Full electrification of Lund city bus traffic - A simulation study

Flexible and economic systems for full electric operation of road vehicles are an area of intense research and development. This report applies such systems to the operation of all city buses in Lund. Software for simulation and economic optimization of such systems is developed and a few system designs are presented. An attempt to a realistic cost and performance estimate of the main components is presented. All buses are assumed to operate at the same schedule as today. Under some of the assumptions these systems are shown to be cheaper than diesel and gas buses in addition to being quieter and without local pollution

Teacher and Student Perceptions of the Concept of a Multi-Campus School with a STEM Home Campus

A classroom is a place filled with many different attitudes and people. Understanding different factors that lead to teacher and student perceptions of how a multi-campus classroom works play a vital role in figuring out how to improve those classrooms and schools. Throughout this study, the researcher was in a year-long clinical teaching placement. The researcher sought to understand how students and teachers view the concept of multi-campus education with the home campus being a STEM school. The researcher also sought to understand how students and teachers thought a multi-campus education could run better. The researcher collected data through surveys, interviews, and a focus group. Qualitative data were analyzed using the constant comparative method finding themes within the data. The researcher found five themes within the data: challenges of multi-campus education, good for everyone, new social interactions, superiority, and traveling

Programutbildningar på distans - Erfarenhetsutbyte och utvärdering

The aim of this project has been to survey the advantages and problems that arise when a programme is transformed from being a campus education to a distance education. The paper is based on experiences gained during discussions in the project group and on the results from two surveys answered by programme coordinators from more than 20 universities in Sweden. By sharing experiences the members of the project group have been more successful in their work to improve distance education and support other teachers during planning and realization. The experiences from distance education have a positive effect on campus education. The project group found that it is very important to share experiences and discuss how to realize a successful distance education; forums for discussion must be created. The paper ends with recommendations and matters to consider when starting a distance programme. Examination process must be adapted to distance education (i.e. net based examination, virtual oral examination). Increase the use of synchronous communication to enhance collaborative learning. Develop a common policy for how distance education should be carried out and disseminate it among all teachers and students (i.e. response time, handling of examination, compulsory meetings). Facilitate possibilities for students to change from a distance program to a campus based program and vice versa. Facilitate planed flexibilities to make it easier for students that want to combine studies with work (life long learning)

Dynamic Response of a fast near infra-red Mueller matrix ellipsometer

The dynamic response of a near infrared Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal based Mueller matrix ellipsometer (NIR FLC-MME) is presented. A time dependent simulation model, using the measured time response of the individual FLCs, is used to describe the measured temporal response. Furthermore, the impulse response of the detector and the pre-amplifier is characterized and included in the simulation model. The measured time-dependent intensity response of the MME is reproduced in simulations, and it is concluded that the switching time of the FLCs is the limiting factor for the Mueller matrix measurement time of the FLC-based MME. Based on measurements and simulations our FLC based NIR-MME system is estimated to operate at the maximum speed of approximately 16 ms per Mueller matrix measurement. The FLC-MME may be operated several times faster, since the switching time of the crystals depends on the individual crystal being switched, and to what state it is switched. As a demonstration, the measured temporal response of the Mueller matrix and the retardance of a thick liquid crystal variable retarder upon changing state is demonstrated.Comment: to be published in Journal of Modern Optics 20 pages, 6 figure

Valence-Electron Resonances in Alkali-Metal Overlayers Observed via Photoemission Line-Shape Changes

Valence-electron resonances for Na overlayers on Ag(111) and Cu(111) are observed by photoemission via line-shape changes for the substrate s,p-band emission in a narrow range of photon energies. The effect is ascribed to interfering contributions to the photoelectron wave from the substrate and the vacuum barrier

Estmating groundwater changes in the Rufiji basin by using data from the GRACE satellites

HG 13 2014 Preface This Bachelor's thesis is Carl Lindgren's degree project in Hydrology and Hydrogeology at the Department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm University. The Bachelor's thesis comprises 15 credits (one half term of full-time studies). Supervisor has been Steve Lyon at the Department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm University. Examiner has been Ian Brown at the Department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm University. The author is responsible for the contents of this thesis. Stockholm, 11 July 2014 Lars-Ove Westerberg Director of studies Estimating groundwater changes in the Rufiji basin by using data from the GRACE satellites 1 Abstract Groundwater is an important water resource and vital for providing water to sustain human life and livelihoods around the world. It is a renewable resource but recharge is often a slow process and there is therefore a significant risk for overuse. It is therefor of importance to monitor how groundwater develops over time, which is a difficult process as changes in groundwater are difficult and expensive to measure. This becomes an even larger issue in developing countries or areas where measurements in the field cannot be performed due to political or economic reasons. The launch of the GRACE satellites in 2002 made it possible to follow groundwater developments through remote sensing and this possibility has been used in numerous studies around the world. This study used the methods developed in previous studies to measure groundwater developments in the Rufiji basin in Tanzania. For the study period 2003 to 2012 no clear trends could be identified in groundwater and the larger variations that occurred during the period coincided with years of more or less precipitation than average precipitation. There is a strong seasonality in groundwater with the lowest levels prior to the rainy season and the highest levels at the end of the rainy season that clearly could be identified from the GRACE data. Although data from the GRACE satellites are a very powerful tool to monitor groundwater developments the low spatial resolution limits its practical applications. For the Rufiji basin, which has large variation in topography and human concentration, groundwater developments are likely to be unevenly distributed which cannot be measured using GRACE due to this spatial limitation

Impact of solvent quality on the network strength and structure of alginate gels

AbstractThe influence of the mixture of water and alcohols on the solubility and properties of alginate and its calcium-induced gels is of interest for the food, wound care and pharmaceutical industries. The solvent quality of water with increasing amounts of ethanol (0–20%) on alginate was studied using intrinsic viscosity. The effect of ethanol addition on the rheological and mechanical properties of calcium alginate gels was determined. Small-angle X-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy were used to study the network structure. It is shown that the addition of ethanol up to 15% (wt) increases the extension of the alginate chain, which correlates with increased moduli and stress being required to fracture the gels. The extension of the polymer chain is reduced at 20% (wt) ethanol, which is followed by reduced moduli and stress at breakage of the gels. The network structure of gels at high ethanol concentrations (24%) is characterized by thick and poorly connected network strands