Publikationer från Karlstads Universitet
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Functionality of oak log wood mould boxes as artificial habitat for the hermit beetle (Osmoderma eremita)
No full textAbstract: Artificial habitats are used worldwide in conservation efforts to protect endangered species. Wood mould boxes are designed to serve as a suitable artificial environment for saproxylic beetles, whose natural habitat are old hollow trees. We evaluated the functionality of wood mould boxes made of oak logs for the hermit beetle (Osmoderma eremita). We tested if characteristics of the boxes (wood mould volume, pH, and moisture and outer diameter) affected the number of larvae found inside. In addition, we tested if transplantation of larvae from nearby fallen trees into the boxes affected abundance. In 16 of the 26 studied boxes, we found more than one larva, which indicates that the basic design using hollowed-out logs provides a suitable artificial habitat for the hermit beetle. There was a positive relationship between box diameter and abundance and a negative relationship between wood mould pH and abundance. Humidity and wood mould volume had no major effects. Transplantation of larvae into the boxes had a weak positive effect on abundance. Implications for insect conservation: Our study shows that using wood mould boxes as artificial habitat for the hermit beetle may prove valuable before forest management can secure enough natural habitat, and that transplantation of hermit beetles as a conservation measure warrants further investigations.
A critical knowledge-led approach to curriculum research and teacher education across school subjects
No full textThis paper introduces and provides an overview of the special issue of this journal on Transnational and Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Subject Didactics. It describes a perspective on Subject Didactics that draws on insights from both the long tradition of General Didactics and from more contemporary subject-specific practices. In doing so it presents the crucial bridging position of subject didactics between academic disciplines and educational sciences. An outline of the theoretical framework to curriculum research and teacher education is provided. Furthermore, the guiding research questions and overall approach are presented including a focus on the development of teachers’ powerful professional knowledge. It addresses the questions of why describe this approach as critical and what is meant by a knowledge-led approach. The approach to data collection, analysis and interpretation is outlined and the implications for curriculum planning and professional development are considered. A summary of discussions related to the focus of this special issue at the conference that gave rise to it follows. Finally, an overview of contributions to this special issue is provided. In conclusion these are reflected on in relation to the guiding research questions and the vital importance of Subject-Specific Educational Content Knowledge (SSECK) for teacher education is highlighted.
30 år i EU: Finland, Sverige och Österrike efter inträdet.
No full textAbstract The purpose of the thesis is to analyse and see the development of three countries after they entered the customs union EU, Economic and monetary union (EMU) and Euro-zone (EZ). The analyses focused on the countries trade patterns with intra-EU countries and their economic integration with Germany, before and after the entry into EU. The method of trade patterns and specialization was based on weighted Grubel-Lloyd index values and linear regressions of Standardized International Trade Classification (SITC) classes 0 – 9 which discloses the yearly net trade of goods between the three countries and the intra-EU countries. The regression itself is done by using the SITC data as the dependent variable and years as the non-dependent variable. The SITC data used in the paper discloses trade in the period 2002 – 2024. As a complement, economic integration within the EU’s EMU and EZ was also examined trough analysis of correlation of three macroeconomic indicators GDP per capita, FDI and inflation for each country (Finland, Sweden and Austria) correlated to Germany. Germany was chosen as the representative for EU since it is the EZ’s largest economy and trade partner. The paper uses two different correlation methods, firstly a static correlation and then a moving correlation with a window of five years. This shows both the overall correlation pattern and real time synchronization. The results showed that Finland’s, Sweden’s and Austrias’s trade patterns, in the period after 2002 – 2024 had developed trade specialisation. Sweden shows a specialization and comparative advantage towards trade that included goods such as fish and other sea animals and mineral based products such as iron ore. Austria shows specialization towards more differentiable goods such as non-alcoholic beverages and pharmaceutical products. While Finland had no specific increase in any SITC group they still had a specialization in processed goods for industrial work. All three countries also showed significant and large trade losses in SITC- 1, 4, 7 and 8 which represent more labour-intensive goods such as cars, beds, shoes and electronic goods. The correlation analysis showed that EU membership led to some degree of economic integration in GDP per capita growth and inflation. However, the results did not show any significantly positive effect of EU or EZ membership in Finland, Sweden or Austria. Sammanfattning Uppsatsen har undersökt påverkan av medlemskap i EU på länderna Finland, Sverige och Österrike. Länderna gick med i EU 1995 varav Finland och Österrike gick med i valutaområdet, euro-zonen (EZ), medan Sverige stannade utanför. Det som analyseras är ländernas handelsmönster med intra-EU länder och ekonomisk integration mot Tyskland före och efter inträdet. Metoden i analysen av handelsmönstren utgår från viktade Grubel-Lloyd indexvärden och linjära regressioner av Standardized International Trade Classification (SITC) klasser 0 – 9, som visar årlig nettohandel av produkter med resterande intra-EU länder. Linjära regressionen är gjord med SITC handelsdata som den beroende variabeln och år som den oberoende variabeln för att få fram årlig förändring. Den inhämtade handelsdata visar ländernas handel under perioden 2002 till 2024. Som komplement undersöks även ekonomisk integration i EU genom korrelationsanalyser gentemot Tyskland. genom att analysera korrelationen av de tre ländernas makroekonomiska data för BNP per capita-tillväxt, utländska direktinvesteringar (FDI) och inflation. Varje lands korrelation testas mot Tyskland på grund av att Tyskland är Euro-zonens största ekonomi och en stor handelspartner till samtliga tre länder. Uppsatsen använder två olika korrelationer: Statisk korrelation och glidande korrelation med ett fönster på 5 år. På detta sätt visas både den genomsnittliga grupperade korrelationen mellan de tre perioderna före, under och efter 1995 av den statiska korrelationen men också synkroniseringen mot EU (Tyskland) i real tid i den glidande korrelationen. Resultaten visade att Finland, Sverige ock Österrike handelsmönster under 2002 till 2024 hade utvecklat specialiseringar i främst handel av exempelvis fisk och blötdjur, järn, malm och farmaceutiska produkter. Sverige visar en specialisering och komparativ fördel i handel med varor av fisk och andra havsdjur, men också i mineral baserade varor som järn. Österrike visar en specialisering mot differentierbara varor som alkoholfria drycker och farmaceutiska varor. Finland uppvisade ingen ny specialisering men hade en specialisering och komparativ fördel av varor inom industriellt bruk. Alla tre länder visade stora förluster i SITC-1, 4, 7 och 8 vilka alla karaktäriseras av mer arbetsintensiva förhållanden. Korrelationsanalyserna visade att medlemskapet i EU har lett till viss integration i BNP per capita-tillväxt och inflation. Dock, visade resultaten inga bevis för att medlemskap i EU eller EZ har haft signifikanta positiva effekter på länderna
Hälsofrämjande insatser för barn på LSS-boenden med autismspektrumtillstånd ur de professionellas perspektiv : En kvalitativ intervjustudie
No full textBakgrund: Personal på LSS-boenden har ett stort ansvar för att främja och vidmakthålla barnets hälsa med sunda levnadsvanor utifrån barns förutsättningar. Syfte: Att studera professionellas erfarenheter och upplevelser av hälsofrämjande insatser för barn på LSS-boenden med Autismspektrum tillstånd. Metod: En kvalitativ metod med induktiv ansats tillämpades för en djupare förståelse för personals upplevelse av hälsofrämjande insatser för barn på LSS boenden. Empirin samlades in via sex semistrukturerade intervjuer som genomfördes över zoom med deltagare från sex olika boenden i mellan Sverige. Intervjuerna transkriberades med manifest innehållsanalys. Socioekologisk systemteori och empowerment är studiens teoretiska referensram. Resultat: Kommunikation är viktig, såväl mellan personal och barn som mellan personal. Att förhålla sig professionellt utesluter inte uttryck av glädje och ett positivt förhållningssätt stärker barnet i självständighet och nyfikenhet. Personalen har en viktig roll i att stärka barnen samtidigt som de förmedlar hälsofrämjande budskap. Slutsats: Personalen behöver kunskap om olika funktionshinder och hur de påverkar barn för att kunna erbjuda relevanta och anpassade hälsofrämjande insatser. Nyckelord: Autismspektrumtillstånd, barn, fysiskaktivitet, hälsofrämjandeinsatser, professionellas erfarenhete
Economic Benefit of a Photovoltaic System and Impact of a Battery Using Real Data from a Swedish House
No full textThe economic benefit of a 12.8 kWp photovoltaic (PV) system was calculated using real consumption and production data for a typical modern single-family house in Sweden for the six years from 2019 to 2024. Electricity trade prices were based on the local spot market plus taxes and fees. The effect of a tax reduction on exported energy was evaluated. The economic benefit was simulated for the case of a virtual AC-coupled battery added to the house using a charging strategy to maximize the self-consumption of the house. Additionally, the economic benefit was simulated for a range of different yearly consumptions and PV system sizes. The calculation shows that the PV system alone can be economically beneficial, while adding a battery with typical investment prices from 2025 does not pay off if it is only used to increase the self-consumption rate
Between Sanctions and Civil Society : The Effects of Financial Sanctions on Venezuelan Human Rights Organizations Since 2017
No full textSedan 2017 har Venezuela varit föremål för omfattande finansiella sanktioner, vilket har haftlångtgående konsekvenser för landets ekonomiska och politiska landskap. Denna studie syftartill att undersöka hur finansiella sanktioner påverkar människorättsorganisationershandlingsutrymme, resurstillgång och internationella relationer i en auktoritär kontext.Studien tar sin utgångspunkt i en kombination av internationell politisk ekonomi (IPE) ochresiliens som teoretiska perspektiv. Denna kombination möjliggör en analys av bådestrukturella begränsningar och civilsamhällets strategiska anpassningsförmåga. Genom enkvalitativ tematisk textanalys identifieras centrala mönster i hur venezuelanskamänniskorättsorganisationer påverkas av sanktioner och vilka strategier de åtar för attupprätthålla verksamhet och legitimitet. Dessa resultat understryker vikten av att integreracivilsamhällets perspektiv vid utformning och tillämpning av internationellasanktionspolitiska åtgärder.Since 2017, Venezuela has been subject to extensive financial sanctions, with far-reachingconsequences for the country's economic and political landscape. This thesis investigates howfinancial sanctions have affected the operational space, resource access, and internationalrelations of human rights organizations within an authoritarian context. Drawing on acombination of International Political Economy (IPE) and resilience theory the study analysesboth the structural constraints imposed by sanctions and the strategic adaptive capacities ofcivil society actors. Using a qualitative thematic text analysis, the thesis identifies key patternsin how Venezuelan human rights organizations are impacted by sanctions and what strategiesthey adopt to maintain operations and legitimacy. This underscores the importance ofincorporating civil society perspectives into the design and implementation of internationalsanctions policies
The impact of climate change on moisture conditions in infill walls : A simulation study on the impact of climate change on infill walls with regard to microbial growth
No full textMoisture safety is a central aspect of the construction industry and is essential for ensuring good building performance and a healthy indoor environment. Current studies show that approximately one third of buildings in Sweden are affected by moisture damage to such an extent that the indoor climate is negatively impacted. At the same time, increasing greenhouse gas emissions are contributing to a changing climate, which may affect the moisture dynamics of buildings and thereby the risk of microbial growth. The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of how climate change alters the moisture conditions in infill walls, in order to provide a foundation for improved strategies within the construction industry in the future. The aim was to investigate whether these changes pose an increased risk to the construction in terms of microbial growth. The study is based on simulations carried out using the software WUFI, where temperature and humidity data from various future climate scenarios were used to analyze the moisture behavior in a typical infill wall construction. Special attention was given to how the moisture conditions in the construction vary throughout the year, as well as how the drying process is affected in cases involving moisture intrusion. The results show that scenarios involving significant climate change lead to an increased risk of microbial growth, particularly during the drying phase and the summer season. In scenarios with more moderate climate change, the impact during summer is less pronounced, although an elevated risk was also identified during the drying period
Movement integration in Swedish school-age educare centres
No full textDrawing from a practice-oriented research project, this article explores and evaluates alternative methods for incorporating physical activity in schools, particularly within Swedish SAECs. By presenting various teaching examples, the article demonstrates how movement and physical activity can be woven into the school setting, emphasising that movement is not solely about promoting positive health effects through its intensity, duration, and frequency. The data in this study consist of focus group interviews with pupils involved in a practice-oriented research project in SAECs, which integrates movement and stimulates pupils to develop and invest in abilities related to the local community. The pupils' shared narrative described meaningful movement experiences that created opportunities to explore, collaborate, and solve various challenges. In this study, physical activity became understandable when pupils used their bodies to climb to the top of the church tower or cycle to the local heritage centre. This sense of engagement deepened as manageability was facilitated by allowing pupils to personally explore the characteristics and possibilities of the environments they encountered, as well as their own bodies, through movement. Through the integration of movement, the meaningfulness of the activities was not dependent on pupils' preferences for sports. The meaningfulness of the movements was instead linked to the exploration of the places that they visited. What emerges are the opportunities available through integrating physical activity into the school environment. The activities facilitated movement and provided pupils with experiences that they did not get in the classroom or traditional sports settings. Movement integration in after-school programmes and schools thus has the potential to fundamentally change and develop pupils in a broader sense than just losing weight or improving fitness, instead focusing on the body's importance in creating context, meaning, and learning
Towards Generic Failure-Prediction Models in Large-Scale Distributed Computing Systems
No full textThe increasing complexity of Distributed Computing (DC) systems requires advanced failure-prediction models to enhance reliability and efficiency. This study proposes a comprehensive methodology for developing generic machine learning (ML) models capable of cross-layer and cross-platform failure-prediction without requiring platform-specific retraining. Using the Grid5000 failure dataset from the Failure Trace Archive (FTA), we explored Linear and Logistic Regression, Random Forest, and XGBoost to predict three critical metrics: Time Between Failures (TBF), Time to Return/Repair (TTR), and Failing Node Identification (FNI). Our approach involved extensive exploratory data analysis (EDA), statistical examination of failure patterns, and model evaluation across the cluster, site, and system levels. The results demonstrate that XGBoost consistently outperforms the other models, achieving near-perfect 100% accuracy for TBF and FNI, with robust generalisability across diverse DC environments. In addition, we introduce a hierarchical DC architecture that integrates these failure-prediction models. In the form of a use case, we also demonstrate how service providers can use these prediction models to balance service reliability and cost
Stock options on motivation : A quantitative study
No full textMotiverad personal utgör grunden för framgångsrika företag. Detta beror på att motivation är nyckeln till ökad prestation, lojalitet och skapar en strävan hos de anställda att vara i linje med företaget. Centralt för hur motivation skapas är utformning av incitamentssystem, till detta hör både monetära och icke-monetära belöningar. Detta examensarbete undersöker hur teckningsoptioner, en typ av aktieoption, som en belöning påverkar anställdas inre och yttre motivation samt graden av internalisering teckningsoptioner kan uppnå. Studien utgår från Självbestämmandeteorin (SBT) och två underteorier till den, Organismisk Integrationsteori (OIT) och Kognitiv Utvärderingsteori (KUT). Två hypoteser testades genom en kvantitativ metod och enkätundersökning med 125 respondenter. Hypoteserna är följande: Det finns ett positivt samband mellan aktieoptioner och internalisering, samt mellan aktieoptioner och inre motivation. Inga signifikanta samband mellan teckningsoptioner och studiens huvudsakliga variabler, internalisering och inre motivation kunde påvisas. Däremot identifierades ett positivt signifikant samband mellan teckningsoptioner och identifierad reglering. Detta tyder på att teckningsoptioner i viss utsträckning kan uppfattas som meningsfulla snarare än kontrollerande eftersom identifierad reglering är en mer autonom form av motivation. Studien bidrar med en fördjupad förståelse för långsiktiga incitament och hur de kan relateras till olika motivationsformer. Det diskuteras också potentiella begränsningar kopplade till forskningsdesign, urval och hypotetisk inställning till teckningsoptioner.Motivated employees are the foundation for successful businesses. This is because motivation is the key for performance, loyalty and creates the desire with the staff to align with the company. Essential for how motivation is created is incentive systems, which may include both monetary and non-monetary rewards. This thesis investigates how stock options as a form of compensation influence employees intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, as well as the degree of internalization that stock options can facilitate. The study has its foundation in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and two sub-theories to SDT, Organismic Integration Theory (OIT) and Cognitive Evaluation Theory (CET). Two hypotheses were tested through a quantitative research design and a web-based survey with 125 respondents. The hypotheses are stock options are positively associated with internalization and positively associated with intrinsic motivation. No significant relationships between stock options and the study’s main variables, internalization and intrinsic motivation could be identified. However, a significant positive association was found between stock options and identified regulation. This suggests that stock options may, to some extent, be perceived as meaningful rather than controlling since identified regulation is a more autonomous form of motivation. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of how long-term incentives relate to different forms of motivation. Potential limitations related to research design, sample and the hypothetical nature of respondents’ exposure to stock options are also discussed.