Cost-effective production of non-fossil energies in the Swedish electricity system including external effects and uncertainty

The objective of this study is to calculate the cost-effective production of non-fossil energies in the Swedish electricity system, considering external effects and uncertainty. The study includes eight non-fossil energy sources in Sweden. For each energy source a unique marginal cost function is assessed, including production costs, external cost and uncertainty based on data from previous studies and publications. Four different models are created: A standard model excluding externalities, a model including externalities, a probabilistic model excluding externalities and a probabilistic model including externalities. The results show that the cost-effective mix of 150TWh is achieved at a total production cost of 58.3 billion SEK. The model finds the cost of externalities to be 7.1 billion SEK and the cost of uncertainty to about 1.7 billion SEK respectively. In all four models, large-scale hydro, nuclear power and onshore wind are included to their full capacity. None of the models have solar PV and wave energy as part of the cost-effective mix. Biomass, offshore wind and small scale hydro are included to a varying extent in the different models. When comparing the results of the four different models the differences in outcome are rather small. However, there are a number of significant findings that may contribute to guidelines for Swedish policy making. Among the discussed implications are: The most effective way to drive down total electricity cost, the role of solar PV incentives and the cost associated with a decommissioning of nuclear power

The Role of Long-Term Physical Activity in Relation to Cancer-Related Health Outcomes: A 12-Month Follow-up of the Phys-Can RCT

Purpose: While moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) is associated with various health improvements shortly after completion of exercise interventions, it remains unclear which health benefits can be expected when MVPA levels are maintained in the long term in cancer survivors. We aimed to assess the associations of (1) MVPA level at 12-month follow-up and (2) long-term MVPA patterns (from immediately post-intervention to 12-month follow-up) with different cancer-related health outcomes. Methods: In the Physical training and Cancer (Phys-Can) RCT, 577 participants diagnosed with breast (78%), prostate (19%), or colorectal (3%) cancer were randomized to 6 months of exercise during curative cancer treatment. Accelerometer-assessed physical activity and outcome data (ie, cancer-related fatigue, health-related quality of life [HRQoL], anxiety and depression, functioning in daily life, cardiorespiratory fitness, sedentary time and sleep) were collected immediately post-intervention and at 12-month follow-up. Based on the sample’s median of MVPA immediately post-intervention (65 minutes/day) and the changes between the 2 measurement points, 4 categories with different long-term MVPA patterns were created: High & Increasing, High & Decreasing, Low & Increasing, and Low & Decreasing. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed for the analyses. Results: A total of 353 participants were included in the analyses. At 12-month follow-up, a higher MVPA level was significantly associated with lower fatigue in 3 domains (general fatigue [β = −.33], physical fatigue [β = −.53] and reduced activity [β = −.37]), higher cardiorespiratory fitness (β = .34) and less sedentary time (β = −.35). For long-term MVPA patterns, compared to the participants in the “Low & Decreasing” category, those in the “High & Increasing” category reported significantly lower fatigue in 3 domains (general fatigue [β = −1.77], physical fatigue [β = −3.36] and reduced activity [β = −1.58]), higher HRQoL (β = 6.84) and had less sedentary time (β = −1.23). Conclusion: Our results suggest that long-term physical activity is essential for improving health outcomes post-intervention in cancer survivors. Cancer survivors, including those who reach recommended MVPA levels, should be encouraged to maintain or increase MVPA post-intervention for additional health benefits.publishedVersio

A rheological study of hyaluronan and sodium hydroxide at different concentrations

This thesis examines how the rheological properties change depending on the composition of hyaluronan, HA and sodium hydroxide, NaOH. This was performed to see if there was any relationship between the rheological properties of a sample depending on different compositions of HA and NaOH. Moreover, the fluidity of the samples was studied by investigating . Five concentrations of HA (11, 18, 20, 25, 33 wt%) were investigated with six concentrations of NaOH (0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 wt%). Rheology was used to determine rheological properties of the composition and the rheometric data was obtained from three different measurements: time sweep, frequency sweep and amplitude sweep. G', G'' andwere investigated but no clear correlation was found. However, some patterns were detected for frequency sweep and amplitude sweep. The graphs generally followed the same shape and the compositions with 11% HA generally had the lowest G' and G'' values. Additionally, the majority of the samples, that could be measured, could be defined as fluids, due to  being higher than 1