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Sustainability has long been serving dominant political and economic interests under the guise of sustainable development. This political and economic co-option of sustainable development has given rise to a new slogan: “system change, not climate change”. Our crisis is no longer just an environmental one, but a structural one, in which our means of living have outdistanced the ends for which we l
The incineration furnace at National Veterinary Institute (SVA) in Uppsala, Sweden, runs approximately 2,150 hours a year and generates a large amount of waste heat. Some of this heat is partially recovered, and is used for heating one of the main buildings during the furnace operation. However, around 2,000 MWh is wasted annually due to unavailability of any storage system. This wasted heat is ap
The striatum is the main input nucleus of the basal ganglia. Striatal subregions, which play different roles in motor functions, receive inputs from different cortical regions. Regulation of synaptic plasticity at the level of corticostriatal synapses is believed to underlie habit formation and motor learning. Alteration of plasticity at the level of corticostriatal synapses has been associated wi
This thesis examines the phenomena of third-party enforcement in public international law, in a historical as well as in a contemporary perspective. To that end, it traces the role of such enforcement measures from the past into the present. It also studies the potential discrepancies between current unilateral sanctions and the recent changes experienced by international law at large. Two legal m
Water scarcity is increasing across different geographical regions of Vietnam. Central drivers of scarcity include population growth and climate change which increase demand and sectoral competition. The legal system is keeping pace to address this trend, but gaps remain in terms of implementation and enforcement. This purpose of this study was to improve the understanding of those gaps via polyce
The decrease in fertility rate has become an increasingly pressing matter worldwide. This research employed the Copenhagen School-rooted theory of securitization in analyzing the discourse on falling fertility rates within South Korea’s defense white papers from 2012 to 2022. In contrast to the mainstream security studies, the argument is that state-specific fertility rates can be considered a thr
This thesis explores various aspects of urban design and societal factors that contribute to creating child-friendly environments. The study begins by examining child-friendly design, emphasizing the significance of considering children’s needs in urban planning. Following this, a city-wide analysis of Reykjavík is conducted, exploring the swimming pool culture, the preschool and school system, an
The construction sector is responsible for high energy consumption and large emissions of carbon dioxide, which is strongly linked to building materials. Within the European Union, the construction sector generates more than a third of all waste and circular economy is considered as a suitable approach to tackle these challenges. Furthermore, the need for renewable energy sources has increased, wi
Forensic sexual assault samples typically contain a mixture of a small quantity of sperm cells and a high quantity of epithelial cells. This relationship complicates the generation of a DNA profile, which prompts the need for differential lysis and extraction of the DNA. Differential extraction is a lengthy method that includes multiple tube transfers and requires a purification step. Amicon Ultra
We are facing a continuous increase in humanitarian crises. All humanitarian emergencies affect People in Need differently. The wish for a more inclusive picture of the affected people suitable for humanitarian response is becoming more significant. The concept of intersectionality, in the sense of Crenshaw, promises to add precisely this perspective to humanitarian response. With the help of meth
This master’s thesis explores the sustainability and the circularity of industrial packaging of components for complex electronic products. The research aims to gain insight into the structure of the packaging system between the suppliers and the manufacturers (EMS) and evaluate its circularity to identify the opportunities and challenges for future improvement. The study examines the packaging
This master’s thesis explores the sustainability and the circularity of industrial packaging of components for complex electronic products. The research aims to gain insight into the structure of the packaging system between the suppliers and the manufacturers (EMS) and evaluate its circularity to identify the opportunities and challenges for future improvement. The study examines the packaging fo
This research aims to investigate the motivational aspects of gamification elements on the in-ter-organizational knowledge-sharing platform, Stack Overflow. The study addresses the gaps in existing research by providing an in-depth analysis of gamification elements' effects and exploring top contributors' motivation to share knowledge. It follows a qualitative approach, conducting semi-str
BackgroundVariants within the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 gene are recognized as the most frequent genetic cause of Parkinson's disease. Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 variation related to disease susceptibility displays many features that reflect the nature of complex, late-onset sporadic disorders like Parkinson's disease. MethodsThe Genetic Epidemiology of Parkinson's Disease Consortium recently
When flying through narrow spaces, insects control their position by balancing the magnitude of apparent image motion (optic flow) experienced in each eye and their speed by holding this value about a desired set-point. Previously, it has been shown that when bumblebees encounter sudden changes in the proximity to nearby surfaces - as indicated by a change in the magnitude of optic flow on each si
Haemophilus influenzae protein E (PE) is a multifunctional adhesin, involved in direct interactions with lung epithelial cells and host proteins, including plasminogen and the extracellular matrix proteins vitronectin and laminin. We recently crystallized PE and successfully collected X-ray diffraction data to 1.8 Å. Here we solved the structure of a recombinant version of PE and analyzed differen
Background: In audiologic practice, complementary information sources and access to the clinician between appointments improve information retention and facilitate adjustment behaviors. An Internet-based support system is a novel way to support information sharing and clinician access. Purpose: This research forum article describes the process of developing an Internet-based support system for aud
Most known starfish species possess a compound eye at the tip of each arm, which, except for the lack of true optics, resembles an arthropod compound eye. Although these compound eyes have been known for about two centuries, no visually guided behaviour has ever been directly associated with their presence. There are indications that they are involved in negative phototaxis but this may also be go
Women in the UK prefer the faces of men with low levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and the relationship is moderated by the sex hormone testosterone. In a Latvian sample, however, women's preferences were not affected by cortisol, and the interaction with testosterone differed from that of the UK. To further explore cross-cultural variation in preferences for facial cues to sex- and stress-ho
