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Thermoplastic, polysaccharide-based plastics are environmentally friendly. However, typical shortcomings include lack of water resistance and poor mechanical properties. Nanocomposite manufacturing using pure, highly linear, polysaccharides can overcome such limitations. Cast nanocomposites were fabricated with plant engineered pure amylose (AM), produced in bulk quantity in transgenic barley grain, and cellulose nanofibers (CNF), extracted from agrowaste sugar beet pulp. Morphology, crystallinity, chemical heterogeneity, mechanics, dynamic mechanical, gas and water permeability, and contact angle of the films were investigated. Blending CNF into the AM matrix significantly enhanced the crystallinity, mechanical properties and permeability, whereas glycerol increased elongation at break, mainly by plasticizing the AM. There was significant phase separation between AM and CNF. Dynamic plasticizing and anti-plasticizing effects of both CNF and glycerol were demonstrated by NMR demonstrating high molecular order, but also non-crystalline, and evenly distributed 20 nm-sized glycerol domains. This study demonstrates a new lead in functional polysaccharide-based bioplastic systems.

Covering: Up to 2019Phenolic cross-links and phenolic inter-unit linkages result from the oxidative coupling of two hydroxycinnamates or two molecules of tyrosine. Free dimers of hydroxycinnamates, lignans, play important roles in plant defence. Cross-linking of bound phenolics in the plant cell wall affects cell expansion, wall strength, digestibility, degradability, and pathogen resistance. Cross-links mediated by phenolic substituents are particularly important as they confer strength to the wall via the formation of new covalent bonds, and by excluding water from it. Four biopolymer classes are known to be involved in the formation of phenolic cross-links: lignins, extensins, glucuronoarabinoxylans, and side-chains of rhamnogalacturonan-I. Lignins and extensins are ubiquitous in streptophytes whereas aromatic substituents on xylan and pectic side-chains are commonly assumed to be particular features of Poales sensu lato and core Caryophyllales, respectively. Cross-linking of phenolic moieties proceeds via radical formation, is catalyzed by peroxidases and laccases, and involves monolignols, tyrosine in extensins, and ferulate esters on xylan and pectin. Ferulate substituents, on xylan in particular, are thought to be nucleation points for lignin polymerization and are, therefore, of paramount importance to wall architecture in grasses and for the development of technology for wall disassembly, e.g. for the use of grass biomass for production of 2nd generation biofuels. This review summarizes current knowledge on the intra- and extracellular acylation of polysaccharides, and inter- and intra-molecular cross-linking of different constituents. Enzyme mediated lignan in vitro synthesis for pharmaceutical uses are covered as are industrial exploitation of mutant and transgenic approaches to control cell wall cross-linking.

Corn bran is a major agro-industrial byproduct from corn starch processing. The bran is particularly rich in highly substituted feruloylated glucuronoarabinoxylan (FGAX). Yet, due to its recalcitrance to biocatalytic degradation, corn bran FGAX is currently not utilized in biorefinery processes. Here, we report selective enzymatic extraction of both single, and double-stranded high-molecular-weight FGAX molecules from corn bran using a bacterial, glucuronoyl-specific glycoside hydrolase family 30 endo-1,4-β-xylanase (EC 3.2.1.8) from Dickeya chrysanthemi (DcXyn30). The enzymatic extraction using DcXyn30 was optimized with respect to temperature, pH, and time to maximize yields of high-molecular-weight polysaccharides. Examination of the enzymatically extracted FGAX using SEC, HPAEC, LC-MS, and NMR analysis (after acid or alkaline hydrolysis) revealed that both single-stranded and double-stranded FGAX were extracted, since diferulate-linkages were present in the extracted FGAX. Furthermore, the NMR-analysis indicated presence of 1,5-linked arabinan dimers suggesting that some of the xylopyranosyl residues in the extracted FGAX contained arabinofuranosyl-arabinofuranosyl substitutions in addition to a significant amount of classical doubly-arabinose substitutions. Laccase treatment of the extracted FGAX produced strong hydrogels via oxidative, covalent feruloyl-cross-linking. At pH 6.5 the Myceliophthora thermophila derived laccase produced significantly faster cross-linking kinetics than the laccase from Pleurotus ostreatus as measured rheologically. The data reveal novel insight into corn bran FGAX chemistry and provide a new direction for enzyme-assisted upgrading of corn bran for valuable functional hydrogel applications.

Covering: Up to 2019Phenolic cross-links and phenolic inter-unit linkages result from the oxidative coupling of two hydroxycinnamates or two molecules of tyrosine. Free dimers of hydroxycinnamates, lignans, play important roles in plant defence. Cross-linking of bound phenolics in the plant cell wall affects cell expansion, wall strength, digestibility, degradability, and pathogen resistance. Cross-links mediated by phenolic substituents are particularly important as they confer strength to the wall via the formation of new covalent bonds, and by excluding water from it. Four biopolymer classes are known to be involved in the formation of phenolic cross-links: lignins, extensins, glucuronoarabinoxylans, and side-chains of rhamnogalacturonan-I. Lignins and extensins are ubiquitous in streptophytes whereas aromatic substituents on xylan and pectic side-chains are commonly assumed to be particular features of Poales sensu lato and core Caryophyllales, respectively. Cross-linking of phenolic moieties proceeds via radical formation, is catalyzed by peroxidases and laccases, and involves monolignols, tyrosine in extensins, and ferulate esters on xylan and pectin. Ferulate substituents, on xylan in particular, are thought to be nucleation points for lignin polymerization and are, therefore, of paramount importance to wall architecture in grasses and for the development of technology for wall disassembly, e.g. for the use of grass biomass for production of 2nd generation biofuels. This review summarizes current knowledge on the intra- and extracellular acylation of polysaccharides, and inter- and intra-molecular cross-linking of different constituents. Enzyme mediated lignan in vitro synthesis for pharmaceutical uses are covered as are industrial exploitation of mutant and transgenic approaches to control cell wall cross-linking.

Photobiocatalysis holds great promise toward the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly processes, harnessing light to drive biocatalytic reactions. However, photobiocatalysis at the interface of insoluble substrates, such as cellulose, has not been studied in much detail. In this context, the catalytic enhancement of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) by light is of great interest to the biorefinery field due to their capacity to oxidatively cleave such recalcitrant polysaccharides which can facilitate the degradation of lignocellulose. It has previously been reported that light-driven LPMO reactions have a huge catalytic potential, but effective continuous illumination in reactors may be challenging. Therefore, we investigated the impact of intermittent illumination. We show that illumination intervals as short as 1 s/min enable LPMO catalysis on phosphoric acid-swollen cellulose (PASC) to the same level as continuous illumination. Additionally, time-resolved measurements indicate that reductant depletion, and not enzyme inactivation, limits light-driven LPMO reactions. This study shows that a 60-fold reduction in illumination time enhances LPMO catalysis while protecting reaction elements, e.g., the reductant. Most importantly, the significant enhancement of LPMO catalysis with minimal and intermittent illumination is promising toward an application of photobiocatalytic depolymerization of lignocellulose where shading and light scattering minimize light availability and continuity.

Removal of non-cellulosic polymers from vegetable pulp to obtain cellulose nanofibers (CNF) is normally achieved by chemical pre-treatments which requires several washing steps. In the present study, it is demonstrated how incubation of sugar beet pulp at pH 9, followed by treatment with polysaccharide-degrading enzymes and subsequent bleaching can be done in a one-pot procedure to make CNF. The new method consumes 67% less water and removes non-cellulosic polysaccharides with similar efficiency as a chemical method. In addition, CNF produced by the new method contained slightly more pectin and formed gels with 2.7 times higher storage modulus. Nanopapers cast from chemically- and enzymatically produced CNF showed similar mechanical properties. However, without the pH 9 incubation step, the enzymes accessibility to cell-wall polymers was limited resulting in lower gel and paper strengths. In conclusion, the new method offers a sustainable route for producing high quality CNF from sugar beet waste.

Plant cell walls consist of a wide range of polysaccharides, proteins, and phenolic compounds. They surround all cells and constitute an exoskeleton that governs the size and shape of the plant. How plant cell walls are constructed to confer high strength while remaining dynamic is largely unknown. The fundamental building blocks of cell walls are cellulose microfibrils (3-4 nm wide and several micrometers long). These building blocks can be derived from cell walls by chemical and mechanical methods. The resulting elements are referred to as cellulose nanofibers (CNF). The large surface area combined with properties of cellulose such as reactive hydroxyl groups and high strength-to-weight ratio (8 times higher than steel) makes CNF a potential building block for designing novel materials. Nevertheless, a major bottle neck for realizing many of the industrial applications of CNF is its high production-costs due to high water consumption, use of harsh chemistry, and high energy-input. The first part of this thesis describes novel methods for deriv ing CNF from agro-industrial waste, such as sugar beet and potato pulps. The abundance of these pulps, originating from industrial production of starch and sugar, constitutes a sustainable source of CNF. Due to highly hydrated cell walls within these raw materials (compared to wood), we have explored the use of enzymatic treatments, instead of chemistry, to remove the non-cellulosic fraction. The methods developed herein show great potential for producing high quality CNF with reduced water consumption and less toxic effluent, thus making the material more cost-effective and environmentally friendly. In the second part of this thesis we have additionally explored the use of CNF as model substrates to probe expansin activity and cellulose-degrading enzymes. It appears that CNF-materials have a utility in this respect due to its similarity to cellulose in muro and resemblance to plant cell walls.

Covering: Up to 2019Phenolic cross-links and phenolic inter-unit linkages result from the oxidative coupling of two hydroxycinnamates or two molecules of tyrosine. Free dimers of hydroxycinnamates, lignans, play important roles in plant defence. Cross-linking of bound phenolics in the plant cell wall affects cell expansion, wall strength, digestibility, degradability, and pathogen resistance. Cross-links mediated by phenolic substituents are particularly important as they confer strength to the wall via the formation of new covalent bonds, and by excluding water from it. Four biopolymer classes are known to be involved in the formation of phenolic cross-links: lignins, extensins, glucuronoarabinoxylans, and side-chains of rhamnogalacturonan-I. Lignins and extensins are ubiquitous in streptophytes whereas aromatic substituents on xylan and pectic side-chains are commonly assumed to be particular features of Poales sensu lato and core Caryophyllales, respectively. Cross-linking of phenolic moieties proceeds via radical formation, is catalyzed by peroxidases and laccases, and involves monolignols, tyrosine in extensins, and ferulate esters on xylan and pectin. Ferulate substituents, on xylan in particular, are thought to be nucleation points for lignin polymerization and are, therefore, of paramount importance to wall architecture in grasses and for the development of technology for wall disassembly, e.g. for the use of grass biomass for production of 2nd generation biofuels. This review summarizes current knowledge on the intra- and extracellular acylation of polysaccharides, and inter- and intra-molecular cross-linking of different constituents. Enzyme mediated lignan in vitro synthesis for pharmaceutical uses are covered as are industrial exploitation of mutant and transgenic approaches to control cell wall cross-linking.

Covering: Up to 2019Phenolic cross-links and phenolic inter-unit linkages result from the oxidative coupling of two hydroxycinnamates or two molecules of tyrosine. Free dimers of hydroxycinnamates, lignans, play important roles in plant defence. Cross-linking of bound phenolics in the plant cell wall affects cell expansion, wall strength, digestibility, degradability, and pathogen resistance. Cross-links mediated by phenolic substituents are particularly important as they confer strength to the wall via the formation of new covalent bonds, and by excluding water from it. Four biopolymer classes are known to be involved in the formation of phenolic cross-links: lignins, extensins, glucuronoarabinoxylans, and side-chains of rhamnogalacturonan-I. Lignins and extensins are ubiquitous in streptophytes whereas aromatic substituents on xylan and pectic side-chains are commonly assumed to be particular features of Poales sensu lato and core Caryophyllales, respectively. Cross-linking of phenolic moieties proceeds via radical formation, is catalyzed by peroxidases and laccases, and involves monolignols, tyrosine in extensins, and ferulate esters on xylan and pectin. Ferulate substituents, on xylan in particular, are thought to be nucleation points for lignin polymerization and are, therefore, of paramount importance to wall architecture in grasses and for the development of technology for wall disassembly, e.g. for the use of grass biomass for production of 2nd generation biofuels. This review summarizes current knowledge on the intra- and extracellular acylation of polysaccharides, and inter- and intra-molecular cross-linking of different constituents. Enzyme mediated lignan in vitro synthesis for pharmaceutical uses are covered as are industrial exploitation of mutant and transgenic approaches to control cell wall cross-linking.

Photobiocatalysis holds great promise toward the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly processes, harnessing light to drive biocatalytic reactions. However, photobiocatalysis at the interface of insoluble substrates, such as cellulose, has not been studied in much detail. In this context, the catalytic enhancement of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) by light is of great interest to the biorefinery field due to their capacity to oxidatively cleave such recalcitrant polysaccharides which can facilitate the degradation of lignocellulose. It has previously been reported that light-driven LPMO reactions have a huge catalytic potential, but effective continuous illumination in reactors may be challenging. Therefore, we investigated the impact of intermittent illumination. We show that illumination intervals as short as 1 s/min enable LPMO catalysis on phosphoric acid-swollen cellulose (PASC) to the same level as continuous illumination. Additionally, time-resolved measurements indicate that reductant depletion, and not enzyme inactivation, limits light-driven LPMO reactions. This study shows that a 60-fold reduction in illumination time enhances LPMO catalysis while protecting reaction elements, e.g. the reductant. Most importantly, the significant enhancement of LPMO catalysis with minimal and intermittent illumination is promising toward an application of photobiocatalytic depolymerization of lignocellulose where shading and light scattering minimize light availability and continuity., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Photobiocatalysis holds great promise toward the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly processes, harnessing light to drive biocatalytic reactions. However, photobiocatalysis at the interface of insoluble substrates, such as cellulose, has not been studied in much detail. In this context, the catalytic enhancement of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) by light is of great interest to the biorefinery field due to their capacity to oxidatively cleave such recalcitrant polysaccharides which can facilitate the degradation of lignocellulose. It has previously been reported that light-driven LPMO reactions have a huge catalytic potential, but effective continuous illumination in reactors may be challenging. Therefore, we investigated the impact of intermittent illumination. We show that illumination intervals as short as 1 s/min enable LPMO catalysis on phosphoric acid-swollen cellulose (PASC) to the same level as continuous illumination. Additionally, time-resolved measurements indicate that reductant depletion, and not enzyme inactivation, limits light-driven LPMO reactions. This study shows that a 60-fold reduction in illumination time enhances LPMO catalysis while protecting reaction elements, e.g., the reductant. Most importantly, the significant enhancement of LPMO catalysis with minimal and intermittent illumination is promising toward an application of photobiocatalytic depolymerization of lignocellulose where shading and light scattering minimize light availability and continuity.

Cellulose fibers can be freed from the cell-wall skeleton via high-shear homogenization, to produce cellulose nanofibers (CNF) that can be used, for example, as the reinforcing phase in composite materials. Nanofiber production from agro-industrial byproducts normally involves harsh chemical-pretreatments and high temperatures to remove noncellulosic polysaccharides (20-70% of dry weight). However, this is expensive for large-scale processing and environmentally damaging. An enzyme-only pretreatment to obtain CNF from agro-industrial byproducts (potato and sugar beet) was developed with targeted commercial enzyme mixtures. It is hypothesized that cellulose can be isolated from the biomass, using enzymes only, due to the low lignin content, facilitating greater liberation of CNF via high-shear homogenization. Comprehensive Microarray Polymer Profiling (CoMPP) measured remaining extractable polysaccharides, showing that the enzyme-pretreatment was more successful at removing noncellulosic polysaccharides than alkaline- or acid-hydrolysis alone. While effective alone, the effect of the enzyme-pretreatment was bolstered via combination with a mild high-pH pretreatment. Dynamic rheology was used to estimate the proportion of CNF in resultant suspensions. Enzyme-pretreated suspensions showed 4-fold and 10-fold increases in the storage modulus for potato and sugar beet, respectively, compared to untreated samples. A greener yet facile method for producing CNF from vegetable waste is presented here.

The increasing globalization has lead companies to venture into new areas of business, and thereby new markets. When entering a new market, it is important to gain market knowledge to be able to satisfy the customers’ needs. Companies are no longer competing only with products and services; they are also striving to increase their competitive advantage by improving the processes that ultimately deliver the result. In order to obtain competitive advantages, designing business processes to meet the needs of the customers is therefore vital for companies to succeed. Entries into new markets may therefore require adaption to new customers in order to sustain the purpose of the processes. For a telecommunications company venturing into the market of Public Safety, changing preconditions for customers are inevitable, why companies must be aware of changes in the customer’s needs and requirements. When preconditions are changed in this sense, adaptions to the supplier’s sales process might be necessary in order to enable building a relationship between the supplier and the customer. The aim of this study is therefore to establish how companies active in the telecommunications industry can adapt their sales process to new customer requirements and needs when entering the market of Public Safety. This to address the issues that may arise when the established sales process is no longer suited to new customers’ needs and requirements. The thesis is based on a case study at a global telecommunications company, which recently entered the Public Safety market. To create a greater understanding of subjects and findings presented in the report, a literature review touching on the structure of the sales process as well as the preconditions surrounding public procurement is presented. To further create an understanding of the case company’s sales process, nine in-depth interviews were conducted with employees active in the process. In order to draw conclusions on how the sales proces, Validerat; 20160629 (global_studentproject_submitter)

This thesis has been performed in the ethylene oxide plant at Akzo Nobel in Stenungsund. Ethylene oxide is an important ethylene based intermediary compound. The primary use for ethylene oxide is in the manufacture of derivatives such as ethylene glycol, surfactants and ethanolamine’s. In the production of ethylene oxide, ethylene and oxygen reacts over a silver catalyst surface. Mainly two reactions occur, partial oxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide and total oxidation of ethylene to carbon dioxide and water. The largest cost in production of ethylene oxide is ethylene therefore it’s important to optimize the selectivity towards ethylene oxide and thus reduce the consumption of ethylene. The aim with this thesis was to create a simulation model of the reactor using Aspen Plus® that correlates with reality. This model is then going to be a tool for future investigations of replacements of catalysts. Initially a literature study was made to increase the understanding of the chemical substance present and the mechanism in the reactor. Part of this project was to find a thermodynamic model that correlate with the system. Based on the literature study an equation of state model, Peng-Robinson or Soave-Redlich-Kwong was the best choice. Both models were tested and they gave similar results. In this simulation Soave-Redlich-Kwong is used. The reason for that is that Soave-Redlich-Kwong is developed to function well together with water which condenses in the heat exchangers after the reactor (simulation model will incorporate more process equipment in future studies) . Multiple studies have been done to discover the kinetics of the oxidation reactions of ethylene over a silver catalyst. There has been no general agreement among the kinetics equations and mechanisms described. It is agreed that silver can adsorb oxygen in a number of ways and that this phenomenon is the basis of silver’s efficiency in catalyzing the oxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide. The simulatio, There are high demands on companies today to survive when competition is high and that also applies to companies that manufacture ethylene oxide. The raw material in the production of ethylene oxide is ethylene and oxygen where ethylene is the largest cost. To facilitate the reaction a catalyst, which increases the reaction rate, is used. The catalyst has a major influence on the efficiency and economics of the production of ethylene oxide. Catalysts used in commercial ethylene oxide processes contain silver on an alumina oxide carrier with addition of promoters and moderators to improve selectivity towards ethylene oxide and stabilize activity. For an ethylene oxide company to be competitive in the market, it is important to follow catalyst development and to investigate the possibilities of using catalysts that increase stability and selectivity towards ethylene oxide. When a change of a catalyst to another type of catalyst is considered, it’s important to investigate the change of process parameters that will be a result of another type of catalyst. A simulation model in the commercial program Aspen Plus® has here been performed as a tool for future catalyst evaluations. Ethylene oxide was first prepared in 1859 by Wurtz using potassium hydroxide solution to eliminate hydrochloric acid from ethylene chlorohydrin. This led to an industrial production of EO (Ethylene Oxide) which began in 1914. The direct catalytic oxidation of ethylene, discovered in 1931 by Leffort, was gradually replaced by the chlorohydrin process. Today EO is produced by direct oxidation of ethylene with air or oxygen. In the production of ethylene oxide, oxygen and ethylene reacts over a silver catalyst on an alumina oxide carrier and the main reactions are: C2H4 + ½ O2 → C2H4O (formation of ethylene oxide) (ΔH = -106,7 kJ/mol) C2H4 + 3 O2 → 2 CO2 + 2 H2O (by products) (ΔH = -1323 kJ/mol) The reactions are exothermic which means that heat is created. As the catalyst is used, its selectivity a

This paper presents outcomes from a course with focus on developing businesslike capabilities among undergraduate students. The purpose is to explore the need of trust in preparations of UI-collaboration and how outcomes are influencing trust in an education context. Findings indicate that word of mouth is essential to create needed trust. The amount of human resources students represent is found to be an important “qualifier”, while created trust is the “order winner” in the establishment of UI-collaboration., Godkänd; 2015; 20150116 (andbra)

This paper presents outcomes from a course with focus on developing businesslike capabilities among undergraduate students. The purpose is to explore the need of trust in preparations of UI-collaboration and how outcomes are influencing trust in an education context. Findings indicate that word of mouth is essential to create needed trust. The amount of human resources students represent is found to be an important “qualifier”, while created trust is the “order winner” in the establishment of UI-collaboration., Godkänd; 2015; 20150116 (andbra)

Godkänd; 2014; 20141013 (andbra)

Godkänd; 2014; 20141013 (andbra)

Godkänd; 2014; 20141013 (andbra)

Godkänd; 2014; 20141013 (andbra)

Problem: Forskning finns avseende vilka lägespreferenser köpare av småhus vanligen föredrar (Betts & Ely, 2008). Forskning finns även avseende hur marknadsföringspsykologi i form av varumärken påverkar konsumentens val av en vara (Arnold, 1993). Däremot har författarna till denna uppsats inte lyckats hitta annan forskning som kopplar samman marknadsföringsteori och bostadsområden, det vill säga hur varumärket påverkar köparens val av bostadsområde i samspel med praktiska faktorer. Studien vill även undersöka hur trendsättare som exempelvis kända personer och yrkesmän inom bostadsbranschen, kan påverka hur ett bostadsområdes efterfrågan kan komma att öka. Syfte: Studiens syfte är att undersöka vilka faktorer som kan få ett bostadsområde att öka alternativt minska i attraktivitet. Metod: För att komma fram till syftet har både kvalitativa och kvantitativa undersökningar utförts. Genom att noggrant välja ut fastighetsmäklare verksamma i Halmstad, har det genom öppna intervjuer framkommit viktig kunskap om vilka trender som råder på bostadsmarknaden i Halmstad. Med en kvantitativ datainsamling har sedan uppfattningen om olika lägespreferenser hos boende i Tylösand, Haverdal, Frösakull och Vishärad undersökts. Slutsats: Studien har kommit fram till att faktorer såsom närhet till kollektivtrafik, närhet till service, närhet till naturområden, rätt läge till solen samt att området är lugnt är viktigt för en köpare. Områdets varumärke har vidare visat sig ha en betydande roll för att vägleda köparen till rätt bostadsområde, samt att varumärket kan ha en avgörande betydelse när köpare väljer mellan bostadsområden i en konkurrenssituation (Arnold, 1993; Kotler et al., ; Melin, 1999). Sålunda, har dock kändisar visat sig ha liten betydelse för de boendes val av bostadsområde. Nyckelord: Bostadsområde, fastighetsvärde, läge, småhus, varumärke, Problem: There is already some research regarding what location preferences house buyers usually prefer (Betts & Ely 2008). There is also research available regarding how marketing psychology in the form of brands, affect consumer choice of goods (Arnold, 1993). However, the authors of this essay were not able to find other research that links marketing theory and residential areas, in other words, how the brand affects the buyer's choice of residential area in close interplay with material factors. The study would also examine how trendsetters, such as celebrities and professionals in the residential sector, can affect how a residential area demand may increase. Purpose: The study aims to investigate factors which may increase and/or decrease the attractiveness of a residential area. Method: To reach the objective, both qualitative and quantitative studies were conducted. By carefully selecting the real estate agents operating in Halmstad, important knowledge has been found through open interviews about the latest trends in the housing market in Halmstad. With a quantitative data gathering, the perception of different location preferences among residents in Tylösand, Haverdal, Frösakull and Vishärad has been investigated. Conclusion: The study has concluded that the factors such as proximity to public transportation, close to services, proximity to natural areas, the correct position of the sun and to a quiet area is important for a buyer. The brand of the area has also been found to have a significant role to guide the buyer to the right neighborhood, and that brand can play a crucial role for the residents choice of residential (Arnold, 1993; Kotler et. al; Melin, 1999). However celebrities have only shown to have little importance on the residents choice of residential area. KeywordsResidential, propertyvalue, location, houses, branding

Problem: Forskning finns avseende vilka lägespreferenser köpare av småhus vanligen föredrar (Betts & Ely, 2008). Forskning finns även avseende hur marknadsföringspsykologi i form av varumärken påverkar konsumentens val av en vara (Arnold, 1993). Däremot har författarna till denna uppsats inte lyckats hitta annan forskning som kopplar samman marknadsföringsteori och bostadsområden, det vill säga hur varumärket påverkar köparens val av bostadsområde i samspel med praktiska faktorer. Studien vill även undersöka hur trendsättare som exempelvis kända personer och yrkesmän inom bostadsbranschen, kan påverka hur ett bostadsområdes efterfrågan kan komma att öka. Syfte: Studiens syfte är att undersöka vilka faktorer som kan få ett bostadsområde att öka alternativt minska i attraktivitet. Metod: För att komma fram till syftet har både kvalitativa och kvantitativa undersökningar utförts. Genom att noggrant välja ut fastighetsmäklare verksamma i Halmstad, har det genom öppna intervjuer framkommit viktig kunskap om vilka trender som råder på bostadsmarknaden i Halmstad. Med en kvantitativ datainsamling har sedan uppfattningen om olika lägespreferenser hos boende i Tylösand, Haverdal, Frösakull och Vishärad undersökts. Slutsats: Studien har kommit fram till att faktorer såsom närhet till kollektivtrafik, närhet till service, närhet till naturområden, rätt läge till solen samt att området är lugnt är viktigt för en köpare. Områdets varumärke har vidare visat sig ha en betydande roll för att vägleda köparen till rätt bostadsområde, samt att varumärket kan ha en avgörande betydelse när köpare väljer mellan bostadsområden i en konkurrenssituation (Arnold, 1993; Kotler et al., ; Melin, 1999). Sålunda, har dock kändisar visat sig ha liten betydelse för de boendes val av bostadsområde. Nyckelord: Bostadsområde, fastighetsvärde, läge, småhus, varumärke, Problem: There is already some research regarding what location preferences house buyers usually prefer (Betts & Ely 2008). There is also research available regarding how marketing psychology in the form of brands, affect consumer choice of goods (Arnold, 1993). However, the authors of this essay were not able to find other research that links marketing theory and residential areas, in other words, how the brand affects the buyer's choice of residential area in close interplay with material factors. The study would also examine how trendsetters, such as celebrities and professionals in the residential sector, can affect how a residential area demand may increase. Purpose: The study aims to investigate factors which may increase and/or decrease the attractiveness of a residential area. Method: To reach the objective, both qualitative and quantitative studies were conducted. By carefully selecting the real estate agents operating in Halmstad, important knowledge has been found through open interviews about the latest trends in the housing market in Halmstad. With a quantitative data gathering, the perception of different location preferences among residents in Tylösand, Haverdal, Frösakull and Vishärad has been investigated. Conclusion: The study has concluded that the factors such as proximity to public transportation, close to services, proximity to natural areas, the correct position of the sun and to a quiet area is important for a buyer. The brand of the area has also been found to have a significant role to guide the buyer to the right neighborhood, and that brand can play a crucial role for the residents choice of residential (Arnold, 1993; Kotler et. al; Melin, 1999). However celebrities have only shown to have little importance on the residents choice of residential area. KeywordsResidential, propertyvalue, location, houses, branding

Cellulose is a highly interesting polymer for bio-based products and can be utilized in a wide variety of products, either in its native form or derivatized. One application for cellulose that is predicted to grow remarkably is textile fibers. It is believed that in the future a number of forest based raw materials can play a major role in replacing fossil oil based fibers and cotton to new ecological man-made fibers in both woven and nonwoven end applications.[p]The CelluNova project was initiated in early 2010 with the objective of developing a new environmentally friendly process for production of cellulose-based textile fibers. Cellulose fibers based on dissolving pulp have so far successfully been prepared from semi-pilot scale trials in a stepwise procedure. The solvent systems used were the NaOH/urea/thiourea system and the NaOH/ZnO system, at a temperature below 0°C, and a cellulose concentration as high as 6-8%., Ingår i projekt1?Ingår i projektOm publikationen ingår i ett projekt, ange projektets namn. För att ange flera projekt, klicka på Ytterligare projekt.x

In this study we report the synthesis, characterization. and photovoltaic properties of a series of six Conjugated polymers based on donor-acceptor-donor (DAD) structure. The polymers are obtained via Suzuki polymerization of different alkoxy-substituted DAD monomers together with a substituted fluorene or phenylene monomer. Application of polymers as light-harvesting and electron-donating materials in solar cells, in conjunction with both [60]PCBM and [70]PCBM as acceptors, show power-conversion efficiencies (PCEs) up to 2.9%, values obtained without extensive optimization work. Furthermore, atomic force microscopy and field-effect transistor (FET) mobility measurements of acceptor-polymer mixtures show that differences in substitution on the polymers affect morphology, mobility, and device performance. Within the series of polymers, all showing similar optical absorption and redox behavior, substituents play an important role in phase separation on a micrometer scale, which in turn has a large impact on device performance. The phase-separation behavior is clearly seen in [70]PCBM devices where the best-performing devices are obtained using the polymers with short alkoxy groups or no substituents together with a high speed of spin coating during device preparation.

Time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy and Monte Carlo simulations of charge-carrier motion are used to investigate photoinduced transient conductivity in a blend of a low-band-gap polyphenylene copolymer and fullerene derivative. The optical excitation pulse generates free holes delocalized on polymer chains. We show that these holes exhibit a very high initial mobility as their initial excess energy facilitates their transport over defects (potential barriers) on polymer chains. The conductivity then drops down rapidly within 1 ps, and we demonstrate that this decrease occurs essentially by two mechanisms. First, the carriers loose their excess energy and they thus become progressively localized between the on-chain potential barriers-this results in a mobility decay with a rate of (180 fs)(-1). Second, carriers are trapped at defects (potential wells) with a capture rate of (860 fs)(-1). At longer time scales, populations of mobile and trapped holes reach a quasiequilibrium state and further conductivity decrease becomes very slow. .

Solar cells based on organic molecules or conjugated polymers attract great attention due to their unique advantages, such as low cost, and their use in flexible devices, but are still limited by their low power conversion efficiency (PCE). To improve the PCEs of polymer solar cells, more efforts have been made to increase short-circuit current (J(sc)) or open-circuit voltage (V-oc). However, the trade-off between J(sc) and V-oc in bulk heterojunctions solar cells makes it tricky to find a polymer with a low band gap to efficiently absorb photons in the visible and near infrared region of the solar spectrum, while maintaining a high V-oc in solar cells. Therefore, it is crucial to design and synthesize polymers with energy levels aligning with the LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) of an electron acceptor to minimize the LUMO level difference between donor and acceptor to keep enough driving force for charge generation, thereby maximizing photovoltage in solar cells. Here a novel copolymer APFO-Green 9 was synthesized. Polymer solar cells based on APFO-Green 9 blended with a derivative of fullerene demonstrate high photovoltage by fine tuning the HOMO and LUMO level of APFO-Green 9. Solar cells based on APFO-Green 9 and [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester ([70]PCBM) present a photoresponse extended to 900 nm with J(sc) of 6.5 mA cm(-2), V-oc of 0.81 V and PCE of 2.3% under illumination of AM1.5 with light intensity of 100 mW cm(-2). As a low band gap polymer with a V-oc bigger than 0.8 V, APFO-Green 9 is a promising candidate for efficient tandem solar cells.

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Time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy is used to investigate photoinduced dynamics of charge carriers in a polymer heterojunction. We directly observe instantaneous generation of highly mobile charge carriers followed by a rapid drop in their mobility. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America

The paper adds to the discussion of developing the competences of engineers and its consequences on requirements for engineering education, i.e. the question on how can sustainable values be created in the education of businesslike engineers. Four context related aspects affecting the learning boundary for future engineers is identified. These are: students' view of learning, lecturers' views of learning, real-life examples, and manifestation of course content representation by practitioners. An important hinder for generative learning is that students are not realizing that efforts supporting generative learning are an investment in their future career both for the development of capabilities that gain generative learning in following courses, and outcomes that is demanded in industry. It is argued that real managers are more trustful when telling students, what efforts are necessary in order to gains the knowledge needed for making the most suitable answers on their questions of "what" and "how", Godkänd; 2007; 20071214 (jeaneth)

Syftet med detta examensarbete är att undersöka förskollärares uppfattningar om barns lärande i Reggio Emiliainspirerade förskolor. Vi har undersökt vad förskollärare säger om barns lärande, samt vilka principer de har som utgångspunkter. Vår teoretiska utgångspunkt är lärande ur ett socialkonstruktionistiskt perspektiv vilket innebär att kunskap skapas i relation till miljön, omgivande personer och sammanhanget. Kunskapen i sig är föränderlig. Undersökningen gjordes i form av seminstrukturerade intervjuer med tio förskollärare på deras respektive arbetsplatser. I resultatet framgår att förskollärarna ser lärande som något ständigt pågående och utgår från barnens intressen samt arbetar för att sätta barnen i centrum. De har en tilltro till barnen som kompetenta och låter dem få utforska själva. Det förefaller som om förskollärarna reflekterat mycket kring barnsynen. Förskollärarna ser till barnens förmågor. Reflektion och en levande dialog är viktigt i utvecklingssyfte för verksamheten. Tid och inflytande ges betydelse för lärande. Det framkommer att de flesta förskollärarna använder dokumentation för att synliggöra lärandet. Flera förskollärare uttrycker att barns lärande gynnas i grupp och inspireras av varandra. Miljöns betydelse för lärande betonas. Den ska vara inspirerande och tillgänglig för att möjliggöra barnens självständighet. Flera förskollärare ser arbetssättet som roligt och givande. Våra slutsatser är att förskollärarnas syn på barn ligger till grund för deras förhållningssätt och även deras arbetssätt. De arbetar medvetet för att synliggöra lärandet för barnen. Förskollärarna arbetar för att stötta barnen i deras kunskapssökande samt möjliggör lärande för barnen genom att skapa förutsättningar i miljön. De strävar efter att miljön ska stimulera, inspirera barnen samt försöker anpassa miljön efter barnens intressen. I jämförelse med traditionella förskolor så anser vi att förskollärarnas arbetssätt skiljer sig. Vi tolkar att förskollärarna ger barnen

The paper adds to the discussion of developing the competences of engineers and its consequences on requirements for engineering education, i.e. the question on how can sustainable values be created in the education of businesslike engineers. Four context related aspects affecting the learning boundary for future engineers is identified. These are: students' view of learning, lecturers' views of learning, real-life examples, and manifestation of course content representation by practitioners. An important hinder for generative learning is that students are not realizing that efforts supporting generative learning are an investment in their future career both for the development of capabilities that gain generative learning in following courses, and outcomes that is demanded in industry. It is argued that real managers are more trustful when telling students, what efforts are necessary in order to gains the knowledge needed for making the most suitable answers on their questions of "what" and "how", Godkänd; 2007; 20071214 (jeaneth)

The authors report polarized red, electroluminescence peak at 705 nm and near infrared, electroluminescence peak at 950 nm, light emission from light emitting diodes based on two polyfluorene copolymers. The copolymers are synthesized from a fluorene monomer combined with donor-acceptor-donor comonomers and designed to have a low band gap and form birefringent liquid crystalline phases. Emission occurs from aligned thin films of polymer layers. The emissive layers are aligned by spin coating on a layer of rubbed conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene)-poly(styrene sulphonate) and thermally converted into glassy nematic liquid crystalline state.

Syftet med detta examensarbete är att undersöka förskollärares uppfattningar om barns lärande i Reggio Emiliainspirerade förskolor. Vi har undersökt vad förskollärare säger om barns lärande, samt vilka principer de har som utgångspunkter. Vår teoretiska utgångspunkt är lärande ur ett socialkonstruktionistiskt perspektiv vilket innebär att kunskap skapas i relation till miljön, omgivande personer och sammanhanget. Kunskapen i sig är föränderlig. Undersökningen gjordes i form av seminstrukturerade intervjuer med tio förskollärare på deras respektive arbetsplatser. I resultatet framgår att förskollärarna ser lärande som något ständigt pågående och utgår från barnens intressen samt arbetar för att sätta barnen i centrum. De har en tilltro till barnen som kompetenta och låter dem få utforska själva. Det förefaller som om förskollärarna reflekterat mycket kring barnsynen. Förskollärarna ser till barnens förmågor. Reflektion och en levande dialog är viktigt i utvecklingssyfte för verksamheten. Tid och inflytande ges betydelse för lärande. Det framkommer att de flesta förskollärarna använder dokumentation för att synliggöra lärandet. Flera förskollärare uttrycker att barns lärande gynnas i grupp och inspireras av varandra. Miljöns betydelse för lärande betonas. Den ska vara inspirerande och tillgänglig för att möjliggöra barnens självständighet. Flera förskollärare ser arbetssättet som roligt och givande. Våra slutsatser är att förskollärarnas syn på barn ligger till grund för deras förhållningssätt och även deras arbetssätt. De arbetar medvetet för att synliggöra lärandet för barnen. Förskollärarna arbetar för att stötta barnen i deras kunskapssökande samt möjliggör lärande för barnen genom att skapa förutsättningar i miljön. De strävar efter att miljön ska stimulera, inspirera barnen samt försöker anpassa miljön efter barnens intressen. I jämförelse med traditionella förskolor så anser vi att förskollärarnas arbetssätt skiljer sig. Vi tolkar att förskollärarna ger barnen

A new series of low-bandgap alternating polyfluorenes with different donor–acceptor–donor moieties have been synthesized. Electrochemical and optical absorption measurement show that onset bandgaps of these polymers range from 1.2 to 1.5 eV. These polymers, blended with a C70-derivative as acceptor, are used for solar cell fabrication. Devices show promising photovoltaic properties, and the spectral response of photocurrent covers all visible and near-infrared wavelength regions with its onset extended to 1 μm. The best data gives a photocurrent density of 3.4 mA/cm2, open circuit voltage of 0.58 V and power conversion efficiency of 0.7% under illumination of AM1.5 (1000 W/m2) from a solar simulator.

The electrochemical and optical properties of a series of alternating polyfluorene copolymers with low band gaps were determined. These polymers incorporated fluorene units alternating with groups including electron-withdrawing (A) and electron-donating (D) groups in donor-acceptor-donor (DAD) sequence to achieve the lowering of band gaps. The polymers were solvent-casted on platinum disk electrode and the band gaps were estimated from cyclic voltammetry (CV). These values were compared with values obtained from optical absorption measurements. Although the electrochemically determined band gaps were found to be slightly higher than the optical band gap in most cases, values are well correlated. The values of the band gaps determined range from 2.1 to 1.3 eV. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Charge transport in a near infrared absorbing polyfluorene copolymer (APFO-Green1) and its blends with methanofullerene [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), and 3′-(3,5-bis-trifluoromethylphenyl)-1′-(4-nitrophenyl)pyrazolino[70]fullerene (BTPF70) is reported. PCBM and BTPF70 are electron acceptor and transporting molecules in polymer based solar cells. The BTPF70 has emerged as a new electron acceptor molecule that provides adequate exciton dissociation when blended with the low band gap polyfluorene copolymer APFO-Green1. Electron transport in both net PCBM and BTPF70 films are subjected to positional and energetic disorder, with the degree of disorder being more pronounced in BTPF70. On the other hand, mixing PCBM with conjugated polymers usually leads to increased hole mobility. We have investigated and compared the acceptor concentration dependence of charge transport in APFO-Green1/PCBM and APFO-Green1/BTPF70 blend films. For better understanding of the charge transport in the heterojunction films, the field and temperature dependence of hole transport in pure APFO-Green1 films has also been studied. It is observed that the behavior of hole mobility in the blend layer is sensitive to the acceptor type. For APFO-Green1/PCBM hole only devices, the hole mobility attains a local maximum at 67 wt.% of PCBM, while on the contrary mixing any amount of BTPF70 with APFO-Green1 results into degradation of hole transport. Electron transport in both blends, however, increases monotonically as a function of acceptor loading.

A conjugated polymer with a low band gap of 1.21 eV, i.e., absorbing infrared light, is demonstrated as active material in field-effect transistors (FETs). The material consists of alternating fluorene units and low band gap segments with electron donor-acceptor-donor units composed of two electron-donating thiophene rings attached on both sides of a thiadiazolo-quinoxaline electron-acceptor group. The polymer is solution-processable and air-stable; the resulting FETs exhibit typical p-channel characteristics and field-effect mobility of 0.03 cm2 V−1 s−1.

Plastic solar cells have been fabricated using a low-bandgap alternating copolymer of fluorene and a donor-acceptor-donor moiety (APFO-Green1), blended with 3-(3,5-bis-trifluoromethylphenyl)-1-(4-nitrophenyl)pyrazolino[70]fullerene (BTPF70) as electron acceptor. The polymer shows optical absorption in two wavelength ranges, < 500 nm and 600 < < 1000 nm. The BTPF70 absorbs light at < 700 nm. A broad photocurrent spectral response in the wavelength range 300 < < 1000 nm is obtained in solar cells. A photocurrent density of 3.4 mA cm-2, open-circuit voltage of 0.58 V, and power-conversion efficiency of 0.7 % are achieved under illumination of AM1.5 (1000 W m-2) from a solar simulator. Synthesis of BTPF70 is presented. Photoluminescence quenching and electrochemical studies are used to discuss photoinduced charge transfer.