Högskolebiblioteket i Halmstad Publikationer
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Thermal Energy Storage (TES): Materials, Innovations, and Sustainability
No full textWith TES, renewable energy systems become more efficient and sustainable, as it helps to lessen the problems that come from solar and wind being unpredictable. This thesis provides a structured analysis of research regarding the temperature features, performance, and methods to enhance Sensible Heat Storage (SHS) and Phase Change Materials (PCMs). Key properties, including thermal conductivity, heat capacity, and thermal stability, are analyzed to understand their effect on both the storage system’s performance and its future reliability. It also examines recent breakthroughs such as nanoparticle-containing composite forms, advanced encapsulation, and biological options aimed at boosting the capabilities and environmental safety of materials. The research looks at the benefits and drawbacks of each energy storage material to highlight trends, problems, and future paths towards better, environmentally friendly energy storage. The research helps explain how advanced engineering of materials plays a key role in including TES systems in modern energy structures, which is crucial for the global move to cleaner and stronger forms of energy
Naturbaserade lösningars roll i Halmstad kommuns klimatanpassningsarbete : Med fokus på vattenhantering
No full textThe global average temperature continues to rise and the negative effects of climate change that we see today are expected to increase in the future. To combat this development worldwide and provide scientific evaluation of the risks, the UN have adopted the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In Sweden the climate change effects are mainly expected to lead to an increase in both frequency and intensity of precipitation, making the risk of floods even greater. An increasingly established type of measure to strengthen societies resilience against the consequences of climate change are Nature-based Solutions (NBS). These solutions are inspired and supported by nature and therefore provide multifunctional and cost-effective ways of addressing societal challenges by supporting well-functioning ecosystems. Halmstad is already prone to flooding events and an important part of the sustainable development in the municipality is therefore focused on climate change adaptation. Since nature-based solutions are only included to a limited extent in their strategic plan, this study investigates how NBS can play a larger role as measures for climate change adaptation in Halmstad. Through semi-structured interviews with employees working with NBS in several municipalities (including Halmstad) the study highlights major factors and challenges in the application of nature-based solutions. The results suggest the main challenges for implementing NBS to be the lack of ownership of strategic land, finding the sufficient space, the potentially increased management costs as well as having the adequate knowledge to successfully construct the measures. The study shows that the work with NBS varies among the interviewed municipalities but common to all respondents is a great willingness to work with these types of solutions. Important prerequisites for incorporating NBS in Halmstad municipality’s future climate change adaptation is identified as dialogue with landowners for strategic placement of constructed wetlands and early integration in planning for new construction, to ensure the necessary space for solutions such as green roofs and rain gardens.
Inramning av klimatfrågor i svenska riksdagspartiers EU-valmanifest 2024 : En analys av klimathot, åtgärder och relationen till EU:s klimatstrategier
No full text The climate crisis is one of humanity’s biggest challenges, mainly caused by the ongoing use of fossil fuels and rising global temperatures. This thesis examines how Swedish parliamentary parties describe climate threats and solutions in their manifestos for the 2024 EU election. It also examines how well their ideas align with the European Union's climate policies and goals. Using framing theory, mainly Entman’s four functions of framing and VDP analysis, the study analyzes EU policy documents and the manifestos of Sweden’s eight parliamentary parties. The analysis focuses on three main areas: how much the parties support EU climate goals, how they view climate issues, and what solutions they propose. Swedish parties are grouped into three categories: those fully supporting EU climate policies (e.g., the Green Party, Social Democrats, and Liberals), those partly supporting them (e.g., the Moderates and Center Party), and those critical of EU climate strategies (e.g., the Sweden Democrats, Christian Democrats, and Left Party). EU-aligned parties focus on shared responsibility and global action, partly aligned parties suggest changes to fit national needs, and critical parties argue for national control over climate policies. These findings show the differences among Swedish parties in their views on climate issues and the EU’s role in fighting the climate crisis. The study helps explain how national and EU climate policies interact and highlights how political framing influences public and institutional responses to the climate crisis
Predicting Energy Consumption for Heavy-DutyVehicles: With an Emphasis on Auxiliary Consumption : In collaboration with Volvo Trucks
No full textThe shift towards battery electric trucks (BETs) represents a transformativestep for the transportation industry, motivated by globalsustainability goals and the logistics sector’s emphasis on long-termprofitability. While physics-based models have successfully predictedpropulsion energy consumption in heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs), auxiliarysystems such as compressors, heaters, and converters presentunique challenges due to their dynamic nature and dependence onenvironmental factors. Existing methods, which rely on fleet-widestatistical averages, often fail to capture the variations in operationalconditions, leading to less effective energy management and inaccurateforecasting.This thesis proposes a data-driven framework to address these challengesand improve predictions for auxiliary energy consumption inHDVs. At the heart of this work is a hybrid model that combinesthe ability of Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks to capturetemporal dependencies with the stability of a mean predictor. Thishybrid approach mitigates error accumulation over longer forecastinghorizons, a common issue in time-series forecasting. Additionally,an attention mechanism is integrated into the model, enabling it tofocus on the most relevant parts of the input data, further enhancingprediction accuracy.A notable contribution of this thesis is the introduction of a fleetbasedregression approach. Recognizing that auxiliary systems behavedifferently across vehicle types and fleets, this approach developsspecialized models tailored to each system and fleet. For instance,systems like heaters and compressors, which are highly sensitive toexternal factors such as temperature and vehicle load, are modeledindividually to capture their unique behaviors. A key aspect of thiswork is the selection of contextual features informed by expert domainknowledge. Recognizing the diverse behaviors of auxiliary systemsfeatures such as temperature, vehicle load, and operational conditionswere carefully chosen to ensure the model captures systemspecificpatterns effectively. This fleet-specific strategy ensures predictionsare precise and context-aware, addressing the diversity inHDV operations.To further enhance the model’s applicability, domain adaptationtechniques are employed to overcome challenges posed by domainshifts between different fleets or environments. By learning domaininvariantfeatures, the model can generalize effectively across diversedatasets, reducing the reliance on large amounts of labeled data fromthe target domain. This approach is particularly valuable for handling variations across different HDV configurations and operating conditions. The thesis contributes in three key areas: (1) developing a hybridLSTM-mean predictor model with attention for improved long-horizonforecasting, (2) creating a fleet-based regression approach tailored toindividual auxiliary systems, and (3) implementing domain adaptationtechniques to improve model generalization across differentfleets and environments. Experimental results highlight the superiorityof this framework over traditional methods, providing accurate,context-aware predictions for auxiliary energy consumption. This workpaves the way for optimizing energy management in HDVs, enhancingrange estimation, and supporting sustainable electric trucking solutions
Brottsförebyggande samverkan i småkommuner: : En kontrasterande fallstudie om praktiska erfarenheter och effekter i Båstad och Hylte kommun
No full text This study employs a qualitative approach using semi-structured respondent interviews to investigate the implementation of crime prevention collaboration and its perceived effects in the small Swedish municipalities of Båstad and Hylte. These municipalities' collaborative work and perceived effects will be contrasted, in order to find out whether collaboration is an effective strategy for crime prevention work in small municipalities. Through interviews with actors in the crime prevention collaboration, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of the experiences and perceived effects of the crime prevention collaboration in small Swedish municipalities. Using the theoretical framework of network governance, the analysis first highlights factors that have promoted effective collaboration and then factors that have hindered collaboration by identifying organizational, conceptual and identity-related dilemmas within the small municipalities. Based on the analysis of the interview material, it can be concluded that crime prevention collaboration in small municipalities is characterized by high trust, flexibility, good relations and short decision making. Although there was a lack of interaction in Hylte and clashes of perspective in Båstad, all actors agreed in their perceived effects, that collaboration was positive for crime prevention.
Moral disengagement as a mediator in the relationship between aggression and antisocial behaviors : A quantitative cross-sectional study among senior-level team sport athletes
No full textSyftet med studien var att undersöka vilka moraliskt frikopplande mekanismer som predicerar antisocialt beteende mot lagkamrater och motståndare, samt om effekten av aggression på antisocialt beteende, mot lagkamrater och motståndare, medieras av moralisk frikoppling. Studien har en kvantitativ tvärsnittsdesign, datainsamling genomfördes via tillgänglighets- och snöbollsurval genom digitala enkäter. Totalt deltog 123 deltagare på seniornivå inom sporterna fotboll, handboll, ishockey, innebandy och basket. Baserat på tidigare forskning ställdes tre hypoteser 1) mekanismen omtolkning av beteenden predicerar antisociala beteenden mot både motståndare och lagkamrater, 2) moralisk frikoppling medierar relationen mellan aggression och antisociala beteenden mot lagkamrater, och 3) moralisk frikoppling medierar relationen mellan aggression och antisociala beteenden mot motståndare. Hypotesen 1 bekräftades genom en multipel regressionsanalys, hypotes 2 och 3 bekräftades genom en medieringsanalys. Resultaten stödjer tidigare forskning och studien bidrar med en ökad förståelse om sambandet mellan moralisk frikoppling, aggression och antisociala beteenden. The aim of this study was to examine which moral disengagement mechanisms predict antisocial behavior towards teammates and opponents, and whether the effects of aggression on antisocial behavior, towards teammates and opponents, are mediated by moral disengagement. This study has a quantitative cross-sectional design, data collection was conducted using convenience and snowball sampling through digital surveys. A total of 123 senior-level participants in football, handball, ice hockey, floorball and basketball participated in the study. Based on previous research, three hypotheses were proposed: 1) the mechanism conduct reconstrual predicts antisocial behavior towards both teammates and opponents, 2) moral disengagement mediates the relationship between aggression and antisocial behavior towards teammates, and 3) moral disengagement mediates the relationship between aggression and antisocial behavior towards opponents. Hypothesis 1 was confirmed by multiple regression analysis, hypotheses 2 and 3 were confirmed by mediation analysis. The results align with previous research and contributes to a deeper understanding of the relationship between moral disengagement, aggression, and antisocial behavior.
Utility of AI-based decision support systems in mental health : Needs and challenges for shared decision-making
No full textMental healthcare services have been put under pressure from the demands of the increase in the prevalence of mental health problems. The rapid development of technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), in healthcare provides significant opportunities for the mental health services, including an improvement in clinical decision-making. However, the implementation and integration of AI-based decision support systems (DSSs) into mental healthcare present concerns regarding its sustainable use, which potentially may conflict with decision-making workflows, communication with the patient, and shared decision-making (SDM) processes. The main objective of this thesis is to explore the role of AI-based DSSs in mental healthcare, with a specific focus on the requirements for integrating shared decision-making (SDM) principles into these systems. The thesis is based on a combination of two studies. The first is a scoping review with the aim of examining the empirical evidence regarding the use of AI-based DSSs in current research and how these systems have been researched, implemented, and evaluated in relation to the support of decision-making. This study included twelve studies that examined AI-based DSSs in healthcare, self-care, and simulation settings. The findings identified AI-based DSSs with a variation of utility, including the support for diagnosis and prediction of mental health state, treatment selection, and self-help for individuals seeking care. These AI-based systems had diverse data flows and a range of end-user interface interactions, which contributed to observable variations of decision-making processes. The evaluation of these AI-based systems revealed challenges, including their accuracy, workflow alteration, trustworthiness, and patient-healthcare professional communication when looking at the three factors of human, organization, and technology. The second study is a qualitative study, with semi-structured interviews with the aim of exploring the requirements for using AI-based DSSs in mental healthcare from the healthcare professionals’ perspective and grounded in a shared decision-making framework. The findings showed that healthcare professionals emphasized the need for AI-based DSSs in relation to supporting early detection, holistic assessments, and a flexible healthcare approach in triage and personalized treatment recommendations. However, concerns were raised about inaccuracies in interpreting non-verbal cues, risks of overdiagnosis, reduced clinician autonomy, and missing human interaction with more use of AI that may lead to unseen problems such as a weakened trust in the therapeutic relationships. The key findings of this thesis are: (1) research on AI-based DSSs in mental health is in a pre-implementation stage, with no studies examining post-implementation adoption in clinical processes, (2) several potential implementation barriers and facilitators identified in relation to human, organization, and technology fit framework for the three AI types in the scoping review, with a significant gap of studies focusing on organization factor, (3) none of the literature in the scoping review explored SDM as a process when using or adopting AI-based DSSs in clinical workflows, (4) needs and concerns related to SDM elements were emphasized by healthcare professionals in all major categories of the SDM integrative model (essential, ideal, and general). However, SDM as a distinct and explicitly defined concept in healthcare practice was not illustrated by healthcare professionals. In conclusion, the research on AI-based DSSs is still in its infancy stage, needing more empirical studies to evaluate the impact of these systems on the decision-making processes and closing the gap of missed SDM empirical investigation. When investigating SDM, it is crucial to consider both implicit and explicit representations of SDM to help derive meaningful research outcomes for the design and implementation of AI-based DSSs in future research
Virtuella lärmiljöer som stöd för elevers kunskapsutveckling i studiehandledning på modersmålet
No full textStudiehandledning på modersmålet är ett stöd som finns i svenska skolor för att stötta flerspråkiga elever att nå kunskapskraven i de olika skolämnena. Det har visat sig att studiehandledning inte alltid ger det förväntade stöd som eleverna är i behov av och att den i flera fall inte anpassas till elevers individuella behov. På senare år har användningen av digitala resurser fått en alltmer framträdande roll i skola och undervisning. Virtual Reality är ett exempel på en resurs som erbjuder intressanta potentialer för elevers kunskapsutveckling. Detta projekt tog sin utgångspunkt i skärningspunkten mellan elevers kunskapsutveckling i studiehandledning på modersmålet och den roll som VR kan spela i en sådan undervisningskontext. Syftet med projektet har varit att etablera erfarenhets- och kunskapsutbyte med fokus på elevers kunskapsutveckling i studiehandledning på modersmålet genom anpassade VR-miljöer. Följande frågeställningar formulerades: 1. Hur kan studiehandledningen utformas och användas för att främja elevers lärande genom anpassade VR-miljöer? 2. Hur kan studiehandledningens didaktiska design utvecklas tillsammans med studiehandledare, VR-designer, forskare och elever som medskapare av den virtuella lärmiljön? 3. Hur samspelar den virtuella lärmiljön och elevers lärandeaktiviteter med varandra i förhållande till ämnesspecifika kunskaper? Samverkansprojektet har vilat på praktikutvecklande forskningsmetoder med lärare och forskare som co-designers, en kombination av aktionsforskning med design-baserade forskningsmetoder. Co-designansatsen har möjliggjort ett systematiskt och iterativt ramverk för att praktiskt och teoretiskt utveckla en förståelse för förändringar i studiehandledares undervisning på modersmål med stöd av VR-teknik. En meta-tänkande modell för didaktisk design, så kallade Tanketärningar, introducerades som verktyg i arbetet med planering, genomförande och utvärdering av undervisning. Resultaten visar hur studiehandledare på modersmålet utformar och använder anpassade VRmiljöer som en resurs för att stärka elevernas begreppsliga förståelse. De planerar och organiserar sin undervisning i VR med fokus på att visualisera och konkretisera ämnesspecifika begrepp genom interaktiva miljöer med 3D-objekt och modeller. Ett dialogiskt arbetssätt i kombination med multimodala resurser såsom 3D-modeller, bilder, digitala post-it-lappar och videoklipp i VR stöttar utvecklingen av elevernas begreppskunskap genom flerspråkiga samtal. Vidare visar resultaten att de anpassade VR-miljöerna inte är statiska utan snarare dynamiska, interaktiva och elevaktiva och fungerar som en bro mellan elevernas modersmål och ämnesinnehållet. Projektet visar på vikten av samarbete, reflektion och erfarenhetsutbyte för att utveckla undervisning med hjälp av VR. En central insikt från projektet är värdet av gemensam reflection-on-action med fokus på den iterativa processen genom retrospektiv reflektion över vad som fungerade, vad som kunde förbättras, och varför i den didaktiska designen, samt erfarenhetsutbyte och hur de lärdomar vi dragit kan delas med andra. Projektets resultat har spridits kontinuerligt genom vetenskapliga publikationer, populärvetenskapliga publikationer, presentationer och workshopar på konferenser samt forskningskonferenser. En podd om projektet har producerats i samarbete med Samverkan för lärande och utveckling (SamLär) vid Högskolan i Halmstad. Spridningen av projektets resultat har listats i slutet på rapporten
Relatives’ experiences of caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s disease : A general literature study
No full textBakgrund: Risken för att få Alzheimers sjukdom ökar med stigande ålder, särskilt hos kvinnor. Sjukdomen påverkar både patienten och närstående genom kognitiva förändringar och försämrar livskvalitén hos båda. Sjuksköterskans stöd och professionella bemötande är avgörande för att öka trygghet för de närstående vårdgivarna och underlätta vårdarrollen. Syfte: Syftet var att belysa närståendes erfarenheter av att vårda en familjemedlem med Alzheimers sjukdom. Metod: Studien genomfördes som en allmän litteraturöversikt. Resultat: I resultatdelen framkom fyra olika kategorier: en plikt med stort ansvar och stora utmaningar, positiva och negativa erfarenheter av förändrade relationer, en känslomässig berg- och dalbana samt närståendes behov av kunskap, stöd och copingstrategier. Konklusion/ implikation: Erfarenheterna av att vårda en familjemedlem med Alzheimers sjukdom varierar, men upplevs ofta som en plikt med stort ansvar och stora utmaningar. Relationer inom familjer påverkas både positivt och negativt. För att underlätta omvårdnaden behövs mer kunskap och stöd. Ytterligare forskning inom Skandinavien efterfrågas för att ta hänsyn till kulturella och ekonomiska skillnader.Background: The risk of attracting Alzheimer´s disease increases with age, particularly among women. The disease affects both the patient and their relatives through cogitive impairment and reduces quality of life. The nurse´s support and professional approach are crucial for enhancing security for the relative caregiver and facilitating the caregiving role. Aim: The purpose was to highlight the experiences of relatives of caring for a family member with Alzheimer´s disease. Method: The study was conducted as a general literature review. Results: The result revealed for categories: a duty with major responsibility and major challenges, positive and negative experiences of changed relationships, an emotional rollercoaster, and relatives need for knowledge, support and coping strategies. Conclusion/implication: The experiences of caring for a family member with Alzheimer´s disease vary, yet are often experienced as a duty with great responsibility and great challenges. Relationships within families are affected both positively and negatively. More knowledge and support are needed to facilitate caregiving. Further research within Scandinavia is needed to account for cultural and economic differences
Dark patterns betydelse för förtroendet : En kvalitativ studie av användarens förtroende för prenumerationstjänster
No full textAnvändningen av dark patterns (DP) i digitala prenumerationstjänster gör att användare manipuleras att fatta beslut som gynnar tjänsten. Detta sker bland annat med lockande erbjudanden, upprepade påminnelser samt svåra processer för att avprenumerera. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka vilken betydelse DP har för användarens förtroende i digitala prenumerationstjänster. För att besvara frågeställningen används en kvalitativ ansats, vilket innefattar semistrukturerade intervjuer tillsammans med fem probes, för att belysa exempel på DP i dessa digitala prenumerationstjänster samt för att undersöka användarens känslor, åsikter och tankar kring DP. Undersökningen resulterade i två huvudteman: användarens upplevda förtroende och användarens sårbarhet. Slutsatsen utmynnar i fem slutsatser som visar vilken betydelse DP har för användarens förtroende för digitala prenumerationstjänster.The use of dark patterns (DP) in digital subscription services manipulates users into making decisions that benefit the service. This is done by tempting offers, repeated reminders and complicated processes to unsubscribe. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of DP for users' trust in digital subscription services. To answer the question, a qualitative approach is used, including semi-structured interviews combined with five probes to highlight examples of DP in these digital subscription services and to explore users' feelings, opinions and thoughts about DP. The study resulted in two main themes: users' perceived trust and users' vulnerability. The conclusion identified five key findings, which present the significance of DP for users' trust in digital subscription services