This thesis focuses on how district heating utilities may work with fault handling in customer installations as a tool to reduce their return temperature levels. Reduced return temperatures would make it possible to improve the efficiency of the district heating systems and decrease their environmental impact. Faults in the customer installations cause high return temperatures that increase the re

Introduction: Occupational balance (OB) is an important concept in occupational therapy and is considered as an essential component of health and well-being. The aim of this study was to show differences in OB and quality of life (QoL) between mothers of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and typically developing children. Methods: Thirty-six mothers of children with CP and 36 mothers of typically

For aquatic scientists mesocosm experiments are important tools for hypothesis testing as they offer a compromise between experimental control and realism. Here we present a new mesocosm infrastructure—SITES AquaNET—located in five lakes connected to field stations in Sweden that cover a ~760 km latitudinal gradient. SITES AquaNet overcomes major hindrances in aquatic experimental research through

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the influence of transgingival compared with submerged healing on peri-implant bone maintenance around a novel, fully tapered implant in a healed crestal ridge in minipigs. Materials and methods: In each of 12 minipigs, two implants (Straumann® BLX, Roxolid® SLActive®, Ø 3.75 × 8 mm) were placed. Implants were either left for submerged or for transgi

Accurate age data are essential for reliable fish stock assessment. Yet many stocks suffer from inconsistencies in age interpretation. A new approach to obtain age makes use of the chemical composition of otoliths. This study validates the periodicity of recurrent patterns in25 Mg,31 P,34 K,55 Mn,63 Cu,64 Zn,66 Zn,85 Rb,88 Sr,138 Ba, and208 Pb in Baltic cod (Gadus morhua) otoliths from tag–recaptu

Introduction: This post hoc analysis of the “Early MAXimization of bronchodilation for improving COPD stability” (EMAX) trial investigated whether patients achieving early clinically important improvement (CII) sustained longer-term improvements and lower risk of clinically important deterioration (CID). Methods: Patients were randomized to umeclidinium/vilanterol, umeclidinium, or salmeterol for

This thesis mainly describes our efforts towards the study of the quantum interference of electronic conductance and thermoelectric properties in molecular junctions. Chapter 1 introduces the concepts of the charge transport in single-molecule junctions, include the electrical conductivity and thermopower which are the main parameters to assess the efficiency of the single-molecule junctions. Chap

Image-based analysis of breast tumour growth rate may help optimize breast cancer screening and diagnosis. It may improve the identification of aggressive tumours and suggest optimal screening intervals. Virtual clinical trial (VCT) is a simulation-based method used to evaluate and optimize medical imaging systems and design clinical trials. Our work is motivated by desire to simulate multiple scr

Objective: To describe perioperative adverse events, fertility and obstetric outcome, following a robot assisted laparoscopic approach for treating Cesarean scar pregnancies (CSP). Study Design: A retrospective case series of 14 consecutive women with a CSP and a wish for and attempts towards subsequent pregnancies, having undergone minimal invasive surgical treatment at two tertiary referral Swed

The literature on sustainable tourism is scant, particularly in the least developed countries. Very few studies touch upon the concept and no holistic theoretical or conceptual frameworks around the idea of sustainable tourism have been formulated. This study aims at exploring the role of tour operators in developing sustainable tourism in Pakistan and how the tour operators (TOs) conceive their r

Ett ekologisk, ekonomiskt och socialt hållbart nyttjande av jordens resurser är en viktig förutsättning för en hållbar samhällsutveckling och inte minst för vår förmåga att tackla och anpassa oss till aktuella och framtida utmaningar, såsom klimatförändringar eller pandemier. En av de stora frågorna kopplat till detta är markanvändningen: Hur vi ska använda våra begränsade markresurser, så att vi

This article addresses issues surrounding the social construction of internet addiction, focusing on conceptualisations of reality, escape, hope, and time. Drawing on a critical realist account of semiosis, the framing of internet addiction in China is analysed using the documentary film Web Junkie as an empirical pivot and point of departure. A contextual overview of relations, interests, and ten

Air pollution causes premature mortality and morbidity globally, but these adverse health effects occur over proportionately in low-and middle-income countries. Lack of both air pollution data and knowledge of its spatial distribution in African countries have been suggested to lead to an underestimation of health effects from air pollution. This study aims to measure nitrogen oxides (NOx), as wel

While there is much debate on transformative change among academics and policymakers, the discussion on how to govern such change is still in its infancy. This article argues that transformative governance is needed to enable the transformative change necessary for achieving global sustainability goals. Based on a literature review, the article unpacks this concept of transformative governance. It