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Vulnerability and fascination with wildlife encounters and psychological restoration in local natural settings
No full textPeople often visit natural settings for recreation and psychological restoration. This study aims to improve understanding of how exposure to and experiences of mammalian wildlife in local natural settings can permit and promote recreation and restoration. Randomly sampled residents in three regions of Sweden (N = 303) with varying presence of fear-relevant species (wolf, wild boar) and fear-irrelevant species (roe deer, squirrel) completed a questionnaire. Squirrel and roe deer were rated significantly higher than wolf and wild boar for anticipated positive feelings and restoration outcomes, and significantly lower for negative feelings and avoidance of natural settings. The possibility of exposure explained little of the variation in the restoration variables, whereas the experiences anticipated with an animal encounter contributed substantially to explanation. Vulnerability seems to counteract the restorative benefit of fascination. Wildlife conservation efforts and public health initiatives may find practical utility in distinguishing between potential exposure and anticipated experience when designing interventions.
Language as a Key to Society? : Perceptions of Language, Belonging, and Responsibility among Migrants in Sweden
No full textIn Sweden, as elsewhere, migrants’ language knowledge has become a debated topic and a cornerstone in restrictive migration policies. In this paper, we investigate how the metaphor ‘language as a key’ to society is used by migrant language learners and how it relates to the participants’ experiences of learning Swedish. The study draws on interviews with 174 migrants enrolled in three different state-subsidized language educational contexts providing tuition in basic Swedish. The results highlight how the metaphor was recurrently used and how it constructed certain time-space relations. It positioned migrant language learners as outsiders to a national imaginary, and the temporal aspects of the metaphor both pointed to what was needed to be done in the present, that is, learning Swedish, and how language learning was associated with future-oriented possibilities. While the migrant students reproduced a simplified discourse on the relationship between language learning and integration, their language learning experiences simultaneously subversively challenged the simplified metaphor
Nudge plus in tourism : Reflexive behaviours and reflective attitudes
No full textThis research explores the potential application of nudge + in a tourismcontext. Nudge + is an intervention that aims to influence consumerdecisions and promote long-term behavioural change by facilitatingreflexive actions alongside reflective processes. Nudge + is conceptualisedas a hybrid approach incorporating elements from green nudging andtransformative experiences. In a laboratory simulation of a visit to ananimal park, nudge + is used to explore how combining successivereflection-inducing messages and menu manipulations influences par -ticipants' food choices and pro-environmental attitudes. The process ofdesigning the simulation constitutes a constructive step in developingand learning how to utilise nudge + in tourism activities. Our interpreta-tion of nudge + entails a purposeful and comprehensive rethinking ofthe tourism experiencescape and customer journey to maintain enjoy-ment, engage visitors and ensure a cohesive stance towards reducingvisitors' onsite climate footprint. Interventions and reflective elementscan be incorporated as sequential interactions that set local norms. Theresults indicate that nudge + can boost participants' pro-environmentalattitudes and behavioural intentions. Moreover, the interventions do notdisturb participants, and nudging is perceived as an acceptable strategyfor reducing tourists' climate footprint.
Engineering Triboelectric Paper for Energy Harvesting and Smart Sensing
No full textTriboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) represent a promising technology for energy harvesting and self-powered sensing with a wide range of applications. Despite their potential, challenges such as the need for cost-effective, large-area electrodes and engineering sustainable triboelectric materials remain, especially given the impending restrictions on single-use engineering plastics in Europe. To address these challenges, engineering nano-graphite-coated paper is presented as a sustainable and high-performance alternative for triboelectric layers. Moreover, this material, which can be produced on an industrial scale, offers a viable replacement for metal electrodes. The combination of nano-graphite and paper, with its large contact area and inherent surface roughness, enables ultra-high power densities exceeding 14 kW m−2, driven by electrostatic discharge at the surface. Beyond energy harvesting, smart sensors are developed for floors and walls that detect movements for security purposes and smart sheets that monitor body movements and physiological activities during sleep. The findings highlight the potential of this engineering paper to serve as an eco-friendly alternative to engineering plastics in TENGs and electrodes, opening new avenues for future applications.
Effects of tannin-geopolymer impregnation on wood : leachability, biodegradation resistance and mechanical properties
No full textGeopolymers have elicited significant attention in the field of construction and building materials due to their enhanced durability, physical load-bearing ability and chemical resistance. This study investigates the effects of geopolymer impregnation on wood, together with commercial tannin-rich bark extract Colatan GT10, which, by itself, preserves wood against decay but leaches out once the wood is exposed to water. The efficacy of the treatments is evaluated through attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR FTIR) spectroscopy, mechanical testing, decay resistance assessment (EN 113) and leachability analysis (EN 84). The results showed that the two-step tannin-geopolymer impregnation improved the durability of wood against wood decay fungi. The mechanical properties of the treated wood specimen were not different from that of the untreated controls, and the performance of the treated wood specimen was retained after the leaching test. The FTIR revealed that the absorbance of tannin at 10 and 5% treatments was reduced after leaching, indicating the leachability of tannin. The combination of tannin at 5% with subsequent geopolymer at 4% treatment yielded the best performance, showing no significant change in absorbance before and after the leaching test. Overall, this study highlights the potential of combining tannin and geopolymer impregnation treatments to enhance the performance of wood in terms of fixation, leachability and wood decay resistance. These findings contribute to the development of a durable wood material for various applications, such as outdoor construction, where resistance to decay is a critical factor.
Urban agriculture—An assessment of the potential of private gardens to cover the nutritional needs in four Swedish cities
No full textPrivate gardens constitute a large part of many cities, making them a potential contributor to food security in urban areas. The aim of this study is to increase knowledge about the potential of private gardens to cover the nutritional needs of city dwellers. The case study sets out to investigate how much of the recommended intake of vegetables (as described in the reference diet proposed by the EAT–Lancet Commission) can be covered by private urban gardens in the Swedish cities of Östersund, Härnösand, Södertälje, and Lund. Statistical data on yields of six selected vegetables together with geographic information system (GIS) data were used. The estimated food production was subsequently compared to the nutritional needs of the urban population of the cities. This study indicates that the potential to cover the nutritional needs in the cities is considerable. The capacity varied depending on the size of the used cultivable area and the types of vegetables grown. If 20% of the available cultivable area was used for growing vegetables, between 12% and 23% of the recommended intake of vegetables could be covered by private gardens in the four investigated cities. If 85% of the same area was used, more than 90% of the recommended intake of vegetables could be covered in two of the investigated cities. The study indicates that the potential in urban areas in Sweden to meet the nutritional needs with vegetables grown in private gardens is considerable
Hiking Trails Facilitate the Spread of a Native High-Arctic Species
No full textHigh-Arctic environments are facing an elevated pace of warming and increasing human activities, making them more susceptible to the introduction and spread of alien species. We investigated the role of human disturbance in facilitating the spread of a native plant (Papaver dahlianum) in a high-Arctic natural environment close to Isfjord Radio station and along adjacent hiking trails at Kapp Linné, Svalbard. We reconstructed the spatial pattern of the arrival and spread of P. dahlianum at Kapp Linné by combining historical records of the species occurrence (1928–2018) with a contemporary survey of the plant abundance along the main hiking trail (2023 survey) and tested the relative effects of altitude and proximity to hiking trails on the species density via a generalised linear model (GLM). We then compared historical records with the simulated annual spread of the species by assuming either only local spread or local spread plus spread from hiking trails. Finally, we used a fine-scale UAV-derived brightness index to test for terrain preference by applying a randomisation test. Distance from the station (56% explained variation) and minimum distance from the trail (28%) significantly explained the species density across the research area (best GLM R2 = 0.755). The modelled species spread including the trail effect (fitted spread ~30 m yr.−1) managed to capture the maximum extent of the occupied area, whereas simulations assuming only local spread (~2 m yr.−1) underestimated the historical extent. A randomisation test showed that P. dahlianum has a significant preference for gravel soils with low vegetation cover due to either trail trampling and/or natural processes. Along with climate warming, human activities can increase the rate of species range shift by providing hot spots of introduction (human settlements) and spreading corridors (hiking trails). Our results show that spatially explicit models can be applied to accurately predict the potential spread of species, leading to a more efficient monitoring plan. Systematic monitoring of alien species and sanitisation measures should be prioritised in polar habitats with a high incidence of human disturbances
Evaluation of TLS and mTLS in Internet of things systems
No full textDenna avhandling utvärderar effektiviteten av Transport Layer Security (TLS) och ömsesidig TLS (mTLS) i Internet of Things (IoT)- miljöer, med fokus på deras säkerhetsfördelar, begränsningar och prestandaavvägningar. En kontrollerad experimentell uppställning användes för att mäta nyckelprestandamått, inklusive latens (förfrågansvarstid), genomströmning (förfrågningar per sekund) och CPUanvändning (bearbetningsresursförbrukning). Testmiljön bestod av en Apache-server, Raspberry Pi och virtuella maskiner för Ubuntu som fungerade som klientenheter. Resultaten indikerar att TLS, som tillhandahåller ensidig autentisering och krypterad kommunikation, uppnår lägre latens och högre genomströmning än mTLS, vilket gör den mer lämpad för IoT-applikationer för allmänna ändamål. Däremot ökar mTLS säkerheten genom ömsesidig autentisering, vilket kräver både klient- och serververifiering. Detta tillvägagångssätt är i linje med principen om nollförtroende och är särskilt fördelaktigt i miljöer med hög säkerhet som industri- och hälsovårdstillämpningar, där skydd av känslig data är avgörande. Denna studie belyser också behovet av automatiserad certifikathantering för att förbättra skalbarheten och minska mänskliga fel. Som en riktning för framtida arbete föreslår den att man utvecklar ett automatiserat certifikathanteringssystem för att effektivisera certifikatets livscykel, med hjälp av ACME-protokollet (Automatic Certificate Management Environment) och Let's Encrypt som grundläggande teknologier. Dessutom betonar det National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) initiativ för lätta kryptografiska algoritmer, som syftar till att förbättra säkerhet och prestanda i resursbegränsade IoT-miljöer, vilket banar väg för effektivare och skalbara implementeringar.This thesis evaluates the effectiveness of Transport Layer Security (TLS) and mutual TLS (mTLS) in Internet of Things (IoT) environments, focusing on their security benefits, limitations, and performance tradeoffs. A controlled experimental setup was used to measure key performance metrics, including latency (request-response time), throughput (requests per second), and CPU usage (processing resource consumption). The test environment consisted of an Apache server, Raspberry Pi, and Ubuntu virtual machines acting as client devices. The results indicate that TLS, which provides one-sided authentication and encrypted communication, achieves lower latency and higher throughput than mTLS, making it more suitable for general-purpose IoT applications. In contrast, mTLS enhances security through mutual authentication, requiring both client and server verification. This approach aligns with the zero-trust principle and is particularly beneficial in high-security environments such as industrial and healthcare applications, where protecting sensitive data is crucial. This study also highlights the need for automated certificate management to enhance scalability and reduce human error. As a direction for future work, it suggests developing an automated certificate management system to streamline the certificate lifecycle, using the Automatic Certificate Management Environment (ACME) protocol and Let’s Encrypt as foundational technologies. Additionally, it emphasizes the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) initiative for lightweight cryptographic algorithms, which aim to improve security and performance in resource-constrained IoT environments, paving the way for more efficient and scalable deployments
Exploring students’ conceptual understanding through mathematical problem solving : students’ use of and shift between different representations of rational numbers
No full textOne way to stimulate conceptual considerations is through mathematical problem solving, which requires students to construct new solution methods, potentially including new representations. Hence, this study focuses on students’ use of and shift between representations during problem solving, specifically regarding the fundamental and often challenging concept of rational numbers. Swedish elementary school students were observed when tackling mathematical problems in pairs. The findings revealed that the students’ considerations concerned several conceptual properties of rational numbers through the use of different representations. However, students tended to use the representations presented in the problem, favouring the most familiar representation rather than constructing their own. As a result, they may have overlooked opportunities to explore a wider range of representations which could have deepened their understanding of the concept. This suggests a potential opportunity to design problems that require students to transfer between representations and grapple with unfamiliar ones
Chromium and Lead Tolerance of Fungi Isolated from Mining Sites in Santo Domingo, Chontales Nicaragua
No full textFew studies have reported the isolation of microorganisms from mining sites in Nicaragua. The objective of this study is to isolate autochthonous fungi from mining sediments of Santo Domingo, Chontales in the central region of Nicaragua and assess them for the tolerance to chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb). For the isolation of fungi, serial dilution and plate seeding on solid cultivation of Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) was used. The microorganisms were identified by macroscopic observation and microscopy based on the colony colour, shape, hyphae, conidia and spore arrangement. Molecular identification was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, extracting DNA for amplification of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions for ITS1-STS4 for fungi. The PCR product was sequenced and compared with other sequences int the GenBank (NCBI). The fungal genomes Fusarium oxysporum, Pichia kudriavzevii, Trichoderma harzianum and Aspergillus awamori were identified. The tolerance index (TI) was determined from different concentrations of Cr and Pb, demonstrating that Fusarium oxysporum, Trichoderma harzianum and Aspergillus awamori are tolerant in the range of 1 to 5 mg L-1 for Cr and 52 to 207 mg. L-1 for Pb, according to the analysis of variance with the Duncan test. Since the tested species are autochthonous to the contaminated environment in Santo Domingo, they are interesting as a point of departure for soil remediation endeavours in the area