This dissertation is concerned with Sociology’s stance in the debate on Strong Artificial Intelligence, i.e. such AI that is able to shape new knowledge without human interference. There is a need for sociologists to realize the difference between two approaches to constructing AI systems: Symbolic AI (or Classic AI) and Distributed AI – DAI. Sociological literature shows a largely critical attitu

The purpose of this study was to gain knowledge about and to understand the difference between the two genders as regards well-being and subjective health among unemployed immigrants, living in Sweden. The central aspect that is studied is, how family and social relations on the one hand, and the relation to the labour market on the other, influence immigrants and how they manage their situation.

The interest in spray drying for production of inhalable particles has grown considerably since the late 1980s. However, which process variables that control degradation and the solid state properties have not been subject to extensive research. This thesis deals with how important characteristics of inhalation particles can be controlled, i.e. particle size, morphology, degradation and crystalli

The deregulation of the electricity market drives utilities and independent power producers to operate heat and power plants as profit centers. In order to keep the economic margins on the credit side, the preferred measures have been to improve the electrical efficiency through changes in the hardware and boost the overall efficiency through e.g. combined heat and power (CHP) generation. The bett

This book has two overarching objectives. Firstly, in an age of increasing globalization and cross-border political activities it seeks to contribute to the debate on the limits and possibilities of democracy in the present and in the future. Even though this objective brings to the fore the issue of democracy in a national context, the main ambition is to examine democratic values and institution

The aim of the study was to evaluate changes in psychological and social variables before and after group therapy for adult women who were sexually abused in childhood. Other aims were to describe and evaluate the traumafocused group therapy by consumer satisfaction, to describe the women's health before group therapy start and to evaluate the impact of single childhood sexual abuse variables on m

Functional aspects of the large diversity of eye design in prosobranch molluscs was investigated using morphological and optical methods. Three species from different habitats were investigated. Littorina littorea from Scandinavian intertidal rock habitats, Strombus raninus and S. gigas from tropical sand-flats and Ampularia sp. from heavily vegetated habitats in tropical fresh-water. Littorina a

The dissertation deals with two part-studies. The main focus is a field study the purpose of which is to understand incurable disease and death as hands-on experiences at the player's level. With the aid of observations and interviews, nine dying people, relatives and community nurses are followed in the families? homes over time. The second part-study is a discourse analysis of Danish health-poli

The primary aim of the present thesis is to increase understandig of the relationship between organisational structure, gender and power. Understanding of this relationship requires a closeness to the individual being studied as well to the content and consequences of that individuals´actions. The empirical object of study is a group of professional women at a somatic clinic. The problem investiga

Knowledge about lung mechanics is of interest in intensive care to adjust mechanical ventilation and in the lung laboratory for diagnostics and evaluation of patients with various kinds of respiratory diseases. In mechanical ventilation a single inspiratory elastic pressure-volume (Pel/V) curve is difficult to interpret due to continuing re-expansion of collapsed lung units over a large pressure

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) has been used to determine the kinetics of ligand binding to the adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP), as well as the oligomerisation and inter- and intramolecular dynamics of the low molecular weight-protein tyrosine phosphatase (LMW-PTP) in solution. NMR spectroscopy is sensitive to dynamic processes on timescales ranging from picoseconds t

Abstract In this contribution, party autonomy is discussed in relation toEuropean family and succession law. The topic is briefly introduced, followedby a survey covering the main EU-instruments with particular emphasis onthe parties’ possibility to influence choice of court and law by agreements.Thus, autonomy as described in this contribution embraces both prorogationand choice of law. The contr

This thesis explores streptococcal virulence from both mechanistic and evolutionary perspectives, where the mechanistic studies focus on interactions with the human coagulation system. We describe interactions between streptococcal surface proteins and components of the intrinsic pathway of coagulation and the kallikrein-kinin system in human plasma, as well as to how these surface proteins are pr

At the core of many computer vision models lies the minimization of an objective function consisting of a sum of functions with few arguments. The order of the objective function is defined as the highest number of arguments of any summand. To reduce ambiguity and noise in the solution, regularization terms are included into the objective function, enforcing different properties of the solution. T

Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder characterized by loss of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain, resulting in the characteristic motor symptoms: resting tremor, rigidity, akinesia and postural instability. Symptomatic treatment is based on reconstituting the loss of dopamine in the brain, primarily by oral administration of its precursor L-DOPA. Although this drug is effective in the early y

Correct interpretation of medical imaging is based upon the interpreter’s experience and image quality. Depending on the report given the clinician decides how to use the result of the study. For many years a large number of image technologies including myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) have been acquired in digital format and the development of the imaging modalities are progressing rapidly

The aim was to study the long-term consequencies of vesicoureteral reflux and reflux nephropathy (RN) in adults, with regard to radiological progression, urinary tract infections, renal functional impairment, hypertension, and to determine if the extent of renal damage can predict the outcome. Attempts to differentiate between acquired and developmental renal damage were also made. 115 patients wi

Local treatment with the aim to destruct tissue by heating (thermotherapy) may in some cases be an alternative or complement to surgical methods, and has gained increased interest during the last decade. The major advantage of these, often minimally-invasive methods, is that the disease can be controlled with reduced treatment trauma and complications. The extent of thermal damage is a complex fun

The aim of this thesis is to offer a contribution to the understanding of marketing work. In orthodox, mainstream marketing management literature, the work of marketing is commonly depicted as a fairly straightforward practice, technical in character, neutral in terms of social values and ideologies, operating within an objective and pre-given world. A counter picture to this idealised view of mar