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This thesis explores BDSM as a socially embedded, ethically complex, and transformative practice situated at the intersection of intimacy, power, and identity. Drawing on qualitative data from an anonymous online survey of thirty-eight BDSM practitioners, the study analyzes how power, consent, performance, and rituals function both as personal expressions and as practices shaped by broader social
This study investigates the impacts of rural tourism on the livelihoods of communities in the Sigiriya region of Sri Lanka, a UNESCO World Heritage site celebrated for its cultural and natural heritage. Adopting a qualitative case study approach, it integrates the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF) and Dependency Theory to examine both the developmental opportunities and structural constraint
Obstetric violence, also known as mistreatment or abuse during childbirth, is gaining recognition in the reproductive justice and global health arenas. Research to date has underscored its global prevalence, long-lasting impacts on individuals, and contributing forms of structural and gendered violence. However, attention is lacking on how discourses about obstetric violence are constructed and di
Vatten är en livsviktig men samtidigt alltmer omstridd resurs, särskilt i områden där ekologisk sårbarhet möter konkurrerande socioekonomiska behov. Denna avhandling analyserar styrningsdynamiken inom Machángara Watershed Conservation Committee i Cuenca, Ecuador – en flerpartsplattform där offentliga institutioner, lokala myndigheter, akademin och sektoriella aktörer samverkar för att skydda ett kWater is an essential yet increasingly contested resource, particularly in regions where ecological vulnerability intersects with competing socio-economic demands. This thesis examines the governance dynamics of the Machángara Watershed Conservation Committee in Cuenca, Ecuador — a multi-stakeholder platform bringing together public institutions, local governments, academia, and sectoral actors to
Since the country’s graduation from the United Nations Least Developed Countries (UNLDC) list in 2015, there has been a sharp drop in foreign aid inflows in Bangladesh, whichforced many NGOs to reconsider their business models in managing organizational operatingfinances. This study identifies that development-NGOs are confronted with multiple internaland external challenges like decreased commitm
This study examines determinants of child marriage among women in Zimbabwe using data from the 2015 Demographic and Health Survey and the 7th wave of the World Values Survey. The purpose is to assess the effect that individual-level empowerment, and community-level social norms have on child marriages in Zimbabwe, testing if: H1 Higher levels of empowerment on an individual level is associated wit
Background.In some regions, including the Baltic Sea, fatty fish such as salmon and herring contain high levels of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans. We investigated human exposure to these potentially toxic substances in relation to the consumption of fish from the Baltic Sea.Methods.Plasma levels of 10 different dibenzofurans and 7 dioxins were analyzed in three groups of Swedish
We study transportation networks controlled by dynamical feedback tolls. We consider a multiscale transportation network model whereby the dynamics of the traffic flows are intertwined with those of the drivers' route choices. The latter are influenced by the congestion status on the whole network as well as dynamic tolls set by the system operator. Our main result shows that a broad class of dece
The spread of new beliefs, behaviors, conventions, norms, and technologies in social and economic networks are often driven by cascading mechanisms, and so are contagion dynamics in financial networks. Global behaviors generally emerge from the interplay between the structure of the interconnection topology and the local agents' interactions. We focus on the Threshold Model (TM) of cascades first
Background: Since its discovery in 2007, the importance of the human gut bacterium Prevotella copri (P. copri) has been widely recognized with its links to diet and health status and potential as next generation probiotic. Therefore, precise, convenient and cost-effective diagnostic tools for the detection and quantification of P. copri from clinical and environmental samples are needed. Results:
Implementing anammox based processes in the mainstream at municipal wastewater treatment plants is challenging and requires carefully constructed control strategies in order to be successful. A method to measure the specific anammox activity was further developed and implemented in the mainstream anammox pilot plant at Sjölunda Wastewater Treatment Plant. The method was found to be reliable and re
In this paper, we approach the two weighted boundedness of commutators via matrix weights. This approach provides both a sufficient and a necessary condition for the two weighted boundedness of commutators with an arbitrary linear operator in terms of one matrix weighted norm inequalities for this operator. Furthermore, using this approach, we surprisingly provide conditions that almost characteri
Experimental Modal Analysis (EMA) plays a crucial role in understanding the dynamic responses of structures to vibration by extracting their modal parameters such as natural frequencies and modal damping and vibration modes. These parameters are essential for assessing structural performance and identifying potential vulnerabilities. As the construction industry embraces sustainable materials, Cro
Extensive studies have shown that humans process faces holistically, considering not only individual features but also the relationships among them. Knowing where humans and dogs fixate first and the longest when they view faces is highly informative, because the locations can be used to evaluate whether they use a holistic face processing strategy or not. However, the conclusions reported by prev
Controlling the streaming flow in acoustically actuated microchannels enables the targeted motion of suspended micro-objects. This can offer novel approaches for rare cell studies or cell sorting in medicine or basic biology. In this work, we utilize the temperature dependence of the acoustic body force, which originates from the interaction of an acoustic field with gradients in compressibility o
Atmospheric methane (CH4) growth rates reached unprecedented values in the years 2020-2022. To identify the main drivers of this increase, an inverse modeling study estimated regional and sectoral emission changes for 2016-2022. Three inverse estimates based on different sets of atmospheric CH4 observations (surface observations only, surface and aircraft observations, and GOSAT observations) cons
INTRODUCTION: Plasma biomarkers offer promise for improving the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and differentiating AD and other neurodegenerative disorders (NDs) like frontotemporal dementia (FTD) from primary psychiatric disorders (PPDs), particularly in younger patients. METHODS: In this prospective study, we investigated plasma phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217), neurofilament light chain
PURPOSE: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is defined as 30 decibels (dB) hearing loss in 3 consecutive frequencies occurring within 72 h. Pure-tone average of four frequencies (PTA4) is commonly used to evaluate hearing levels but may not accurately reflect the recovery. We aimed to identify prognostic factors for recovery and to evaluate how recovery should be assessed, by comparing PTA4
Southern Kazakhstan, particularly the Zhambyl Region, is facing increasing groundwater stress due to climate change, degradation of irrigation infrastructure, and unsustainable water use. Despite substantial renewable groundwater reserves (8.33 km3/year), irrigation still relies on ephemeral surface flow. This study delineates priority zones for Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) using a GIS-based Mul
Uganda is experiencing rapid rates of urbanisation that include huge demographic changes and the incorporation of surrounding rural areas into the urban fabric. This demographic and land use transformation has altered several supply and delivery systems (in)to urban areas including food provisioning. Local authorities in secondary cities need to understand the nature of their food supply and, cons
