| 1. |
- Lindgren, Anna, 1972
(författare)
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Staten som trädgårdsmästare. Järnvägens planteringar från naturförsköningskonst till testamente
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Järnvägen är en av de innovationer som påverkat modern samhällsutveckling allra mest. När de första stambanorna började att byggas i mitten av 1800-talet anlades planteringar som en integrerad komponent i järnvägssystemet. De utgjordes av prydnadsplanteringar, skyddsplanteringar och planteringar för husbehov. Trots att dessa planteringar tog stora ytor och resurser i anspråk långt fram i tiden, har vi idag inte mycket kunskap om hur det kommer sig att de anlades och när synen på dem började att förändras. Syftet med avhandlingen är att analysera och diskutera vilka händelser och ideal som präglade uppbyggnaden och nedskärningen av den statliga järnvägens planteringsverksamhet i Sverige. Tidsmässigt omfattar studien två nedslag: uppbyggnadsfasen åren 1855–1875 och nedskärningsfasen åren 1955–1975. Arkivmaterial har lokaliserats genom att utgå från järnvägens organisation. Textanalys, med inspiration från diskursperspektiv och teorin om spårbundenhet, av arkivmaterial och litteratur har använts som metod. Med utgångspunkt från begreppen modernitet och plats diskuterar avhandlingen hur förändringen, från att planteringar var fundamentala inom järnvägssystemet till att de inte längre ingick i järnvägens anläggningar, kan förstås och förklaras. Avhandlingen visar att planteringar inkluderades i vad som ansågs vara nyttan med järnvägen och utgjorde en central del i de nya platser som anlades längs spåren. Järnvägens planteringar präglades under uppstartsfasen 1855–1875 av naturförsköningskonsten och nationsbygget som ideal. Organiseringen och samordningen av en planteringsverksamhet med trädskolor och trädgårdsmästare var grundläggande för verksamheten. Under nedskärningsfasen, 1955–1975, ledde den prestandainriktade vändningen till fokus på rationaliseringar och besparingar. Efterkrigstidens moderniseringsideal, en ny järnvägspolitik, bilen och skyndsamhetens ökade betydelse bidrog till att järnvägens roll minskade. Struktur, ordning, skönhet, framsteg och bildning uttrycktes inte längre på samma sätt med planteringar. Många platser övergick från att vara en arena att vistas i till en yta att passera. Hur idealen påverkade de materiella uttrycken och vad som ansågs vara modernitetbefrämjande diskuteras i avhandlingen. Den industriella moderniteten under 1800-talet motiverade anläggandet av järnvägsplanteringar. Högmoderniteten under 1900-talets andra hälft motiverade till en början nedskärningar och slutligen, år 1973, avveckling av plantskoleverksamheten och ändrade arbetsuppgifter för trädgårdsmästarna. Inför förändringarna togs så kallade testamenten fram i form av utredningar av befintliga planteringar med avsikten att flytta ansvaret från en central nivå till lokal nivå. I avhandlingen berörs även frågan om förändringarna som en bidragande orsak till dagens brist på gestaltade gröna ytor i järnvägsmiljöer.
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| 2. |
- Theodoridis, Dimitrios, 1987
(författare)
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Development constrained – Essays on land as a factor in nineteenth-century industrialization and trade
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This dissertation consists of an introductory chapter, four research essays and one essay that describes the collected dataset. The first essay examines how the balance of land embodied in British trade developed during the nineteenth century and provides the first all encompassing accounts on this topic. It is shown that the contribution of vertical expansion has been far larger than that of horizontal expansion. The former thereby contributed significantly more than the latter to overcoming British land constraints and fostering economic development throughout the nineteenth century. The second essay examines the contribution of colonies and colonialism in abolishing Britain’s land constraints. It is found that land embodied in trade from British colonial and former colonial territories represented the lion’s share of total land embodied in imports from overseas territories. The commodities that contributed the most to this process of territorial expansion were the European settlements in British North America and Australia. The results also provide circumstantial evidence that the institution of colonialism could have contributed to consolidating nineteenth-century industrial specialization by providing advantages additional to the terms of trade associated with factor endowments. The third essay provides a sustainability assessment of Britain’s socio-economic system during the nineteenth century, using the ecological footprint methodology. It is found that the economic development of the new industrial socio-economic system was already unsustainable during the period under study, and the socio-economic system thereby represented a system in overshoot. British society was consuming resources to an extent that other European late-industrializers would only reach approximately 100 years later. Additionally, the empirical evidence illustrates that the relationship between globalization, industrialization and sustainable development may be more dynamic and multifaceted than some previous research has assumed. The fourth essay performs a comparative analysis of agricultural productivity in Senegambia in relation to that found in the plantation complex in the Americas. The aim of the essay is to examine the region’s capacity to produce an agricultural surplus, and what implications this might have had for the transatlantic slave trade. It is found that differences in land productivity between Africa and the Americas were very large, indicating a very low agricultural productivity in Senegambia. It is argued in the essay that this low agricultural productivity also could have served as a motivation for the transatlantic slave trade.
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| 3. |
- Wallmann, Magdalena, 1976
(författare)
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Nitrogen Losses from a Clay-rich Soil used for Cereal Production in south-western Sweden
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Addition of fertiliser nitrogen (N) in crop production increases yields and protein contents, but all is not taken up by the crop. Instead, some of the N is lost to air and waters, contributing e.g. to climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, eutrophication and acidification. There is a need for a holistic perspective on different types of N losses, and also to include yield quantity and quality in the assessment of different mitigation options and treatments. This thesis combined the study of nitrous oxide emissions and N leaching with measurements and analysis of yields in five fertiliser treatments in cereal production. The fertiliser treatments were control (no fertiliser N added), mineral N as ammonium nitrates at two different rates (recommended and 50 % higher than recommended) and two organic N sources (biogas digestate and pig slurry). The plant available N input in organic fertilisers was between the two mineral N input rates. In the three years studied, the gap between N input and N in yield was always larger in the higher mineral N treatment, biogas digestate and pig slurry treatments than in the recommended mineral N treatment. Still, it was only the higher mineral N treatment that had significantly greater N leaching than the control, in two of the three years studied. The relatively low leaching in the organic fertiliser treatments, despite high N surpluses, appears to be an effect of ammonium fixation and adsorption to negatively charged clay particles. Emissions of nitrous oxide from the recommended mineral N treatment were close to the control, while all the three treatments with larger N surpluses had significantly higher emissions than the control. In the higher mineral N treatment, the great nitrous oxide emissions were associated with high nitrate concentrations in the drainage water. This was not the case in the biogas digestate and pig slurry treatments, and it could not be concluded whether the high emissions were driven by the addition of N, of degradable organic matter or a combination of both. However, a laboratory study on freeze-thaw related nitrous oxide emissions in the treatments with recommended mineral N rates and pig slurry indicated that the organic matter had a stimulating effect on nitrous oxide fluxes. For both N leaching and nitrous oxide emissions, post-season N losses dominated the annual budget. In relation to yield, N leaching was approximately equal from all fertilised treatments, while nitrous oxide emissions were lowest from the recommended mineral N treatment and greater for the higher mineral N, biogas digestate and pig slurry treatments. This study illustrates that, even if some circumstances, like high N access and wet conditions, in general increase the risks of both N leaching and nitrous oxide emissions, these two pathways of losses do not always go hand in hand. In this study, the discrepancy in responses was mostly an effect of ammonium fixation/adsorption and input of organic matter influencing the two pathways differently.
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| 4. |
- Berg, Christina, 1963
(författare)
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Influences on schoolchildren's dietary selection : focus on fat and fibre at breakfast
- 2002
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- One important aim of the Swedish Action Programme for Nutrition is to increase the consumption of dietary fibre and decrease fat intake. The currently available extensive range of fat-reduced and fibre-enriched foods makes these dietary practices possible, but also makes the selection of a health promoting diet more complex. This thesis aims to contribute to the understanding of psychosocial influences on schoolchildren?s food choice, with specific attention to fat and fibre content. The focus was on breakfast because typical Swedish breakfast foods are important sources of fat and fibre. The Theory of Planned Behaviour formed the theoretical basis of the studies. All pupils in the 5th, 7th and 9th grades in M?lndal municipality (N=1730) were asked to complete a questionnaire and a 7-day food record. Interviews were performed with 181 of those subjects. A picture-sort interview technique, the ?stacking box methodology?, was employed to describe perceptions and habitual choices. Assessing diets of children and adolescents is not an easy task. As in all dietary surveys, reporting and participation biases may exist. The present study using food records illustrates several such biases, which should be taken into consideration in the design, analysis and interpretation of future studies. The ?stacking box methodology? seems promising, and appeared to have some advantages compared to traditional methods. However, the two dietary assessment methods generally yielded similar results. Reduced-fat choices of milk and margarine were common, although a considerable number of subjects consumed full-fat products. When it comes to the consumption of bread and cereals, the low-fibre alternatives dominated. At the age of 11 as well as 15, children?s own attitudes and underlying beliefs were of importance for breakfast food choices, as was parental influence. Parents influenced food choice by controlling food availability, acting as models and encouraging the child to consume. The perceived parental norms supported dietary changes towards products with more fibre but not towards fat-reduced products. However, the perception of parents? own consumption seemed to favour consumption of fat-reduced milk. Participants? attitudes were associated with health beliefs as well as taste perceptions. In general, the results suggest that taste may be a barrier to the consumption of high-fibre products, while consumption of low-fat products appears to be impeded by health beliefs. Contrary to several other studies, the present results suggest that some aspects of young people?s dietary behaviour are related to their knowledge. Specifically, the choice of high-fibre products was associated with knowledge of fibre sources and the choice of fat-reduced milk products was associated with a positive attitude towards limited fat intake.
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| 5. |
- Böhler, Tom, 1955
(författare)
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Vindkraft, landskap och mening. En studie om vindkraft och människans rumsliga preferenser
- 2004
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The point of departure for this thesis is a core question in present-day environmental work, namely how to balance the conservation of nature against its utilisation. A wind power venture on a large scale energy production will, for instance, obviously have an impact on the natural scenery of the coastline. The overall aim of the thesis is to contribute to the understanding of how notions about the relationship between nature and society articulated in present-day environmental work influence what are regarded as possible solutions for tomorrow's sustainable society. The more specific aim is partly to better understand how conceptions of nature affect people's attitudes to wind power, and partly to understand how such attitudes are reproduced. The thesis is based on two different empirical studies. One consists of 26 interviews conducted during the period 1995-1997 with people who either through their work or idealistic interests have been regarded as being able to have some influence regarding the establishment of wind power along the west coast of Sweden. The other study is a textual analysis, conducted during 1999-2002, of a number of documents that in various ways take up the landscape of wind power. The study brings forward that the traditional distinction between nature and culture is still important, but that it is no longer a question of separating the natural from the cultural, but rather a question of separating what could be termed enjoyment landscape from industrial landscape. The study further brings forward that the care of cultural monuments, nature conservancy and physical planning form a powerful discursive coalition for the preservation of the landscape. The study also brings forward that in the discourse about wind power there are important aspects of landscapte that are marginalised. The debate about whether wind power should be used in a landscape or not, generally concerns aesthetics. Other important aspects such as the connection between local renewable energy production and global environmental responsibility are seldom taken up. Finally it is argued that the ambivalence manifested in some of the interviews concerning wind power should not primarily be regarded as resistance to wind power as such, but more as an expression of uncertainty about the direction in which society is moving.
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| 6. |
- Cronie, Ottmar, 1979
(författare)
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Modelling and Inference for Spatio-Temporal Marked Point Processes
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis deals with inference problems related to the growth-interaction process (GI-process). The GI-process is a continuous time spatio-temporal point process with dynamic interacting marks (closed disks), in which the immigration-death process (ID-process) controls the arrivals of new marked points as well as their potential life-times. The data considered are marked point patterns sampled at fixed time points and the main area of application of the GI-process is the dynamical modelling of the trees in forest stands. The parameters related to the development of the marks are estimated using the least-squares (LS) approach. The death rate, which is assumed to be a function of the mark sizes, and the arrival intensity and are estimated by (approximate) maximum likelihood (ML) methods. We also propose three edge correction methods for discretely sampled (marked) spatio-temporal point processes. The edge correction methods together with the LS approach are applied to fit the GI-process to a forest stand of Scots pines. We derive the transition probabilities of the (Markovian) ID-process, which form the likelihood function of its two parameters. We further reduce the ML-problem from two dimensions to one dimension. Given an equidistant sampling scheme and some conditions for the parameter space, we manage to prove the consistency and the asymptotic normality of the ML-estimators. The results are also evaluated numerically. Measurements of locations and radii at breast height (rbh) made at 3 different time points of the individual trees in 10 Swedish Scots pine stands, are modelled spatio-temporally by the GI-process. A new location assignment strategy and a more flexible function for the open-growth (growth in absence of competition) are suggested in order to improve the fit. A linear relationship is found between the site productivity index (fertility) and the sizes of the trees. This relationship is exploited in the estimation of the carrying capacity parameter (theoretical upper bound for the radii). We also test the goodness-of-fit of the fitted model in terms of prediction. By adding scaled continuous white noise to the mark growth equations, we obtain a system of stochastic differential equation (SDEs) for the mark growth. We consider the case where there is no interaction present and the mark SDEs are independent Cox-Ingersoll-Ross SDEs. Closed form expressions are available both for the transition densities and the stationary distributions. Under the assumption that the mark processes are stationary, consistency and asymptotic normality of the ML-estimators of the parameters are proved.
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| 7. |
- Djerf, Henrik
(författare)
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Invasive treatment for intermittent claudication - clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Intermittent claudication (IC) is caused by obstructive arterial lesions and is characterized by effort-induced pain in the lower extremity, limiting walking distance, and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The prevalence of IC is increasing due to the ageing of the population, and the consequences of the economic effects are a global problem. The walking impairment can be reduced by exercise. Despite the paucity of evidence regarding long-term benefit and cost-effectiveness, invasive revascularization is also often performed. We wanted to investigate whether invasive treatment for IC is safe with regard to procedure-related limb loss, whether it is cost-effective, and whether it has long-term clinical benefit compared to exercise only. The Swedvasc registry was used to identify all revascularizations performed in Sweden for IC between 2008 and 2012. Amputations were captured using the National Patient Registry (Paper I). Cost-effectiveness was analyzed in two prospective randomized trials, the IRONIC trial and a randomized trial investigating stenting of the superficial femoral artery in IC (papers II, III, and IV). The long-term clinical effect was analyzed in the IRONIC trial (paper III). HENRIK DJERF 5 We found a low rate of major amputations during the first year after revascularization for IC: 0.2% (Paper I). A liberal invasive treatment strategy was found to be more expensive than exercise advice only after two years of follow-up. Cost-effectiveness results were within the threshold of the Swedish national guidelines regarding willingness to pay (papers II and IV). Both the clinical benefit and the cost-effectiveness of a liberal invasive treatment strategy that were found after two years of follow-up was lost at five years (paper III). In conclusion, invasive revascularization of patients with IC appears to be safe in terms of limb outcome within the first post-procedural year. A liberal invasive treatment strategy was cost-effective compared to exercise alone after two years of follow-up. No clinical benefit, nor cost-effectiveness compared to exercise remained after five years. Future studies should aim at identifying IC subgroups that benefit the most from revascularization and exercise, respectively, in order to enhance the overall patient benefit from available treatment options.
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| 8. |
- Elam, Johanna
(författare)
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Microbial degradation of wooden foundation piles in urban context – causes and concerns
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Modern infrastructural projects can endanger historical piled foundations supporting cultural heritage buildings, as groundwork can affect the subsurface environment by lowering the local groundwater level and increasing oxygenation in the soil. Wooden foundation piles are thereby placed at risk, as the durability of buried wood material is dependent on a stable, waterlogged, and anoxic environment. In this thesis, microbial wood degradation is explored, both in historical wooden piles and in proxy samples deployed in field and laboratory experiments. Observed degradation rates by erosion bacteria and soft rot fungi are related to burial conditions, with the aim to identify environmental parameters that promote wood degradation rates. To explore the complex interactions, an interdisciplinary approach was taken, and considerable effort was placed on experimental design with a focus on ease of measurement. In conclusion, maintaining a high and stable groundwater level appears to be the best protective measure, along with covering soils to reduce evaporation. Implications for stakeholders during ongoing infrastructure work are summarized and ways in which to reduce the risk of increased wood degradation rates during construction are suggested. Further studies are proposed to develop a guide for best practice when performing groundwork in areas with wooden foundations that are sensitive to degradation.
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| 9. |
- Faust, Ellika
(författare)
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Crossing barriers: Genetic consequences of translocating wild cleaner fish for aquaculture
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Several species of fish show a symbiotic cleaning behaviour, where they assist other species by feeding and removing dead skin or ectoparasites. Some of these cleaner fish species are used as a low-cost parasite control in salmon aquaculture, often considered to be more environmentally friendly than other delousing methods. Approximately 54 million cleaner fish are annually used in Norwegian salmon farms. This has resulted in an increasing fishing pressure on wild cleaner fish populations. Together with long-distance translocation, this raises concerns of potential overfishing, anthropogenic introductions, and hybridisation. Recently, increasing numbers of corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops), have been reported in mid Norway, north of its described distribution range. This is an area heavily relying on the import and translocation of cleaner fish from Skagerrak-Kattegat, more than 1000 km away. Using genetic markers, I show that the new population is both a result of a northward range expansion, as well as a translocation of individuals from southern populations. Further investigation revealed that escapees and hybrids may constitute up to 20 % of the populations at the northern edge of the species distribution. In contrast, escapees and hybrids are rare in other parts along the Norwegian west coast, where salmon farming is also common. The set of genetic markers has a high power to detect escapees and hybrids, and can be applied to monitoring of wild populations. Investigations of corkwing wrasse in Skagerrak-Kattegat revealed reduced genetic diversity, a weak pattern of isolation by distance, and surprisingly little population structure. This suggests a very recent colonisation and high connectivity among sites in this region. Along the Swedish west coast, I evaluate the potential effects of the newly established wrasse fishery on local ecosystems and populations, and provide a baseline to support ecosystem-based management for wrasse fisheries in Sweden. I also investigate the genetic population structure of lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) across the Atlantic, which is the most commonly used cleaner fish species. I show that there is a lot more structure than previously known, and identify eight genetically divergent regions. Hierarchical analysis of these regions demonstrates additional local and cryptic substructure. The genetic markers used her can also be applied for management of wild lumpfish populations and the identification of population origin. Overall, these findings provide important information both for aquaculture management and conservation of wild populations, and have implications for the increasing use and translocation of cleaner fish for parasite control in aquaculture. Moving genetic material between isolated populations could drastically alter the genetic composition and erode population structure, potentially resulting in loss of local adaptation and hampering natural range expansion. Although the ecological and evolutionary significance of escapees warrants further investigation, these results should be taken into consideration in the use of translocated cleaner fish.
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| 10. |
- Franzén, Anders, 1965
(författare)
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Skiftenas skede: laga skiftets handlingar som källmaterial för byggnadshistoriska studier med exempel från Småland 1828-1927
- 2008
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis evaluates the archive records created in connection with the Swedish agricultural reform known as the Laga Skifte, the legislation for which was in force between 1828 and 1927. That legislation applied to the greater part of the country, but the analytical areas for the present these are located in the province of Småland. My main purpose is to investigate whether, and if so how, Laga Skifte documents can provide new information for settlement history research. In particular, over and above a basic source-critical discussion of the nature and reliability of the material, my interest focuses on two areas. Firstly, I analyse the different types of information which can be extracted from the source material, focusing on buildings and building. In this context the source character of Laga Skifte documents is discussed in relation to the character of other sources. Secondly, I explore the ability of the source material to shed light on relocations resulting from the Laga Skifte. The study is above all concerned with two questions, namely which households were obliged to move and which agents played a part in the work which relocation involved. Three case studies are presented, by way of testing the reliability of the Laga Skifte records as a historical source. Very often the data in the different sources concur, and I take this to mean that the Laga Skifte records contain reliable information. In certain cases, though, this congruence is lacking. When the sources do not provide similar data, I class this as omissions, inconsistencies or contradictions. I also examine the feasibility of using Laga Skifte records as a principal source for studies in vernacular architecture. A broad picture of the history of farm buildings is given, based on the Laga Skifte records. Each area of analysis is studied separately to begin with, using the building categories occurring on the farms. The investigation ends with two summaries. One of them is a synthesis of settlement, contrasting the characters of the different areas of analysis. The province of Småland, which has previously been portrayed as fairly uniform, turns out to include many different types of settlement. The second summary is a concrete comparison with previous research, and through this the potentialities and weaknesses of the Laga Skifte records can be made clear. One chapter considers the information obtainable from the Laga Skifte records as to which households are relocated on account of the Laga Skifte and which agents take part in the relocations. Previous research argues that small farmers with poor buildings had to move out of the hamlets in connection with the Laga Skifte. My studies show that this was commonly the case but that there were many exceptions. I open my discussion of who participated in relocations by considering the concept of day-works. Basically, they can be divided up into skilled day-works, done by professional craftsmen, and less skilled day-works which could be performed by the common man. Generally speaking, I conclude from the relocation costing estimates that unskilled day-works predominate in the early, pre-1850 redistributions, but that bricklayer day-works also occur. Bricklayers took part in the construction of chimneys and hearths for dwelling houses. After the mid-19th century it becomes common for other craftsmen also to be involved in house removals. Rural building, in other words, appears to undergo a gradual process of professionalisation. A time-geographic study shows the time of year when building work was done, and suggests that the households in a hamlet were in a position to do much of the work of relocation themselves. Any external manpower engaged comes from the vicinity, i.e. from within the parish. A surviving day-work ledger compiled during the relocation of a hamlet in about 1880 suggests that relocation assistance was rendered by the neighbouring households and that external labour was used mainly for the skilled operations involved.
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