The coming of the post-digital workplace? A survey of how white-collar workers experience and cope with digital media reliance. New media technology can both hamper and amplify workers' agency. Much research shows that the ambiguities of digital reliance are accentuated among office workers, especially knowledge workers, who spend most of their working time handling different types of information and data. Thus, in times of constant connectivity, people might feel compelled to create time-spaces for disconnection, or find spatial and temporal routines for restricting their use of digital tools. This article provides a quantitative analysis, based on a survey, of how private and public officials (“white-collar workers”) in Sweden experience and handle digital media reliance at work, with a special focus on whether they think communicative and territorial agency are enhanced or constrained under digitalized working conditions. Based on a principal component analysis (PCA), five dispositions toward (the handling of) digital media reliance are identified: the skepctical, the embracing, the captivated, the reluctant and the disciplined. These dispositions are further analyzed in relation to demographic and contextual variables, pointing especially to the significance of employment sector. While digital media reliance is appreciated and associated with extended agency by many informants, the study also reveals different facets of post-digital sentiments and tactics. These are particularly constitutive of the skeptical disposition, reflecting inclinations to avoid certain media and find alternatives to digital tools, but also in the disciplined disposition which encompasses internalized routines for media use. The study also shows that the normalization of digitalized work processes is entwined with, and necessitates, different forms of territorial micro-politics extending beyond the workplace per se.

The transition from a fossil-based economy to a circular bioeconomy is a critical challenge and opportunity in the face of global climate change. Sweden and Finland, with their abundant forest resources and strong commitment to sustainability, are well positioned to lead this transition. The WoodPro project exemplifies this effort by exploring innovative ways to valorize forest residues into high-value products such as 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO), biopolymers and hydrochar. This perspective outlines the project’s multidisciplinary approach, which integrates advanced bioprocessing technologies with dynamic system analysis to optimize the sustainability and economic feasibility of these biorefining pathways. We highlight the potential of these interconnected processes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, close nutrient loops and stimulate rural development, while positioning the Nordic countries as global leaders in the circular bioeconomy. The insights gained from this project highlight the importance of holistic, systems-based approaches in achieving carbon neutrality and offer a model for similar transitions worldwide.

This study investigates the experiences of teachers in middle leading positions who worked as ESD facilitators during a three-year whole school approach project designed to implement education for sustainable development (ESD). Five schools in a Swedish municipality participated in the project to integrate ESD into their organisation and teaching practice. Project activities involved school leaders, teachers, and ESD facilitators, with the facilitators taking part in the design of the development process, workshop activities and content, and facilitating their school’s internal work. The aim of this study is to generate insight into their roles as facilitators of transformation in line with ESD, and how they can be supported to fulfil their roles. The analysis used a framework of sustainability change agents, identifying that approaches to change aligned with technician, mediator, convincer, and concerned explorer types. The findings highlight the importance of contextual factors–specifically, a shared vision, collaborative culture and organisational structures, and active school leadership in shaping ESD facilitators’ ability to fulfil their roles.

This dissertation investigates the evolving relationship between journalism and artificial intelligence (AI), focusing on the case of China within a broader global context. Drawing on a critical interpretivist and neo-institutionalist approach, the study explores how AI technologies are transforming journalistic roles, practices, organisational structures, and governance systems. The research conceptualises AI not merely as a set of tools but as a sociotechnical phenomenon that reshapes power relations among key institutional actors—news organisations, technology companies, and the state.

The study employs a multi-method, multi-level research design across five interlinked articles. At the micro level, it examines how Chinese journalists perceive and adapt to AI, and how these perceptions are reflected in their professional role and reporting practices. At the meso level, it analyses the platformisation of news and how algorithmic distribution systems—particularly those developed by major Chinese tech firms—restructure the economic and institutional foundations of journalism. At the macro level, it interrogates the legal and regulatory frameworks governing AI and journalism, comparing developments in China with those in the US and EU to understand cross-national institutional dynamics and normative shifts.

The research highlights a trajectory from institutional adaptability to reinstitutionalisation, showing how the traditional norms of journalism are reconfigured by both market-driven platform logic and state-led political imperatives. The Chinese case, while shaped by its unique media system and historical entanglements, offers insight into broader global tensions between technological innovation, media autonomy, and institutional control. By integrating journalism studies, science and technology studies (STS), political economy, and legal analysis, this dissertation contributes to a transdisciplinary understanding of AI’s impact on the future of journalism.

As semi-natural grasslands decline globally, road verges have been identified as refuges for species associated with this type of habitat. Road verges also serve as corridors for invasive species, and garden lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus Lindl.) is commonly found along roads in the Nordic region. Its presence alters the habitat, displacing less competitive species, and annual mowing is insufficient to slow its spread.

Several strategies for controlling garden lupine were tested in this thesis, including mowing regimes, heat treatment of seed-contaminated soil, and drone technology for mapping and monitoring. When considering phenology and nutrient dynamics, mowing should take place between peak flowering and early seed development, as this is when root reserves are lowest and the plant thus is most vulnerable. Keeping a low mowing height is important for suppressing regrowth, while higher mowing height generated more homogeneous plant communities with higher lupine dominance. Two or three mowing events per season had less impact on lupine biomass than a low mowing height. Due to the species' ability to compensate for biomass loss, repeated mowing over several years is necessary. The success of control efforts is also influenced by local conditions. Treatment of seed-containing soil with hot steam was more effective than dry heat in killing lupine seeds, and steam treatment of contaminated soil can reduce the spread at the landscape scale. Physiologically active lupine seeds were particularly heat sensitive. Drone-based mapping can complement ground-based inventory methods for improving analysis and follow-up of control measures. This thesis demonstrates how species-specific, evidence-based knowledge can be applied in practice to improve the control of garden lupine in road verges.

This literature review maps existing research on the security of supply for the food, drinking water, energy, and transport sectors in the context of climate extremes. The study examines how climate-related extreme weather impacts these supply systems, what scientific models and methods have been developed and applied in previous research, and what challenges remain for future studies. This study is conducted as a scoping review based on an analysis of 140 scientific articles. The results show that supply chains in all examined sectors are vulnerable to disruptions directly or indirectly caused by extreme weather events. The study describes how climate extremes trigger such disruptions and outlines their potential short and longterm consequences. Existing interdependencies within and across multiple sectors pose a substantial challenge to the security of supply. Therefore, further research is needed on the cascading effects of climate extremes and their implications for preparedness for supply chain disruptions. As the climate continues to change, the risk for compound events – where two or more crises occur simultaneously or sequentially – is increasing. Addressing this risk requires additional research from a polycrisis perspective. Furthermore, the review highlights the importance of testing and further developing scientific models specifically adapted to Nordic contexts to generate more relevant data and knowledge for this region.

Duplex stainless steels (DSS) are characterized by a two-phased microstructure (δ-ferrite and γ-austenite) with equal phase fractions, providing an exceptional combination of high strength, toughness, and corrosion resistance. This duplex microstructure is conventionally achieved by a precise thermo-mechanical process (e.g., hot rolling) followed by multiple post-processing steps (coating, joining, assembly) to meet the requirements in high-performance applications (e.g., advanced wear and corrosion resistance). Laser directed energy deposition of metals (DED-LB/M) enables simultaneous processing of multiple materials in a single component, allowing for the customization of the functionality while reducing the number of process steps required. In this study, a 1.4462 DSS was manufactured by DED-LB/M and compositionally modified (in-situ alloyed) with increasing proportions of elemental Cr and/or Mo powder to control both the phase formation and material hardness. Subsequent solution annealing (1050 °C; 2 h) and quenching homogenized the as-built microstructure within each grading increment. Microstructure analysis (phase fraction, morphology, and grain size using electron backscattered diffraction) was correlated with the local chemical composition by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Hardness profiles along the grading direction indicated a gradual increase in material hardness due to the stabilization of δ-ferrite (+ 69 HV10) or σ-phase (+ 683 HV10) with the addition of Cr and/or Mo. This approach demonstrates that in-situ alloying in DED-LB/M facilitates the spatial control of phase structures and the customization of functional properties. Components can now be manufactured in a single process with smooth compositional transitions and locally enhanced material properties, e.g. ductile core with wear and corrosion resistant shell.

This article explores how reality TV represents (distant) suffering, focusing on the first season of reality-based show Sweatshop: Deadly Fashion. Drawing from theories of media witnessing and mediated suffering, we analyze how reality TV negotiates working conditions in the global garment industry and reflects transnational power inequalities. Specifically, we critically dissect the multimodal strategies used to negotiate suffering and construct a story of transformation from privileged naivety to political mobilization. While acknowledging reality TV’s good intentions, the analysis reveals the common pattern of downplaying the role of systemic issues in perpetuating labor exploitation in the Global South. Additionally, results highlight the importance of context-dependent readings of complex cultural documents that carry political and ideological ambivalence, as well as entertaining dimensions.

The tension between openness and ambiguity in literature and readers' expectation of coherence and consistency (i.e., their 'desire for closure') may present a pedagogical dilemma in literature classrooms. While prior research has identified an educational potential of using open works to de-automatize students' thinking, encourage tolerance for ambiguity, and shape literary awareness, empirically-based knowledge of such classroom practice is scarce. The present study examined the interaction between structured openness of literary texts and readers' 'desire for closure' in the context of literature discussions in lower secondary school. Drawing on videotaped whole-class discussions about narratively complex short stories in an ongoing intervention to support quality of literature discussions, we identified six different closing mechanisms used by either the teacher or the students: 1) Forcing a one-sided interpretation; 2) Inferring new context, not given by the text, to embed already preferred interpretations; 3) Magnifying peripheral details to support interpretations; 4) Staying on the surface-concentrating on the empirically verifiable and determinate; 5) Skipping between inquiries instead of developing lines of thought; and 6) Encouraging readers to connect fictive elements to their own lives. Based on the analysis, we discuss how interactional closure of literary openness in the classroom context relates to principal educational ideals of promoting clarity, comprehension, and coherence.

The aim of this collaborative project with Swedish school-age educare (SAEC) teachers was to understand and develop teaching, focusing on games, physical activities, and outdoor excursions. Children's insufficient physical activity is a societal problem, and because most Swedish students age 6 to 9 are enrolled in SAEC, this can be a critical educational arena. The concept of powerful knowledge is used to emphasize knowledge that can help students handle contemporary and future challenges, operationalized here by using a typology of roles students are invited to enter by doing activities. The findings show that some roles are more frequent than others, often connected to voluntariness, free time, and teachers' relational approach. The findings also show that in the transformation of teaching, the how question seem more of a dilemma to the SAEC teachers than the what and why questions. We argue that SAEC teaching offers great possibilities to combine different student roles in a way that is more likely to connect knowledge about games, physical activities, and outdoor excursions to their own or others' lives and society. At the same time, teachers experience great challenges in how to teach in a way that meets the specific goals of SAEC education.

Scandinavians are among the most datafied citizens in the world. With its digitalised welfare states, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish e-governance infrastructures collect massive amounts of data about citizens as they search for jobs, apply for building permits, and check school calendars. In this article, we analyse the use of third-party trackers (n = 2,761) on Scandinavian municipal websites (n = 745) between 2007-2023. Mobilising the theoretical framework of universalism, our aim is to understand what kind of cost data tracking constitutes for users of digital government services. Results show that Scandinavian municipal websites are dominated by commercial trackers harvesting citizen data for advertising purposes, particularly those provided by Alphabet and Meta. We conclude that commercial user-tracking on Scandinavian municipal websites does not conform to the principle of universality, proposing 1) that governments ensure transparency of the cost incurred by these websites' data tracking, and 2) that they ban commercial tracking on municipal websites.

Validating forest cover maps is essential for evidence-based conservation and sustaining ecosystem services. However, complex spatial patterns in fragmented tropical forest landscapes-often comprising non-contiguous forest patches, interspersed with agricultural lands and other land cover types-pose considerable difficulties for accuracy assessment using conventional techniques. To address this, we developed an integrated object-based sampling (IOBS) method that combines stratified random sampling, proportional allocation, and sample distance optimization. The IOBS method was applied to assess the accuracy of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) global 25 m PALSAR-2/PALSAR forest/non-forest (FNF) 2020 map across 14 ecoregions in Nigeria. Its performance was compared to simple random, systematic, and stratified random sampling using the coefficient of variation (CV), heterogeneity index (HI), and true accuracy metrics. IOBS demonstrated substantially higher spatial variability (CV = 109.37) and heterogeneity (HI = 0.21) compared to other methods (CV = 28.84-53.93, HI = 0.05-0.11). The IOBS estimated an accuracy of 81.1 %, closely aligning with the true accuracy of 82.4 % and outperforming other methods (75.3 %-79.7 %). The higher performance of IOBS stems from its ability to capture a broad range of forest conditions-from extensive contiguous cover to small, fragmented patches-while minimizing spatial autocorrelation through distance optimization. By better representing local heterogeneity, IOBS offers a robust and precise framework for validating categorical forest cover maps in complex tropical landscapes, advancing accuracy assessment practices for remote sensing applications.

This study investigated the influence of three indoor environmental parameters: ventilation (expressed as air exchange rate, h-1), temperature, and relative humidity, on phthalate concentration in dust and in estimated airborne. We monitored environmental parameters and collected dust samples in 327 bedrooms in Tianjin, China. Air exchange rates were estimated using occupants-generated CO2 as a tracer gas. Six common phthalates were analyzed as components of dust: Diethyl Phthalate (DEP), Di-isobutyl Phthalate (DiBP), Di-n-Butyl Phthalate (DnBP), Benzyl Butyl Phthalate (BBzP), Di (2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP) and Di-isononyl Phthalate (DiNP). Phthalate concentrations were compared among environmental parameters categorized as low (below median) and high (above median) using Mann-Whitney U tests. Quantitative associations of phthalate concentrations with environmental parameters were further explored with exponential fittings based on a binning method. We observed a dilution effect of ventilation on low molecular weight phthalates, which was significant for DiBP, whose concentration decreased by 32 % with an increase in air exchange rate (Delta = 1 h-1). We found a positive association between phthalate concentrations and indoor air temperature; the dust-phase phthalate concentration increased by 11 %, for each 1 degrees C increase in indoor air temperature. The results indicate that continuous ventilation may be an effective strategy to reduce concentrations of the more volatile phthalates in homes. A higher indoor temperature may lead to increased phthalate concentrations in home environments.

Society relies upon the internet, a globally interconnected collection of networked information systems. These systems are imperfectly designed and implemented with critical flaws and vulnerabilities. Criminal hackers attack these shortcomings for financial gains, but there are also compelling reasons for states and state-sponsored groups to act in and through cyberspace. While state-sponsored cyberattacks can be both permissible and effective, they commonly have unintended effects: cyber collateral damage. 

Most offensive cyber operations are conducted below the threshold of force recognized in international law and do not qualify for a military response. This means that they can be used both for clandestine sabotage, for intelligence gathering, and to implant vulnerabilities in preparation for larger-scale attacks in the future. These activities have caused considerable harm beyond their intended targets. Such collateral effects have been seen in some of the most infamous and costly cyberattacks, such as the 2010 Stuxnet attack, the 2017 NotPetya attack, and the 2022 attack on ViaSat as part of the invasion of Ukraine.

An under-investigated metric when analyzing the impact of cyber op-erations is their economic cost, both in terms of production and (es-pecially) in their collateral cost to society. The economic cost is also subject to considerable externalization in the planning of cyber operations. This thesis thus investigates the balance between the op-erational effects of cyber operations and their collateral costs; the cost/benefit dilemma of offensive cyber operations. It does so by con-sidering the potential benefit of high-impact cyberattacks, e.g. supply chain vulnerability implantation against hardened targets, and by us-ing econometric methods to calculate the cost of collateral damage engendered when cyberspace is used as a domain of warfare. In doing so, it provides the first quantitative comparison of military utility to civilian harm in a cyber context. Although cyberattacks have long been considered a central component in asymmetric warfare, the the-sis presents a bottom-up analysis which shows that the economic damage caused by cyberattacks in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict 2014-2021 is an insignificant part of the Ukrainian GDP.

Finally, the thesis argues that the full cost of attacks should be meas-ured and included in models for collateral damage estimation. Such estimates should be included into national cyber doctrines to mini-mize unintended effects and ensure efficient and appropriate use of cyber capabilities.

Freshwater mussels in the order Unionida are a highly endangered and globally distributed taxon of parasitic bivalves. Consequently, many conservation and reintroduction projects have emerged to protect this valuable order. Adult mussels release parasitic larvae (glochidia) that affix themselves to their hosts, typically the gills of fish, where they become encysted in the tissue and metamorphose into juveniles; later, excysting as juveniles to develop into free-living adults in the sediment, completing the lifecycle. As Unionids are well-known ecosystem engineers, reintroduction efforts are generally met with support. However, members of the public unfamiliar with the scientific literature often have reservations when learning that the restoration project aims to introduce parasites to their local waterways. Little is known about the impacts of glochidiosis on host fishes; however, most effects are negative. With the growth of mussel conservation projects, more fish will be exposed to these negative impacts. 

In this dissertation, I explore the parasitic interactions of two of Europe’s most endangered mussels with some of their respective host fishes. I initially produced a general literature review to summarize all previous work on the topic and better understand which aspects needed the most attention (Paper I). From this, I surmised that the behavioural and molecular impacts of glochidiosis were the least studied and that there was a general over-representation of the interaction between the freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) and its salmonid hosts, a highly specialized interaction not well-suited for cross-species generalizations. I followed Paper I with an investigation into the impacts of infestation by the thick-shelled river mussel (Unio crassus) on the schooling behaviour of its host minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus; Paper II), and the impacts of both adult and larval life stages of U. crassus on the predator-prey interactions of its host bullhead (Cottus gobio) with a prey gammarid (Paper III). The results of Papers II and III suggested that unionid mussels may manipulate host behaviour; to test this hypothesis, a year-long field study was conducted on the movement patterns and habitat choice of brown trout (Salmo trutta) when infested with glochidia from M. margaritifera, the species most likely to express an extended phenotype (Paper IV), as speculated in Paper I. This investigation provided evidence in support of an expressed extended phenotype by a unionid mussel on its host fish.

This study explores how Chinese journalists perceive, use, and report on artificial intelligence (AI) amid the global discourse of AI hype. Drawing on qualitative analysis of 18 in-depth interviews with journalists from a range of Chinese news organisations, this research examines (1) journalists’ algorithmic imaginaries and their role in shaping AI narratives, (2) perceptions of AI hype and strategies for responsible reporting, and (3) the journalistic roles reflected. The findings show that journalists predominantly frame AI as a pragmatic tool for enhancing newsroom efficiency, while also acknowledging its broader societal significance. Although aware of speculative discourses, they reject the label of “media hype,” portraying their coverage as balanced, event-driven, and aligned with public interest. Situated within China’s distinctive political and media environment, this study highlights the complexities of journalistic practice in the algorithmic age and calls for a contextualised theorisation of media hype and AI’s discursive construction in non-Western settings.

Prefabricated timber modules are increasingly used as load-bearing structures in multi-storey residential buildings. Unlike traditional applications where they serve as non-load-bearing elements within superstructures such as steel frames, these modules must now support not only their own dead weight but also imposed loads, snow loads, wind loads, and more. This means higher need of more accurate predictions of the degree of utilization for both ultimate and serviceability limit states in various structural elements. In this study, an effective structural element based 3D finite element (FE) model initially developed and experimentally validated for small prefabricated modules has been further refined. The paper aims to validate the enhanced FE model, analyze inter-modular connection slip and shear deformations under varying loads, and identify key parameters influencing racking behavior in different module types. The model is experimentally validated against two full-size modules — one designed by platform framing and the other by balloon framing — and used to simulate various load scenarios in parametric studies. The model demonstrated satisfactory prediction of the racking stiffness and strength compared to experimental results. Furthermore, simulations revealed the influence of door opening placement and differences between platform and balloon framing on the non-linear racking behaviors. Balloon framing, in particular, offers advantages for reducing shear deformations within the module. The study also investigates the structural behavior of the inter-modular connections. The observed slip deformations in these connections can significantly affect the global racking behavior of a multi module structure. For a horizontal load F = 63.7 kN, the slip deformation of the inter-modular connections become larger than the shear displacements within the test modules.

International migration creates a need for second language (L2) education in majority languages. The language programme Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) offers basic education in Swedish as an L2 to newly arrived adult migrants in Sweden. The aim of the study presented here is to explore the stability and dynamics of teachers’ beliefs about the education offered to students studying Literacy Education and Second Language Learning for Adults (LESLLA) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study is part of an action research project that included teachers and students at four SFI schools. This sub-study builds on individual and focus group interviews with teachers from these schools, which are analysed though content analysis. The theoretical base for the study is the beliefs of teachers and the stability and dynamics thereof. For these teachers, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic meant an abrupt switch from in-person instruction in the classroom to various combinations of digital education and in-person instruction in smaller groups. The beliefs of these teachers remained stable concerning their students’ needs, such as the importance of social interaction, varied exercises and frequent feedback. At the same time, they showed creativity in developing new forms of teaching. The situation was stressful for teachers and a higher level of stability could have allowed them to prioritise in other ways. In these politically and economically challenging times, LESLLA students are in even greater need of efficient and empowering education, not least access to digital tools and competence of high quality. We conclude that the possibilities for the schools of handling the crisis that the pandemic caused depended on the professional competence of individual teachers as well as their ability to act independently. 

Poor data quality limits the advantageous power of Machine Learning (ML) and weakens high-performing ML software systems. Nowadays, data are more prone to the risk of poor quality due to their increasing volume and complexity. Therefore, tedious and time-consuming work goes into data preparation and improvement before moving further in the ML pipeline. To address this challenge, we propose an intelligent data-centric evaluation framework that can identify high-quality data and improve the performance of an ML system. The proposed framework combines the curation of quality measurements and unsupervised learning to distinguish high- and low-quality data. The framework is designed to integrate flexible and general-purpose methods so that it is deployed in various domains and applications. To validate the outcomes of the designed framework, we implemented it in a real-world use case from the field of analytical chemistry, where it is tested on three datasets of anti-sense oligonucleotides. A domain expert is consulted to identify the relevant quality measurements and evaluate the outcomes of the framework. The results show that the quality-centric data evaluation framework identifies the characteristics of high-quality data that guide the conduct of efficient laboratory experiments and consequently improve the performance of the ML system. 

In this longitudinal study, we examined the trajectories of sport and school burnout symptoms (exhaustion, cynicism, inadequacy) during the transition to lower secondary sport school among Norwegian student-athletes aged 13–14 years (n = 265; 58,5% males, 41,5% females). We also investigated how student-athletes’ gender and individual success expectations, and their parents’ reported levels of affection and success expectations, were associated with different burnout trajectories. Student-athletes completed associated questionnaires at the beginning and end of the first school year, while parents completed questionnaires at the end of the school year. Linear mixed models showed that sport and school burnout symptoms increased over the school year. Females reported higher baseline levels of sport burnout, and males lower baseline levels of school burnout. Low individual success expectations were associated with higher baseline levels of sport and school burnout, and increase in school burnout symptoms over time. High parental success expectations were associated with lower baseline levels of school-related exhaustion. Sport inadequacy increased for student-athletes whose parents reported either affection levels and success expectations that were either both high or both low. The results suggest that it is important that sport schools take the dual pressure student-athletes may experience into consideration, and provide them with adequate support during the transition to lower secondary education. In addition, interventions aimed at increasing parental knowledge of beneficial and harmful ways of involvement in student-athletes’ lives are needed to facilitate student-athlete wellbeing. 

At the early maturity stage, the curing temperature has a significant impact on the mechanical properties of concrete. Concrete cubes are cured in water baths at different temperatures—5 °C, 20 °C, 35 °C, and 50 °C—in order to measure their compressive strength. This method is predicated on the knowledge that the pace of cement hydration is strongly influenced by the curing temperature. Then, the realistic curing temperature regime was imposed where the temperature of the curing water was modified based on the temperature patterns obtained from semi-adiabatic testing of concrete mixes to simulate curing conditions in the core of massive concrete structures. Ordinary Concrete: Compared to specimens cured at an isothermal curing at 20 °C, those cured in water baths at realistic curing showed an increase in compressive strength of 48% at seven days and 18.5% at 28 days. Fly Ash 18% Replacement: Compared to specimens cured at at 20 °C, the compressive strength of those cured at realistic curing increased by 45% at seven days, with a modest rise of 0.2% by the 28th day. Slag 18% Replacement: Compared to specimens cured at 20 °C, the compressive strength of those cured at realistic curing increased significantly by 121% at seven days and by 21.7% at 28 days. 

Topology optimization methods employing binary (also known as discrete) design variables currently lack mathematical formulations to ensure length scale control in their solutions. This paper proposes and applies a morphology-mimicking filtering scheme to provide a minimum size control (often also referred to as minimum length scale control) in this class of binary designs. The Topology Optimization of Binary Structures (TOBS) method was chosen as the foundational framework for this length scale control study. Thermal and structural compliance scenarios were explored under this approach. Numerical results show that the proposed filter efficiently imposes the desired minimum length scale. The optimized designs were also less dependent on the filtering parameters when compared to designs optimized using standard techniques that employ continuous design variables. 

Continued improvement of heat control in mesoscopic conductors brings novel tools for probing strongly correlated electron phenomena. Motivated by these advances, we comprehensively study transport due to a temperature bias in a quantum point contact device in the fractional quantum Hall regime. We compute the charge-current noise (so-called delta-T noise), heat-current noise, and mixed noise and elucidate how these observables can be used to infer strongly correlated properties of the device. Our main focus is the extraction of so-called scaling dimensions of the tunneling anyonic quasiparticles, of critical importance to correctly infer their anyonic exchange statistics. 

A considerable proportion of children exposed to adversities and trauma are under six years old, yet most trauma-focused treatment methods target older children and adolescents. Child–Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) is one of few interventions designed for traumatized children under six, focusing on the child–caregiver relationship as the foundation for recovery. This doctoral thesis aimed to evaluate CPP outcomes and experiences in a Swedish naturalistic clinical context. Study I examined caregiver experiences and how CPP meets the demands for dissemination in Sweden. Study II evaluated the impact of CPP on general psychological symptoms and post-traumatic stress in children, caregivers, and caregivers’ perceptions of their relationship with their child. Study III explored the long-term effects of CPP and potential predictors of outcomes. The overall findings were positive. The caregivers reported high satisfaction with CPP, and the intervention was practical to implement. Reductions in general psychological symptoms and post-traumatic stress were observed in both children and caregivers. Caregivers also reported improved abilities to manage their child’s behavior and a noticeable reduction in signs of disorganized caregiving. The results were sustained at follow-up. One potential predictor identified was that higher levels of child trauma symptoms were associated with a smaller reduction in caregiver trauma symptoms. The results align with international studies, demonstrating CPP’s effectiveness in reducing symptoms and improving child-caregiver relationships. Additionally, the findings highlight CPP’s sustainability in a naturalistic clinical setting in a new culture, indicating its promise for wider dissemination in Sweden. Considering a relatively small sample size and lack of control group, a Swedish RCT is needed to further investigate the effectiveness of CPP.

The rapid rise of Cellular Internet of Things (CIoT) technology is expected to connect over 6 billion devices by 2029. Many of these devices, often deployed in remote, urban, or hard-to-reach areas, operate on limited battery resources and are expected to last up to 10 years. However, current battery limitations challenge the long-term operation required by many applications. Ensuring low energy consumption is therefore crucial for avoiding frequent recharging or battery replacements.

This thesis addresses the challenge of enhancing the energy efficiency of Narrow-Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) devices by examining and optimizing the energy-saving mechanisms standardized by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Specifically, the research classifies and evaluates existing energy-saving solutions for CIoT— particularly for NB-IoT—by identifying their limitations and studying the impact of mechanisms such as Discontinuous Reception (DRX), Release Assistance Indicator (RAI), Power Saving Mode (PSM), Early Data Transmission (EDT), and Preconfigured Uplink Resources (PUR) on battery life. While improved energy efficiency is essential, it often comes at the cost of increased latency. This thesis evaluates these effects on both energy consumption and latency, offering insights into the trade-offs between the two.

Based on these findings, we propose guidelines for configuring NB-IoT devices to achieve an optimal balance between energy efficiency and performance. A significant contribution of this research is the development of a machine learning-based optimization approach that dynamically adjusts configurations based on network conditions, such as signal quality, packet loss, and data transmission frequency. By integrating advanced energy-saving mechanisms with optimization techniques, this work deepens our understanding of the interplay between device configurations and battery life. Although energy-saving measures may reduce performance (e.g., increased latency or reduced throughput), further investigation into these trade-offs is essential. The proposed guidelines and strategies aim to extend NB-IoT devices’ battery life to 10 years or more, enhancing their usability across diverse CIoT deployments.