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The focus of this work is on the development of new random field models and methods suitable for the analysis of large environmental data sets. A large part is devoted to a number of extensions to the newly proposed Stochastic Partial Differential Equation (SPDE) approach for representing Gaussian fields using Gaussian Markov Random Fields (GMRFs). The method is based on that Gaussian Matérn fie

The increasing demand for high data rates in wireless communication systems is increasing the requirements on the transceiver front-ends, as they are pushed to utilize more and wider bands at higher frequencies. The work in this thesis is focused on receiver front-ends composed of Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs), Mixers, and Voltage Controlled Oscillators (VCOs) operating at microwave frequencies. Tra

Despite advances in material science, computers and building technology, building failures related to building physics continue to occur. These failures range from a building not meeting its energy use target to a building causing people to become ill from exposure to various chemicals or biological organisms. These failures cost society considerable amounts of money each year and many of these fa

Since the introduction of the transistor and the integrated circuit, the semiconductor industry has developed at a remarkable pace. By continuously fabricating smaller and faster transistors, it has been possible to maintain an exponential increase in performance, a phenomenon famously described by Moore’s Law. Today, billions of transistors are integrated on a single chip and the size of a transi

A feasibility study of reliability theory as a tool for the assessment of present safety and residual service life of damaged concrete structures has been performed in order to find a transparent methodology for the assessment procedure. It is concluded that the current guidelines are open to interpretation and that the variation in the results obtained regarding the structural safety is too grea

The purpose of this thesis is to develop an increased understanding of strategic alliance processes. A specific aim has been to explore the trust processes involved, and to better understand the dynamics of the strategic alliance processes. The study includes socio-cultural elements and captures both the manager´s and the employee´s perspectives in everyday life. The theoretical discussions were b

Long-range transboundary air pollution generates pressing environmental problems such as the acidification of lakes and soils, forest decline and loss of biodiversity as well as threats to human health across Europe. The overall aim of this study is to explore the role of scientific expertise in environmental diplomacy by analyzing recent international agreements in the transboundary air pollution

In this thesis spectroscopic techniques have been used in the fields of analytical chemistry, environmental and medical applications. In analytical chemistry, laser induced fluorescence was used to image the separation of substances during capillary electrophoresis. Here, an optical fibre imaging technique facilitated a higher sensitivity compared with a lens imaging technique. The motion of the s

This thesis considers static and dynamic team decision problems in both stochastic and deterministic settings. The team problem is a cooperative game, where a number of players make up a team that tries to optimize a given cost induced by the uncertainty of nature. The uncertainty is modeled as either stochastic, which gives the stochastic team problem, or modelled as deterministic where the team

This dissertation explore young peoples will to become artists. A group of artstudents have been interviewed and severel questions are raised. How do the students perceive their artistry and their role as artists? In what way is artistic creation meaningful to them? What does the relationship between the individual project of becoming an artist and their societal participation look like? As artist

The effect of duration of ischaemia on final infarct size is well established in animal studies, but not fully evaluated in humans. Delayed contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DE-MRI) can be used to distinguish between viable and non-viable myocardium and thus to quantify infarct size. We therefore used DE-MRI to investigate how duration of ischaemia affects final infarct size normalized

Diesel engine developers are facing major challenges when meeting future demands on NOx and particulate emissions. The exhausts after treatment systems are rapidly improving and the technologies available in a few years will be capable of cutting emission levels close to the demanded levels. However, in order to reach the low emissions required in a long-lasting, cost effective way, the potential

The modeling work developed in this thesis can be divided in two main areas of investigations: autoignition related to spark ignition engine and combustion and emissions formation in relation to diesel engines. A first version of a detailed kinetics engine simulation program, extended to handle full cycle calculations, was employed in order to demonstrate the strong effect that nitric oxide from

A number of working children in several regions over the world are mobilising to fight for better working conditions and to gain their rights according to how they interpret the Child Rights Convention (UNCRC) from 1989. Despite the increasing focus on child participation, their approaches and their demands are in many aspects controversial and they are often met with suspicion among diverse actor

This dissertation discusses the personal implications of the early consequences of rheumatoid arthritis, how they effect the person's working life and how they are dealt with. In this qualitative study thematized interviews are used. Twenty-three persons, recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, were interviewed twice, two years apart. The study is influenced by an interactionist perspective

This study attempts to answer the question of why Laban the Aramean, a rather harmless character as presented in the biblical text, is generally portrayed in rabbinic literature as a major enemy of Jacob and Israel. It is argued that the portrait of Laban as a villain developed as a result of rabbinic hermeneutics, and that the characteristics which are attributed to him in rabbinic literature wer

The present thesis deals with the activation of CO2 by insertion reactions into palladium-carbon bonds. This has been realised for the complexes {2,6-bis[(di-t-butylphosphino)methyl]benzene}palladium(II)methyl [(PCP)PdMe] and (PCP)PdCH2CHCH2. These complexes have also been used in the catalytic carboxylation of ZnMe2 and Bu3SnCH2CHCH2. Because of trans influence the palladium-methyl bond is severe

The principal purposes of the studies reported in this thesis were to develop new methods to make computerised decision support systems in medicine both more reliable and fully automated. These aims were pursued in the belief that the solution to these problems will lead to an increased clinical use of such systems resulting in benefit to both patient and physician. In the first two studies, meth

Hazardous radioactive sources out of regulatory control are referred to as orphan sources. Focussing on gamma-emitting orphan sources, this thesis describes methods that can be used in mobile gamma-ray spectrometry to perform real-time discrimination between an actual source signal and the signal due to the natural radiation background. Two categories of methods for orphan source detection are pre

The current form-giving activity in industrial design is characterized by explorations that depend on the individual capability to mentally manipulate a solution space from which to select and express the intended result. Industrial designers frequently rely on artistic experimentation, aesthetic inspiration, or design briefs. These points of departure often result in satisfactory results, but the