1. Reaction on burial depth and nitrogen availability and placement in competition with a crop In this trial it was investigated how couch grass (Elymus repens) changes its ability to compete in stands of wheat and barley with different burial depth and different amounts and placement of nitrogen. More knowledge in this area can be valuable in the attempt to decrease the use of herbicides and still keep the weeds under control. The trial was carried out in the summer of 2004 as an outdoor pot experiment. The pots contained 15 litres of soil with a surface of 0,06 m2.

Background: Osteoarthritis is understood to be a common cause of pain and dysfunction in cats; however there are few validated pain assessment methods for chronic pain in cats. In order to design a proper pain questionnaire, it usability need to be tested in both sound and sick cats. Aim: The aim was to investigate the usability of the pain questionnaire ?Lifestyle changes in cats? by compiling the results from the pain questionnaire reflecting the lifestyle in 30 healthy cats and compare it to the results from a clinical examination, as well as proposing improvements and additions to the questionnaire based on a literature review. Material and method: 30 healthy cats participated in the pilot study; the pet owner filled out a pain questionnaire with 16 questions regarding their cat´s behavioral and eventual changes in behavior and physical function. Thereafter the cat walked over a pressure measurement mat and finally underwent an orthopedic-directed clinical examination. The literature was found on Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Sciencedirect, and Google Scholar and also with the help of my supervisors.

The aim of this master?s thesis is to examine how managers in some public libraries are using performance measurements and to what extent decision making is based on the results. The main questions posed are:??What performance measurements and indicators are used in the libraries examined???What is the attitude towards performance measurements among library managers???How and to what extent are performance measurements and indicators used in the process of decision making???What improvement would library managers wish regarding the development of performance measurements in public libraries?The theory is based on a model of evaluation of the public sector in addition to general steps of evaluation of quality and performance measurement results. The investigation is based on qualitative interviews with seven managers of public libraries in Sweden.

In this bachelor thesis, diagnostic methods for one of Siemens stem inlet control valves have been developed. The work has taken place during ten weeks at Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery AB in Finspång. The company produce steam- and gas turbines and also provides service and maintenance. The purpose with this project has been to develop diagnostic methods that oversee the health of the control valves. By using the developed methods you will know when it?s time for maintenance.

Swedish energy policy aims to increase the use of energy from renewable sources and this should be done in a safe, environmentally and sustainable manner. According to the Energy Agency the use bio-fuel increased by 73% between 1990 - 2006. Stands with high share of slash are often located on areas with high productivity which often are located on soils with poor bearing capacity. This will increase traffic on susceptible soil leading to increased ground damage. To reduce the risk of ground damage at slash-forwarding, ground protection is needed.

Introduction: Every year about 450 women in Sweden are diagnosed with cervical cancer, almost 200 die and thousands undergo surgery because of cell changes in the cervix. A HPV infection can lead to cervical cancer and therefor costs for the society. The implementation of a vaccination program against HPV is a way to avoid these costs. Aim: The study aimed to calculate the economic impact of the HPV- vaccination program for children in Sweden through a cost-benefit analysis. Method: In this analysis, status quo was compared with non-administration of the HPV-vaccine for the selected cohort of ten-years-old girls in Sweden.

The study aimed to investigate the acute medical chain consisting of SOS operator, ambulance nurse, emergency nurse and emergency physician with regard to the assessment and prioritization of the victim.The design of this journal study is retrospective with descriptive approach. Data were collected from all ambulance missions carried out in Uppsala county 2009-01-01 between the hours 00:00 to 12:00. Sample period was chosen because the prerequisite for high frequency on the ambulance mission was supposed to be good. In order to be able to systematize the compilation of data a protocol were prepared and used. Applicable data were collected from three databases SOS Alarms, ambulance operations, and the University Hospital in Uppsala.

Every year, pesticides are found in surface and ground waters in Sweden. Fungicides are in common usage and applied in high amounts against potato late blight. The present thesis examined the possible removal of four fungicides (metalaxyl, cyprodinil, propamocarb and mandipropamid) from water using the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris. Microorganisms are capable of decomposing a range of organic pollutants and the main focus in previously published studies has been on bacteria and fungi. Microalgae are mostly studied due to their high capacity in biosorbing heavy metals.

The project aimed to develop a protective and stabilizing insole called Trailplate for soft andlight shoes. The demand came primarily from off-road runners in France, Switzerland, andAustria. The project was carried out at Icebug, a company that develops shoes mainly forrough terrain. The main focus has been on the trailplate which is designed to fit severaldifferent shoes.Torsional stiffness and bending resistance were the main objectives. To improve the existinginsole, a material with the right features was required.

The depth-to-water-index (DTW-index) is derived from digital elevation models (DEM) to map soil wetness, in terms of distance from soil surface to the ground water table. The aim of this GIS based study was to investigate the existence of a relationship between DTW-index and forest site productivity (SP). The belief of such an assumed relationship was based on knowledge that the ground water level is related to site properties that can either promote or impede tree growth. Data primarily comprised rasters of the Krycklan catchment in northern Sweden and depicted DTW-index and a laser scanned vegetation height. The 100th height percentile of each pixel in the vegetation raster was assumed to mirror the top-height, letting it act as a relative measure of SP within a delineated area of equal stand age.

Swedish energy policy aims to increase the use of energy from renewable sources and this should be done in a safe, environmentally and sustainable manner. According to the Energy Agency the use bio-fuel increased by 73% between 1990 - 2006. Stands with high share of slash are often located on areas with high productivity which often are located on soils with poor bearing capacity. This will increase traffic on susceptible soil leading to increased ground damage. To reduce the risk of ground damage at slash-forwarding, ground protection is needed.

The requirements for operative planning activities are increasing. The forest industry wants to gain better control over wood flow. A felling that is more market adjusted is desirable. However, this causes problems in the operative planning process because of the data collection methods used today. Data about timber assortments and data about the distribution of the tree diameter, etc., are often lacking. Airborne laser scanning is used to a greater extent than before for estimation of forest variables and should perhaps be used to the same extent in operative planning activities as well.

Purpose: To evaluate how a treatment period on four weeks in a warm climate influences physical function, condition and the patient's experience of the climate effect of patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Method: 10 persons with a diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis went through four weeks of treatment on Centro Forestal Sueco, Marbella. The treatment consisted of both physical and theoretic lessons given of a rehabilitation team. All patients were examinated measured for physical function and condition before treatment, after two weeks and at the end of the treatment. To measure physical function, Timed-Stands Test, Timed Get Up and Go, The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index, Index of muscle function and functionestimitation of shoulder/arm were used.

Ever since the nation-state has existed identity has been a big deal, it is told that identity is a tool needed to be able to receive consensus from the people concerned on a certain matter. As the European Union is continuously shaped and reshaped due to changing geographical borders, as a consequence of new member-states the aim to integrate the Union equally across its surface has not been an easy task to solve. A lack of trust from the inhabitants in the European Union is a fact, and therefore the main duty of the Union has become to rebuild the trust from beginning to end, creating a Union which easily can be identified with. Since the process of national identity relies upon an excluding-including process and the use of the Other, the identification process on an European level has indeed had fierce effects on the inhabitants within and outside the Union.One of many things that this essay aims at showing is how mythmaking has become a way used by the elite in the Union to integrate a European identity, the myths refer back to a Golden Age when Europe was prosperous and in bloom. Among other tools used to integrate and create a European identity we find such as; unity in diversity, a cultural inheritance based on common denominators such as Christianity and Latin traditions, symbols and a European citizenship.

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.