This thesis comprises a study of the ethical thought of Iris Murdoch with special emphasis, as evidenced by the title, on how morality is intimately connected to self-improvement aiming at perfection and how the study of (literary) fiction has an important role to play in our strive towards bettering ourselves within the framework set by Murdoch’s moral philosophy.

Background Gestational diabetes (GDM) is a more common problem in India than in many other parts of the world but it is not known whether this is due to unique environmental factors or a unique genetic background. To address this question we examined whether the same genetic variants associated with GDM and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) in Caucasians also were associated with GDM in North Indian women. M

Objectives: We investigated the potential associations between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of total tau (T-tau) and phosphorylated tau (P-tau), short-term response to cholinesterase inhibitor (ChEI) treatment, longitudinal outcome and progression rates in Alzheimer’s disease (AD).Methods: The Swedish Alzheimer Treatment Study (SATS) is a prospective, observational, multicentre study to assess

This paper’s main aim is to review and compare sustainability frameworks and models aiming to propose an overarching strategic planning process for selection of sustainable production (SP) indicators within the manufacturing sector, which point toward radical, systematic and goal-oriented changes. The Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development is selected as a conceptual model to guide strate

We created a system to simulate the heart allocation process in a transplant queue, using a discrete event model and a neural network algorithm, which we named the Lund Deep Learning Transplant Algorithm (LuDeLTA). LuDeLTA is utilized to predict the survival of the patients both in the queue and after transplant. We tried four different allocation policies: wait time, clinical rules and allocating

BACKGROUND: Drug use among the elderly population is generally extensive and the use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) is common, which increases the risk for drug-related problems (DRP). Medication reviews are one method to improve drug therapy by identifying, preventing and solving DRPs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of medication reviews on total drug use and po

Förra sommaren gästades SLF den 13–17 juni av den brittiskamotsvarigheten BLS genom en inbjudan av Lars Borg, somibland gästat deras exkursioner i England. Vi var förlagda tillAllégården i Kastlösa på Öland varifrån vi gjorde utflykter till olikadelar av södra och mellersta Öland. En halvdag ägnades ocksååt en typiskt sur tallskog på fastlandet i närheten av Kalmar. Härberättar Ulf om den historisFörra sommaren gästades SLF den 13–17 juni av den brittiskamotsvarigheten BLS genom en inbjudan av Lars Borg, somibland gästat deras exkursioner i England. Vi var förlagda tillAllégården i Kastlösa på Öland varifrån vi gjorde utflykter till olikadelar av södra och mellersta Öland. En halvdag ägnades ocksååt en typiskt sur tallskog på fastlandet i närheten av Kalmar. Härberättar Ulf om den historis

I förra numret av Lavbulletinen meddelade vi att lunglaven var utgången från sin enda kustnära lokal i Småland söder om Kalmar En uppmärksam läsare, Olof Persson, berättade strax efteråt att den fortfarande finns kvar vid Kristinelunds herrgård i Mortorp sydväst om Kalmar.I förra numret av Lavbulletinen meddelade vi att lunglaven var utgången från sin enda kustnära lokal i Småland söder om Kalmar En uppmärksam läsare, Olof Persson, berättade strax efteråt att den fortfarande finns kvar vid Kristinelunds herrgård i Mortorp sydväst om Kalmar.

In recent social movement studies a symbolic framework emphasizing rituals, symbols and master frames has contributed with important insights into the diverse communicative and socio-cultural aspects of contemporary social movements (Alexander, 2006; Benford and Snow, 2000; Jasper, 1997). With the publication of Animal Rights Activism: A Moral–Sociological Perspective on Social Movements a complem

The present dissertation investigates inflectional morphology processing in native speakers and second language (L2) learners of Swedish. Results of Study 1 suggest that two separate neural mechanisms might be available for native comprehension of inflected words, as reflected in event-related brain potentials obtained for visually presented verb forms. Overregularized verbs (e.g. *bär+de ‘bear +

In this paper, a proof of time-dependent behavior of heat flux into a cutting tool is built. Its implementation calls for a new method for estimating heat flux, which was developed using an inverse problem technique. A special experimental setup was designed and manufactured to implement the method. A series of dry machining experiments were conducted with high speed steel and cemented carbide too

Theory and evidence suggest that some selective pressures are more common on islands than in adjacent mainland habitats, leading evolution to follow predictable trends. The existence of predictable evolutionary trends has nonetheless been difficult to demonstrate, mainly because of the challenge of separating in situ evolution from sorting processes derived from colonization events. Here we use br

This paper presents a novel approach for a complex evaluation of the quality of drilled holes in fiber-reinforced composite materials. The proposed methodology is based on non-destructive quantification of visible defects based on the numerical analysis of drilled hole images. Automatic contour definition and profile formation for the uncut fibers and delamination were implemented via modularized

The objective of this study was to characterize the effects of silver nanoparticles on Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Their interactions with several conventional antibiotics and ability to induce a stress response were examined. Interactions between silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and antibiotics against free-living cells and biofilm of P. aeruginosa were studied using the chequerboard method and time-kill