Production requires the input of capital and labour. Hence, economic growth can be assumed to follow from increased levels of these two factors. Policies aimed at increasing production may consequently successfully be focused on facilitating the accumulation of capital and labour. However, even when an economy has managed to reach the same quantities of input factors as a more prosperous neighbour, the level of the production might still differ. The explanation of this lies in what economists refers to as expression embracing the characteristics of the input factors and the conditions in which they operate.In this thesis a calculation of total factor productivity is carried out, using existing data on the Swedish FA-regions between 1990 and 2005 and the method the economist Robert Solow in the 1950?s.

Rock groundwater has always caused major problems when tunnelling. Water leaking into tunnels can cause large problems, not only on the construction itself but also on the environment. A continuous water leakage can lead to a declining water supply, and geotechnical problems can occur as subsidence in the ground. Therefore it is of great importance to predict the consequences that can appear in the surroundings due to a declining groundwater surface.The aim of the study was to investigate different methods for predicting leakage and changes in groundwater level due to tunnelling excavations in rock. This thesis was performed by comparing mathematical methods, actual groundwater changes and results from preliminary investigations.Investigations were made for three railway tunnels planned by Botniabanan AB.

Thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) is an intracellular enzyme involved in ?the salvage pathway? where the uncomplete parts of DNA are transformed into DNA precursors. The expression of TK1 is cell cykle specific, with the highest level during S-phase when DNA-synthesis is most active. One kind of TK1 is present in serum and an increase in TK1 activity in serum is due to either the level of DNA synthesis in the body or the number of cells dying in a state of replication. This can be used and is used as a marker for prognosis and evaluation of treatment in human patients with leukemia and lymphoma.

The level of help and support given to elderly people over the age of 65 has been regulated by two separate laws; 1-the Act concerning Support and Service for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments (LSS) and 2- Act of Social Services (SoL). Recent changes in the legislation could cause local authorities to deal with these issues in different ways. The aim of this study was to examine and evaluate possible differences in the level of support for the elderly, dependant on which of the two laws was used in the decision process.The questions raised in this paper are· What are the major differences in the purposes of the two legislations?· How will the decisions be influenced dependant on what law is used? Do the decisionmakers identify the difference between the quality levels "good" and "fair"?· How is the process of care organised and managed within each of these legislations and how is the personnel used?· Are there differences in quality regarding freedom of choice, your own right to decide, influence, comprehensive view and continuity in the efforts given?· What development can you see in these fields of care.As a method I have used a case study involving four big cities in Scania. The most interesting and essential knowledge in the study was obtained from qualitative interviews with eleven decision-makers in the four communities.The result of this study indicates that there are more similarities than differences in the purposes of these laws.

In Sweden in January 2005, there is only one producer of organic broilers and none of organic turkeys. But there are, on the other hand, a few small-scale producers whose housing systems to some extent are similar to what is stipulated in the organic standards. The aims of this work are to investigate what housing systems are used by the Swedish small-scale producers of broilers and turkeys, what main challenges they are confronted with and if there is an interest and a possibility for a change-over to organic production. For the first part of this work a literature study was performed with the purpose of detecting the main health problems in conventional as well as smallscale production. A special focus was on coccidiosis and leg weakness as those were considered to be of particular importance. A study was made of Swedish small-scale poultry production units. In two groups of broilers from the same producer and in three flocks of turkeys the level of Eimeria oocysts in faeces and litter was investigated.

Background: Examinations with the intent to assess neurological functions and level of conciousness are common in neurocritical care, but the effect on the patient is not entirely researched.Aim: The purpose of this study was to describe the patient?s situation at the neurological wake-up test concerning the environment, nursing interventions and the possibility given the patient to become awake, and if these conditions affect the outcome of the wake-up test.Methods: A quantitative observational study took place at a neurocritical care unit, where 20 patients were observed from interruption of sedation to the neurological assessment, which was performed by a neurosurgeon or a specialized critical care registered nurse. Nursing interventions, environmental factors and physiological parameters were documented.Result: Twelve intervention varieties to control patients? physiological parameters were used. CPP > 80 mmHg was found in 90 % of observations.

The Swedish FSC standard (Forest Stewardship Council) is a level standard used to certify forestry. All the major Swedish forest companies are using the FSC standard, and approximately 50% of the Swedish forests are FSC certified today. In the essay six items within the chapter on environmental issues and biodiversity are examined: the proportion of protected forest, the proportion of annually burnt clear-cut stands, the number of trees with large diameter, the amount of dead wood, the proportion of deciduous trees within a stand and the proportion of deciduous-dominated stands. The FSC standard states a level for all items, and the purpose of the essay is to analyse whether these levels are supported by research within the field of conservation biology. The validity of the levels of the six items is them discussed to evaluate whether changes are required to the next revision of the FSC standard.

One of the main tasks of the Swedish Armed Forces over the past few years has been International assignments, which increased the importance of the Lessons Learned process. Methods of simulator training with computers have become more frequent and the technical ability to collect digital data from sensors has been developed as well. This work demonstrates how the experience of Lessons Learned can be communicated with the computer simulator StriSimPC and how modern technology in future support experiences from the Lessons Learned process at the tactical level in the Army.Currently knowledge sharing consists of several processes and strategies in the Swedish Armed Forces. This is done by written reports, oral presentations and different practical exercises.This case study shows the functions of the simulator StriSimPC, methods of training and how it is used today. The study also describes the future opportunities, where digital metadata acquired from the modern combat vehicles could contribute sharing of experience in the Lessons Learned process.The summarized conclusions indicate that StriSimPC can combine the two strategies for personalization and codification of knowledge transfer to reach a higher level of learning.

The purpose of this study is to understand the factors that are affecting students at the Technology and Electricity- and energy programs in their choice of studies and vocation. The study is a comparative case study and quantitative method has been used in the form of questionnaires. The result shows that students do not like to be affected by another person but believes that they themselves have made their choice. Interest turns out to be the biggest influence factor of choice for both students at the Technology and Electricity- and energy program. For Electricity- and energy students have also access to work had some impact.The parents' education level was higher for Technician students and their parents worked with occupations requiring university degrees.

The Act Prohibiting Discrimination and Other Degrading Treatment of Children and School Students (2006:67) entered into force on 1 of April 2006. The purpose of this Act is to promote equal rights for children and school students and to combat discrimination on the five discrimination grounds of sex, ethnic origin, religion or other belief, sexual orientation or disability. This Act also has the purpose of combating other degrading treatment. According to the Act the organiser of the activity shall insure that there is an equal treatment plan that aims to promote the equal rights for children and school students irrespective of the five discrimination grounds. Discrimination is a result of the social norms which tends to exclude people who does not fit in and therefore considerers as being abnormal.

This is a study about employment officers at the Swedish public employment service. The aim of this study was to examine how they understand and use their discretion in their daily work. We used a qualitative method and the data was gathered by semi-structured interviews with eight employment officers working at the same office in a small town in Sweden. Lipskys theory about street-level bureaucracy and Lazarus description of coping theory are applied to analyze the empirical data. The work for the Swedish employment officers have changed over the last years with an increasing focus on control and administration.

Rotavirus causes diarrhea in young mammals all over the world, including infant humans. The diarrhea leads to severe dehydration that can be fatal if left untreated. The dehydration can be treated with fluid therapy and the infection heals itself. Despite the relatively easy treatment half a million children under the age of five dies every year due to diarrhea caused by rotavirus. Rotavirus sorts into the family Reoviridae and is a double-stranded RNA virus with a segmented genome.

The main purpose of this C-essay is to answer the question: What have been the consequences and effects of the merit point system on language studies and the parties concerned (teachers, students and principals) during the school year of 2010/11?The merit point system is the result of a political decision and was implicated for the first time in the Swedish upper secondary school during the school year 2010/2011. Being a completely new phenomenon it is of great interest and importance to study its effects.The study in this essay also aims to verify, falsify or nullify two hypotheses very often referred to in the political discussions regarding the merit point system:The merit point system will replace affection and interest as main reasons for language studies in upper secondary school and cause a rectification amongst the students choices of additional courses.The merit point system will have a segregating effect upon society and make it harder for people to rise in society through education in the future.A verification of these hypotheses would imply the appearance of an increased rectification amongst students as well as an orientation towards an in the future more segregated society.The empiric material has been collected and examined with qualitative as well as quantitative methods (questionnaires and interviews) and belongs epistemologically to the phenomenological and hermeneutical traditions..

A power system will inevitably be subjected to transient overvoltages, most often produced by switching operations and lightning strikes. These transient overvoltages may harm sensitive equipment without sufficient protection, but it is not an easy task to predict what transients may occur or how they affect the system. A fault occurred in a low voltage system at Forsmark 2012 and overvoltages from lightning were concluded as the probable cause. The three aims with this thesis are to develop and test a model of the power system at Forsmark 3, analyse the transient behaviour of the system when subjected to lightning surges and identify critical parameters, and lastly to provide a tool for investigating the protection of the system. The modelling and simulations were performed in the freely available simulation program LT Spice.

The purpose of this paper was to investigate what young behavioral science students, born in the 1980s, think is important in their future work life. The purpose has also been to investigate what attitudes the behavioral science students have towards their future work life, and what place work has in the young behavioral science students lives. After clarification of above, the aim has also been to compare the results with former research. Thereafter the purpose has been to investigate whether traditional work motivation and job satisfaction theories are applicable for young people today. The empirical material is based on interviews with six women who study behavioral science at various levels.