The purpose of this thesis is to examine adults? fictionreading habits. The focus is finding out what differencesexist between men and women to study the significance offiction to readers. The study is based on a questionnairesurvey with men and women coming in to a public library.We used Sten Furhammar?s reading dimensions andcategories to describe the importance of the respondentsreading experience and describe the ways that men andwomen read.Our result shows that the genres men and women prefer arenovels, detective stories/thrillers and biographies.

Electromyography (EMG) is a technique that measures muscle activity, whichmeans detecting the electrical signals that travel through the muscle in connectionwith muscle contraction. This project deals with how EMG can be used tocontrol a computer game.The project is centered around the game 'EMG Track Game' which has beenconstructed as part of this work. 'EMG Track Game' is controlled by twoelectrodes fastened on the player. These are attached to two selected musclesand control the motion in one direction each, one up and the other one down.The game is constructed in the purpose of being used in several elds of application.Among these are as entertainment, training equipment and a tool inresearch related to EMG and muscles.To highlight a possible application a study concerning muscle control has beenconducted. It answers the question of whether players score better with theirdominant arm in comparison with their non-dominant one.

Researchers points out that social media has become a powerful venue to spread news, both for the news business and the users. Although the news diffusion has become a phenomenon to be reckoned with, we have found no research in Sweden about what motivate users of social media to share news.This thesis work therefore investigates news sharing on the social network Facebook by examining user motives in the light of the media theory uses and gratifications. A web survey was conducted and distributed to students at a Swedish university. The result showed that expression was the strongest motive to share news on Facebook, and the item that was highly valued by the students was to give other valuable information. The result also showed that other motives for sharing news was socialization, information, status and entertainment. .

Virtual Communities is an increasingly common phenomenon on the Internet. Most of the Virtual Communities are operated and maintained on a non-profit basis with a direction towards entertainment. However, as more state administrated and commercial services become web-based, we believe that the number of Virtual Communities with a community-based or commercial direction will increase in a near future. In this thesis, we describe our participation in, and studies of, a number of Virtual Communities with focus on the IRC-channel ?3dfxsweden?. On the basis of our experiences, we describe the social elements that form the foundation on which the Virtual Community rely on.

Earlier research has shown that combining education with entertainment can improve students motivation in school. With this study we aim to learn more about interactive digital learning resources and how they should be designed to entertain and thereby contribute to motivation. We have identified aspects of educational games that also could be considered when developing interactive digital learning resources, to make them more entertaining and motivating. We have chosen to study and evaluate an interactive digital learning resource called ?Grasp the Disaster?, a fictional online adventure created for students in the ages between 13-15.

The aim of this work is to develop new conceptual designs for the fairings that are situated between the fin and the rear fuselage on the new version of the JAS 39 Gripen aircraft, called the Gripen E/F. The designs presented should show a profit in the form of lower weight. To achieve weight loss, the possibilities of using other construction materials other than those which are available at Saab today were studied. Therefore, a material survey was carried out in which the market for modern construction materials was studied to get an idea of today?s level of technology.

Preschool has a long tradition of using picture books, both as entertainment and as a resource for educational activities. In science there are two main application areas. The first one is science concepts and the second is to teach basic science process skills. These skills, observing, communicating, inferring, classifying, measuring and predicting reflects the methods used by scientists. Picture books potential to put science concepts and activities that promote the use of science process skills in a meaningful context, recommends using picture books for this purpose.

The purpose of this study is to show and explain how and why Swedish young people use Youtube.We conducted a written survey, asking approximately 120 students between the ages 16 and 18. The survey was carried out in the classrooms in order to receive answers from as many students as possible. We then interviewed six of them to gain further knowledge of why they use Youtube the way they do.The survey showed that Youtube is used by all of the students and very frequently by most of them. Comedy and music videos are by far the most popular genres that are viewed. In most cases watching video clips on Youtube is a social activity, often combined with both talking about clips and sending and receiving video links to and from friends.

The aim with this essay has been to see how students use drinking-songs and what function they have. I have also wanted to see how the traditions are carried on between the students. In order to do this, I have been observing three parties organised by three different student associations at Växjö University: Västkustens nation, Föreningarnas Festeri and Isterbandet. I have interviewed five people that have been attending the dinners. I have used Alan Merriam?s theory of use/function and made interpretations of his theory.

This paper investigates the relations between the fantasy genre and the phenomena of escapism. It also delves into the factors which motivates consumption of various fantasy mediums. This is done through interviews with six different fantasy-consumers, along with two observations; of which one is performed at a science fiction convention and the other at a table-top role playing game. The study resulted in a basic understanding of escapism ? it is not limited to the fantasy genre, and fantasy consumers do not deny that fantasy is a form of escapism.

This thesis describes how the development of a mechanical enclosure to an alarmsystem proceeded. The project was made on behalf of Inferno Light Indusec AB.The goal set to this housing would offer a home alarm in which Indusec?s uniquesound system would give the customer a new alternative on the market. They wantedto, among other things, create an aesthetically but at the same time affordable alarm.The aesthetic theme is something that is missing in today?s market.

The E-department at GETRAG All Wheel Drive in Köping have problems with the efficiency on parts of their production equipment. The equipment with the most significant efficiency problems are four automated multifunctional production cells that produces housing for rear drive units. The major part of the problem is the large amount of small stops that causes the low efficiency.The department already worked with logging of interruptions and efficiency calculations before this project started. However this work was not done to the extent considered necessary for a systematic follow-up of the interruptions.The aim of this paper is to point out a more effective and systematic way to work with logging of interruptions and the follow-up. In addition the equipment were studied with a method for efficiency calculation that ? if used properly- is a more powerful and a visually better method than the one used by the company today.As the initial current state analysis of the equipment was made a lack of documented knowledge about the equipment was discovered.

Breakdowns of welded structures are usually a consequence of fatigue loading. Fatigue fractures are commonly initiated in the region close to the weld toe but can also initiate from the weld root and from discontinuities inside the weld. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the weld quality of welded joints produced at Volvo Wheel Loaders factory in Arvika. The goal of the investigation is to give a clearer insight regarding factors influencing the fatigue strength of the welded joints and thereby give a better foundation for fatigue strength calculations.The investigation is including examination of the weld geometry, weld discontinuities and the effects of shot peening. Mainly three different methods for collecting test data have been used: Plastic replicas cast on the weld profile, weld specimens from a rear frame belonging to a wheel loader of model L110E/120E and Almen testing of the shot peening.The results showed that it is not possible to control even transition between the weld material and the base material without after treatment.

This report summarizes a Bachelor Degree Project in Integrated Product Development, carried out during the fall 2007 till spring 2008 by three students at the Product Design Engineering Program at the University of Skövde. The project was performed in cooperation with Lundbergs Möbler AB in Tibro. Lundbergs wants to start selling furniture to the public eldercare. The purpose of this project was to adjust one of their chairs. The project layout was to first make a preliminary investigation where the market, competitors? assortment and the purchasing process are studied.

This is a study about the relation between the Swedish school and the political system of Sweden. I wanted to see if the relation had changed since the election of 2010 as it was in that election the Sweden Democrats got over five percent of the votes and took seat in the Swedish parliament. The thing that is unique about this election is that it was really the first time a right-wing party had been elected into the Swedish parliament. Many experts argue that this is the first xenophobic party that has been elected into the Swedish parliament. This led to a problem for schools and their principals and a difficult question to answer because xenophobia is contrary to the school?s core values and the school?s democratic mission.Should the school still be open for political parties? How do schools manage to distinguish between political information and political propaganda? If parties still are welcome into the schools, which parties should be allowed? The equality ombudsman has said in a report that the schools have to comply with the principle of objectivity, which stipulates that the public sector has to be unbiased.I have chosen to make use of a qualitative method because I think the study then gets a deeper understanding of the topic.