Movement pattern and habitat use of female grass snake (Natrix natrix) in a semi-urban environment

Rörelsemönster och habitatanvändning hos ormar är ett område där relativt lite forskning har gjorts trots tecken på minskande populationer på flera platser i världen. Snoken (Natrix natrix) är en vanligt förekommande orm i Sverige som tycks vara på nedgång, troligen på grund av en sämre tillgång på äggläggningsplatser. Vanliga äggläggningsplatser i Sverige utgörs av gödselstackar och komposter vilka ger den stabila temperatur som äggen behöver. Dessa har dock blivit både färre och mer svårtillgängliga under det senaste århundradet. Huvudsyftet med denna studie var att undersöka vilka äggläggningsplatser som används i ett område där gödselstackar saknas och hur anpassningsbara snokhonor är till nya områden. Detta gjordes genom att jämföra rörelsemönster och habitatanvändning mellan individer som känner till området och individer som inte gör det. Tre snokhonor flyttades från en population utanför Uppsala till en population på Djurgården, Stockholm och spårades dagligen tillsammans med tre individer från den lokala populationen under 25 dagar med hjälp av externa radiosändare. Studier på snokens rörelsemönster och habitatanvändning har inte genomförts i Sverige på 30 år och mer kunskap behövs om arten för att bättre kunna skydda den. Inga ägg kunde lokaliseras men värmen från ett pumphus kan tänkas ge de nödvändiga förutsättningarna. De förflyttade snokhonorna från Uppsala visade tecken på att inte anpassa sig till den nya lokalen genom en högre aktivitetsgrad samt ovilja att nyttja främmande habitattyper jämfört med de lokala individerna. Dessa resultat bör dock tolkas försiktigt på grund av det lilla antalet individer samt den begränsade studieperioden. Varken ljus eller temperatur var bra förklaringsfaktorer för aktiviteten hos snokarna men indikationer på att de är mer aktiva inom ett temperaturspann mellan 20-25°C observerades. De främsta habitaten som användes av snokarna var vassbälten samt oklippta gräsmarker som tack vare sin strukturella komplexitet skapar en blandning av solbelysta och skuggiga områden där snoken effektivt kan uppnå en bra kroppstemperatur. För den framtida förvaltningen av arten krävs att mer information insamlas under en längre tid. Inventeringar och ökad kunskap om äggläggningen behövs innan man kan börja göra upp planer på om och hur snoken bör skyddas.Movement patterns and habitat use of snakes is a research area where relatively few studies have been done despite signs of declining snake populations around the world. The grass snake (Natrix natrix) is a common species in Sweden that seems to be declining, possibly due to a lack of oviposition sites. Commonly used nesting sites in Sweden constitute of manure heaps and composts which provide the thermally stable environment the eggs require. These have, however, become fewer and less accessible during the last century. The initial purpose of this study was to locate natural oviposition sites in an area without any of the commonly used structures. The adaptive ability of grass snakes was also tested by comparing movement patterns and habitat use of grass snakes familiar with the area and individuals unfamiliar with it. This was done by moving three grass snake females from a population outside the city of Uppsala to a population in Stockholm, Sweden. These three individuals were tracked alongside three females from the local population using external radio transmitters for 25 days. Similar studies have not been made in Sweden in the last 30 years and an increased knowledge of the species is needed to better protect it. No eggs could be located even though the heat from a water pumping station might provide the suitable conditions. The translocated grass snake females showed signs of not adapting to the new environment by moving over larger areas and avoiding unknown habitat types. These results should, however, be interpreted carefully due to the small sample size and the limited study time. Reed belts and unmanaged grasslands were used by all individuals to a varying degree while they actively avoided open areas and woodlands. Neither light conditions nor temperature were good predictors of movement patterns although indications pointed to a higher activity at temperatures between 20-25°C. For future management, it is important to gather more information about the species over a longer time period. Surveys and increased knowledge about the oviposition is needed before plans can be made regarding if and how the grass snake needs to be protected

Multi-rate control over AWGN channels via analog joint source-channel coding

We consider the problem of controlling an unstable plant over an additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel with a transmit power constraint, where the signaling rate of communication is larger than the sampling rate (for generating observations and applying control inputs) of the underlying plant. Such a situation is quite common since sampling is done at a rate that captures the dynamics of the plant and which is often much lower than the rate that can be communicated. This setting offers the opportunity of improving the system performance by employing multiple channel uses to convey a single message (output plant observation or control input). Common ways of doing so are through either repeating the message, or by quantizing it to a number of bits and then transmitting a channel coded version of the bits whose length is commensurate with the number of channel uses per sampled message. We argue that such “separated source and channel coding” can be suboptimal and propose to perform joint source-channel coding. Since the block length is short we obviate the need to go to the digital domain altogether and instead consider analog joint source-channel coding. For the case where the communication signaling rate is twice the sampling rate, we employ the Archimedean bi-spiral-based Shannon-Kotel'nikov analog maps to show significant improvement in stability margins and linear-quadratic Gaussian (LQG) costs over simple schemes that employ repetition

Multi-rate control over AWGN channels via analog joint source-channel coding

We consider the problem of controlling an unstable plant over an additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel with a transmit power constraint, where the signaling rate of communication is larger than the sampling rate (for generating observations and applying control inputs) of the underlying plant. Such a situation is quite common since sampling is done at a rate that captures the dynamics of the plant and which is often much lower than the rate that can be communicated. This setting offers the opportunity of improving the system performance by employing multiple channel uses to convey a single message (output plant observation or control input). Common ways of doing so are through either repeating the message, or by quantizing it to a number of bits and then transmitting a channel coded version of the bits whose length is commensurate with the number of channel uses per sampled message. We argue that such “separated source and channel coding” can be suboptimal and propose to perform joint source-channel coding. Since the block length is short we obviate the need to go to the digital domain altogether and instead consider analog joint source-channel coding. For the case where the communication signaling rate is twice the sampling rate, we employ the Archimedean bi-spiral-based Shannon-Kotel'nikov analog maps to show significant improvement in stability margins and linear-quadratic Gaussian (LQG) costs over simple schemes that employ repetition

An array of 100 Al-Al2O3-CuSIN tunnel junctions in direct-write trilayer technology

We present superconductor-insulator-normal metal (SIN) tunnel junction thermometers made of arrays of 4-100Al-Al2O3-Cu SIN tunnel junctions fabricated in direct-write technology. The technology is based on in situ evaporation of the superconductive electrode followed by the oxidation and the normal counter-electrode as a first step and deposition of normal metal absorber as a second one. This approach allows one to realize any geometry of the tunnel junctions and of the absorber with no limitation related to the size of the junctions or the absorber, which is not possible using the shadow evaporation technique. Measurements performed at 300 mK showed the high quality of the fabricated tunnel junctions, low leakage currents, and that an R-d/R-n ratio of 500 has been achieved at that temperature. The junctions were characterized as temperature sensors, and voltage versus temperature dependence measurements showed a dV/dT of 0.5 mV K-1 for each single junction, which is typical for this kind of tunnel junction. A temperature resolution of +/- 5 mu K has been achieved which is much better than the previously reported value of +/- 30 mu K for this type of thermometer

Victimized Female Sex Worker Representation in the UK News Media

Sex workers face a high level of violence as well as discrimination and stigma in regard to their profession. This chapter examines how British news media portray female sex workers when they are victims of violent and sexual crimes. The authors used discourse analysis to better understand how the victim’s status is perceived, created, or changed through the reporting of media. Four news organizations were chosen for data collection: Independent, The Guardian, Daily Mail and The Sun. Using an inductive approach, six discourses were found Victim blaming, Labelling, Media sensationalism, Vulnerability, Legitimisation, and Any woman. Nils Christie’s Ideal victim theory provided a framework to discuss the results. While Victim blaming, Labelling and Media sensationalism question the victim’s motive to be in the place of the crime, the activity the victim engaged in, and their responsibility in regard to the victimisation they suffered, Vulnerability and Legitimisation portray the victim as weak, according to the theory. Implications for victims and society are discussed

Multi-rate control over AWGN channels via analog joint source-channel coding

We consider the problem of controlling an unstable plant over an additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel with a transmit power constraint, where the signaling rate of communication is larger than the sampling rate (for generating observations and applying control inputs) of the underlying plant. Such a situation is quite common since sampling is done at a rate that captures the dynamics of the plant and which is often much lower than the rate that can be communicated. This setting offers the opportunity of improving the system performance by employing multiple channel uses to convey a single message (output plant observation or control input). Common ways of doing so are through either repeating the message, or by quantizing it to a number of bits and then transmitting a channel coded version of the bits whose length is commensurate with the number of channel uses per sampled message. We argue that such “separated source and channel coding” can be suboptimal and propose to perform joint source-channel coding. Since the block length is short we obviate the need to go to the digital domain altogether and instead consider analog joint source-channel coding. For the case where the communication signaling rate is twice the sampling rate, we employ the Archimedean bi-spiral-based Shannon-Kotel'nikov analog maps to show significant improvement in stability margins and linear-quadratic Gaussian (LQG) costs over simple schemes that employ repetition

Ambient Energy Harvesting : a Feasibility Study and Design of Test Circuits

This report investigates the various methods of harvesting and storing the ambient energies which surround us. The concept and interest of harvesting ambient energy has been prevalent for some time. Mainly seen as an alternative and smarter way of storing energy for instant or later usage for low power devices. Typically to avoid the excess use of pre-stored energy where energy already exists. For this project, various energy harvesting methods will be examined in greater detail and to then be constructed together in a coherent way. Something which has yet to become more ubiquitous which therefore becomes a motivation for this thesis. To explore the possible outcomes of this implementation and if it will further the subject. This device could have many applications in terms of charging other devices in remote or powerless locations. It can also serve as an alternative to traditional charging and by that showing that the charger could be just as good as any other socket charger could be

Kompakt 3D-mikroskopi för utforskning av planeter

We propose using grain-of-sand-scale microscopy (1-micrometre resolution) to study the microstructure and composition of planetary material in a fast, in-situ, solid-state device. We have constructed a small and light prototype instrument (100 grams, 0.3 litres) from commercial-off-the-shelf components, targeted for applications in miniaturised robotic exploration, mounted to a robotic arm, or used as a hand-held tool. This microscope employs a programmable LCD aperture to virtually record multiple perspectives, and a dome studded with LEDs surrounding the sample to control illumination. With this prototype microscope we have captured rich and intuitive raw images for a human observer, and reconstructed 3D surfaces and photometric properties of the samples. The broad applicability of this method is demonstrated by integration into a novel exploration concept in which sensor projectiles are launched from a rover into inaccessible environments. Our microscope can there deliver 3D-maps of the surfaces they encounter and extract relevant morphological properties. Our prototype device is evaluated using a range of lunar and planetary simulants. We argue that this microscope delivers large scientific value on its own, and context for other instruments, with small resource requirements similar to those of a camera alone.Vi presenterar en metod där mikroskopi med mikrometerupplösning används för att studera mikrostruktur och sammansättning på ytan av planeter. En liten och lätt prototyp (ca. 100 gram, 0.3 liter) av detta mikroskop konstrueras av kommersiellt tillgängliga komponenter och utan rörliga delar. Det är speciellt anpassat för applikationer inom robotik eller som ett handhållet instrument. Mikroskopet använder en programmerbar LCD-apertur för att virtuellt fånga bilder från flera perspektiv samt en kupol med lysdioder för att styra belysningen av provet. Med denna prototyp har vi genererat detaljrika och intuitiva rådata för människor samt implementerat metoder för att rekonstruera 3D-formen och de fotometriska egenskaperna hos provet. Vi understryker användbarheten genom att integrera prototypen i ett nytt koncept för utforskning av planeter, där instrumentet monteras i projektiler som avfyras från en strövare till annars oåtkomliga platser. Därifrån levererar vårt mikroskop 3D-formen samt relevanta morfologiska data om den ytan som påträffas. Vi utvärderar metoden vidare med en uppsättning material som liknar regolit från Månen respektive Mars. Vi anser att denna metod levererar stort vetenskapligt värde samtidigt som den har små resursbehov liknande en enkel kameras

Kompakt 3D-mikroskopi för utforskning av planeter

We propose using grain-of-sand-scale microscopy (1-micrometre resolution) to study the microstructure and composition of planetary material in a fast, in-situ, solid-state device. We have constructed a small and light prototype instrument (100 grams, 0.3 litres) from commercial-off-the-shelf components, targeted for applications in miniaturised robotic exploration, mounted to a robotic arm, or used as a hand-held tool. This microscope employs a programmable LCD aperture to virtually record multiple perspectives, and a dome studded with LEDs surrounding the sample to control illumination. With this prototype microscope we have captured rich and intuitive raw images for a human observer, and reconstructed 3D surfaces and photometric properties of the samples. The broad applicability of this method is demonstrated by integration into a novel exploration concept in which sensor projectiles are launched from a rover into inaccessible environments. Our microscope can there deliver 3D-maps of the surfaces they encounter and extract relevant morphological properties. Our prototype device is evaluated using a range of lunar and planetary simulants. We argue that this microscope delivers large scientific value on its own, and context for other instruments, with small resource requirements similar to those of a camera alone.Vi presenterar en metod där mikroskopi med mikrometerupplösning används för att studera mikrostruktur och sammansättning på ytan av planeter. En liten och lätt prototyp (ca. 100 gram, 0.3 liter) av detta mikroskop konstrueras av kommersiellt tillgängliga komponenter och utan rörliga delar. Det är speciellt anpassat för applikationer inom robotik eller som ett handhållet instrument. Mikroskopet använder en programmerbar LCD-apertur för att virtuellt fånga bilder från flera perspektiv samt en kupol med lysdioder för att styra belysningen av provet. Med denna prototyp har vi genererat detaljrika och intuitiva rådata för människor samt implementerat metoder för att rekonstruera 3D-formen och de fotometriska egenskaperna hos provet. Vi understryker användbarheten genom att integrera prototypen i ett nytt koncept för utforskning av planeter, där instrumentet monteras i projektiler som avfyras från en strövare till annars oåtkomliga platser. Därifrån levererar vårt mikroskop 3D-formen samt relevanta morfologiska data om den ytan som påträffas. Vi utvärderar metoden vidare med en uppsättning material som liknar regolit från Månen respektive Mars. Vi anser att denna metod levererar stort vetenskapligt värde samtidigt som den har små resursbehov liknande en enkel kameras