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| 2. |
- Klintenberg, Patrik
(författare)
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More Water, Less Grass? : An assessment of resource degradation and stakeholders’ perceptions of environmental change in Ombuga Grassland, Northern Namibia
- 2007
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The objectives of this thesis are to assess: to what degree have natural resources deteriorated in a grazing area in northern Namibia, how do perceptions of environmental change held by local stakeholders there, correspond to scientific assessments, and how do these relate to national estimates? Analysis of the process of developing national indicators for monitoring of land degradation concluded that specific indicators should be developed on national level, and in some instances even on local level as there are no universal causes of land degradation. According to farmers overgrazing and low rainfall since the early 1990s cause negative environmental changes in the study area, partly confirming findings from national monitoring. Results also suggest that: less grazing outside the study area, improved access, permanent water supply, and fencing of large areas, also contributed. Results show that improved water supply was the most important factor. Investigation of the influence of permanent water points on grazing resources showed that perennial grasses are replaced by less palatable annual grasses as far as 6 km from water points along a water pipeline. No significant grazing induced changes in grass composition were observed around privately owned wells. Private ownership seems to be a key factor preventing over-utilization of grazing resources around the latter. A remote sensing study using Landsat TM imagery identified bare ground, saltpans and grassland with a fair accuracy. Separation of woodland from shrubland and shrubland from grassland was less accurate using supervised classification. The results show that the soil adjusted vegetation index provides valuable information about variations of green biomass over time in semi-arid environments. However, it is suggested that satellite based investigations should be supported by thorough ground based assessment due to the influence of underlying soil in this environment.
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| 3. |
- Kim, Jae-Kwang, 1978, et al.
(författare)
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Electrochemical properties of a full cell of lithium iron phosphate cathode using thin amorphous silicon anode
- 2014
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Ingår i: Solid State Ionics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-2738. ; 268:Part B, s. 256-260
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Carbon-coated lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4/C) with uniform carbon coating was synthesized by a mechanical activation method. Silicon negative electrode material was obtained in the form of thin films of amorphous silicon on a Cu foil substrate by vertical deposition technique. The electrochemical performance of the full cell, LiFePO4/C-Si, was tested with 1 M LiPF6 in EC/DMC at 0.5 and 1 C-rates. The cell exhibited an initial discharge capacity of 143.9 mAh g(-1) at 0.5 C-rate at room temperature. A reasonably good cycling performance under a high current density of 1 C-rate could be obtained with the full cell.
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| 4. |
- Lee, Mary R., et al.
(författare)
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The novel ghrelin receptor inverse agonist PF-5190457 administered with alcohol: preclinical safety experiments and a phase 1b human laboratory study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Molecular Psychiatry. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 1359-4184 .- 1476-5578. ; 25:2, s. 461-475
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rodent studies indicate that ghrelin receptor blockade reduces alcohol consumption. However, no ghrelin receptor blockers have been administered to heavy alcohol drinking individuals. Therefore, we evaluated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic (PK), pharmacodynamic (PD) and behavioral effects of a novel ghrelin receptor inverse agonist, PF-5190457, when co-administered with alcohol. We tested the effects of PF-5190457 combined with alcohol on locomotor activity, loss-of-righting reflex (a measure of alcohol sedative actions), and on blood PF-5190457 concentrations in rats. Then, we performed a single-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject human study with PF-5190457 (placebo/0 mg b.i.d., 50 mg b.i.d., 100 mg b.i.d.). Twelve heavy drinkers during three identical visits completed an alcohol administration session, subjective assessments, and an alcohol cue-reactivity procedure, and gave blood samples for PK/PD testing. In rats, PF-5190457 did not interact with the effects of alcohol on locomotor activity or loss-of-righting reflex. Alcohol did not affect blood PF-5190457 concentrations. In humans, all adverse events were mild or moderate and did not require discontinuation or dose reductions. Drug dose did not alter alcohol concentration or elimination, alcohol-induced stimulation or sedation, or mood during alcohol administration. Potential PD markers of PF-5190457 were acyl-to-total ghrelin ratio and insulin-like growth factor-1. PF-5190457 (100 mg b.i.d.) reduced alcohol craving during the cue-reactivity procedure. This study provides the first translational evidence of safety and tolerability of the ghrelin receptor inverse agonist PF-5190457 when co-administered with alcohol. PK/PD/behavioral findings support continued research of PF-5190457 as a potential pharmacological agent to treat alcohol use disorder.
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| 5. |
- Parinder, Ann, 1957
(författare)
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Ungdomars matval – erfarenheter, visioner och miljöargument i eget hushåll
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of this thesis is to increase the knowledge of how young people, who have recently formed their own household, reason about and present their food choices. The study sheds light on the process the young people become a part of when food choices are made and food habits established. Additionally, light is shed on young people’s reasoning about their choices of food, their previous experiences and how they envision the future. The starting point has been how the young people present their food choices in relation to ethical standpoints, particularly with respect to the environment and climate. A central interest of the thesis has been to study young people’s households from a Home Economics perspective. In order to analyse and shed light on young people’s considerations and individual reflections when facing different choices, Archer’s (2003, 2007) “internal conversation” has been used. The empirical material, which comes from a 3-year study, included 51 young people who were studying, 19 of whom participated during all three years. The young people were aged 15 to 23 and had recently formed their own household. The methods used during the fieldwork included questionnaires, written reflections and participant observations as well as individual and group conversations. In addition, 23 young people photo documented their choices of food during a period of one week. The conversations were based on a guide where the young people’s perspective on the choice of food was central. The empirical material provided the prerequisites for the subsequent analysis. The results show that when the young people formed their own household, previously self-evident norms were questioned, opportunities for acquiring new standpoints arose and alternatives in the everyday food choices were found. Ethical, sensory, economical, health-related, social and knowledge-related aspects influenced in different ways the food choices. Daily routines and rituals were created and considerations concerning ethics, taste, social activities, time aspects and a desire to change the food repertoire influenced the choices. The results show clearly how the young people acted in several food arenas and navigated in order to create a functioning everyday life. Usually, ethical standpoints regarding the environment and climate varied and were taken more or less into account when choosing food. All felt that environmentally and climate friendly food choices were important and that in the future, it would be necessary to take this into account when choosing food. In conclusion, the study shows that when young people moved from a familiar life to their own household where they have to take responsibility and where habits and routines are established, they are open to change and to outside influences. Furthermore, they strive for a normative and pragmatic organisation of their food choices.
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| 6. |
- Kim, Duck Young, 1974-
(författare)
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Ab initio Lattice Dynamics : Hydrogen-dense and Other Materials
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis presents a theoretical study of materials under high pressure using ab initio lattice dynamics based on density functional theory and density functional perturbation theory using both super-cell and linear response approach. Ab initio lattice dynamics using super-cell approach is applied to compare our theoretical predictions with experimental findings. Phonon dispersion curves of fcc α-γ cerium are calculated and compared with inelastic X-ray scattering data. Pressure dependency of phonon density of states in two cubic phases TiO2 allows us to assign the observed cubic phase in experiments to be of fluorite rather than pyrite structure. Dynamical stability of cotunnite TiO2 phase at low pressure can explain the observed quenching phenomena in experiments. Our calculated O2 vibron mode in both ε-ζ phases of solid oxygen supports the hypothesis that both phases are iso-structural. Hydrogen-dense materials attract great attention not only because they open a path to study phenomena related to metallization (superconductivity) of solid hydrogen but also because they are closely related to important industrial applications (hydrogen storage). Using linear response method, we find that metallic fcc-AlH3 is dynamically stabilized in the range of 72-106 GPa and can persist at ambient pressure if finite temperature effects are considered. For SiH4, we test dynamical stability, Raman spectra, zero point energy, and utilize GW calculations for self energy correction. We find that a metallic tetragonal phase of SiH4 can be assigned to the experimentally observed one. Our ab initio lattice dynamics calculations based on density functional perturbation theory predict that fcc-YH3 is a pressure-induced superconductor with a high transition temperature of 40 K at 17.7 GPa. With increasing pressure this material undergoes a superconductor-metal-superconductor transition and the underlying mechanism of this transition can simultaneously explains also the observed metal-insulator transition at 25 GPa in YH3-δ.
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| 7. |
- Kim, Kyung Ho, 1984, et al.
(författare)
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Chemical Sensing with Atomically Thin Platinum Templated by a 2D Insulator
- 2020
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Ingår i: Advanced Materials Interfaces. - : Wiley. - 2196-7350. ; 7:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Boosting the sensitivity of solid‐state gas sensors by incorporating nanostructured materials as the active sensing element can be complicated by interfacial effects. Interfaces at nanoparticles, grains, or contacts may result in nonlinear current–voltage response, high electrical resistance, and ultimately, electric noise that limits the sensor read‐out. This work reports the possibility to prepare nominally one atom thin, electrically continuous platinum layers by physical vapor deposition on the carbon zero layer (also known as the buffer layer) grown epitaxially on silicon carbide. With a 3–4 Å thin Pt layer, the electrical conductivity of the metal is strongly modulated when interacting with chemical analytes, due to charges being transferred to/from Pt. The strong interaction with chemical species, together with the scalability of the material, enables the fabrication of chemiresistor devices for electrical read‐out of chemical species with sub part‐per‐billion (ppb) detection limits. The 2D system formed by atomically thin Pt on the carbon zero layer on SiC opens up a route for resilient and high sensitivity chemical detection, and can be the path for designing new heterogenous catalysts with superior activity and selectivity.
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| 8. |
- Parida, Vinit, et al.
(författare)
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Integrating Resources and Capabilities for Improved Front-End Operational Competitive Advantage
- 2016
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The front-end phase is the early phase of new product development (NPD), which starts with an idea for a new product, and ends when the firm has developed a robust product concept (Khurana and Rosenthal, 1997). Numerous studies recognize the importance of front-end for successful NPD (Cooper and Kleinschmidt, 1987; Florén and Frishammar, 2012). However, prior research has shown that early NPD often has a dynamic and interactive nature and consists of complex information processing, ad hoc decision-making, and conflicting organizational pressures caused by high degrees of complexity and uncertainty (Akbar and Tzoukas, 2013; de Brentani and Reid, 2012). This leads to operational challenges such as missteps, time delays, and product failure in the front-end (Goldenberg et al., 2001). Although the literature on the subsequent NPD phases is strong and well developed (see e.g. Brown and Eisenhardt, 1995; Cooper et al., 2002), practical insights are still short about how firms achieve proficient management of operations in the front-end phase. In fact, most prior studies have proposed laundry lists of successful factors (Khurana and Rosenthal, 1997), but provide limited insights into unique resources and capabilities critical to operations. Building on the resource-based view (Barney, 1991), we undertake an explorative study to identify such unique resources and capabilities that enable front-end operational competitive advantages. More importantly, we also investigate how resources and capabilities interact and jointly provide different operational advantages in front-end of NPD.
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| 9. |
- Solis-Montero, L., et al.
(författare)
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Does the morphological fit between flowers and pollinators affect pollen deposition? An experimental test in a buzz-pollinated species with anther dimorphism
- 2017
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Ingår i: Ecology and Evolution. - 2045-7758. ; 7:8, s. 2706-2715
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Some pollination systems, such as buzz-pollination, are associated with floral morphologies that require a close physical interaction between floral sexual organs and insect visitors. In these systems, a pollinator's size relative to the flower may be an important feature determining whether the visitor touches both male and female sexual organs and thus transfers pollen between plants efficiently. To date, few studies have addressed whether in fact the fit between flower and pollinator influences pollen transfer, particularly among buzz-pollinated species. Here we use Solanum rostratum, a buzz-pollinated plant with dimorphic anthers and mirror-image flowers, to investigate whether the morphological fit between the pollinator's body and floral morphology influences pollen deposition. We hypothesized that when the size of the pollinator matches the separation between the sexual organs in a flower, more pollen should be transferred to the stigma than when the visitor is either too small or too big relative to the flower. To test this hypothesis, we exposed flowers of S.rostratum with varying levels of separation between sexual organs, to bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) of different sizes. We recorded the number of visits received, pollen deposition, and fruit and seed production. We found higher pollen deposition when bees were the same size or bigger than the separation between anther and stigma within a flower. We found a similar, but not statistically significant pattern for fruit set. In contrast, seed set was more likely to occur when the size of the flower exceeded the size of the bee, suggesting that other postpollination processes may be important in translating pollen receipt to seed set. Our results suggest that the fit between flower and pollinator significantly influences pollen deposition in this buzz-pollinated species. We speculate that in buzz-pollinated species where floral morphology and pollinators interact closely, variation in the visitor's size may determine whether it acts mainly as a pollinator or as a pollen thief (i.e., removing pollen rewards but contributing little to pollen deposition and fertilization).
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| 10. |
- Choe, Yonhyok
(författare)
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Utbildning och lobbyism i Sverige : En hypotetisk studie av Immanuel Kants idé om förstånd och upplysning
- 2021
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Ingår i: Surveyjournalen. - : Linnaeus University. - 2001-9327. ; 8:1, s. 27-37
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Synen på lobbyism är kluven mellan olika samhällsgrupper. Artikelns huvudhypotes om att de högutbildade skulle vara mer positiva till lobbyismen är grundad på Immanuel Kants och moderniseringsskolans definition av upplysning. Denna studie använder sig av frågor avsedda för mätning av inställning till lobbyism. Analysen stödjer hypotesen om sambandet mellan utbildningoch lobbyism. Moderniseringsskolans hypotes om utbildningens positiva effekt på inställning till lobbyism får därmed stöd av resultaten. Studien visar att den positiva synen på lobbyism är vanligare hos personer med hög utbildning än den motsatta gruppen, men skillnaden är dock intesubstantiell. Tidigare forskning som påstår att det föreligger ett negativt samband mellan förtroende för lobbyister och utbildningsnivå måste ifrågasättas. Moderniseringsskolans tes är avsedd för inställning till lobbyism som kommunikationskanal och inte för förtroende för professionella lobbyister som en yrkesgrupp. Mer teoretiskt och metodologiskt förankradforskning kan ge oss mer fördjupade förståelser av lobbyismens roll och dess betydelse i ett pluralistiskt samhälle. Moderniseringsskolans- och Kants begrepp om förstånd och upplysning bör omprövas med nya empiriska material av ex-politikers lobbyistverksamheter och deras moral för demokratins funktionssätt.
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