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..

En omfattande miljöpåverkan till följd av användandet av fossila bränslen har letttill ett behov av alternativa energikällor som inte bidrar till en ökad växthuseffekt.Biogas har potential att produceras som ett koldioxidneutralt bränsle. Det energibesparande ämnet i biogas är metan och kandidatarbetets syfte är att framställametan under katalytiska processer.Metan kan skapas genom den sa kallade Sabatier-reaktionen där koldioxid ochvätgas reagerar till just metan och biprodukten vatten. Denna reaktion har studeratsur ett praktiskt, miljömässigt och ekonomiskt perspektiv. En Sabatier-reaktori laborativ skala har designats och konstruerats. Flertalet försök har gjorts för attutvärdera effekten av olika parametrar såsom temperatur, volymsflöde och gassammansättning.

An increased demand for processed goods on the property market has contributed toinvestments within the Swedish sawmill industry. The purpose with this study is to make amarket investigation of pre cut lengths within a defined geographic area. The constituent forthis investigation is HAL (AB Hilmer Andersson) who invests in a new plane facility and twofinger jointing machines in affiliation to their sawmill in Lässerud, the vest part of Värmland.To investigate the demand of pre cut lengths and identifies the value creating factors and costfactors which the customer within the segments industry and property market perceive, havedifferent customer value theories been used. Theories of customer value and the theory aboutoffering has been the source of creating the qualitative interview with a selection of currentand new potential customers for HAL.The result of the study first gives an introduction of HAL?s new offering and a description ofHAL?s current customers, which gives the reader an understanding of why searching for newcustomers is made in the defined area.

Partnering is a collaboration method where the contractor and the client work together, based on a mutual trust towards each other and with a common goal for the project. The method originates from the United States where it was early adapted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It later spread internationally where the United Kingdom and Denmark were early in Europe to see the potential with partnering, to help aid with the issues they were having where construction projects kept running late, going over budget and lacked in quality. By using partnering you can achieve a shorter building time, improved work relationships and enhanced efficiency and cost effectiveness.

This paper is the result of a case study conducted at Uppåkra Mekaniska AB during the spring of 2006. The task that was presented by Uppåkra was to develop a basis for a decision for the planning activities at the company, so that in the future they can create lot-sizes which are based upon a total cost perspective. Total cost in regards to lot-sizing is defined as the sum of the administrative reordering costs and warehousing cost per stock keeping unit.To collect data a series of interviews and observations were conducted. This data was then used during the lot-sizing simulation and analysis. The 15 units that the simulation was conducted on were grouped into three item classes depending how many different machine setups they required during the production process.

Syftet med studien var att belysa Internet-webbsidans potential som kanal för hälsokommunikation kring primärprevention, med utgångspunkt från en webbaserad vaccinationskampanj mot livmoderhalscancer. Studien är empirisk med en kvalitativ ansats. Enkäter och semistrukturerade gruppintervjuer med halvöppna frågor har använts för att samla in data. Fjorton unga kvinnor i åldern 18-19 år på två gymnasieskolor i Stockholm deltog i studien. För att analysera data har innehållsanalys med manifest ansats används. Resultaten visar att kvinnorna hade olika attityder till, samt uppfattningar och upplevelser av den webbaserade hälsokommunikationen och olika förbättringsområden framkom.

Numerous dogs are stressed during a stay at a veterinary clinic. Stress has an impact physically as well as mentally, and may influence animal care. There are different ways to prevent and handle animal stress. Dog Appeasing Pheromones (DAP) is sometimes used to reduce stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential need for stressreducers, explore the use of DAP and evaluate pheromonatherapy for dogs as a potential stressreducer within veterinary health care.

With the Culture Survey 2009, the Cultural policy in Sweden has got a new direction. The new direction emphasises the importance of broadening the non-public funding for the cultural sector. The new direction opens up new phenomenon to establish themselves in Sweden. Crowdfunding is such a phenomenon. Crowdfunding is an online-method "by which the individual becomes financiers of projects and activities they have passion for" (Jakten pa? medborgarfinansiering, 11).

The foremost objective of business organizations is to generate value for shareholders and to opt for strategies which optimize it. Hence it is of key concern for business leaders to appreciate how operations best are run to maximize value creation. This study explores how financial theory can reveal the link between one particular business strategy and the corresponding effect on shareholder wealth. The question in focus is whether construction companies can enhance their value creation by implementing shift-work to increase the weekly production rate. The thesis particularly targets apartment block projects in Sweden and has the construction company Peab AB as primary object of study.

This thesis explores the narrow spaces between closely built houses in the over 300-year-old wooden town center of Mariestad, Sweden, and their potential as time capsules and sources of knowledge in cultural-historical building investigations. By interpreting well-preserved carpentry work on a facade in one of these spaces, the study aims to provide an example of how these preserved spaces can serve as a source of knowledge and understanding of craftsmanship and the history of the place. The thesis also addresses the municipality of Mariestad's work with cultural heritage, as well as maps out more of these potentially interesting interstitial spaces. Old Swedish wooden towns possess a high degree of uniqueness both nationally and internationally; nevertheless, they are subjected to relatively significant threats of demolitions and substantial changes, often in the form of many smaller restorations or changes over a long period of time. The focus of the case study is a window from the 16th or 17th century and the facade's old, hand planed wooden cladding.

StoraEnso decided in year 2002 to build a pulp mill in the province of Guangxi, southernChina, and also establish eucalyptus plantations to provide it with raw material. By 2010StoraEnso controls about 90 000 of planned 120 000 ha, out of 75 000 ha is already plantedwith Eucalyptus.By using better genetic material, improve the tending, selecting the sites more careful and byusing a proper fertilization regime StoraEnso hopes to increase the mean annual incrementfrom today?s 25 m3/ha, on bark, to 35 m3/ha. This study is one part in this work to increase themean annual increment in the plantation.This master thesis is the forth in a series, that has followed up a fertilization trial that startedin spring 2006 when the trial was laid out and treatments decided. The aim with the trial is toexamine the production potential of Eucalyptus urophylla in Guangxi, southern China.

Background: Mastitis in dairy cattle is a common ailment worldwide. A cause of mastitis can be bacteria such as Escherichia coli. Mastitis is not a deadly ailment and sometimes the dairy cows show no symptoms but if certain virulence genes are present in the bacteria that cause the mastitis, the bacteria can be transmitted to humans and cause severe diseases. The potential presence of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) in particular would be a major concern for human health.Aim: The aim for this study was to analyze the presence of virulence genes known to be present in E.coli strains isolated from dairy cows with mastitis in Sweden.Method: A Qiagen BIO ROBOT EZ1 was used to purify DNA from 90 bacterial cultures. A panel of virulence genes were amplified and biotinylated from the purified DNA by PCR and an E.coli based DNA microarray was used to detect presumed virulence genes in E.coli.Result: There were no samples that had all the genes traditionally used to classify E.coli as EHEC or potential EHEC.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate how librarians view marketing of the library using social media and how this can be used in a marketing strategy. The theoretical framework for this thesis is based on the 7 Ps of the marketing mix, SWOT-analysis and SWOT/TOWS Matrix. The theory is based on planned elements that make up a product or service offered the market. We have used our own interpretation of the theories to analyse our material. Our main method has been a web-based questionnaire, the questionnaire was sent to 523 librarians active at ten large public libraries and its related branches.

Konkurrensen på marknaden blir tuffare och tuffare för många företag och för att vara konkurrenskraftig när det gäller kunskap, forskning och utveckling gäller det att man har en bra läromiljö för medarbetarna så att man kan höja deras kompetens och utnyttja deras fulla potential.En av åtgärderna som Organisationen har gjort, var att byta arbetssätt på utvecklingsavdelningarna. Det nya arbetssättet - Scrum - vill de ha utvärderad för att kunna veta om det har gett önskad effekt och om det skulle gå att förbättra processen.Syftet med denna studien var att ta reda på hur medarbetarna har upplevt implementeringen av ett nytt arbetssätt, scrum, och hur detta har påverkat deras förutsättningar att lära.Jag har använt ett miljöpedagogiskt perspektiv och i huvudsak kvalitativ metod. Vissa inslag av kvantitativ empiri finns också för att komplettera.Resultatet av studien visade sig vara tudelat. Dels upplever medarbetarna att implementeringen av scrum har gått bra och att det fungerar tillfredställande. Å andra sidan visar det sig att man inte alltid lever som man lär och att inte hela scrumprocessen används i sin helhet eller som det är tänkt.

This thesis treats the extended Swedish rules regarding deduction limitations on interest. The purpose for this thesis is to investigate whether the interest deduction limitation rules have potential to protect the Swedish tax base. The thesis also assesses whether the options presented how the extended rules could look liked had been better to protect the Swedish tax base. Furthermore thin capitalizations rules have been evaluated if this is a better method to protect the Swedish tax base.In 2009 the Swedish deduction limitations rules on interest came in to force to protect the Swedish tax base. Despite these rules companies was still able to avoid Swedish tax and therefore threatened the Swedish tax base.