This master thesis summarizes contemporary theories on secularization processes in the Western world, and compares these with the example of Sweden, which by many scholars is considered to be the most secularized country in the Western world.I do this by dividing the most influential theorists in five different groups. In each group I explain how the theorists formulate and motivate their positions. These groups are:1) The secularization paradigm, where secularization always accompanies modernization. (Therorists: Steve Bruce and Peter Berger (in the 1960s)2) The paradigm basically accepted, but revised to depend on existential security, rather than modernisation as such. (Pippa Norris and Ronald Inglehart)3) Religion returned in the public sphere.

In Sweden, the demand for bio energy has increased in recent years due to the current energy and climate debate. In 2008, the energy supply of Sweden was 612 TWh, biofuels accounted for 123 TWh of these. Stumps have been highlighted as a potential fuel in recent years and the Swedish Forest Agency expects a technically and biologically feasible potential of 20.7 TWh annually between 2010 and 2019. The idea of utilize stumps is not new. During the 19th century stumps were used for tar production and during the 70?s and 80?s attempts were made to use stumps in the pulp industry.

A favourable economic situation in Sweden has lead to a very good market for agricultural real estates. The estate agents? ads in the daily newspapers, where they actively are seeking assignments, give a hint that the supply is smaller than the demand for agricultural real estates. This situation ends up in a competition between real estate agents to get as many assignments as possible to meet the demand from the market. Describing and explaining the sellers? decision process may give a specific agent an advantage towards other agents.

With the climate change issues growing in importance on the social agenda, the field of urban masterplanning is of no exception when it comes to minimizing the carbon footprint in a variety of projects. The aim of this thesis has been to prepare the Carbon Critical Masterplanning tool, a software plugin for carbon dioxide emissions assessment developed by Atkins, to be used in Swedish conditions. The main targets were to improve the areas of the tool associated with energy conversion and renewable energy sources, and to test the tool in a real case. A planned construction of a new campus in Albano, Stockholm was chosen for the pilot study. A 3D model was built in the tool and the carbon footprint was calculated for a variety of combinations for energy supply to the future area. The results show that use of locally installed renewable energy sources can reduce the total climate impact when life cycle perspective is applied.

The aim of this study was to investigate how the process of implementing a quality management system for food safety was handled in four different food producing companies in Sweden. The aim was also to analyze what difficulties the companies face and the possibilities that arise when certified. Furthermore, the reason for implementation was discussed as well as the main expectations on the certificate. Implementing a quality management system is a good way of ensuring the quality and hygiene of the food production and it also increases the traceability of food products through the whole food chain. A food safety standard provides a method of preventing problems and crisis and it can also help to handle requirements from authorities, the market and others.

With the climate change issues growing in importance on the social agenda, the field of urban masterplanning is of no exception when it comes to minimizing the carbon footprint in a variety of projects. The aim of this thesis has been to prepare the Carbon Critical Masterplanning tool, a software plugin for carbon dioxide emissions assessment developed by Atkins, to be used in Swedish conditions. The main targets were to improve the areas of the tool associated with energy conversion and renewable energy sources, and to test the tool in a real case. A planned construction of a new campus in Albano, Stockholm was chosen for the pilot study. A 3D model was built in the tool and the carbon footprint was calculated for a variety of combinations for energy supply to the future area.

Electricity production from renewable energy resources such as wind energy and photovoltaics is variable. Integration of these intermittent resources into the electricity system leads to new challenges in how to manage imbalance between supply and demand on the grid.One way to meet these challenges is to develop so-called smart grid solutions. One idea, called demand response, is to adjust the amount or timing of energy consumption, e.g. by control of household appliances, to provide flexibility that could be used to balance the grid. In aggregate, when applied to many units across the system, large volumes of energy could be made available when needed and this grid flexibility can be used as a product on the electricity regulation market.Despite the potential benefits, the number of demand response bids is currently low.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this medical record research was to study 30 patients with chronic subdural hematoma on a neurosurgical clinic, mapping documented nutritional status, preoperative fasting and hydration and energy supply before surgery. In addition peroperative administration of fluid and vasoactive drugs, as well as postoperative complications and length of hospital stay were studied. The mean age of the patients was 71 years. Nutritional status was evaluated in 12 patients, out of these seven were judged to be at risk for under nutrition. Fifteen patients had surgery day 1 (total fasting time on average m 11 h), eleven had surgery day 2(29 h), three had surgery day 3 (35 h).

This master thesis summarizes contemporary theories on secularization processes in the Western world, and compares these with the example of Sweden, which by many scholars is considered to be the most secularized country in the Western world.I do this by dividing the most influential theorists in five different groups. In each group I explain how the theorists formulate and motivate their positions. These groups are:1) The secularization paradigm, where secularization always accompanies modernization. (Therorists: Steve Bruce and Peter Berger (in the 1960s)2) The paradigm basically accepted, but revised to depend on existential security, rather than modernisation as such. (Pippa Norris and Ronald Inglehart)3) Religion returned in the public sphere.

The background of this research is that Swedish food products have hard to compete at the home market, depending on imported food products that increase more and more for every year that pass by. The ethic values LRF associate with Swedish food products, many customers have hard to put in relation with condition of foreign agriculture. Most customers today inquire high quality, safety and convenience in the food which they are eating. The source of their food seems to have less meaning. Many restaurants and bigger households appreciate Swedish food products and wants to buy them but price differences against foreign wares are to high. We have done oral interviews with wholesale dealers, restaurants, public purchasers and with different market organisations, there we have discussed buying strategies, the way they see the primary producer, the conscious of guests, choice and attitudes to Swedish and foreign products, distribution of power in the food market chain and to what position and suspension, they want the ranks of suppliers to have. The result shows the share of imported wares within restaurants and bigger households are at a high level and will continuing increasing. Within these sectors the final consumer in many cases put less effort in the origin of the raw source of food.

The vegetable production in Sweden is concentrated to the very southern parts of the country. This is also were the major wholesalers are located. In recent years, there has been an extreme focus on price on the food market. As there are only a few big wholesalers and also very few food retail chains, these have a great impact on the producers. The pressure from prominent vegetable-producing countries, providing low price products, such as the Netherlands and Spain is strong.

Live exports of animals began during the late 19th century and are nowadays a valuable alternative to the slaughter industry in Australia. About four million sheep and half a million to one million cattle are exported annually from Australia to the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Most of these animals are exported for slaughter, but some cattle are exported with the purpose of breeding. One factor that has been the driving force for the live export industry is that countries through tariffs and other barriers have favored the import of live animals rather than the import of meat.The export means that animals with a great cognitive ability are exposed to a long chain of production from the farm to the market and there are many factors that can affect the welfare of the animals in a negative way. Some of the most serious are high temperatures and a high stocking density, although seasickness, noises and handling can also have a negative impact on the welfare of animals.

The present study discusses the metabolism of ethanol in the human body from the ingestion of ethanol to the excretion of its break down products water and carbon dioxide. Ethanol is a small molecule, soluble in water as well as in organic solutions. It is quickly distributed to every section in the body, where it exerts a direct toxic effect on the cells. Ethanol cannot directly leave the body efficiently so it needs other metabolic pathways. The molecule is metabolized by oxidation, predominately in the liver.

Pharmaceuticals that are found in marine ecosystems are a threatening environmental concern, which is known to harm both animal and plant life. One of the reasons for this problem is that the waste water treatment techniques are not optimized to clear waste water from its pharmaceuticals contain. In this master thesis four Swedish treatment wetlands were studied, and their ability to reduce numerous pharmaceuticals in waste water. The four treatment wetlands that were studied were those in Oxelösund, Trosa, Nynäshamn and Eskilstuna. Two ecotoxicological tests and chemical analysis were used.

The strategy when you change the visual part of the brand identity is often referred to as Corporate rebranding and is seen as a good way to show that a company has undergone a change. Despite high risks and high costs, this strategy has become more common and there are companies today who make the choice to change an already well-known graphic profile. This phenomenon is what underlies this essay?s problem statement: Why does a company with an already well-known graphic profile choose to change it and how does the process behind the change occur? In what way have the company?s customers recognized the change and how has the company?s image changed in this context? The purpose of this essay is therefore to explore the process that occurs when a company in the sport and fashion industry changes its visual identity and to explore how the company?s customers have perceived the change.To fulfil the purpose of the essay a case study was carried out on a company?s Corporate rebranding process. The company that was chosen was the Swedish sports retail chain Stadium Sweden AB who decided to change its graphic profile even though their logo was one of the two most recognized in their field.