Background: A growing body of evidence shows that prenatal exposure to phthalates affects child development. Since many phthalates have been shown to alter endocrine signaling, they may influence reproductive development, neurodevelopment, and child behavior. Indeed, a few studies reported associations between prenatal phthalate exposure and gender-specific play behavior. However, evidence for thi

The ternary system didodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, 1-decanol, and water forms an extended reversed continuous phase of cubic symmetry at 25 °C. The cubic phase belongs to the space group Im3m, as shown by small-angle X-ray experiments. We present extensive deuterium NMR relaxation data from this cubic phase for 1-decanol, deuterated at the carbon adjacent to the hydroxyl carbon position. 2H sp

This thesis aims to analyse the relationships between key stakeholders in the process of developing and implementing an urban strategy using the example of the Sustainable Urban Development Strategy of the City of Saint Petersburg. This thesis is based on theories related to involving public participation in the planning and implementation of the city strategy and the options and perspectives of p

The purpose of this thesis is to study how human mobility in the context of climate and environmental change is governed at a regional level in Southeast Asia, with the regional intergovernmental organisation ASEAN, as a case study. Through a policy review of ASEAN policies on climate, migration, disaster risk reduction and development this study finds that the climate-environment-mobility nexus i

Development organisations that work to transform gender relations and power structures are bound to face resistance to change (RTC). While overt forms of RTC are becoming increasingly prominent in the context of the rise of the transnational «anti-gender» movement. Thus, this thesis aims to understand how RTC can be addressed through a gender-transformative approach (GTA) by focusing on the case s

This thesis studies the possibility of estimating the ambient temperature around a mobile phone using its internal temperature sensors. The thesis aims to develop and evaluate ambient temperature models that use internal temperature sensors within the device and, from a manufacturer’s perspective, investigate if the models for ambient temperature can be enhanced by tailoring them to the internals

Tracking objects in a scene is a crucial task in accomplishing surveillance that enhances security and provides valuable information about the events happening at the site. For this task, the PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) cameras can be utilized to achieve fluid tracking as they provide all-around surveillance with zoom capabilities. The drawback of current tracking solutions is the lack of interoperability

Purpose: The objective of this study is to determine whether or not board gender diversity influences the capital structures of S&P 500 firms. This is done based on the premise of female risk aversion and conventional capital structure and agency issues theories. With this foundation, we intend to close the knowledge gap regarding the effects of gender diversity on corporate boards. Methodol

We describe glaci-lacustrine sediments buried under thick tills in Folldalen, south-east Norway, a site located close to the former centre of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet. Thus, the location implies that the ice sheet had melted when the sediments were deposited. The exposed ground was occupied by arctic vegetation. The best age estimate from 20 quartz luminescence dates is 55.6 ± 4.6 ka. Due to pos