Many of the classical approaches to controller synthesis do not scale well for large and complex systems. This is mainly due to computational complexity and the lack of distributed structure in the resulting controllers. It is important that limitations on the information given and processed by sensors and actuators can be incorporated into the design procedure. However, such constraints may great

Women farmers make up a majority of small-scale food producers in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite their important role in the food and livelihood security of their households and communities, women continue to face substantial challenges in their rights of and access to land resources in the region. In a number of countries such as Sierra Leone where large-scale land acquisition is ongoing, we posit t

Laser-induced fluorescence measurements have been performed in turbulent non-premixed flames close to the lift-off point and in laminar premixed acetylene flames. The spectrally analyzed fluorescence signal showed good correspondence to known spectra from glyoxal (C2H2O2). Laser-induced fluorescence spectra from glyoxal vapor using the same excitation wavelength of 428 nm showed the same strongest

To study the hydrology of peatlands and explore wetness distribution is difficultmainly due to the complexity of the surface of peatlands, and also due to the presence of permafrost underlain peatlands in the arctic regions. I have chosen the area called Stordalen mire in the arctic region in northern Sweden for my study.In this thesis, I aimed to study spatially distributed hydrological modelling

Two-dimensional visualization of soot has been realized in flames with the use of laser-induced fluorescence in C2 from laser-vaporized soot [LIF(C2)LVS]. Soot particles are heated to vaporization temperatures by the absorption of laser radiation. C2 radicals produced by this process are excited at wavelengths around 563 nm through the transition ν′ = 0 d3∏g←ν″ = 1 a3∏u, and the subsequent fluores

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs), which are mainly emitted by vegetation, may create either positive or negative climate forcing feedbacks. In the Subarctic, BVOC emissions are highly responsive to temperature, but the effects of climatic warming on BVOC emissions have not been assessed in more extreme arctic ecosystems. The Arctic undergoes rapid climate change, with air temperatures i

Shrubs have increased in abundance and dominance in arctic and alpine regions in recent decades. This often dramatic change, likely due to climate warming, has the potential to alter both the structure and function of tundra ecosystems. The analysis of shrub growth is improving our understanding of tundra vegetation dynamics and environmental changes. However, dendrochronological methods developed

Arctic tundra ecosystems are warming almost twice as fast as the global average. Permafrost thaw and the resulting release of greenhouse gases from decomposing soil organic carbon have the potential to accelerate climate warming. In recent decades, Arctic tundra ecosystems have changed rapidly, including expansion of woody vegetation, in response to changing climate conditions. How such vegetation

Rapid climate warming in the tundra biome has been linked to increasing shrub dominance. Shrub expansion can modify climate by altering surface albedo, energy and water balance, and permafrost, yet the drivers of shrub growth remain poorly understood. Dendroecological data consisting of multi-decadal time series of annual shrub growth provide an underused resource to explore climate-growth relatio

Deeper winter snow is hypothesized to favor shrub growth and may partly explain the shrub expansion observed in many parts of the arctic during the last decades, potentially triggering biophysical feedbacks including regional warming and permafrost thawing. We experimentally tested the effects of winter snow depth on shrub growth and ecophysiology by measuring stem length and stem hydrogen (δ2H),

Imitation is a cornerstone in human development, serving both a cognitive function (e.g. in the acquisition and transmission of skills and knowledge) and a social-communicative function, whereby the imitation of familiar actions serves to maintain social interaction and promote prosociality. In nonhuman primates, this latter function is poorly understood, or even claimed to be absent, yet the evid

Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer has been associated with increased risk for development of cardiovascular events and recent pooled analyses of randomized intervention trials suggest that this primarily is the case for patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRH-R) agonists. In the present study we investigated

A high diet quality according to the Swedish nutrition recommendations is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease in the population-based Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort. To further clarify this protective association, we examined the association between high diet quality and change in triglycerides, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), and low density lipoprotein-cholestero

Surface deposited layers of mesoporous silica particles could function as support for bio-sensing or drug release applications. It is crucial to control the surface deposition process and employ relevant techniques to characterize the properties of the particles on the surface. Here, we deposit SBA-15 particles on native silica or cationic surfaces and characterize the hydration and dehydration by

Italian Primary Care System has been modelled after the NHS in UK and was established in 1978. In 2000 Italy's healthcare system was regarded, by a World Health Organization's ranking, as the 2nd best in the world after France;since then, the performance has constantly decreased mainly because ofthe austerity policy. This austerity policy is notjustified by the Official OECD figures which show tha