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The research presented in this thesis investigated cement clinker production, and involved replicating the conditions of electrified kilns using plasma heating and emerging technologies such as oxy-fuel combustion and calcium looping. These technologies aim to address key challenges in sustainable cement manufacturing by enabling carbon capture and improving process efficiency, and involve the use of high-CO2 atmospheres.

Reliable experimental and analytical methods, including high-temperature X-ray diffraction with controlled atmospheres, were developed in order to study the calcination behaviour, burnability, and phase evolution of raw meals. The key findings were that high-CO2 conditions shift the calcination temperature, decomposition, and modification of intermediate phases, and enhance the reactivity of key phases such as C2S. Accelerated C2S formation and spurrite decomposition play a critical role in improving burnability and C3S formation, reducing reliance on free lime as an intermediate.

Optimised raw meals with improved fineness and tailored chemical compositions demonstrated superior burnability and enhanced clinker reactivity as compared to conventional industrial samples. These results indicate the potential for improving raw meal formulations in order to meet the demands of conventional and emerging processes.

However, challenges persist in managing sulphur volatilisation, and alkali dynamics under high-CO2 conditions. This study emphasises the importance of addressing process factors such as material flow, heat transfer, and kiln volatilisation for ensuring industrial scalability. 

The findings of the simulation of calcium looping conditions highlight that carbonation efficiency and clinker phase formation depend on factors beyond C2S reactivity, including particle sintering and temperature dynamics.

This work provides critical insights into the implications of high-CO2 atmospheres for clinker production, offering valuable guidance for developing electrified and decarbonised cement processes. The research lays the foundation for producing durable cement in a sustainable way, with a view to reaching global climate goals by bridging the gap between laboratory-scale studies and industrial applications.

This thesis investigates the critical issue of military pilot selection. To understand and optimizeselection, much research has been conducted on factors predicting educational outcomes. Whileassessment testing remains central to selection and understanding pilots, studying abilityrequirements for pilot in modern-day educational and professional settings can help make sure thatour understanding is up to date. This thesis includes both approaches through the two distinct butinterconnected measures of (1) successful completion of Swedish military pilot education, and (2)the ability to perform effectively as a professional military pilot. By adopting this holistic approachand focusing on the historically underexamined Swedish military pilot education context, this workprovides unique insights into selection criteria.Studies I and II were conducted based on a data registry of assessment tests provided by theSwedish Armed Forces and examined the role of common predictors such as personality andcognition in completing the Swedish military pilot education. Using a qualitative, interview-basedapproach, Study III examined instead what qualities that active military pilot cadets themselvesperceive as required for their profession. In a stress experiment in a laboratory setting, Study IVbegun examinations on whether a unique type of stress that can occur in flight, startle, coulddeserve attention during selection.It was found through Studies I and II that personality traits, as assessed by specialist psychologists,are associated with success in the Swedish military pilot education. In particular being energetic,professionally motivated, studious and having leadership potential. In addition, interview-basedsuitability judgements by senior pilots appear the strongest predictor of success in the Swedishsystem, while typically observed cognitive predictors did not appear related to success. Study IIIinformed about professional demands for pilots and found through thematic analysis that Swedishpilot cadets value being a team player, having drive, being stress tolerant and being in good shape,in some overlap with Studies I and II. Startling events, carried out in a controlled laboratoryenvironment in study IV, did negatively affect basic human performance – this was unrelated toindividual personality and stress levels however, providing a first indication about this professionalability requirement for pilots.Taken together, the thesis findings provide valuable insights for military pilot selection. A keytakeaway is the importance of personality factors in predicting educational success within theSwedish system. Historically, personality has been considered less predictive than cognitive abilityin pilot selection. The lack of predictive validity for traditionally emphasized cognitive measuresmay be attributed to a restriction of range, likely due to Swedens highly rigorous selection process.In this system, most candidates have demonstrated strong cognitive aptitude before enteringtraining, reducing variability in those measures and maybe allowing for a shifting of focus topersonality traits. The personality traits found significant for education have conceptual overlapwith previous aviation research profiles based in the Five-Factor Model, and overlap with theprofessional demands identified by pilot cadets in study III. This highlights the potential importanceof these variables, the requirement for further research.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is defined as a clinical syndrome with typical symptoms and signs determined by congenital or acquired abnormalities of the structure or the function of the heart. Several therapeutic options have improved the quality of life and the outcome of patients with HF in recent years. However, also because an increasing number of individuals survives longer, up to the 10% of HF population reaches the advanced stage of the disease. Advanced HF (AdHF) is characterized by persistent severe symptoms despite optimal HF medical and electrical therapy with very poor functional capacity and episodes of unplanned hospitalizations or visits to reduce congestion or improve cardiac output. AdHF patients periodically undergo invasive right heart catheterization (RHC) to estimate pulmonary pressure and vascular resistance. Heart transplantation (HTX) remains the gold standard treatment for AdHF, allowing patients good mid- and long-term survival rates. Main complications after HTX include rejection, more common within the first year after surgery, and cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) in the long term. Echocardiography is a key first line tool for the routine assessment of cardiac function in AdHF and HTX, to monitor effectiveness of therapies and to stratify prognosis. Second level echocardiography techniques, especially Speckle Tracking-derived Myocardial work, are promising in assessing with more sensibility changes in left ventricular function, especially when associated with biomarkers as natriuretic peptides.

Objectives: This thesis is focused on the added role of echocardiography in AdHF and HTX patients and the main aims include: to study the reliability of echocardiography in the estimation of pulmonary arterial pressures (PAP) and the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension when compared to gold standard method (i.e. RHC, paper I); to estimate prognostic value of myocardial work in AdHF (paper II); to determine normal reference value of myocardial work indices in the transplanted heart compared to general healthy population (paper III); to describe the trend of NT-viproBNP (the most used natriuretic peptide in HF) after HTX, assessing its possible predictors among pre- and post-operative echocardiographic and clinical variables (paper IV).

Materials and methods: We retrospectively screened patients with AdHF in regular follow up at our University Hospital. For paper I, we selected all individuals with available RHC data and echocardiographic images recorded on the same day, excluding those with diseases which could represent biases, as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and those with poor acoustic window or undetectable tricuspid regurgitation; all patients underwent accurate echocardiographic analysis for the estimation of pulmonary pressures including peak tricuspid regurgitation velocity (TRV) and mean right ventricular–right atrial (RV–RA) pressure gradient. For paper II we included all patients with good acoustic windows and brachial artery cuff systemic blood pressure measured at the same time as the echocardiographic exam, for the calculation of myocardial work indices, excluding those with more than mild heart valve disease or atrial fibrillation. Applying dedicated software, myocardial work indices, including global constructive work (GCW), global work efficiency (GWE); global work index (GWI) and global wasted work (GWW) were calculated in each patient which was then followed up for the development of major events (all-cause mortality, HTX, left ventricular assist devices implantation – primary endpoint – or acute HF hospitalization – secondary endpoint). A population of HTX patients without history of CAV or rejection were screened for paper III and included if the acoustic window was good and brachial artery cuff systemic blood pressure was measured at the same time as the echocardiographic examination. Patients were excluded also in the presence of donor-specific antibodies or atrial fibrillation, more than mild mitral or aortic regurgitation, or abnormal left ventricular function. Myocardial work indices were calculated and compared to general population with similar age and no comorbidities, derived from the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) NORRE study. Lastly, for paper IV, a wider population of HTX patients with available long term follow up and pre-surgical information were screened and described in terms of NT-proBNP values at 10 different time points including 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year after theviiHTX. Continuous variables were reported as either mean with standard deviation or median with interquartile range according to normal distribution. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the ability of echocardiographic parameters to predict outcome (PH for Paper I, adverse events for paper II). Pearson's correlation coefficient was utilized to examine the strength of the association between echocardiographic measures and RHC findings in Paper I or NT-proBNP values in paper IV. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were applied to assess predictors of outcomes in paper II where Kaplan–Meier analysis estimated event-free survival. Linear regression was applied to test possible association with MW indices and population characteristics in paper III.

Results: Paper I: in the 41 patients enrolled, peak TRV was superior in terms of area under the curve by ROC analysis to mean RV–RA gradient in predicting increased mean PAP at RHC, both when using 20 or 25 mmHg as pathological cut off value. In particular, a peak TRV >2.4 m/s had 65% sensitivity and 100% positive predictive value for predicting PH according to the new guidelines’ definition.

Paper II: among 138 enrolled individuals, 35 patients developed at least 1 event at follow up. While myocardial work parameters were not associated with primary endpoint occurrence, the hazard ratio for each increase in GWI by 50 mmHg% was 0.90 (p = 0.025) and for each increase in GCW by 50 mmHg% was 0.90 (p = 0.022) when estimating the risk of acute HF hospitalization. Patients with GWI ≥ 369 mmHg% had a better event-free survival at Kaplan–Meier analysis.

Paper III: 82 HTx patients, 68.3% male with a median age of 53 (46–62) years were included in a median time lapse for HTX of 5 (2–22) months. No significant differences were described in terms of gender in HTX patients. On the contrary, all the myocardial work indices significantly differed from those reported in the EACVI NORRE study (all P-value <0.001), in particular with lower GWI, GCW, and GWE and higher GWW values in the HTX population.viii

Paper IV: in a population of 71 HTX patients, major reduction of NT-proBNP was described at month 3 after surgery, with further reduction at 6 months and 1 year after which it tended to remain stable. Among predictors of NT-proBNP values, at regression analysis, 1-year NT-proBNP values was related to RHC measured pulmonary wedge pressure and ischemic etiology but also to post-HTX kidney function and tricuspid regurgitation severity; long term NT-proBNP values were instead predicted by positive Human Leucocyte Antigen (HLA) antibodies, age at HTX and mitral and tricuspid regurgitation severity.

Conclusions: Standard and advanced echocardiography is confirmed to be an essential and non-invasive tool to describe pathological conditions in AdHF, to determine the best follow up timing to avoid major events or HF hospitalizations but also to early diagnose modification of physiological deformation in case of CAV of rejection or to predict an 0increase of NT-proBNP.

Orthoflaviviruses are arthropod borne single stranded RNA viruses that cause mild to severe illness in humans, affecting millions of people each year with no antivirals currently available. This viral genus includes viruses such as tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), West Nile virus (WNV) and Zika virus (ZIKV). Orthoflavivirus have their own viral proteins, yet like other viruses they also recruit and utilize several cellular proteins to fulfill their life cycle. While some of these host factors have been identified or characterized, most of them remain unknow. In this thesis, I have used different tools to identify and characterize novel proteins involved in orthoflavivirus infection.

Understanding the function of cellular proteins in the viral life cycle is important to comprehend the disease mechanism of the virus and to develop antivirals that target these. In the first part, we implemented proteomic phage display (ProP-PD) to identify short linear motif (SLIM) interaction between viral and cellular proteins, and this method identified Polyadenylate-binding protein 1 (PABP1) as a pro viral factor for many RNA viruses. In the second part of this thesis, we identified proteins involved in TBEV infection by performing an ascorbate peroxidase (APEX) 2-screen to identify proteins found in the vicinity of TBEV NS4B. Using this approach we identified Acyl-CoA Binding Domain Containing 3 (ACBD3). This protein is found in close proximity of TBEV NS4B affecting both viral replication and assembly in TBEV and Langat virus (LGTV) infection, by modifying the trafficking between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi. 

In the third part of the thesis, we explored the role of the nucleoporins (NUPs) in orthoflavivirus infection. NUPs are the building blocks of the nuclear pore complex, which is the complex responsible for the transport of RNA and proteins between the nucleus and cytoplasm. By implementing a variety of different molecular biology techniques, we identified NUP153 and NUP98 to be of importance in the viral life cycle. We observed that during orthoflavivirus infection, NUP153 and NUP98 are upregulated and recruited from the nucleus to the cytosolic region where they bind viral RNA (vRNA). We found that NUP153 regulates viral translation, while NUP98 is important for viral replication, showing the importance and different functions of this protein family in orthoflavivirus infection. 

Furthermore, in this thesis we also evaluated the use of peptides to block these specific virus-host protein interactions as potential antivirals. We show that peptides targeting and binding to PABP1 and NUP98 are antivirally active against several orthoflaviviruses. Taken together, the findings presented in this thesis have led to a better understanding of specific host factors required for the viral life cycle. This knowledge can be used in the development of new antivirals.

Trees are vital to our environment because they support biodiversity, carbon sequestration, oxygen production, and many other environmental functions. The lignocellulosic biomass produced by trees is also a renewable source of green products that can replace fossil fuel-derived products. More recently, their importance has been recognized as carbon sinks that assimilate atmospheric carbon dioxide into organic biomass. Climate change will expose trees to various environmental stresses and pathogens, and due to their sessile nature, trees rely on genetic diversity to survive and adapt. For instance, natural variation in resistance to pathogens allows trees to pass important resistance factors to their progeny and facilitate adaptation. Genome-wide methods have been developed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying natural variation in important tree traits, which could be used in breeding for improved forest feedstocks. In this thesis, the Swedish Aspen collection of Populus tremula trees (theSwAsp collection) was used as a resource to study natural variation in traits influencing tree biomass accumulation, pathogen resistance, and biomass processability. In addition, a systems genetic approach, including genome-wide analysis of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) and genome-wide association studies (GWAS), was taken to elucidate factors influencing variation in lignin biosynthesis in the SwAsp population. We identified biomass traits, in particular stem diameter and height, as the most critical factors influencing overall saccharification yield in this population based on multivariate analyses. We uncovered new regulatory aspects of lignin biosynthesis. Through GWAS, we detected genetic associations for saccharification, guaiacyl (G)- and syringyl (S)-type lignin subunits in young ramets and fungal resistance, providing potential molecular markers for these traits. We also validated parts of our results using reverse genetics and an independent aspen collection. Finally, two soft rot fungal genera, Ascocoryne and Cadophora, were identified as highly abundant fungal pathogens in the ramets of the SwAsp trees. The symptoms of the fungal infections varied within the SwAsp population, and their extent correlated positively with the abundance of the p-hydroxyphenyl(H)-type lignin. This thesis highlights natural variation in traits significant for forest tree improvement, such as biomass accumulation, wood traits, and pathogen resistance, within the Swedish aspen population. It also provides details that help to understand lignin biosynthesis and fungal resistance in deciduous trees cultivated in short-rotation plantations. The identification of genetic and molecular markers for many of these traits contributes to efforts in tree breeding to enhance the resilience and utility of forest trees in the face of climate change.

Background: Rehabilitation is recommended for adults living with dementia. Multidimensional interdisciplinary rehabilitation has the potential to increase the opportunity for older adults with dementia and their caregivers to continue to live an active and social life with participation in society contributing to their health and well-being. However, scientific knowledge and clinical experiences are limited in respect to feasibility of rehabilitation programs which include education and support for informal caregivers. 

In very old adults, where dementia is common, a limited numbers of studies have focused on factors associated with loneliness. Due to the risk of the severe health consequences associated with loneliness, there is a need to increase knowledge about the prevalence and factors associated with loneliness among very old adults, especially among those with dementia. 

Aim: To evaluate the feasibility of a person-centered multidimensional, interdisciplinary rehabilitation program among community-dwelling adults with dementia and their informal caregivers, and to explore loneliness in adults with dementia.

Methods: From the population-based study, the Umeå 85+/Gerontological Regional Database (GERDA) study, the prevalence of loneliness was assessed in a representative sample of very old adults, aged 85, 90, and 95 years and over, with and without dementia (n =1176). Loneliness was assessed by the question “Do you ever feel lonely?” Data on socio-demographic factors, aspects of social participation, diagnose, medical conditions, routine prescription medications, and assessments were also collected through structured interviews (Paper I). 

In the randomized controlled pilot study, the Multidimensional Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation in Dementia (MIDRED) study, a person-centered rehabilitation program for community-dwelling older adults with dementia including education and support for informal primary caregivers, was evaluated. Sixty-one participants with dementia and 67 informal caregivers were randomized to either a control group (usual care) or to the rehabilitation program. The program consisted of assessments and interventions provided by a multiprofessional team over a 20-week rehabilitation period, followed by 2 follow-up periods of 4 weeks each, after 5 and 14 months. In Paper II, the rehabilitation program in the MIDRED study was evaluated in terms of follow-up and response rates, and potential short- and long-term effects in adults with dementia on social participation, loneliness, and mental health. At baseline, and at 5, 12, 24, and 36 months, participation in the society, loneliness, depressive symptoms and psychological well-being were evaluated. The experiences of participating in the rehabilitation program in the MIDRED study were explored in Paper III from the perspectives of participants with dementia (n=16), and in Paper IV from the perspectives of their informal caregivers (n=14). The participants with dementia and their informal caregivers were interviewed separately at the end of the 20-week rehabilitation period, and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Results: In Paper I the prevalence of loneliness (often/sometimes) did not differ significantly between adults with (50.9%) and without (46.0%) dementia. In multivariable regression models, two variables were significantly associated with loneliness in both study groups (participants with and without dementia); living alone and depressive symptoms. In adults without dementia, living in nursing homes was associated with less loneliness. The preliminary result from Paper II showed that the response rate was high for all assessments in the areas of mental health, loneliness, and social participation until the 12-month follow-up, including questions with multiple-choice options. The response rate after 12 months decreased, particularly for cognitively demanding questions with multiple-choice options in the area of social participation. Overall, there were few statistically significant differences between the groups, but some of the findings seem potentially clinically meaningful. Favoring the intervention group, there were clinically meaningful differences in depressive symptoms (short-term), active recreation, organized social activities, and visiting family and friends (short-term). Furthermore, there were no indications that the rehabilitation program had any clinically meaningful effects on loneliness in the intervention group. The control group seemed more satisfied with their frequency of keeping in touch with others. Paper III identified one central theme: empowered through participation and togetherness – reflecting the perspectives of adults with dementia participating in the rehabilitation program. This theme incorporated four sub-themes: Being strengthened through challenges; gaining insights, motives, and raising concerns about the future; being seen makes participation worthwhile; and feelings of togetherness in prosperity and adversity. The analysis of experiences of informal caregivers’ participation in the program, as described in Paper IV, generated a total of seven categories, encapsulated in three themes: feeling challenged and boosted to face an uncertain future; perceiving supportive activities as sources of both joy and frustration in everyday life; and finding relief in recognizing the relative’s former self.

Conclusion: In very old adults, loneliness seems equally prevalent among those with and without dementia, although well-known risk factors for loneliness, such as depression and living alone, were more common among adults with dementia. The two groups shared two of the three factors associated independently with loneliness (living alone and having depressive symptoms). Living in a nursing home was associated with the experience of less loneliness in those without dementia. These findings contribute to important knowledge when developing strategies to reduce loneliness in this growing age group characterized by high risks of loneliness and dementia.

Overall, a person-centered multidimensional interdisciplinary rehabilitation program for community-dwelling adults with dementia, combined with education and support aimed at their informal caregivers, seems feasible. From the perspective of community-dwelling older adults with dementia and informal caregivers, the rehabilitation program was viable and valuable. The adults with dementia described increased self-esteem by daring and coping in the rehabilitation program. The insights they gained about themselves, and their condition motivated them to continue with their prioritized activities, but also raised concerns about how the future would play out. Collaboration in the group and being seen and acknowledged by staff strengthened their own motivation and self-efficacy among the participants with dementia. Furthermore, the informal caregivers felt empowered by the rehabilitation and more equipped to handle their uncertain future. While participating in the program proved challenging to everyday routines, the benefits appeared to outweigh the strain. The assessments used in this study over three years, in the areas of social participation, loneliness, and mental health seems feasible. It seemed cognitively demanding for participants with dementia to answer questions regarding social participation after 12 months. Therefore, the strategy of also asking informal caregivers/staff was valuable in avoiding data loss. The current pilot study indicates potentially clinically meaningful findings on social participation and mental health (short-term) of the rehabilitation program. The findings in this thesis indicate that it is relevant to proceed to an adequately powered RCT. To alleviate loneliness, one could consider additional development of the intervention. 

Document clustering is a technique for organizing and discovering patterns in large collections of text, often used in applications such as news aggregation and contextual advertising. An example is the automatic grouping of news articles by theme, which is the focus of this thesis. For a clustering to be successful, typically the resulting clusters need to appear interpretable and coherent to a human. However, there is a lack of efficient methods to reliably assess the quality of a clustering in terms of human-perceived coherence, which is essential for ensuring its usefulness in real-world applications.

To address the lack of evaluation methods for document clustering focusing on human interpretation, we introduced Cluster Interpretation and Precision from Human Exploration (CIPHE). CIPHE tasks human evaluators to explore document samples from a cluster and collects their interpretation. The interpretation is collected through a standardized survey and then processed with the framework metrics to yield the cluster precision and characteristics. This thesis presents and discusses the development process of CIPHE. The feasibility of performing the exploratory tasks of CIPHE in a crowdsourcing environment was investigated, which resulted in insights on how to formulate instructions. Additionally, CIPHE was confirmed to identify characteristics other than the main theme such as the negative emotional response.

CIPHE was paired with a standard clustering pipeline to evaluate its capabilities and limitations. The pipeline is widely applied for its adaptability and conceptual simplicity, and also being part of the popular topic model BERTopic. The empirical results of applying CIPHE suggest that the pipeline, when integrated with a Transformer-based language model, generally yields coherent clusters.

Additionally, topic models have a similar aim as document clustering which is to automate the corpus processing and present the underlying themes to a human. Topic modeling has rich research on the human interpretation of topic coherence. In the thesis, the human interpretation collected with CIPHE was related to established research in topic coherence. Specifically, the human interpretation collected with CIPHE was used to highlight limitations with the keyword representations that topic coherence evaluation relies on.

This research explores the potential of abundant biopolymers, specifically chitin and lignin, found in biomass byproducts to address environmental and energy challenges.

Chitin, commonly found in crustacean shells, can be deacetylated to produce chitosan, a versatile material with various industrial applications. Traditional chitosan production is energy-intensive and uses corrosive reagents.  In order to improve the process, Paper I introduces a ‘greener’ method, using the ionic liquid [Emim][OAc] for chitin pretreatment, followed by microwave-assisted deacetylation in aqueous NaOH or [TBA][OH] solutions. The pretreatment effectively reduces the chitin crystallinity, improving its reactivity for achieving up to 85% deacetylation in 1-2 hours. Both [Emim][OAc] and [TBA][OH] are regenerated (97% and 83%, respectively), offering a more sustainable chitosan production method, which can serve as a substrate for e.g. catalysts in industry. Paper II investigates the adsorption and catalytic reduction of phenol red dye using Ag-loaded chitosan catalysts. These catalysts display excellent activity across a broad pH range (4–11), with efficient adsorption at near-neutral pH (6.4) and room temperature. After five recycling cycles, the catalysts maintain structural stability, with only a 0.2% loss of Ag, demonstrating their potential for wastewater treatment.

Lignin, an abundant but underutilized polymer in wood biomass, is typically burned for heat. Recent interest has focused on converting lignin into valuable products like jet-fuel range hydrocarbons and fine chemicals. The challenge is selectively breaking C–O and C–C bonds in lignin while maintaining catalyst stability. Paper III explores C–O cleavage in lignin models using multifunctional Ru/NbOPO₄/TiO₂ catalysts, achieving high yields of hydrocarbons (86.9–100%) under mild conditions. Paper IV investigates both C–O and C–C cleavage with Ru/NbOPO₄ catalysts, producing >99% conversion in model compounds with high yield of hydrocarbons. The catalysts’ performance is driven by the tunable synergy between Lewis and Brønsted acid sites of niobium phosphate and the hydrogen activation role of Ru.

This interdisciplinary research advances biopolymer chemistry and catalysis, offering sustainable solutions for environmental and energy challenges by maximizing biomass byproducts and providing eco-friendly alternatives in wastewater treatment and renewable energy.

It is very challenging for policymakers and other decision makers to make any kind of decision on a new policy, as the reaction of a person to that policy (policy as one form of a norm) in a given situation is highly individual and based on their own subjective perspective. This becomes even more challenging in environments with a high degree of uncertainty (as is usually the case for policymakers).

Social simulations are a powerful tool for policymakers and other decision makers to support them in their decision-making process. To build agent-based social simulations that provide this support two main challenges exist: norm (policy) realistic behavior and the usability of the simulation.

Norm realistic behavior includes differentiated norm engagement as well as seeing norms as more than just restrictions on behavior. Situated norm engagement means that people react differently to norms and focus only on the parts that are relevant for them. Seeing norms as more than just restrictions on behavior means that people can also violate norms and be motivated to circumvent norms. To address these two parts, we formalize different perspectives on norms and develop a novel agent deliberation architecture, called the Perspective-Based Agent Deliberation Architecture (PBADA) that can represent different perspectives on norms. Another key element of our agent deliberation architecture is that norms are explicit objects.

Having norms as explicit objects is crucial for addressing the challenge of usability of the simulation. It allows policymakers to modify them interactively in the simulation. In general, we see usability as empowering the policy maker to use the simulation in a - for them - meaningful way. Policymakers need to understand how a norm (policy) is influencing the behavior of the agents and in what way. Furthermore, policymakers need to be able to modify existing norms and add new ones on the fly. This requires interaction tools and visualization capabilities necessary to support them in this process. To address this challenge, we present preliminary work on such an interaction tool. 

This thesis examines how changes in school equipment relate to changes in teaching ideals in the Swedish school system between 1865 and 2010. Three cases of changes in school equipment are examined in three sub-studies. The first sub-study explores how national guidelines for school desks covering the period 1865–1981 implicitly expressed specific teaching ideals. The second sub-study examines equipment requirements that arose in connection with changes in teaching ideals during the Swedish comprehensive school reform of 1949–1972. The third sub-study analyses how teaching ideals changed in conjunction with the introduction of new media technology in schools during the 1980s and in 2010. The thesis’s overarching research question addresses the significance of the origin and direction of change initiatives when school equipment and teaching ideals change. The source materials used in these studies consist of archival material from schools and authorities, printed official documents, teacher magazines, the local daily press, and teacher interviews. The thesis’s theoretical framework is based on a socio-material perspective whereby schools are studied as socio-material networks, and teaching ideals and school equipment shape each other. Additionally, concepts such as ‘historical path dependency’, ‘the grammar of schooling’, and ‘horizontal and vertical change initiatives’ also contribute to the analysis. Methodologically, the study follows a source-pluralistic and source-critical approach, which is supplemented by discourse analysis (in one sub-study). The results indicate that school equipment should not be seen merely as passive or neutral proposals for teaching. Historically, equipment has supported specific teaching ideals and has hindered or concealed others. While many teaching ideals have clearly changed during the period of investigation, older ideals have been reproduced over time because of ‘the path-dependent use of equipment’. However, school equipment has also changed based on how it is used or the ideals it is inter-related with. The results also indicate that the significance of the origin and direction of the change initiative shifts in character if such initiatives are vertical or horizontal to the school. Vertical change initiatives tend to function primarily as boundary setters for internal change within the school. Horizontal change initiatives, on the other hand, appear to take on great significance as trendsetters for the direction these changes take.

Economic crises and instability are inherent to capitalist economies, often having profound effects on regional economies and individual livelihoods. As a result, understanding how to achieve resilient regional economies has become a central focus of research in economic geography. In the wake of the 2007–2008 financial crisis, economic geographers have concentrated on how regions are impacted and what macro-level factors drive recovery, reorganization, or stagnation. While these macro-scale dynamics are important, they often overlook a crucial question: how do individuals and communities adapt to, and cope with economic shocks? This thesis shifts the focus to the lived experiences of those affected by crisis, examining how people cope with the losses brought on by economic upheaval in their daily lives, and how this reshapes their spatial relationships. Empirically, this research draws on the experiences of Danish mink farmers who lost their farms in 2020 due to the political decisions following COVID-19 pandemic. Through qualitative interviews, the study highlights how everyday practices—often neglected in macro- and meso-level analyses—not only help sustain livelihoods during crises but also challenge the structural inequalities of geographically peripheral regions. Beyond policy measures and economic structures, resilience in geographically peripheral regions is deeply embedded in social reproduction, cross-scalar networks, everyday familiarity, and the rhythms of socio-natural life. 

Through three articles analysing how people cope with economic crises using different theoretical frameworks, this study offers a micro-scale perspective on regional economic resilience. Empirically it highlights the crucial role of cross-scalar networks—both formal and informal—that people rely on to manage economic and social challenges. These networks are essential for counteracting uneven spatial power dynamics, supporting economic activities, and sustaining daily life (Paper 1). Furthermore, this thesis shows that economic crises are not only structural disruptions but also deeply personal and emotional experiences. Beyond the loss of employment, individuals often feel stranded—not just because their skillsets become redundant, but also due to their emotional attachment to their professions and ways of life (Paper 2). Finally, the research shows how the dismantling of industries disrupts the socio-natural rhythms that structure agricultural work, profoundly affecting individuals' relationships with both their environment and their livelihoods (Paper 3). This disruption extends beyond technical expertise, fundamentally altering how people engage with their surroundings. 

On a broader level, the findings emphasize that regional economic resilience is not solely about macro-scale economic production. It is deeply intertwined with social reproduction—the everyday, often invisible labor that sustains households, communities, and local economies. The contributions of family members, community groups, and local support networks are essential for maintaining livelihoods and ensuring social stability. Moreover, resilient regional economies are not just those that sustain economic production but also those that invest in and uphold resilient public services. Resilience, therefore, is not just an economic outcome but a collective process, shaped by relationships, interdependence, and the institutions that support everyday life.