The traditional assumption of normally distributed returns in portfolio optimization often fails to capture real-world complexities. This thesis investigates how higher moments – skewness and kurtosis – enhance portfolio optimization by addressing these complexities. Using polynomial goal programming and Bayesian shrinkage estimators, the study constructs and evaluates portfolios optimized for hig

Small and Medium – sized enterprises (SMEs) have historically underperformed against large enterprises in winning public procurement contracts both by measure of number of contracts and share of total contract value. Thus, both European Union and Swedish regulators have put forward recommendations on best practice to increase the presence of SMEs in public procurement. This study examines the impa

The integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in investment decisions and corporate practices has gained momentum, reflecting the global focus on sustainability and ethical practices. This study investigates the relationship between ESG-scores and stock returns from 2019 to 2022 across three industry groups – manufacturing and raw materials, technology and media services,

This paper mainly focuses on the effect of cell unbalancing on the overall performance of a battery pack, as well as the challenges associated with designing a protection system for the Battery Management System (BMS). With the increasing trend towards fully electric aircraft, cars, buses, bikes, etc., the battery pack has become the sole power source for these vehicles. Consequently, it's imperat

Improvisation and Intention. Jazz musicians' views on improvisational cognitionIn previous research on jazz improvisation, questions about the role of intention seem to be subject to widely differing views. What role do intentions play in jazz improvisation? If the improviser has a conscious intention to play what is being played, is this simultaneous with the per­formance of it, or are intention

Fruit juices are widely consumed due to their affordability, nutritional value, and convenience. As global health consciousness rises, the fruit juice market is projected to grow from $153.17 billion in 2024 to $209.51 billion by 2029. Membrane processes, first introduced in the 1970s, have become essential in juice production, offering precise separation at low temperatures. The fruit juice indus

In recent years, it has been shown that deep eutectic solvents (DES) and similar mixtures solvate and allow for self-assembly of surfactants, serving as potential “green” alternatives as solvents for, for example, templating nanomaterials or drug delivery applications. Which surfactants are soluble and how they self-assemble depends strongly on the mixture components and their molar ratio. Her

Beech-wood lignin, derived from the wood of beech trees (genus Fagus), is a lignin-rich biomass with significant potential for valorization. Beech forests are prevalent in temperate regions worldwide, and beech wood possesses desirable properties for various applications, including the construction industry, furniture-making, and pulp production. The oxidative depolymerization of hardwood lignin i

The AI Act marks a new chapter in AI governance, affecting companies around the world seeking to offer their services within the European Union. This study focuses on the comprehensive AI Act requirements set out for high-risk AI systems. We explored the perceived compliance challenge for the AI Act's high-risk requirements and associated contributing factors; the AI Act's impact on industry in te

Nurses are essential pillars of society, providing care for the sick. It is crucial for society to ensure that nurses have favorable working conditions, as they face a heightened risk of negative psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety, stress, and emotional exhaustion due to the demanding nature of their work. The strain on healthcare staff, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic,

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a largely underdiagnosed disease including several phenotypes. In this report, the design of a study intending to evaluate the pathophysiological mechanism in COPD in relation to the specific phenotypes non-rapid and rapid decline in lung function is described together with the recruitment process of the study population derived from a po

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, is an increasing cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and an imbalance between proteases and antiproteases has been implicated to play a role in COPD pathogenesis. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) are important proteases that along with their inhibitors, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP), affect homeostasis of elastin and

Background: The imbalance between proteases and anti-proteases is considered to contribute to the development of COPD. Our aim was to evaluate the protease MMP-9, the antiprotease TIMP-1 and the MMP-9/TIMP-1-ratio as biomarkers in relation to prognosis. Prognosis was assessed as lung function decline and mortality. This was done among subjects with COPD in a population-based cohort. Methods: In 20

Background: Cytotoxic lymphocytes are increased in the airways of COPD patients. Whether this increase is driven primarily by the disease or by smoking is not clear, nor whether it correlates with the rate of decline in lung function. Methods: Bronchoscopy with BAL was performed in 52 subjects recruited from the longitudinal OLIN COPD study according to pre-determined criteria; 12 with COPD and a

Background: Differences in the expression of regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been suggested to explain why some smokers develop COPD and some do not. Upregulation of Tregs in response to smoking would restrain airway inflammation and thus the development of COPD; while the absense of such upregulation would over time lead to chronic inflammation and COPD. We hypothesized that—among COPD patients—t

Background: In COPD, the balance between matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their natural inhibitors [tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs)] is shifted towards excessive degradation, reflected in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) as increased MMP concentrations. Because of their critical role in lung homeostasis, MMP activity is tightly regulated, but to what extent this regulation occurs t

Sialic acids or glyconic structures containing a sialic acid fragment are among the most abundant host surface molecules, typically found to be terminating branches of N-glycans, O-glycans, and glycosphingolipids (gangliosides). They play a crucial role in bacterial pathogenesis, due to the ability of bacteria to engage in molecular mimicry - the decoration of their surface with sialic acids - to

Effekten av kanalpositioner på prestationsförmågan hos mikrochip byggda för akustofores I detta arbete undersöks hur olika geometriska konfigurationer påverkar effekten av akustofores i mikrochip, med fokus på mikrokanalernas positioner i chippen. Baserat på simuleringar undersöktes primärt två sorters konfigurationer, en "Asymmetrisk kanal" och en "Tvillingkanal". ExperimenteMicroscale acoustofluidics utilizes ultrasound to manipulate microparticles flowing through a microchannel. Using this technique, particles or cells can be e.g. separated, aligned, washed or trapped. It is however an emerging technology that should be further developed in order to maximally capitalize on its potential. One possible improvement is to increase the particle migration velocity by incr