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The grandiose, but failed, attempts to produce silk in Sweden in the past have been largely ignored by historians. This thesis describes the history of sericulture in Sweden, including three periods of practical trials in 1735-1765, 1830-1898 and 1913-1918. For a long time, the secrets of sericulture were closely guarded in China but by the beginning of the 16th century, knowledge of silk cultivation techniques had reached a number of European countries. The pursuit of domestic silk production was often a costly undertaking instigated by royalty. Since conditions in Sweden and Denmark were partly similar, there was some degree of influence and cooperation between these neighbouring countries. The chapters dealing with attempts at silk production during the 18th century and the history of sericulture in northern Europe are primarily based on printed sources and literature. Several of the 18th century silk farmers documented their experiments, allowing us to follow their efforts and ideas on the feasibility of silk farming in Sweden. The descriptions of the two latter sets of Swedish silk production trials presented in the thesis are primarily based on archive materials, mainly consisting of minutes and annual reports. The history of sericulture in Sweden began in the mid-1730s, when Mårten Triewald conducted experiments and exhaustively described and published these. Carl Linnaeus was a significant influence in Swedish sericulture during this early period. Naturalists were hired as plantation managers and were tasked with supplying the silk industry in Sweden with home-produced raw material. The work was prompted by the desire to find an alternative for the huge Swedish imports of raw silk from China and Southern Europe. However, silk farming never became particularly common, despite the financial incentives available for producing silk and planting mulberry trees during the 1750s in the belief that some 'extravagance' was beneficial for society as a whole. When the 'Hats' position of power ended, so did the financial support for manufacturing luxury goods. Founded in 1830, the Swedish Association for Domestic Sericulture was active for nearly 70 years thanks to foreign influences and the notion that silk farming could be a popular livelihood. Members of the Swedish Royal Family served as patrons and several well-known scientists participated in the projects. The Association furnished mulberry plants and seeds, together with silkworm eggs, most of which were distributed to plantations controlled by the Association or county agricultural societies. However, the Association's annual reports show that many private individuals also planted mulberry trees and some pursued silk farming. Sericulture growing trials were carried out at a number of sites across Sweden, on the initiative of Jacob Berzelius, among others. These trials were mainly funded by Government grants, but numerous wealthy individuals also made contributions to the sericulture venture. Some income was generated by the silk products produced, which were almost solely bought by the Swedish Royal Family. The Swedish Sericulture Association was founded in southern Sweden in 1913 but this third brief foray into sericulture produced few results. All three periods of sericulture trials were initiated by enthusiasts with a firm belief that some silkworm host plants would survive the Nordic climate. There were a number of claims that the white mulberry tree had become acclimatised, but an equal number of cold winters and springs proved the opposite. Ultimately, Swedish sericulture was never economically feasible, since the natural conditions were unfavourable and the output from Swedish silk production was modest, and the cost high, in relation to imported silk. The almost 200-year history of sericulture in Sweden provides an important glimpse into the obsessions and culture of the age, but there were far too many obstacles for the dream of Swedish silk ever to become a reality.

"One summer day in Stockholm in 1747, the carpenter's daughter Lena Cajsa Bohman faces trial for disobedience to her father. Soon, she admits to more serious crimes. A tangle of trafficking of young women is revealed. It develops into a story of power and greed, of secret networks and trade with young women. The protocols reflects women's circumstances in a time when all extra-marital sexuality was forbidden and the word prostitution was not used. In 18th century Stockholm, no distinction was made between prostitution and extramarital sexuality. All sexual intercourse outside of marriage was illegal for both women and men. Through the combination of a variety of material sources, from trial protocols to memoirs and hateful whore poems, we get a versatile picture of the commercial sexuality. The testimony of mamsell Bohman tells about how the trade was organized, who the profiteers, the women and the buying men were, where the trade took place and how women who provided sex för money were looked upon. The overall aim is to investigate how the whore stigma remains over centuries. The stigma is extremely adaptable and constantly accommodates to new cultural and social contexts, laws, values and established truths. It is intertwined with dominant notions of good and evil, of honor and contempt. During the 18th century, the whore stigma was not yet linked to payment for sex. It could affect all women, but was crossed by other hierarchical social orders. Despite a rigid legal stance and a strong social control, the boundaries were more permeable than they would later become. There was a striking discrepancy between law, jurisprudence and the verdict of the mob in 18th century Stockholm - a city where the bourgeois daughter Lena Cajsa was able to admit to relations with the notorious Lovisa von Plat and a number of illegitimate sexual relations, but escape punishment and marry into nobility."

Many natural resources have degraded and collapsed despite being managed under rigorous institutional frameworks set up to ensure rational exploitation. Path dependency of dysfunction institutions has been suggested as an explanation for such undesired outcomes. We explore the role of path dependency in natural resource management by studying a 100-year evolution of Swedish fisheries. We rely on three main types of original longitudinal data collected for the period 1914–2016: (A) policy documents, (B) government spending on management and subsidies, and (C) catch and fleet data. Our analysis contrasts the periods before and after the Swedish entrance into the European Union (1995) because this marks the year when fisheries policy became beyond the direct influence of the Swedish government. We uncover four pieces of evidence suggesting the existence of a path dependent dynamic in the pre-EU period: (1) despite increasing insights on the vulnerability of fish stocks to overexploitation, national policy goals in relation to fisheries continuously promoted incompatible goals of social and economic growth but without any reference to the sustainability of the biological resources; (2) the same policy instruments were used over long periods; (3) actor constellations within the fisheries policy subsystem were stable over time; (4) neither political regime nor macroeconomic variables and fisheries performance (industry production, oil price, landing values) could explain observed temporal variation in subsidies. We conclude that key policy actors in the pre-EU period formed an "iron triangle" and thereby prevented necessary policy changes. These national reinforcing feedbacks have been weakened since EU entrance, and the indicators for path dependency show broader involvement of stakeholders, a shift in spending, and policy goals that now explicitly address ecological sustainability.

This study examines the changes of total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations in 20 Swedish lakes throughout Sweden using pre-industrial (1860) TOC0 inferred from near-infrared spectrometry (TOCNIRS) of lake sediments to determine if land use change over time could be a plausible explanation for changes in lake water TOC. The study also focuses on the importance of using inferred pre-industrial data of lake water pH and TOC for acidification assessment, in particular ANC0. Most lakes in this study show a long-term decreasing trend of TOC from 1860 up to -0.45 mg/l/yr-1 to an identified breaking point where the TOC turns from decreasing to increasing. Fifteen of the lakes have a breaking point in the mid to late 20th century (1950-1980) while five lakes do not display a clear breaking point. The magnitude of the increasing trend of TOC after the breaking point is up to 0.16 mg/l/yr-1 . Changes in land use were studied by comparing historical maps with present databases of land use. Land use changes in the catchment area show substantial differences in forest cultivation; for instance the coniferous forest has increased by 26% on average. This increase is due to removal of native forest (deciduous forest) and removal of wetlands. Two major conclusions can be drawn from the effects of land use change on TOC levels: (I) No direct correlation between land use change and long-term trends of TOC could be identified in this study. Previous studies have identified the effects of land use change on the carbon storage in the catchment area that corresponds well with the findings of this study. (II) the character of the forest land plays an important role when discussing the effects of land use change for long term TOC trends. The change from open-ended forests with large trees to intense managed forest is considered as an important driving force for TOC. To determine reference conditions there is a need to make good estimations of ANC0 for acidification assessment in Swedish lakes. This study examines the precision of MAGIC model ANC0 calculations (ANC0-MAGIC) against ANC0 calculated with TOCNIRS, diatom-pH and calculated pCO2 (ANC0, diatom-NIRS). ANC0, diatom-NIRS shows a mean difference of (-31µeq/l) when comparing it with ANC0-MAGIC. In comparison, when using contemporary TOC (TOCt) mean lake value 1990-2005 (ANC0,diatom-TOC) the results show a mean difference of (-0.45 µeq/l) in comparison with ANC0-MAGIC. A better fit is generated with TOCNIRS then TOCt. This could be an indication that ANC0- MAGIC overestimates the acidification of Swedish lakes. The European Union's "Water 8 Framework Directive", which Sweden has implemented, requires that all surface waters within the Union's authority have achieved good ecological status by 2015. According to the ecological quality standard the differences between the pre-industrial pH and contemporary pH, i.e. ΔpH=pH0-pHt, should not be more than 0.4 units. This study shows that the long-term trends have to be accounted for when calculating reference conditions and ecological status for acidification

It is widely known that effective readers are those who have appropriately developed reading skills. If those skills are not developed, the readers will not achieve the levels of perception needed to solve problems or pass academic tests, neither in their mother tongue nor in a foreign language. For this reason, it is imperative to find the right strategies to enhance reading comprehension in English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners. One of those strategies is the use of graphic organizers, and this study aimed to measure the extent to which it influences the development of reading comprehension of Unidad Educativa Joaquin Lalama students, in Ambato-Ecuador. 40 students in the control group and 35 students in the experimental group constituted the sample. The data was collected through the observation technique and the comparison of results from a reading comprehension pre-test and post-test. Finally, this study found the use of graphic organizers to be effective for developing reading comprehension in the subjects observed.

Sweden strives for adaptive wildlife management. With the introduction of new technologies and methodologies, adaptive management must be resilient and efficient in implementing and trying these, to truly stay adaptive. One of the most widely used technologies within Swedish wildlife management is camera traps, as they are a relatively cheap and unintrusive means of monitoring wildlife. In this report, I focus on the practical and theoretical development and implementation of camera traps. By conducting qualitative, key informant interviews with Swedish wildlife managers, I provide insight into managers' thoughts on and experiences with implementation of camera traps specifically and new technologies and methodologies more generally, and into their views on the challenges that Swedish wildlife management may face today, and in the future. The analysis revealed concerns in communication of information, knowledge, experiences, and technology uses between involved stakeholders, as well as issues in the coordination of methodological and technological development and implementation. Efficient communication and coordination are vital in maintaining a functional approach to adaptive wildlife management with fundamental knowledge amongst all stakeholders. The adaptive management framework and practical implementation needs careful work to obtain these functions. The analysis also revealed frustration amongst wildlife managers concerning the legislation around the use of new technologies. As adaptive management is reliant on a trial-and-error approach, legislation must be adapted to allow for new tools and methods to be tried in order to meet current and future management demands.

This study reflects on the recognised need for more joined-up, high-quality research on phytotherapy that addresses the current societal challenges in finding alternatives to the use of antibiotics. The study applied a multidisciplinary participatory approach in an expert workshop exercise within the FP7 EU IMPRO project. Prior to this study, a literature review was elaborated on research in the field of phytotherapy as applied to farm animals, cooperation between research bodies and initiatives to reduce the use of antibiotics by using phytotherapeutic remedies. The review was delivered to the participants of the workshop so as to receive feedback on it and enrich the discussion. Different expertise, background in research or veterinary practice, and varying positions regarding phytotherapy were the criteria in targeting participants. A structured workshop was subsequently organised, with questions to experts addressing scientific validation of phytotherapy, effective treatment under farm conditions and necessary developments for the future. Challenges identified by the experts were as follows: poor study designs, lack of reproducibility of studies, poor standardisation of products, cost-benefit concerns, lack of veterinarian training and poor data availability. To overcome obstacles, the need for improved study designs for clinical trials was given priority in order to prove the efficacy of remedies and to implement a monitoring system which enables the assessment of the effectiveness of treatments in farm practice. Reflections in this report are intended to be a resource for scientists, policy makers and end users for an effective use of phytotherapy at farm level.

In this paper, we discuss the bridging potential of "interspecies" solidarity between the often incommensurable ethics of care and justice. Indeed, we show that the Environmental Communication literature emphasizes feelings of care and compassion as vectors of responsibility taking for animals. But we also show that a growing field of Political Animal Rights suggest that such responsibility taking should instead be grounded in universalizable terms of justice. Our argument is that a dual conception of solidarity can bridge this divide: On the one hand, solidarity as a pre-political relation with animals and, on the other hand, as a political practice based on open public deliberation of universalizable claims to justice; that is, claims to justice advanced by human proxy representatives of vulnerable non-humans. Such a dual conception can both challenge and validate NGOs' claims to "speak on behalf of animals" in policy following the Aarhus Convention, indeed underwriting the Convention by insights from internatural communication in solidarity as relation, and by subjecting it to rational scrutiny in mini-publics in solidary as practice.

While authoritarian presidents prevail under heavily president-oriented constitutions throughout the post-Soviet region, democracy along parliamentary lines triumphs in Central Europe. This article discusses the constitutional pattern among the post-communist countries on the basis of two general questions: First, how can we explain why strong presidential constitutions dominate throughout the post-Soviet region whereas constrained presidencies and governments anchored in parliament have become the prevailing option in Central Europe? Second, and interlinked with the first question, why have so many post-communist countries (in the post-Soviet region as well as in Central Europe) chosen neither parliamentarism nor presidentialism, but instead semi-presidential arrangements whereby a directly elected president is provided with considerable powers and coexists with a prime minister? The analysis indicates that both historical-institutional and actor-oriented factors are relevant here. Key factors have been regime transition, pre-communist era constitutions and leaders, as well as short-term economic and political considerations. With differing strengths and in partly different ways, these factors seem to have affected the actors' preferences and final constitutional compromises.

El presente trabajo validó el fortalecimiento del suelo abdominal y su importancia para la mejora de la calidad de vida laboral en secretarias universitarias, a través de programa de ejercicios hipopresivos, relacionando el índice de masa corporal con la evaluación de la fuerza estabilizadora abdominal o Test de Core. La investigación partió de los estudios asociados a ejercicios hipopresivos en deportistas, pacientes y parturientas, fue predominantemente exploratoria y explicativa, con un enfoque de estudio de caso y concebida como investigación cuasiexperimental, transversal y relacional, donde se aplicaron los métodos de análisis y síntesis, modelación y estadístico matemático. Se determinó la relación entre el programa de ejercicios hipopresivos para el fortalecimiento del suelo abdominal y la mejora de la calidad de vida laboral desde la perspectiva de salud. La correlación entre la masa corporal e índice de Core es lineal positiva débil, donde la tendencia al aplicar los ejercicios del estado normal a la pre-obesidad. Al evaluar la fuerza estabilizadora, se muestra la transición a mejores ratios. Se sugiere asumir la investigación en calidad de herramienta para el monitoreo de la salud en trabajadores de servicios a través de los ejercicios hipopresivos.

El proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje de la Matemática es objeto de múltiples investigaciones motivadas fundamentalmente por las dificultades de los estudiantes en el aprendizaje de los contenidos matemáticos. En Cuba se reordenan los contenidos de la asignatura y se perfeccionan sus métodos, pero el cambio fundamental radica en que la formulación y solución de problemas se convierte en el eje central de trabajo con sus contenidos y debe hacer evidente las implicaciones de la matemática en la vida. Este artículo tiene como objetivo proponer problemas con aplicaciones de las funciones exponenciales y logarítmicas que potencien el desarrollo de la competencia matemática en estudiantes de preuniversitario. La investigación se realiza con un enfoque predominantemente cuantitativo. Se utilizan el análisis de documentos, la observación, la encuesta, la entrevista, el criterio de especialistas y el experimento, con un diseño pre experimental de tipo O1 X O2 y una muestra de 30 estudiantes de undécimo grado. Como resultado se obtuvo problemas acordes a las exigencias del perfeccionamiento del proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje de la Matemática, que permiten desarrollar el tema de funciones exponenciales y logarítmicas con otro enfoque, contribuyendo a la competencia matemática. Los problemas fueron valorados satisfactoriamente por especialistas y las transformaciones corroboradas.