Development of an HCCI index

New models of combustion engines have gained a great interest within research in the last decade. This interest has arisen due to the possibility to achieve a higher degree of efficiency and lower emissions, which will impact the environment positively. A higher degree of efficiency implicates an economical benefit in terms of fuel. The HCCI engine has been thoroughly researched due to its combined advantages of the CI and SI engine. As always, there are disadvantages with this type of engine. The main problems are that the combustion is too quick and that the engine is difficult to control. A good way to compare combustion of fuels in different engines is to develop a fuel index. In a fuel index data for mixtures are accounted for in a table, with which the index of an unknown fuel can be determined. In this master thesis only a limited number of fuels are tested, which means that a fully developed fuel index is not able to be accomplished without further research. In this master thesis a fuel index for the HCCI engine has been partly determined by executing experimental and simulated studies. The fuels tested were Primary Reference Fuels 0 to 100. The engine has been run with inlet temperatures between 293 K and 423 K, in intervals of 10 K, and with a compression ratio that give 50 % burn at TDC. The HCCI engine was modeled and the simulations were performed in DARS, which is a chemical kinetics program. The results from the simulations seem to be reasonable. The compression ratios and the ignition temperatures with the corresponding pressures are in the right magnitude. The results from the experiments, on the other hand, are not as reliable as the results from the simulations. The model created in this master thesis may be used with an engine that has the same conditions as the simulations, if a more accurate chemical model is used and the indicator for the inlet temperature is placed at the correct location. Further research concerning the reason why the simulations and the experiments deviated is needed in order to be able to use this base for an index

Towards enhancement of gas–liquid mass transfer in bioelectrochemical systems: Validation of a robust CFD model

Mass transfer has been identified as a major bottleneck in gas fermentation and microbial conversion of carbon dioxide to chemicals. We present a pragmatic and validated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model for mass transfer in bioelectrochemical systems. Experiments were conducted to measure mixing times and mass transfer in a Duran bottle and an H-cell. An Eulerian–Eulerian framework with a simplified model for the bubble size distribution (BSD) was developed that utilized only one additional equation for the bubble number density while including the breakup and coalescence. Validations of the CFD model for mixing times showed that the predictions were within the confidence intervals of the measurements, verifying the model\u27s capability in simulating the hydrodynamics. Further validations were performed using constant and varying bubble diameters for the mass transfer. The results showed the benefits of a simplified BSD model, as it yielded improvements of seven and four times in accuracy when assessed against the experimental data for the Duran bottle and H-cell, respectively. Modeling of the H-cell predicted that a lower stirring rate improves mass transfer compared with higher stirring rates, which is of great importance when designing microbial cultivation processes. The model offers a feasible framework for advanced modeling of gas fermentation and microbial electrosynthesis

B cells and monocytes from patients with active multiple sclerosis exhibit increased surface expression of both HERV-H Env and HERV-W Env, accompanied by increased seroreactivity

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The etiology of the neurogenerative disease multiple sclerosis (MS) is unknown. The leading hypotheses suggest that MS is the result of exposure of genetically susceptible individuals to certain environmental factor(s). Herpesviruses and human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) represent potentially important factors in MS development. Herpesviruses can activate HERVs, and HERVs are activated in MS patients.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using flow cytometry, we have analyzed HERV-H Env and HERV-W Env epitope expression on the surface of PBMCs from MS patients with active and stable disease, and from control individuals. We have also analyzed serum antibody levels to the expressed HERV-H and HERV-W Env epitopes. We found a significantly higher expression of HERV-H and HERV-W Env epitopes on B cells and monocytes from patients with active MS compared with patients with stable MS or control individuals. Furthermore, patients with active disease had relatively higher numbers of B cells in the PBMC population, and higher antibody reactivities towards HERV-H Env and HERV-W Env epitopes. The higher antibody reactivities in sera from patients with active MS correlate with the higher levels of HERV-H Env and HERV-W Env expression on B cells and monocytes. We did not find such correlations for stable MS patients or for controls.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These findings indicate that both HERV-H Env and HERV-W Env are expressed in higher quantities on the surface of B cells and monocytes in patients with active MS, and that the expression of these proteins may be associated with exacerbation of the disease.</p

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Does Aid Work? A Cross-country Aid Efficiency Study

Foreign aid and all kinds of support aiming at international development are of great importance for the developing nations. The World Bank's report "Assessing aid" claims that aid is efficient conditional on institutional quality and good policy. There have been a lot of criticism and debate around this conclusion. E.g. Dalgaard, Hansen and Tarp who claim that this conclusion is doubtful since the construction of the policy index is questionable. In addition they argue that aid is less efficient in countries with tropical climate. With this as background, the author has constructed two policy indexes with alternative measures on trade and monetary policy and run these in a growth regression together with a measure of institutional quality and a tropical dummy in order to see whether aid works and if the choice of variables in and construction of the policy index might influence the outcome of the growth regression. The results were indeed very dependent on which combination of variables that were included in ther regression therefore no straight answer whether aid spurs growth in developing nations can be decided

Är skiljeklausulen "unconscionable"? - En komparativ studie av Sverige och USA gällande oskäliga skiljeklausuler i kommersiella avtalsrelationer

Den svenska affärsjuridiken har utvecklats under de senaste decennierna. Influenser har med största sannolikhet hämtats från den internationella arenan och det syns en tydlig tendens mot en utveckling i samma riktning som den amerikanska avtalsrätten. Syftet med denna uppsats är att göra en jämförelse mellan det svenska och det amerikanska rättssystemet och att beskriva möjligheter att jämka eller åsidosätta en skiljeklausul med hänvisning till dess oskälighet. För att möjliggöra detta kommer jag presentera viktiga juridiska principer inom avtalsrätten, tolkningsprinciper och viktigast av allt generalklausulerna om oskälighet i de svenska och amerikanska rättssystemen. År 1976 introducerades 36 § avtalslagen, vilken är att se som en inskränkning av avtalsfriheten. Denna princip har en stark förankring i både det svenska och amerikanska rättssystemet och är högt värdesatt. 36§ avtalslagen gör det möjligt att åsidosätta eller jämka oskäliga (eller unconscionable) avtalsvillkor. Huvudsyftet med bestämmelsen är att skydda den svagare parten i en avtalsrelation, men regeln kan också tillämpas på kommersiella avtalsrelationer där parterna är jämbördiga. Även i det amerikanska rättssystemet är avtalsfriheten en av de viktigaste avtalsrättsliga principerna och domstolarna är därför restriktiva i sitt beslutande om begränsningar. Likväl uppställer unconscionability-doktrinen i UCC 2-302 ett juridiskt verktyg för att åsidosätta vissa avtalsvillkor. Denna framställning fokuserar därför på 36§ avtalslagen i förhållande till UCC 2-302. När det gäller tolkning skiljer sig reglerna till viss del åt mellan länderna. I Sverige är det viktigaste att fastslå den gemensamma partsavsikten, medan det amerikanska rättssystemet lägger större vikt vid avtalets skrivna ord. På så sätt är den amerikanska four corners rule på många sätt den totala motsatsen till den svenska gemensamma partavsikten. Skiljeklausuler förs ofta in i avtal och upprätthålls i de flesta fall. När parter kommer överens om att lösa eventuella framtida tvister genom skiljeförfarande frånsäger de sig sin rätt till domstolsprövning och måste istället få tvisten prövad av en skiljedomstol. Skiljedomarens beslut binder parterna och kan endast under vissa omständigheter bli upphävd av en allmän domstol. Trots detta, och trots att det amerikanska och det svenska rättssystemet härstammar från två olika rättsfamiljer, är det tydligt att båda systemen är ovilliga att åsidosätta skiljeklausuler i kommersiella avtal, med hänvisning till avtalsfriheten. Det finns en omfattande praxis som talar för skiljeklausuler, framförallt baserad på det faktum att skiljeförfarande ofta är ett mer effektivt och mindre kostsamt sätt att lösa en tvist på.The Swedish business law have developed during the past decades, especially through impressions from the international arena, and it can be seen that influences have been taken from the American traditions of contracting. The aim of this thesis is to make a comparison between the Swedish and the American legal system and describe the possibilities to invalidate an arbitration agreement or an arbitration clause due to unreasonableness or unconscionability. In order to conduct this study, I will present important legal principles of contract law, interpretation principles, and most important the general clauses of unconscionability in the both legal systems. In 1976 the article 36 of the Swedish act of contracts was introduced, which can be seen as a limitation of the freedom of contract. In both the Swedish and American regulation, freedom of contract is highly valued. Art 36 makes it possible to set aside or adjust unfair (or unconscionable) contract terms. The main purpose of the article is to protect the weaker party in a contract relation, but it can also be applicable to commercial contract relations were the parties is to be seen as equal. In the American system as well, the freedom of contract is one of the most important contract principles and most courts are careful in their deciding of limitations. Nevertheless, the doctrine of unconscionability is providing a legal tool through UCC 2-302 to set aside certain clauses in contracts. In this thesis, the main focus will be on art 36 Swedish act of contracts compared to the American UCC 2-302. When it comes to interpretation, the rules differ between the two countries. In Sweden, the most important is to find out the shared intention of the contract parties, but in the US emphasis is given to the written word in the contract. The American four corner rule is in many ways the complete opposite to the Swedish “gemensam partsavsikt” (shared intention). Arbitration clauses are included in many contracts and are generally upheld. When parties agree to arbitrate any dispute arising out of their contract, they forgo their right to litigate disputes in court and must instead have the dispute resolved by arbitration. The arbitrator’s decision binds the parties and can only on certain limited grounds be reviewed by a court. Therefore, by entering an arbitration agreement, a party abandons her fundamental right to have a court resolve a dispute arising out of the contract relation. Despite this, and despite the fact that American and Swedish law comes from two different legal families, it is evident that both systems are unwilling to set aside arbitration clauses in commercial contracts, with regards to the freedom of contract. There is an extensive policy in favor of arbitration, mostly based on the fact that arbitration is often a more efficient and less expensive way to settle a dispute

Grönstrukturplanering i Sveriges kommuner : En fallstudie av kommuners planering av grönstruktur

Detta kandidatarbete klargör vilka förändringar som skett i svenska kommuners arbete med grönstrukturplanering gällande omfattning, metoder och åtgärder under de senaste 20 åren samt om det finns spår av relevant forskning i kommunala grönstrukturplaner antagna under samma tidsperiod. Undersökningen är en fallstudie där Jönköpings kommun valts ut som ett representativt fall. Det empiriska materialet är två grönstrukturplaner från Jönköpings kommun antagna 2004 respektive 2019. Studien utgår från ett analytiskt ramverk framtaget utefter den områdes- och forskningsöversikt som presenterats i arbetet. Analysmetoden som används är innehållsanalys. Resultatet av undersökningen kan möjligtvis spegla att en förändring har skett gällande omfattning, metoder och åtgärder i svenska kommuners arbete med grönstrukturplanering. Kommuners arbete med omfattning av grönstruktur i deras grönstrukturplanering har övergått till att i större grad behandla grönstrukturen på en övergripande skala, från att tidigare koncentrerat sig på enskilda grönområden. Arbetsmetoderna som kommunerna använder har förändrats till att i högre grad föreslå offensiva förändringar av stadslandskapet. Över tid har kommunerna använt sig av arbetsmetoden medborgardialog för att inkludera och samarbeta med medborgarna. Däremot har tillvägagångssättet för att nå medborgarna förändrats i takt med samhällsutvecklingen. De åtgärder som kommunerna föreslår i arbetet med grönstrukturplanering har förändrats till att i högre grad inkludera mångfunktionella ytor och nätverksstruktur av grönstrukturen. Även detta skulle kunna vara kopplat till samhällsutvecklingen och då främst frågan om klimatförändringar. The following bachelor’s thesis seeks to clarify the changes made within Swedish municipalities regarding their work with green planning with respect to the scope, methods and actions used during the last 20 years. The thesis will also study if there are traces from relevant research in municipal green plans adopted during the same time period. The study is done as a case study where Jönköpings kommun has been chosen as a representative. The empirical material consists of two green plans from Jönköpings kommun adopted 2004 and 2019. An analytical framework has been developed from the chosen subject and research area presented in the thesis. Content analysis has been used during the study. The final conclusions can point to a possible change in scope, methods and actions used in the examined green plans. Regarding municipal green area scope there has been a change into a broader overview from previously focusing on individual green areas. The methods used have evolved into more offensive strategies when planning green areas within cities. Citizen dialogue is commonly used but the way that the dialogue happens has changed as society progressed. The actions the municipalities propose has transformed into more of a green infrastructure perspective and including multifunctional green spaces when planning green areas. Societal progress and climate change may be the reason behind this development

The effect of pelvic floor exercise in connection to pregnancy related urinary incontinence : a literature review

Bakgrund: Urininkontinens är ett stort folkhälsoproblem som drabbar mer än en halv miljon av Sveriges befolkning. Urininkontinens är den vanligaste komplikationen efter förlossning. Bäckenbottenträning är den främsta interventionen vid urininkontinens, trots det är det många som inte återhämtar sig. Syfte: Syftet med litteraturöversikten var att sammanställa, granska och undersöka effekterna av bäckenbottenträning under och/eller efter graviditet avseende urininkontinens. Metod: Litteratursökningen gjordes i PubMed, Cinahl och Scopus. Inklusionskriterier var randomiserade kontrollerade studier som var peer-reviewed, på engelska, och mellan årtalen 2010-2021. Studier inkluderades om de undersökte effekterna av bäckenbottenträning under/efter graviditet vid urininkontinens i jämförelse med annan eller ingen behandling. Kvalitetsgranskningen gjordes med hjälp av PEDro-skalan. Resultat:Totalt inkluderades 13 artiklar i studien.  Nio studier hade god kvalitet, fyra studier hade måttlig kvalitet enligt PEDro. Fyra studier, som undersökte bäckenbottenträning under graviditet, visade signifikant skillnad mellan grupperna gällande frekvens, svårighetsgrad och mängd av urininkontinens vid uppföljning till och med slutet av graviditeten. Två studier, som undersökte bäckenbottenträning efter graviditet, visade signifikant minskning i interventionsgruppen gällande frekvens av urininkontinens. En visade signifikanta förbättringar i både interventions- och kontrollgruppen avseende maximal kontraktion av bäckenbotten, frekvens av urininkontinens och styrka av bäckenbotten. En studie, som undersökte bäckenbottenträning både under och efter graviditet visade signifikant bättre resultat vid 4 månader postpartum. Konklusion: Bäckenbottenträning har visat sig ha god effekt avseende urininkontinens under och/efter graviditet. Då studierna skiljer sig gällande antalet deltagare, utvärderingsinstrument, typ av bäckenbottenträning krävs fler studier inom området för att avgöra vilka effekter bäckenbottenträning har och hur den tränas mest optimalt