This thesis has been carried out in cooperation with a company which develops mobile sensor platforms. The sensors measure different types of data such as temperature, pressure etc.. They will communicate through the internet with a server that stores data in a database. This system will be controlled and monitored through a web page. The project's aim has been to develop this system and to implement a server, a database, a website and a client application that simulates sensor signals.

The Annexin-V/propidium iodide (AV/PI) assay detects early membrane changes in spermatozoa and viability using flow cytometry. It is an objective method that evaluates a much larger number of single spermatozoa compared with the usual estimation of motility, the most commonly used method for routine sperm evaluation. In the present study four ejaculates from four stallions were used in a split-sample design to investigate whether and how the number of intact spermatozoa is affected over time and after incubation at different temperatures, either those recorded during shipment of stallion semen for AI (9 or 5°C) or room temperature (20°C). The Annexin-V results did not reflect the motility results that were monitored in parallel. While motility decreased over time, the number of spermatozoa with intact membranes (viable) remained unchanged for at least 21 hours following a short period of initial instability.

For several years Uppsala University together with several companies has been involved in a WISENET project aimed at improving railway transport security. By placing a sensor system near the wheels of each wagon, the temperature of the bearings can be measured and transmitted to a collector placed centrally on the wagon. This in turn transmits the collected data to RFID receivers placed intermittently along the railway.As the signals are transmitted wirelessly, problems may occur as the antennas get dirty or coated with ice and snow. To determine the effects of these coatings, several tests were performed examining the reflection coefficient S11, the impedance Z11 and the efficiency eta of an antenna, and how they varied when various coatings were placed over the antenna. Examined coatings were ice, snow and water to determine the effects of weather, and various metal-based coatings: powdered iron both pure and partially oxidized, and iron ore granules.

The world is in a stage of climate crisis where the average temperature is rising, with consequences such as, melting ice sheets, increasing sea levels, and floods. The climate panel of the UN, IPCC, has stated that this is a reaction of anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases. The most important gas is carbon dioxide, which contributes with 80 per cent to the on going climate crisis.The increasing emissions of carbon dioxide are connected to human consumption patterns. This puts pressure on the earth, as humans demand more and more resources. Today the earth needs one and a half year to regenerate the resources humans? demand of it, by the year 2030 we will need two planets in order to cope with this increasing demand of resources.At a global level it is established that richer countries have a stronger consumption pattern than poorer, and thus generate higher levels of carbon dioxide emissions.

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, OTEC, is a sustainable energy conversion technology that is not yet commercialized. OTEC is a technology that utilizes the temperature difference in oceans between the warm surface water and the cold water at 1 000 m depth to run a Rankine Cycle. This technology can produce electricity and provide synergies like fresh water, air conditioning and aquaculture. A simulation program for three alternative OTEC systems has been created in order to decide which OTEC system is most profitable; closed, open or hybrid system. In this simulation a production cost analysis is performed in order to investigate and decide which one of the three systems that has the lowest production cost. The production cost analysis also analyzes if the profitability is affected by the size of the facility. After these analyzes, the most profitable of the three different OTEC-systems is expanded by an installation of solar collectors in order to see if the thermal efficiency is improved. The result shows that the most profitable system varies with the size of the facility.

The interest in tiny wireless applications raises the demand for an integrated reference oscillator with the same performance as the macroscopic quartz crystal reference oscillators. The main challenge of the thesis is to prove that it is possible to build a MEMS based oscillator that approaches the accuracy level of existing quartz crystal oscillators. The MEMS resonator samples which Philips provides are measured and an equivalent electrical model is designed for them. This model is used in the simulations of the Pierce oscillator and the transresistance amplifier oscillator that are evaluated in this thesis. Finally the Pierce oscillator is implemented in the A BCD2 process and manufactured at Philips Semiconductors in Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

The aim of the study was to install a biogas system consisting of three tubular polyethylene biogas digesters at a rural household in Malawi and to evaluate the constructed biogas system with regards to relevant system parameters. The purpose was to evaluate if the technology is a possible solution to reduce deforestation and support Malawi in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The study was carried out in the southern part of Malawi in cooperation with the University of Malawi. Locally available materials were used to construct and install the system. Three different feed materials, cow, goat and a mix of cow and goat manure, were used in order to determine which one was best suited to utilise as a digester substrate. After the installation, measurements of temperature, pH, biogas production, biogas composition and system functionality were made. The results of the study show that a biogas system with tubular polyethylene biogas digesters can be successfully installed at a rural household and that the most suitable feed material is a mix of cow and goat manure.

Compressed air is an energy source that is widely used in today's trucks and buses.Compressor located next to the engine supplies the pneumatic system with the compressed air and is lubricated with the engine oil. Some of the oil follows the air flow in both liquid and solid phase. The solid phase, namely the carbon particles are created due to the high temperature in the compression chamber.Oil- and particles carryover softens and destroys the rubber material in the air valves and disturbs the mechanical function of various components in the pneumatic system. In order to reduce oil- and particles carryover is an Air Processing System (APS) set downstream the compressor.No method for establishment of oil- and particles carryover from the compressor exists at the moment. Therefore the filtration efficiency of APS is currently unknown.

A one-cylinder research engine has been used for studies with a Diesel Dual Fuel concept (DDF). DDF is a concept that utilizes a pilot diesel injection to ignite a homogenous natural gas/air mixture. Emissions and engine efficiency have been analyzed in an emission cycle called European Stationary Cycle (ESC) and the knock/pre-ignition problems with this type of engine have been investigated.At low and mid torque levels, an early diesel injection around 60 crank angles degrees (CAD) before top dead center (TDC) was used. At these loads raw NOxemissions was below EURO 6 level (0.2 g/kWh). NOxwas at EURO 5 level over the complete ESC without after treatment and with SCR at high loads it should be possible to reach EURO 6.One issue with DDF is the high HC emission levels.

Farmers are required to make sure that cattles basic needs are met, but still every year cases of neglect occur where the farmer has not complied within the animal welfare law and regulations. The aim of this study was to investigate how cattle are affected physically and behaviourally by neglect in the form of underfeeding, starvation and lack of sanitation, which animals are most vulnerable to the impact and what prospects they have to recover. The study was conducted as a literature study and the results show that these types of neglect have a large impact on the cattle welfare. Underfeeding and starvation causes physical changes leading to reduced milk production, reduced muscle mass, impaired immune function, poor reproductive performance and changes in rumen microflora leading to decreased number of microbes and pH change. Physical changes due to the lack of sanitation consist of increased vulnerability to hoof diseases and mastitis, burns, and increased sensitivity to temperature.

Mechanical ventilation is the most common type ofventilation in newly constructed office buildings. Therehas been an interest to utilize natural ventilationinstead of mechanical ventilation among architects andHVAC consultants in recent years. This is due to thesize of mechanical ventilation systems, which arespace consuming. The mechanical ventilation system isalso complex and requires maintenance. Furthermore,the fan uses a considerable amount of energy.

Sow shoulder lesions are a common form of decubital ulcers in sows. The wounds are often bilateral and affect both loose housed and restrained sows. In most cases shoulder lesions develop after farrowing and heal after weaning. Sows that once have had decubital ulcera are however more proned to develop new wounds after the next farrowing. The problem is multifactorial and a number of risk factors have been described, including body condition, body size, parity, time spent lying down, flooring, moisture, breed, body temperature and some herd factors. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the height of the tuber spina scapulae is a risk factor for the development of decubital ulcers.

Traffic accidents where wild animals are involved represents between 60 and 80 percent of all reported accidents, depending on location in Sweden. In a country like Sweden, with a lot of forest, there is always risk of a collision with a wild animal. Imagine if you, as a road user, had the possibility to receive warnings when the risk of an accident according to statistics is extra high.Wildlife Detection Network is a wildlife warning system with an information service, which makes the whole concept unique. When an animal is approaching the road, it is registered by sensors, and warning lights along the road are lit to inform drivers of the potential danger. In conclusion, this is a direct warning to all drivers on the road where the system is placed.When an animal is registered by the sensors, information containing time, date, weather circumstances and coordinates are sent to a database.

Serpula lacrymans infestation has become an increasingly common problem, and is usually perceived as a tip of an iceberg.During the 21st century there has been a perceived increase of damage caused by serpula lacrymans, at AB Mats Fransson Saneringstjänst ? Anticimex in the county of Kronoberg. A similar increase has also been noted by employees at the offices in Kalmar, Karlstad, Piteå, Stockholm, Malmö, Söderhamn, Halmstad and Visby.The methods used to collect data for the project has been interviews with a number, for the project, relevant key persons, such as analysis engineers at Trygghansa and Anticimex, as well as personnel at the botanical institution at Gothenburg University and the Botaniska Analysgruppen in Gothenburg, further statistics from SMHI and analyses of reported instances of infestations have been used.The majority of the people interviewed believe that the increase is caused by renovations of old houses, higher precipitation during the summer months, as well as a moister climate and warmer winters. The latter can also be gleaned from statistics from SMHI concerning temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity.Analysed damage reports show that the most common cause for the infestation is ground moisture, even when combined wooden materials.Older houses that where built around 1900 are the ones most frequently infested with serpula lacrymans. The part of the building most frequently infested is the foundation, where cellars and suspended foundation are the most common types to be infested.

I Sverige finns det ungefär 475 000 hektar skogsmark där den från Kanada introducerade contortatallen (Pinus contorta) utgör mer än 65 % av den totala grundytan. Genom aktiv skogsanläggning har P. contorta blivit Sveriges sjunde vanligaste trädart sett i ett volymmässigt perspektiv. Därför är det av stor vikt att ha god kännedom om hur arten sprider sig i det svenska skogsekosystemet. När P. contorta introducerades ansågs den sakna förmåga att självsprida sig (fröså sig), men senare visade det sig att andelen serotina kottar varierar mellan olika träd och att den kan självsprida sig på produktiv skogsmark. Resultatet av studien visar att P.