Using stable isotopes to quantify restoration progress in a restoring northern New England salt marsh

How have the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios in flora tissue and soil samples changed in Sherman Marsh, Wiscasset, Maine over the past nine years? What do potential differences in ratios from 2007 and 2016 suggest about the community composition and connectivity of the food web in the restoring marsh

Neural noise distorts perceived motion: the special case of the freezing illusion and the Pavard and Berthoz effect

When a slowly moving pattern is presented on a monitor which itself is moved, the pattern appears to freeze on the screen (Mesland and Wertheim in Vis Res 36(20):3325–3328, 1996) even if we move our head with the monitor, as with a head mounted display (Pavard and Berthoz in Perception 6:529–540, 1977). We present a simple model of these phenomena, which states that the perceived relative velocity between two stimuli (the pattern and the moving monitor) is proportional to the difference between the perceived velocities of these stimuli in space, minus a noise factor. The latter reflects the intrinsic noise in the neural signals that encode retinal image velocities. With noise levels derived from the literature the model fits empirical data well and also predicts strong distortions of visually perceived motion during vestibular stimulation, thus explaining both illusions as resulting from the same mechanism

2D plain strain, pure shear deformation experiments in ice – Preparation of strain gauges teaching material for undergraduate students

In this report I explore the viability of using an ice thin section with carbon dioxide inclusions as a material for students to practice the Fry- and Rf/Φ strain analysis methods. The use of this material allows the students to follow the deformation process from the initial to the final stages in incremental steps, something which more conventionally used materials, such as conglomerates and ooids will not allow. The analysis presented in this report was done by producing and deforming an ice thin section in a laboratory environment, which allowed for in situ observation of all intermediate stages of deformation. The deformation process was recorded using a fabric analyzer. A total of 16 microphotographs were analyzed using the EllipseFit freeware software, by tracing all bubble inclusions present in the images, excluding obvious outliers. The analysis show that the final and all intermediary incremental strain of an ice thin section sample can be calculated and tracked using the Fry- and Rf/Φ strain analysis methods. I supplemented this report with practical examples of student exercises, one which teaches manual application of the methods and one which teaches the software-based application of the methods

The Good- & Socially Sustainable Street, from a Human Perspective : Focusing on the Relationship between Physical Environments and Social Life, with Hornsgatan in Stockholm as a Case Study

With over 300 years serving as a traffic route it is no wonder that Hornsgatan has the role of a major ‘artery’ in today’s Stockholm. This thesis will analyze and investigate how the street environment on Hornsgatan is affecting the people spending time on the street, and how a better street life and street quality can be brought out when it comes to enhance the social aspects for the street and its people. Through methods such as observations of the street and interviews with business owners, the case study of Hornsgatan have been based upon some theories by famous theorists when it comes to improving streets (and urban life) in cities, e.g.; Appleyard (1981), Jacobs (1993) and Gehl (2010). The results from the case study and the interviews show that Hornsgatan have both factors of what a ‘good’ and socially sustainable street should have; mix-use, the presence of people and social activities, active ground floors and different traffic modes, and factors that contribute to a less attractive street life; the heavy traffic, lack of places to sit, lack of greenery and lack of social activities for/between people. To reply the question if Hornsgatan is a ‘good’ and socially sustainable street or not, the answer is both yes and no. As Appleyard (1981) states, “[…] there is no single perfect street […]” (Appleyard 1981, p. 245). Instead each street and its situation are unique. However, with guidelines and aspects for how a street can be improved, at least some help can be brought out for its improvements.Urban Form and Social Behaviour Research Projec

Amount of coarse woody debris in Söderåsen National Park, Sweden

There is a lack of knowledge about the development of the dead wood in former production beech (Fagus sylvatica) forests that have been protected. The present study has been carried out in Söderåsen National Park to compare the distribution of dead wood in relatively unaffected beech forests that have been protected for a long time (A-value cores) and older, previously managed beech forest that has only been protected for 20-30 years (B-value cores). The basic hypothesis was that the amount of dead wood is larger in A-value compared with areas that have been previously managed (B-value cores and other old growth beech forest). In April 2021, the amount of dead wood in 50 sample plots was inventoried, from which 25 plots are randomly distributed within areas of the respective value class. The inventory of dead wood followed the field instruction of the Swedish National Forest Inventory. All deadwood was recorded that was ≥ 10 cm in diameter and judged to have grown within a circular sample plot of 10-meter radius (314 m2). The following variables for each separate piece of dead wood were collected: status (standing dead tree, tall stump, laying tree/stem), tree species, height/length, diameter, and degree of decomposition. The results for all 50 sample plots (value classes A and B) show an average volume for standing dead wood of 10.9 m3/ha and for downed dead wood of 9.6 m3/ha, which gives a total volume of 20.5 m3/ha on average. Sample plots in value class A contained lying dead wood of 11.2 m3/ha and standing dead wood of 3.6 m3/ha, and thus 14.8 m3/ha in total. The average volumes for value class B were 15.6 m3/ha for standing dead wood and 10.6 m3/ha for lying dead wood, a total of 26.1 m3/ha. The differences were not statistically significant due to large variation between the sample plots and the hypothesis of the study could not be confirmed. Regarding the number of elements of dead wood, A plots had a higher mean number of logs per hectare (51.0) compared to B plots (34.4), while B plots had a higher number of high stumps (B plots 19.1 and A plots 8.9), and number of standing dead trees (B plots 19.1, A plots 6.4). However, none of these differences were statistically significant. The downed dead wood was more decomposed than the standing wood. The results indicate that the conservation core areas in Söderåsen National Park contain approx. 20 m3/ha of dead wood, which corresponds to the average amount in key habitats in Swedish deciduous forests. This is roughly twice as much as in Swedish forests on average, but several times lower than the volume in old natural beech forests. The value cores in Söderåsen National Park are thus still far from a natural state. With the available data, it is not possible to determine whether the amount of dead wood differs between different value classes. In hindsight, both the number and the size of the sample areas were probably too small to give a reliable estimate of the dead wood. This inventory should be supplemented with more sample areas as soon as possible and a re-inventory on a larger scale should be carried out after 10 years, in order to be able to follow the development of the amount and quality of the dead wood in Söderåsen National Park

The Good- & Socially Sustainable Street, from a Human Perspective : Focusing on the Relationship between Physical Environments and Social Life, with Hornsgatan in Stockholm as a Case Study

With over 300 years serving as a traffic route it is no wonder that Hornsgatan has the role of a major ‘artery’ in today’s Stockholm. This thesis will analyze and investigate how the street environment on Hornsgatan is affecting the people spending time on the street, and how a better street life and street quality can be brought out when it comes to enhance the social aspects for the street and its people. Through methods such as observations of the street and interviews with business owners, the case study of Hornsgatan have been based upon some theories by famous theorists when it comes to improving streets (and urban life) in cities, e.g.; Appleyard (1981), Jacobs (1993) and Gehl (2010). The results from the case study and the interviews show that Hornsgatan have both factors of what a ‘good’ and socially sustainable street should have; mix-use, the presence of people and social activities, active ground floors and different traffic modes, and factors that contribute to a less attractive street life; the heavy traffic, lack of places to sit, lack of greenery and lack of social activities for/between people. To reply the question if Hornsgatan is a ‘good’ and socially sustainable street or not, the answer is both yes and no. As Appleyard (1981) states, “[…] there is no single perfect street […]” (Appleyard 1981, p. 245). Instead each street and its situation are unique. However, with guidelines and aspects for how a street can be improved, at least some help can be brought out for its improvements.Urban Form and Social Behaviour Research Projec

Läs- och skrivsvårigheter inom religionsämnet

Syftet med vårt arbete har varit att undersöka och belysa hur man som lärare ska bemöta och stötta elever med läs-och skrivsvårigheter i ämnet religion samt redogöra för arbetsmetoder som förenar läs- och skrivsvårigheter och religionskunskap utifrån ett sociokulturellt och reformpedagogiskt perspektiv. Vi har inspirerats av den kvalitativa intervjumetoden där reflektion och samtal får en djupare roll än den kvantiativa metoden. Våra intervjupersoner bestod av fem stycken verksamma lärare i mellanstadiet som undervisar i de samhällsvetenskapliga ämnena. Respondenterna arbetar på skolor i Malmö, Lund och i Staffanstorp. Resultatet visade att samtliga lärare använder sig av olika arbetssätt och metoder för att stötta elever med läs-och skrivsvårigheter i religionsundervisningen. Det var vanligt förekommande att lärarna fick stöttning och hjälp i undervisningen av specialpedagog. I vår slutsats kom vi fram till att texter och ämnesspecifika begrepp i religionskunskap ofta var svåra för elever med läs-och skrivsvårigheter att tillägna sig. Religionsämnet kan vara känsligt och svårt att undervisa om, då elever med olika kulturella bakgrunder möts i klassrummet och det kan uppstå problematiska situationer. Elever med läs-och skrivsvårigheter är i behov av lärare med bred kunskap om didaktiska metoder för att kunna stötta barnen i sitt lärande

Significant others experiences in caring for a family member at home at the end of life : A literature review

Bakgrund Närstående till anhöriga som vårdas vid livets slutskede har önskemål att vården kan ges i hemmet. Detta kan väcka känslor och leda till förändring i den närståendes livssituation. De närstående blir ofta en vårdare. Det är vikigt att sjuksköterskan uppmärksammar närståendes situation, för att kunna ge stöd så att närstående inte hamnar i ett långvarigt sorgeförlopp. Syfte Syftet är att beskriva närståendes erfarenheter vid vård av anhöriga i hemmet vid livets slutskede. Metod Studien genomfördes som en litteraturöversikt. Resultatet baserades på sexton artiklar från åtta länder. Kvalitativa, kvantitativa och blandmetod studier ingår. Resultat Litteraturöversiktens resulterade i fem kategorier; Omvårdnad i hemmiljö, Närståendeskänslor, Närståendes sorgbearbetning, Samverkan och kommunikation med hälso- och sjukvården samt stöd till närstående från hälso- och sjukvård. Resultat visar att vård av anhöriga i livets slutskede i hemmet var utmanande både psykiskt, innefattande ilska och långvarigt sorgeförlopp, och fysiskt i form av trötthet. Närstående beskrev också positiva erfarenheter som att kunna vara nära och ge god vård utan att inte behöva åka till sjukhuset. Slutsats Bra kommunikation mellan alla aktörer, tydlig information, personalens empati, engagemang och stöd var viktigt för närstående. Sjuksköterskans närvaro och stöd bidrog till att närstående fick stöd vid vårdandet.Background Significant others who care for family members at the end of life want to care for the sickat home. This can arouse emotions and lead to changes in life situation. Significant others often become carers. It is important that the nurse pays attention to the situation of significant others in order to be able to provide support to them so that they do not end up in a long-term grief process. Aim The purpose is to describe the significant others experiences in caring for relatives at home in the end of life care. Method The study was conducted as a literature review. The result were based on sixteen articles from eight countries. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed studies were included. Results The literature review resulted in five categories; Nursing in the home environment, significant others emotions, significant others grief process, collaboration- communication and support to the significant others from health care. Results show that caring for relatives at the end of life at home was challenging mentally; anger and long-term grief and physically in the form of fatigue. Significant others also described positive experiences of being close and being able to provide good care without having to go to the hospital. Conclusions Good communication among all parties, clear information, staff empathy, commitment and support were important for significant others. The nurse's presence and support contributed to the relatives receiving support in the care

Vad innebär HBT-kunskap för sjuksköterskor?

Enligt tidigare forskning upplever homosexuella, bisexuella och transpersoner (HBT) att de blir diskriminerade och osynliggjorda i vården till skillnad från heterosexuell befolkning. HBT-personer undviker delvis att uppsöka vården, samt att vara öppna med sin sexuella läggning av rädsla för negativt bemötande vilket får konsekvenser för deras hälsa. Därför efterfrågas mer HBT-kunskap i vården av dessa patienter. HBT-patienter efterfrågar en öppenhet för att kunna tala om livet i alla dess aspekter i vården. Studiens syfte var att undersöka vad sjuksköterskor innefattar i HBT-kunskap och hur det påverkar vården, bemötande för denna patientgrupp i praktiken. Studien genomfördes som en empirisk kvalitativ intervjustudie. Intervjuer gjordes med åtta legitimerade sjuksköterskor som har erfarenhet av HBT-patienter och/eller har genomgått kurs i HBT-kunskap. Materialet analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalytisk ansats. Analysen resulterade i ett tema – förhållningssätt, två huvudkategorier – vård på lika villkor, kompetens och fyra underkategorier – att förhålla sig öppen, medvetenhet om heteronormativitet, att känna till HBT-personers hälsa/levnadsvillkor, att ha utbildning/erfarenhet om sexuell mångfald. Av studiens resultat framgår att viljan att ta till sig och behovet av HBT-kunskap är stort hos sjuksköterskor. Men det finns också en brist i hur vården uppfyller de ramlagar som finns, som säger att vård skall ges på lika villkor till hela befolkningen.According to previous studies, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons (LGBT) feel discriminated and made invisible in the healthcare sector apart from the heterosexual population. They partly avoid seeking healthcare and being open with their sexuality for fear of negative reception, which has consequences for their health. Therefore more LGBT-knowledge is demanded in healthcare by this patients. LGBT-patients is asking for an openness from healthcare personnel so they can be able to talk about life in every aspect. The aim of the study is to examine what LGBT-knowledge means for nurse practitioners, how it affects healthcare for this group of patients. The study was carried out as an empirical interview study. Interviews were done with eight registered nurse practitioners who have experience of LGBT-patients or/and had taken a course in LGBT-knowledge. The analysis has an approach to qualitative content analysis. The analysis resulted in a theme – attitudes with two main categories – healthcare on equal conditions and competence – and four secondary categories – to be open minded, to be conscious of heteronormativity, to be aware of LGBT-persons health and living conditions and to have knowledge about sexual multitude. The result shows that there is a strong will to learn and a need for LGBT-knowledge among nurse practitioners. But there is also a lack of willingness to accept the general rules to provide equal healthcare to the entire population

Significant others experiences in caring for a family member at home at the end of life : A literature review

Bakgrund Närstående till anhöriga som vårdas vid livets slutskede har önskemål att vården kan ges i hemmet. Detta kan väcka känslor och leda till förändring i den närståendes livssituation. De närstående blir ofta en vårdare. Det är vikigt att sjuksköterskan uppmärksammar närståendes situation, för att kunna ge stöd så att närstående inte hamnar i ett långvarigt sorgeförlopp. Syfte Syftet är att beskriva närståendes erfarenheter vid vård av anhöriga i hemmet vid livets slutskede. Metod Studien genomfördes som en litteraturöversikt. Resultatet baserades på sexton artiklar från åtta länder. Kvalitativa, kvantitativa och blandmetod studier ingår. Resultat Litteraturöversiktens resulterade i fem kategorier; Omvårdnad i hemmiljö, Närståendeskänslor, Närståendes sorgbearbetning, Samverkan och kommunikation med hälso- och sjukvården samt stöd till närstående från hälso- och sjukvård. Resultat visar att vård av anhöriga i livets slutskede i hemmet var utmanande både psykiskt, innefattande ilska och långvarigt sorgeförlopp, och fysiskt i form av trötthet. Närstående beskrev också positiva erfarenheter som att kunna vara nära och ge god vård utan att inte behöva åka till sjukhuset. Slutsats Bra kommunikation mellan alla aktörer, tydlig information, personalens empati, engagemang och stöd var viktigt för närstående. Sjuksköterskans närvaro och stöd bidrog till att närstående fick stöd vid vårdandet.Background Significant others who care for family members at the end of life want to care for the sickat home. This can arouse emotions and lead to changes in life situation. Significant others often become carers. It is important that the nurse pays attention to the situation of significant others in order to be able to provide support to them so that they do not end up in a long-term grief process. Aim The purpose is to describe the significant others experiences in caring for relatives at home in the end of life care. Method The study was conducted as a literature review. The result were based on sixteen articles from eight countries. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed studies were included. Results The literature review resulted in five categories; Nursing in the home environment, significant others emotions, significant others grief process, collaboration- communication and support to the significant others from health care. Results show that caring for relatives at the end of life at home was challenging mentally; anger and long-term grief and physically in the form of fatigue. Significant others also described positive experiences of being close and being able to provide good care without having to go to the hospital. Conclusions Good communication among all parties, clear information, staff empathy, commitment and support were important for significant others. The nurse's presence and support contributed to the relatives receiving support in the care