One in a Hundred – the third year of the development guarantee

Summary of report No 23. The Development Guarantee was introduced in Sweden January 1, 1998. It gives municipalities the opportunity to assume responsibility for young people between the ages of 20 to 24 for which the employment office cannot find employment within 90 days. 2000

Den dubbla vanmaktens logik : En studie om långvarig arbetslöshet och socialbidragstagande bland unga vuxna

In the early 1990s a severe economic recession struck Sweden. The generation about to establish themselves on the labour market at this time were born in the mid seventies. They experienced unemployment and welfare dependency to a considerably higher extent than any previous generation in the modern Swedish welfare state. Despite the recovery of the Swedish economy a group of young adults, now in their mid thirties, simply could not find a way to either work, education or self-support. The aim of this dissertation is to study both actual living conditions and the experience of being unemployed and a social assistance recipient among those who remained in benefit dependency after the welfare crisis in the 1990s. The methodological approach is a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. The empirical data is collected from 3 studies; longitudinal analyses of official register based data, a survey based on replication of official surveys and 74 interviews with long-term unemployed young adults. The statistical analyses state that there is a connection between early marginalisation and later marginalisation in this cohort. The analyses of the interviews indicated three central themes which the respondents perceived as the most problematic issues in relation to being long-term unemployed and a social assistance recipient. Those were troubled economical circumstances, shame and lacking social recognition due to receiving social assistance and feelings of powerlessness in relation to the social services. The analyses in this dissertation shows that young adults that have had severe labour market difficulties during their establishment phase often experience multiple deprivation and more problematic living conditions compared with the normal population of the same age. They often have a marginalized or excluded position on several welfare dimensions. It is also evident that many experience cultural and institutional exclusion.The young adults often have several obstacles that hindered them from finding employment and a source of income. A recurring empirical pattern is that the respondents have many different problems at the same time. This accumulation of different problems often contribute to feelings of powerlessness in trying to solve the extensive and simultaneous difficulties. A central understanding of this situation is that the respondents often lack the resources that could enhance their possibilities to employment. Powerlessness is experienced in relation to concrete hindrances but also in emotional and relational experiences. This can be described as a double powerlessness

Efter solnedgång

Stadens arkitektoniska uttryck växer och förändras konstant för att hålla sig i fas med ny teknologi och nya belysningsprinciper. I vår tid finns ett stort utbud av möjligheter när det gäller ljussättning, men vad betyder ljussättning i staden för en landskapsarkitekt? En del av en landskapsarkitekts jobb handlar om att tillgängliggöra staden och ge var plats sin identitet. Ljus är det redskap vi behöver för att öppna upp för dessa möjligheter även efter mörkrets intrång. Trots det visar det sig att arkitekter saknar den kunskap om ljus som behövs för att bemästra eller utforska ljusets möjligheter i det urbana rummet. Hur ska en landskapsarkitekt ljussätta urbana rum om intresset finns men kunskapen och erfarenheterna saknas? Syftet med detta arbete var därför att förse landskapsarkitekter med kunskap om ljusets grunder, samt bidra till en större förståelse hur ljus kan användas inom landskapsarkitektur. Arbetet utvecklades utifrån två metoder; litteraturstudie och fältstudie. Dessa fungerade som motparter och var ett sätt att hantera den komplexitet som uppstår kring beskrivandet och förståelsen av upplevelsen kring ljus. Litteraturstudien fokuserade på facklitteratur medan fältstudien fokuserade på ljusinstallationer i samband med CPH Light Festival 2019 i Köpenhamn, Danmark. Resultatet av fältstudien redovisades sedan i text med stöd av fotografier. I detta arbete utforskades ljusets komponenter och gav en inblick i till exempel ljus, färgtemperatur och skuggning. Detta grundades i behovet att framhäva de kunskaper som krävs för att man ska kunna förstå och utforska ljusets möjligheter. Slutligen resulterade arbetet i riktlinjer som beskriver hur man kan gå tillväga för att skapa intim, social, aktiverande eller mystisk atmosfär. Dessa riktlinjer ska agera som en vägledning för de landskapsarkitekter som är nya inför ljussättning. Riktlinjerna ska bidra med en stadig grund och öppna upp för landskapsarkitektens möjlighet att utforska ljus och ge varje urbana rum sin egna identitet.The city’s architectural expression is constantly changing to keep up with new technology and new lighting principles. In our time, there is a wide range of opportunities in terms of lighting, but what does lighting in the city mean for a landscape architect? Part of a landscape architect’s job is to make the city accessible and provide each place its identity. Light is the tool we need to make this possible even after dark. Despite that, it turns out that architects lack the knowledge of light which is needed to master or explore the possibilities of light in the urban space. How should a landscape architect illuminate urban spaces if there is interest but lack of knowledge and experience? The purpose of this thesis was therefore to provide landscape architects with knowledge of the basics of light, and to contribute to a greater understanding of how light can be used in landscape architecture. The thesis was based on two methods; literature study and field study. These acted as counterparts and were a way of dealing with the complexity that arises around the description and understanding of the experience of light. The literature study focused on professional literature while the f ield study focused on light installations in connection to the CPH Light Festival 2019 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The results of the f ield study were then presented in text with the support of photographs. In this thesis, the components of light were explored and gave an insight into, for example, light, colour temperature and shading. This was founded on the need to emphasize the knowledge required to understand and explore the possibilities of light. Finally, the thesis resulted in guidelines describing how to go about creating an intimate, social, activating or mysterious atmosphere. These guidelines should act as a guide for the landscape architects who are new to lighting. The guidelines should contribute with a solid foundation and open up the opportunity for the landscape architect to explore light and give each urban space its own identity

Kan alla tak bli gröna tak?

Syftet med detta arbete var att beskriva hur gröna tak konstrueras, med fokus på växtbädden, samt förutsättningarna för att kunna omvandla befintliga och nya traditionella tak till gröna tak. Arbetet har byggt på frågeställningarna: Hur konstrueras växtbäddar till gröna tak? och Vad är förutsättningarna för att tak ska kunna bli gröna tak? För att uppnå syftet och besvara frågeställningarna har litteraturstudier utförts med både inhemskt och utländskt material. Materialet har utgått från referensverk, handböcker samt instruktioner från företag inom gröna tak branschen. Arbetet har dessutom resulterat i egen gjorda ritningar av växtbäddar. Resultatet visade att växtbäddens konstruktion berodde mycket på det önskade slutresultatet samt de begränsningar som kan uppstå med varje enskilt projekt. Det viktiga med växtbäddarna var att se till att vegetationens behov uppfylldes samt att beståndsdelarna valdes efter syftet med det önskade slutresultatet. Om det önskades att transformera ett befintligt traditionellt tak till ett grönt tak var förutsättningarna väsentliga. Byggnadens lastförmåga samt dess lutning påverkar både om det är möjligt att omvandla taket och i sådant fall till vad. Däremot om en planerad ny byggnad ska kompletteras med ett grönt tak ligger vikten i kommunikation. Visionen av det gröna takets slutresultat måste påverka hela byggnaden inte enbart den gröna konstruktionen.The aim of this study was to describe how green roofs are constructed, with focus on the plant beds, and the circumstances influencing the potential transformation of existing and new traditional roofs into green roofs. The study has been built on following questions: How is the structure of plant beds on green roofs constructed? and What are the requirements for transforming a traditional roof into a green roof? To obtain the aim of this study and respond to the questions has a literature review been conducted with both domestic and foreign sources. The material has consisted of work of reference, manuals and instructions from companies in the green roof industry. This study has also resulted in plant bed drawings. The result of this study showed that the construction of the plant bed structure depended on the desired finish product and the limitations that arise with every individual project. It is of great importance to specify the needs of the vegetation and to make sure that all the components are chosen with consideration to the vegetation. It was shown that the preconditions of the existing buildings are essential for transforming a traditional roof it into a green roof. The buildings load capacity and the tilt of the roof have an impact on the possibility to create green roofs, and if so which options are most suitable. However, if a new building under the planning stage is to be complemented with a green roof the stakes lie in the communication. The vision of the result has to influence the construction of the whole building not solely the green construction

a degradation study of a humanoid skin mask made of soft urethane elastomer

Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Dr. Clarimma Sessa, of the Chair of Conservation-Restoration, Art Technology and Conservation Science at the TUM for her support with SEM-EDX investigations; Prof. Takuya Hashimoto of the Tokyo University of Science for sharing information about the robot SAYA; Dr. Frank Dittmann, Nicolas Lange and Susanne Grießbach, curators and conservator of the Deutsches Museum respectively, for the fruitful discussions on the decision-making-process regarding the preservation of SAYA. Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s).Understanding the degradation of plastic materials is a big challenge for curators, conservators and conservation scientists in museums worldwide aiming to preserve their collections due to the variety of formulations of synthetic polymers and pigments. The conservation of polyurethane (PUR) based objects is challenging because they can suffer from extensive degradation. Particularly PUR elastomers can degrade shortly after their production, as occurred to the mask of the Japanese robot SAYA, which within 8 years suffered from two large tears, discoloration and stickiness. This research aims at studying the degradation phenomena of the androids’ synthetic skin. Better knowledge of the chemical composition of the mask and the chemical and physical decay will contribute to planning a suitable stabilization treatment. Within a multi-analytical approach, colorimetric and microscopic investigations highlighted discolored areas, which showed further color changes within a five months monitoring campaign, confirming the instability of the material likely due to ongoing degradation. Raman microscopy allowed the identification of Pigment White 6 (titanium dioxide TiO2) in the anatase form, known to promote the photosensitivity of PUR substrates towards ultraviolet (UV) light. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy identified the PUR composition of the mask, the presence of phthalates as plasticizers and suggested the formation of quinone chromophores in the polymer structure as a result of photo-oxidation, possibly responsible for the mask yellowing. Evolved gas analysis-mass spectrometry (EGA-MS) and double-shot-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TD/Py–GC/MS) analyses support the characterization of the formulation of the mask as being made of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) PUR ether elastomer. Plasticizers in high concentration, mainly diisononyl phthalate (DINP) and bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), and the UV stabilizer Tinuvin 328 were also detected. In addition, the presence of styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) could also contribute to the mask’s chemical instability. More amount of UV stabilizer and phthalates were detected at the surface (contributing to its stickiness) than in the inner core. The degradation of the mask results from the light susceptibility of MDI PUR ether and SAN, as well as the higher photochemical activity of anatase. The mask was transferred on to a mannequin and placed in the storage area to prevent light exposure and photo-oxidation. As loose edges had to be stabilized, tests were conducted and adhesive stripes glued with a PUR dispersion were selected for keeping the head’s shape. The novelty of this study is the implementation of conservation science on the study of androids with PUR elastomeric components in robotic collections, which are becoming increasingly popular in technical museums, however still seldomly studied.publishersversionpublishe

Discoloration of historical plastic objects: New insight into the degradation of β-naphthol pigment lakes

Funding Information: This research was funded by Funda??o para a Ci?ncia e a Tecnologia, Minist?rio da Ci?ncia Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (FCT/MCTES), Portugal, through doctoral programme CORESPD/00253/2012, PB/BD/114412/2016 doctoral grant. Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry? LAQV,(PTDC/IVC-HFC/5174/2014). Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Light is a determining factor in the discoloration of plastics, and photodegradation processes can affect the molecular structures of both the polymer and colorants. Limited studies focused on the discoloration of heritage plastics in conservation science. This work investigated the discoloration of red historical polyethylene (PE) objects colored with PR 48:2 and PR 53:1. High-density and low-density PE reference polymers, neat pigment powders, and historical samples were assessed before and after accelerated photoaging. The applied methodology provided insight into the individual light-susceptibility of polyethylenes, organic pigment lakes, and their combined effect in the photoaging of historical plastic formulations. After light exposure, both PE references and historical samples yellowed, PR53:1 faded, and PR 48:2 darkened; however, both organic pigments faded severely in the historical samples. This highlights the role played by the plastic binder likely facilitating the pigment photofading. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and mass spectrometry techniques—EGA-MS, PY-GC/MS, and TD-GC/MS—were successfully employed for characterizing the plastic formulations and degradation. The identification of phthalic compounds in both aged β-naphthol powders opens new venues for studies on their degradation. This work’s approach and analytical methods in studying the discoloration of historical plastics are novel, proving their efficacy, reliability, and potentiality.publishersversionpublishe

Quinolone resistance mutations in the faecal microbiota of Swedish travellers to India

Background: International travel contributes to the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria over the world. Most studies addressing travel-related changes in the faecal flora have focused on specific mobile resistance genes, or depended on culturing of individual bacterial isolates. Antibiotic resistance can, however, also spread via travellers colonized by bacteria carrying chromosomal antibiotic resistance mutations, but this has received little attention so far. Here we aimed at exploring the abundance of chromosomal quinolone resistance mutations in Escherichia communities residing in the gut of Swedish travellers, and to determine potential changes after visiting India. Sweden is a country with a comparably low degree of quinolone use and quinolone resistance, whereas the opposite is true for India. Methods: Massively parallel amplicon sequencing targeting the quinolone-resistance determining region of gyrA and parC was applied to total DNA extracted from faecal samples. Paired samples were collected from 12 Swedish medical students before and after a 4-15 week visit to India. Twelve Indian residents were included for additional comparisons. Methods known resistance mutations were common in Swedes before travel as well as in Indians, with a trend for all mutations to be more common in the Indian sub group. There was a significant increase in the abundance of the most common amino acid substitution in GyrA (S83L, from 44 to 72 %, p = 0.036) in the samples collected after return to Sweden. No other substitution, including others commonly associated with quinolone resistance (D87N in GyrA, S80I in ParC) changed significantly. The number of distinct genotypes encoded in each traveller was significantly reduced after their visit to India for both GyrA (p = 0.0020) and ParC (p = 0.0051), indicating a reduced genetic diversity, similar to that found in the Indians. Conclusions: International travel can alter the composition of the Escherichia communities in the faecal flora, favouring bacteria carrying certain resistance mutations, and, thereby, contributes to the global spread of antibiotic resistance. A high abundance of specific mutations in Swedish travellers before visiting India is consistent with the hypothesis that these mutation have no fitness cost even in the absence of an antibiotic selection pressure

2011-2012 Dean\u27s Showcase No. 4

https://spiral.lynn.edu/conservatory_deansshowcase/1024/thumbnail.jp