individnivå genom visuell analys av trender och nivåskillnader i grafer, statistisk analys av graferna genom 2 SD-metoden, i kombination med deltagarnas subjektiva beskrivningar av eventuell förändring.

To be able to plan for the expansion of a town, one needs a vision of the future appear-ance of the town. It is the current issues (social situation, supply and demand, political control etc.) which decide what the ideal for town planning is. This is turn is the steering factor of the physical structure of the town. Therefore, the town's structure is decided by these ideals.In this report, I will present planning ideals that have historically been, and which criticisms that have been directed towards them. With reference to these issues, I will present those guidelines and ideals we have today for planning of our towns.

Hearing is considered to be the most important sense for the communication between people. Several studies have shown that hearing loss can lead to deterioration in quality of life, reduced social activities, feelings of alienation and hence the increasing incidence of depression symptoms.An early audiological rehabilitation is a prerequisite for proper communication among people with hearing loss. Knowledge has been shown to be of great importance and structured learning and individually targeted approach can be expected to facilitate the audiological rehabilitation.The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of an educational effort for people with hearing loss where the effort was made in the distance within the audiological rehabilitation and was followed-up by professional phone support, through a randomized controlled study.The study group consisted of 69 hearing aid users who were randomized by an independent person into two groups, an intervention group and a control group. The intervention group (n = 33) had access to the book "When the sounds are weaker - on hearing and hearing aids". The group received weekly topic-based information related to the different chapters of the book, in five rounds.