Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Cahn effect'

2009/2010
The main topic of this thesis is the measurement of the transverse momentum dependent (TMD) azimuthal asymmetries in the inclusive hadron production in the deep inelastic scattering (DIS). This work has been carried on in the framework of COMPASS, a fixed target experiment at CERN's SPS, which started data taking in 2002. One of the main topic of COMPASS is the study of the nucleon spin structure using high energy (100-200 GeV) muon beam and either transversely and longitudinally polarized proton and deuteron target. Recent developments both from the experimental and theoretical side pointed out the relevance of the transverse spin effects and of new effects, related to the intrinsic transverse momentum of the quark and its correlation with the spin. The nucleon structure, in the non perturbative QCD formalism, can be described at first order, in the collinear approximation, by three parton distribution functions (PDF): the unpolarized PDF, the helicity PDF and the transversity PDF. When including the intrinsic transverse momentum of the quark other 5 PDFs are needed at first order. They are related to the correlation between the transverse momentum of the quark and the spin and are practically unmeasured. The semi inclusive DIS (SIDIS) allows to study all these functions. Indeed the the SIDIS differential cross section, taking into account the beam and target polarization, is characterized by 14 azimuthal modulations in independent linear combination of the nucleon spin angle and of the hadrons angle, as measured with respect to the virtual photon direction. Their amplitudes are related to the structure functions given by the convolution between the new PDFs and the hadron fragmentation functions. In this thesis the measurement of the azimuthal asymmetries which appears in the SIDIS cross section on the unpolarized and longitudinally polarized target. Of particular interest is the information that this measurement give on the Boer-Mulders TMD PDF, which is a very interesting topic. The analysed data have been taken using the 160 GeV positive muon beam on the deuteron target. The target configuration and the spectrometer are optimized for the spin asymmetry measurements and are described in the thesis as well as the data taking. Also, the data processing and the software used for the analysis and the SIDIS data selection are described. The measurement of the azimuthal asymmetries on the longitudinally polarized target have been done using the same data as the one used for the $\Delta$G (the contribution to the nucleon spin of the longitudinal spin of the gluons) measurement. To avoid acceptance effects in the asymmetries extraction, the data collected from the two oppositely polarized target cells (which form the target) have been opportunely combined. Other possible systematic effects have been studied in details and are described in the thesis. \\ The asymmetries have been extracted as functions of the relevant kinematical variables and separately for positive and negative hadrons. The final results, accepted for publication in European Journal C, are compared with the results produced by other experiments and with the calculations of theoretical models of the TMD functions. The measurement of the azimuthal asymmetries which appears in the spin independent part of the SIDIS cross section is more difficult since it cannot benefit from the periodically reversal of the target polarization. The measured hadron azimuthal distributions must be corrected for the possible effects introduced by the apparatus acceptance (geometrical acceptance, detectors and trigger efficiencies). The Monte Carlo simulation of the apparatus has been used to estimate those effects. Extensive studies of the description of the azimuthal acceptance of the apparatus have been done in the whole kinematical domain of interest using different SIDIS events generations. A reliable asymmetries extraction method has been developed and used. A considerable effort has been put into the study and the control of the systematics. Also in this case the asymmetries have been extracted as functions of the relevant kinematical variables and separately for positive and negative hadrons. \\ The strongest measured signals are related to the Cahn effect, which is a kinematical effect proportional to the intrinsic transverse momentum of the quarks, and to the Boer-Mulders TMD PDF, describing the correlation between the intrinsic transverse momentum of the quark and its transverse spin. \\ The results, in particular the kinematical and the charge dependencies of the asymmetries, are interpreted in terms of TMD quantities and higher effects in the non perturbative QCD. The comparisons with the results produced by the other experiments, and with the theoretical predictions are also discussed.
XXIII Ciclo
1977

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate if abnormal patterns concerning the rates of return during specific weekdays and months are observable for the companies in the OMXS30 during the period 2003-2010. A special focus will be put on the Monday effect anomaly.

Background: Investors have a tendency to search for investment opportunities. If errors exist in the pricing of stocks it indicates that anomalies are present and that the stock market is inefficient. Investors then have the possibility to utilize the anomalies in order to receive above average returns.

Method: This study is using data of stock prices from Nasdaq OMX in the period of 2003-2010. The strength and existence of the Swedish stock market efficiency is measured through autocorrelation-, chi-square- and regression tests. Average monthly stock returns are calculated on daily-, monthly-, and yearly basis. The returns are compared in order to examine if day-of-the-week and turn-of-the-year anomalies exist.

Conclusion: No Monday effect is found in 2003-2010. However, positive Thursday- and positive Friday effects are detected. A negative turn-of-the-year effect as well as a positive April effect is found. The investment opportunities that could be utilized in 2003-2010 due to the specific anomalies in the period do not necessarily imply that the same anomalies can be expected on the OMXS30 in the future.

The testing effect refers to the phenomenon that, relative to restudying, being tested on a previously learned material leads to better retention. The present study investigated the hypothesis that part of the testing effect in free recall, can be explained by increased memory organization due to testing. Forty-one participants learned either semantically related or unrelated words. The words were either repeatedly studied six times, or recalled from memory three times and studied three times, with each test trial following a study trial. Following the learning session, all participants conducted two free recall tests, one after five minutes and one after seven days. The study did not replicate the testing effect and therefore no conclusions could be drawn about the hypothesis. The results did, however, indicate that the related material facilitated later retrieval, relative to the unrelated material. Furthermore, opposite to what was predicted, restudying lead to higher rates of category clustering compared to testing.

In this thesis we provide a scheme for phase separation by accounting for diffusion, dynamic equations and consistency with thermodynamics. The constituents are two compressible fluids and, for the non-simple character of the mixture, an extra energy flux is allowed to occur. Since also thermal effects are included, the result is a whole set of evolution equations for the concentration, the velocity and the temperature which describes a non-isothermal Navier-Stokes-Cahn-Hilliard model for phase separation in a binary mixture with extra fluxes and within the Fourier heat theory. Alternative heat theories may be proposed for this Navier-Stokes-Cahn-Hilliard theory. Meanwhile the mixing problem is described graphically. Moreover the model may be generalized including a source term, and this doesn't affect the thermodynamic scheme. Then we describe and then compare two mathematical models for chemotactic processes: the pioneeristic Keller-Segel model and the hydrodynamic model by Chavanis and Sire. The first one is able to describe clusters or peaks, the second one involves inertial effects together with a friction force and leads to network patterns or filaments that are in good agreement with the experimental results. We analyze the linear stability of an infinite, stationary and homogeneous distribution of cells for determining the critical thresholds above which chemotactic collapse is allowed and cellular aggregation is reproduced. Then we discuss the differences between the two models, moreover we show the analogy between the instability criterion for biological populations and the Jeans instability criterion in an astrophysical setting. Finally we propose a different approach for the derivation of new diffuse interface models for tumour growth (with chemotaxis and active transport) based on the Cahn-Hilliard theory, combined with the (stationary) Darcy momentum equation.

Investors have been shown to behave in a way that reduces their earnings by being over hesitant to sell stocks that have decreased in price and over eager to sell stocks that have increased in price, exhibiting what is known as a disposition effect. This persists even in environments that make exhibiting a disposition effect always reduce expected returns. Our study uses the most common experimental disposition effect environment to test the use of a novel nudge to reduce participants disposition effects and finds that the nudge does reduce participants’ disposition effects. However, several of our findings challenge the external and internal validity of the environment, and it is possible that the nudge only works for a subset of the population that understands the environment better. Despite the environment making diversification suboptimal, those who understand diversification (and therefore might perform better in real-world markets) perform worse in this environment due to diversifying more, indicating that participants bring their external beliefs about real world markets into the environment. We show that the optimal disposition effect in the environment is substantially negative, which critiques past studies that have used a rational benchmark of zero. We also find significantly negative disposition effects across the board for our sample, which is unique, potentially due to the inclusion of comprehension questions before trading that assisted participants to understand the environment better.

This qualitative, exploratory investigation provides insight into the relevance and applicability of adopting a Design for Service (DfS) approach to effect transformation in Voluntary Community Sector (VCS) contexts. Using Action Research and a case study structure, the DfS approach was introduced and applied within three VCS organisations in succession. In each organisation, data on the impact and perceived value of the approach to a range of stakeholders was captured during, immediately after, and in the year following the engagement. An inductive analysis process was then employed to build theory from the collated case study data. The research has established that the use of design at a systemic level of a VCS organisation can incite transformational change. It has shown that stakeholders' initial trust in the designer is more important than their trust in the DfS approach (methods and processes), which becomes crucial to increasing the influence of design in the organisation. Once the designer becomes a 'friend' to the organisation, they can operate at an embedded level as a 'critical friend', which allows them to challenge the status quo and create new organisational perspectives. Finally, it defines five organisational factors that are critical to using the DfS approach to effect transformational change in a VCS setting. The study has multiple contributions to knowledge, including: detailed evidence that design can be used to transform VCS organisations; a 'critical friend' model depicting how design can be used to effect transformation in such settings; and a prototype 'design-readiness' self-assessment tool for VCS organisations. This thesis represents the first doctoral length study into the application of the DfS approach in a VCS context, and provides both evidence and insight into its capacity to incite transformational change at a critical time for the sector.

With the statistical numbers that shows how companies year after year moves more and more money from traditional marketing budgets to inbound marketing budgets as a result of a past success within the field of inbound marketing, the purpose of this study is to examine what can be derive from their use of the Web 2.0 technology as a marketing tool. The target-group for this study is mainly organizations that are interested in the use of Web 2.0 technologies and an academic audience as students and researchers.This study have used it selves of a Hermeneutics scientific approach and an abductive approach towards the relationship between theory and research. Semi-structured interviews have been conducted as the method for collection of data for the empirical study. The selections of the respondents to the empirical study have been selected through different criterias were the organizations use and frequency of use of Web 2.0 technology were a primary criteria.The conclusion of this study shows that there are some major advantages that can be derived from the use of Web 2.0 technology in organizations marketing communication, the interactions with consumer and the use of the interaction to improve organizations processes. The drawbacks that were discovered are mainly the organizational changes that an organization has to go through when implementing Web 2.0 technologies in their marketing communication and the risk of negative viral spread. The future opportunity for using Web 2.0 in marketing communication is that it can lead to new creative ways to interact with the customers.

El objetivo de esta tesis es: (1) determinar si el consumidor español asocia la grasa intramuscular (GIM) a la aceptabilidad de la carne de cerdo; (2) incrementar la GIM a través de estrategias nutricionales (adición de acido linoleico conjugado, reducción de vitamina A, reducción de proteína, lisina, suplementación con arginina y leucina). Los resultados mostraron que desde el punto de vista gustativo el consumidor prefiere la carne con un mayor contenido de GIM. Se obtuvo un incremento de la GIM al reducir el nivel de proteína (sin modificar la lisina) o al reducir el nivel de lisina (sin modificar la proteína) y al utilizar una línea genética grasa y no en una línea genética más magra. Se puede concluir que la modificación de la GIM a través de la dieta depende del genotipo, y que las modificaciones de los niveles de proteína y lisina son las más eficaces.
The objective of this thesis was: (1) to test if Spanish consumers associate intramuscular fat (IMF) content with acceptability of pork meat; (2) to increase IMF through nutritional strategies (supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid, reduction of vitamin A, reduction of protein, lysine, supplementation with arginine and leucine). Results showed that from the point of view of taste, consumers prefer the meat with a high IMF content. An increase of IMF was observed when dietary protein or lysine were reduced (without modifying lysine or protein content, respectively) in a fatter but not in a leaner genotype. It can be concluded that modification of IMF content through the diet depends on the genotype, and that changes in dietary protein and lysine levels elicit the greatest response.

Adaptive memory is "the idea that [our] memory systems might have evolved to help us remember fitness-relevant information—specifically, information relevant to survival" (Nairne, Thompson, & Pandeirada, 2007, p. 263). Nairne et al. found that processing words in terms of survival relevance yielded the best memory retention compared to other deep processing conditions. The purpose of the present research was to investigate whether factors including a feeling of isolation or novelty could explain the adaptive memory advantage observed in previous adaptive memory research. In two incidental learning experiments, participants rated word relevance in one of four conditions: grasslands survival, space mission, alien abduction, or moving. In Experiment 1, participants rated 32 unrelated words. In Experiment 2, participants rated 60 words from six DRM lists. In Experiment 1 there was one incidental free recall test whereas in Experiment 2 three successive free recall tests were employed. As hypothesized, results from Experiment 1 indicated that the grasslands survival scenario, space mission, and alien conditions had similar rates in recall. The typical adaptive memory effect was also found in which participants in the grasslands survival scenario condition had significantly higher recall compared to participants who received the moving scenario condition. Experiment 2 found that all of the conditions did not significantly differ from each in terms of true or false recall. Across both experiments, the grasslands survival, space mission, and alien abduction scenarios were rated similarly in terms of isolation and novelty. These findings suggest that novelty and isolation can be contributing factors in the memory advantage observed with the grasslands survival scenario in previous adaptive memory studies.

This study deals with one of the efficient market hypothesis’ anomaly. The research aims at proving the

existence of a size anomaly by answering the question: can you outperform the market by investing in

small and mid caps? It is in fact a questioning of the well-know efficient market hypothesis (EMH). We

investigate the size effect in the situation of a passive strategy with different indices (Russell Indices and

S&P Indices) from 1995 to 2005.

The introduction gives to the reader the background he needs to understand the methodology and the

approach of the issue by the authors. Key concepts are defined such as EMH, passive strategy.

The second part exposes the methodology the authors choose and the methodology of exploited indices.

The research consist on measuring the risk adjusting excess returns by comparing the market index

return (S&P 500 or Russell 3000) and the Small and Mid Caps indices (S&P Small Cap 600, S&P Mid

Cap 400, Russell Mid Cap and Russell 2000) over the period. Indeed the methodology of indices is

exposing in details to understand in which extent the study can be influence by the construction of

indices.

Then in part 3 the authors describe theories that are possible explanations for the size effect. Then it is

understandable that the size anomaly is the result of a set of factors that generate abnormal returns.

These theories help the authors to come up with a model that gives an overview of the research.

After having explained their research method and reveal their empirical findings. The authors

demonstrate that excess returns can be earned by investing in small and mid caps indices even after

controlling for risk. The risk adjusting excess returns their findings can potentially be explained by the

other factors depicted in the theoretical part. E/P ratios, Trading Costs, January effect, Overreaction are

possible reasons to explain the size anomaly. They also find an instability and/or reversal of the size

effect consistent with one of the theories. However the authors find data with non statistic significance,

so I accept the null hypothesis that the excess returns of small and mid caps indices are equal to zero.

The paper ends with a discussion about the limitations of the study and possible further researches. The

authors conclude that even if the existence of a size effect is obvious for some years and horizons of

investment, the passive strategy appears to be an unsuited method to take advantage of the small effect

since the results reject the null hypothesis. The authors clarify the fact that before investing in small and

mid caps, one has to be aware of all the factors that can influence his investment (beside risk) because

the size effect is a set of factors.

Key words: Efficient Market Hypothesis, Abnormal returns, Size effect (anomaly), Passive strategy,

Market Index, S&P indices, Russell indices

Sub-Saharan Africa is the region in the world with the highest population growth and child mortality. By measuring to what extent the parents "replace" a child in the case of death, we estimate the direct child replacement effect in Niger between 1976 and 2011. Our novel empirical strategy is a modified 2SPS instrumental variable approach, which exploits the exogeneity of precipitation and outdoor temperature in connection with the mother's pregnancy and the child's first five years. We find an estimate of 0.9. The estimate found close to unity implicates a relatively small trade-off between reducing child mortality and population growth, both being large problems in Niger. Our approach is a contribution to the literature on quasi-experimental methods in that we consider properties of respondents on an individual level in the first stage model, and redefine the outcome to a household level in the second stage. The redefinition is thereby a way of drawing conclusions on a group level.

A computer program is developed for the dynamic analysis of a spar platform coupled with mooring lines and risers in waves, winds, and currents. The new multi-contact analysis program is developed for the nonlinear multi-contact coupling between vertical risers and guide frames inside of the spar moon-pool. The program extends capability of the current coupled dynamic analysis program, WINPOST, by adding the capability of analyzing riser effects caused by the contact forces and moments from buoyancy-cans inside the spar moon-pool on the global spar motions. The gap between the buoyancy can and riser guide frames are modeled using three different types of nonlinear gap springs. The new riser model also considers the Coulomb damping between the buoyancy-cans and riser guide frames, and it also calculates the impact force on risers for use in fatigue analysis. The spar platform generally uses vertical risers with dry trees. However, as the water depth increases, the size of the buoyancy-can increases, and it makes installation more difficult. The pneumatic riser support system does not use buoyancy-cans and is an alternative solution to the buoyancy-can approach. The dynamic characteristics of pneumatic riser support system are studied by using the newly developed numerical analysis program. The damped Mathieu instability diagram for the damped Mathieu's equation is developed. Due to spar heave and pitch coupling, Mathieu's instability may become excited in long period waves. In the numerical analysis program, pitch and roll hydrostatic stiffness are recalculated for heave motion in every time step to check Mathieu's instability for the spar platform. Simplified vortex-induced vibration effects on the spar platform are considered in newly developed numerical analysis program, and the results are systematically compared with those of the original program WINPOST. The results in this paper show that the buoyancy-can effect significantly reduces the spar pitch motion, and the Coulomb damping effect also significantly reduces the spar heave motion. The buoyancy-can effect also plays an important role in Mathieu instability. The results also show that a pneumatic riser support system increases the spar heave motion and payload.

This study is a result from a major investigation about the snow conditions in Sweden since the beginning of the twentieth century. For this purpose, data were analysed with respect to the maximum snow depth and the number of days with snow cover every year from some more than forty selected stations. These stations were then divided into different regions and means were calculated for each series. The data are presented in the shape of different histograms in the four following categories; the whole period in request (1900-2003), the latest 43 years (1961-2003), consecutive mean values for every decade and time series with the highest frequented fluctuations equalized. To be able to detect any trends in the plotted time series two statistical methods, simple linear regression and Mann-Kendall’s test, were applied. The calculations belonging to these tests are showed in tables. To be able to answer the question if the global warming can be related to the latest 3-4 decades predominantly warm winters in the southern part of Sweden I have been studying correlations in snow data with respect to the northern hemispheres mean temperature for the winter season. Corresponding estimates of the correlation coefficients have also been made with respect to the Swedish winter mean temperature. The response of the tests shows that it has not been such dramatic change in the snow conditions in the long run. The magnitude of the slope for the adjusted regression lines implies that the maximum snow depth and the number of days with snow cover in average have been on a fairly constant level during the latest hundred years. When it comes to the maximum snow depth one can distinguish a tendency for a small rise in Götaland and northern Norrland. This is also the only cases which are statistical significant for the period in request (1905-2003). For the shorter period 1961-2003 however, the number of days with snow cover has decreased quite substantially in the southern part of Sweden corresponding to a decrease about 40% in Götaland and 20% in Svealand. The test based on simple linear regression gives significant results in both cases while Mann-Kendall only establishes the trend for Götaland. A closer view of the maximum snow depth for the shorter period (1961-2003) does not give the same response but there is at least evidence for a significant decrease in Svealand in the test with simple linear regression. It corresponds to a decrease of about 30% since 1960. One cannot immediately relate the changes in the Swedish snow climate to the global warming. Estimated values of the correlation coefficient do not even give significant results for the period 1961-2003 despite of the fact that the global mean temperature has raised quite considerably since 1970. The corresponding calculations for the Swedish winter mean temperature show that it plays a very important roll if the precipitation in Götaland and Svealand is coming as rain or snow while it does not matter at all in northern Norrland.
Denna studie är ett resultat av en omfattande undersökning av snöförhållandena i Sverige sedan början av 1900-talet. Jag har för detta ändamål analyserat data av maximala snödjup och antalet dagar med snötäcke per kalenderår från ett 40-tal utvalda stationer. Dessa stationer har sedan delats upp på olika regioner varefter medelvärden har räknats fram i resp. fall. Datamaterialet illustreras här i form av olika stapeldiagram uppdelat på fyra följande kategorier; hela tidsserien, perioden 1961-2003, konsekutiva 10-årsmedelvärden samt en tidsserie med de mest högfrekventa svängningarna bortdämpade. För att kunna bedöma eventuella trender i de uppritade tidsserierna så har jag använt mig av de båda statistiska metoderna enkel linjär regression resp. Mann-Kendall's test. Tillhörande beräkningar redovisas på tabellform. För att svara på frågan om den globala uppvärmningen kan sättas i samband med de senaste 30-40 årens övervägande snöfattiga vintrar i södra Sverige så har jag studerat korrelationen av snödata gentemot det norra halvklotets vintermedeltemperatur. Motsvarande beräkningar av korrelationskoefficienter har också genomförts för den svenska vintermedeltemperaturen Utslaget på testerna visar att det inte har skett så dramatiska förändringar i snöförhållandena på lång sikt. Magnituden på lutningskoefficienten för de anpassade regressionslinjerna tyder på att det maximala snödjupet och antalet dagar med snötäcke i medeltal har legat på en ganska konstant nivå under de senaste hundra åren. När det gäller maximala snödjup så kan man paradoxalt nog se en tendens till en svag uppgång för Götaland och norra Norrland. Det är också de enda fallen som är statistiskt säkerställda för tidsserien som helhet. För den kortare perioden 1961-2003 så kan man däremot se att antalet dagar med snötäcke har minskat relativt kraftigt i södra Sverige motsvarande en nedgång på cirka 40% i Götaland och 20% i Svealand. Test med enkel linjär regression ger signifikanta resultat i båda fallen medan Mann-Kendall endast fastställer trenden för Götaland. En närmare undersökning av det maximala snödjupet för den kortare tidsserien ger dock inte lika tydligt utslag i statistiken men man kan trots allt urskilja en signifikant minskning för Svealand i testet med enkel linjär regression. Det rör sig här om en nedgång på cirka 30% efter 1960. Det går inte att omedelbart relatera förändringarna i det svenska snöklimatet till den globala uppvärmningen. Beräknade värden på korrelationskoefficienten ger inte ens signifikant utslag för perioden 1961-2003 trots att den globala medeltemperaturen har ökat ganska markant sedan 1970. Motsvarande beräkningar för den svenska vintermedeltemperaturen visar att den har väldigt stor betydelse för om nederbörden i Götaland och Svealand faller som regn eller snö medan det för norra Norrland inte har någon nämnvärd påverkan.

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Recruiters make many inferences about applicants' abilities and interpersonal attributes on the basis of applicants' resumes. For example, every once in a while, a good resume leaves a strong positive impression and the recruiter creates a high expectation for the selection interview. What if a disappointing interview follows? Will the great resume help or hurt the candidate? The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of a good resume on the recruiter’s evaluation of a candidate when a non-enthusiastic interview follows as well as the interacting role of gender. The results of two online experiments (n=454) where participants played the role of the recruiter, showed that, on average, a very good resume (vs. no resume) before a non-enthusiastic interview did not affect the recruiter’s evaluation of the candidate. However, when the recruiter’s and the candidate’s gender were taken into consideration, a different picture emerged. While no effect was found for male recruiters, the candidate’s resume had a clear significant impact on female recruiter’s evaluations: when the candidate was also a female, the good resume shown before the non-enthusiastic interview performance tended to help, whereas when the candidate was a male, the good resume had a significant negative effect on female recruiters’ evaluation of the candidate. In sum, in situations where the resume had a strong impact on the recruiter’s evaluation (female recruiters), the direction of the effect was moderated by the candidate’s gender. Gender differences in information processing as well as in-group/out-group biases due to gender matching are used to hypothesize and explain the main findings.

In Stockholm, there is a great shortage of supply on the housing market and many newly established on the market find it hard to find a home. During 2014 the Planning and building act was changed, allowing for a new kind of small buildings, so called Attefall-houses, of up to 25 sqm to be built without building permit on single family housing units. This thesis evaluates the impact that Attefall-houses have on the housing shortage in Stockholm and how these houses could be property tax assessed. As a part of this, the profitability when those are let out have been calculated and whether they have a potential to become more popular has been investigated. Comparisons with foreign renting markets with a more widespread secondary market have furthermore been carried out. The thesis is limited towards Attefall-houses classified as residential. Few Attefall-houses have been built and are available for rent. Since the number of transactions pertaining to single family housing units with Attefall-houses was insufficient, market values have been estimated by studying the attitude of market actors, by an income based approach and by a cost approach. In order to get a more perspicuous view of the profitability, repayment times on those let out have been calculated. The value an Attefall-house entails on a single family housing unit has been estimated to between 200 000 SEK and 300 000 SEK. The repayment times when the Attefall-houses are let out and then are sold at this value vary between 5 and 12 years with the current  egislation, depending on financing and municipality. If all rental income had been tax-free, the repayment times would vary between 4 and 7 years instead. If the Attefall-house, on the other hand, is reformed into a tenant ownership unit, the sales prices vary between 1 500 000 and 2 100 000 SEK. According to this, Attefall-houses have the potential to be a profitable investment. A couple of problems and misleading incentives when building and renting them have, however, been found. A property with an Attefall-house will get two property tax assessment fees after 15 years. In addition, the rental income is taxable, which creates trouble for the property owner but also for the taxation authorities. It is also more economically profitable to re-form the Attefall-houses into tenant-ownership units rather than to keep them as complementary buildings. If the house is re-formed into a tenant ownership unit it is less of a clear alternative for newly established on the market hence not as good complement to the exiting property market as if the owners rent out the dwelling. The process when the houses are built is, furthermore, not as easy as it sounds since the municipality requires detailed documents and the buildings have to meet tough building standards to be allowed to be let out. The processing time before starting decision can be given also varies a lot between different municipalities. There are also a lot of ambiguities and grey areas that have been found. It is not clear when letting of Attefall-houses should be classified as a business rather than a private activity and it is also not clear on which market value maximum rent and property tax assessment should be based. Possibilities for a good investment and economic benefits exist but to make the Attefall-houses more popular, misleading incentives should be removed and incentives for renting should instead be created. The legislation should also be clarified to lower the risk for property owners. At the end, time is needed for Attefall-houses to become an established alternative on the residential market.
I Stockholm råder det brist på bostäder och många nya på bostadsmarknaden har svårt att hitta en bostad. Under 2014 förändrades Plan- och bygglagen, vilket gjorde att en ny typ av byggnader, så kallade attefallshus, på upp till 25 kvm kunde byggas utan bygglov på småhustomter. Denna uppsats utvärderar den påverkan som attefallshus har på  ostadsbristen i Stockholm och hur dessa hus bör taxeras. Som ett led i detta har lönsamheten om husen hyrs ut beräknats samt huruvida de har potential att bli mer populära utretts. Dessutom har jämförelser gjorts med hyresmarknader i länder som har en mer utbredd andrahandsmarknad. Uppsatsen är avgränsad till att fokusera på attefallshus som används som självständiga boenden. Det är inte många attefallshus som har byggts eller som hyrs ut. Då transaktionsmaterialet för småhusfastigheter med attefallshus var bristfälligt har marknadsvärden uppskattats genom att studera olika marknadsaktörers syn på attefallshus, genom en avkastningsmetod där attefallshusen hyrs ut samt genom att uppskatta produktionskostnaderna. För att få en mer överskådlig bild av lönsamheten har även återbetalningstiderna vid uthyrning av dessa hus beräknats. Det mervärde ett attefallshus ger upphov till på en småhusfastighet har uppskattats till mellan 200 000 och 300 000 SEK. Återbetalningstiderna om dessa hyrs ut och sedan ger detta mervärde vid försäljning varierar med dagens lagstiftning mellan 5 och 12 år, beroende på kommun och finansiering. Om alla hyresintäkter vore skattefria skulle återbetalningstiden istället vara mellan 4 och 7 år. Om attefallshuset däremot ombildas till bostadsrätt kan dessa säljas för mellan 1 500 000 och 2 100 000 SEK. Mot bakgrund av detta borde attefallshus kunna vara en lönsam investering. En rad problem och missledande incitament för byggande och uthyrning av dem har dock identifierats. De fastigheter som har attefallshus kommer att få två fastighetsavgifter om 15 år. Därutöver beskattas hyresintäkterna. Det skapar besvär för fastighetsägaren men också vad gäller kontroll av uthyrning. Det är även mer ekonomiskt lönsamt att ombilda attefallshusen till bostadsrätter än att behålla dem som komplementbostäder. Ombildas attefalllshusen till bostadsrätter utgör de sedan inte samma tydliga förstagångsboende för nyetablerade på marknaden och bidrar därigenom inte lika tydligt till att lösa bostadsbristen, då de inte kompletterar nuvarande fastighetsmarknad lika bra. Processen då attefallshusen ska byggas är heller inte så enkel som det låter då kommunen kräver detaljerade dokument och byggnaderna måste uppfylla hårda byggkrav för att få hyras ut. Handläggningstiden innan startbesked kan ges är även mycket varierande mellan kommunerna. Dessutom har flera oklarheter och gråzoner i lagstiftningen hittats. Det är inte tydligt när uthyrning av attefallshus klassas som näringsverksamhet kontra privat verksamhet och det är heller inte tydligt vilket marknadsvärde maximal hyressättning och taxering bör baseras på. Möjligheter till en bra investering och samhällsekonomiska vinster finns men för att göra attefallshusen mer populära bör missledande incitament tas bort och incitament för uthyrning bör istället skapas. Lagar bör också förtydligas för att minska risken för fastighetsägare. Därefter krävs tid då boendeformen behöver bli etablerad i samhället.

Black carbon affects the atmosphere, clouds, and the albedo of snow. These effects of black carbon are a fact but exactly what they entail is not well known. The atmosphere, the albedo in ice crystals and snow (due to warming of the snows’ surface), clouds’ life time and cloud cover are all influenced because black carbon absorbs radiation, thus altering the radiative forcing (RF).Many models and measurements have been done to evaluate the effects of black carbon but they show very different results. This literature study examines papers and articles to see what and how much we know about black carbon and its climate effects. I conclude that there have been great differences in results that are evident due to the span that black carbon is thought to change the RF in the atmosphere (results ranging from +0.4 to +1.2 Wm-2), and snow (+0.007 to +0.054 Wm-2), as well as the albedo in snow (results ranging from -0.02 to -0.17, only including the results from studies with BC concentration of 1000 ng/g for increased comparability). I as well as many others suggest that models tend to get very different results because they use different starting conditions and equations and because models handle aerosols and clouds in different ways. This is largely because of a lack of information, especially concerning aerosols and clouds.
Sot påverkar atmosfären, moln och albedot i snö. Dessa effekter av sot är ett faktum, men exakt vad de innebär är inte väl känt. Atmosfären, albedo i iskristaller och snö, uppvärmningen av snö och isytor, molns livstid och molntäckets utbredning påverkas av sot eftersom sot absorberar strålning, vilket förändra strålningsdrivningen och kan förånga moln, och att sot kan vara nuklider som kan skapa moln.Många modeller och mätningar har gjorts för att utvärdera effekterna av sot men de visar mycket olika resultat. Denna litteraturstudie undersöker artiklar för att se vad och hur mycket vi vet om sot och dess klimatpåverkan. Jag drar slutsatsen att det har finns stora skillnader i resultat vilket återspeglas i det stora intervall som sot tros ändra strålningsdrivningen i atmosfären (resultat som sträcker sig från 0,4 till 1,2 Wm-2) och snö (0,007 till 0.054 Wm-2), liksom albedo i snö (resultat som sträcker sig från -0,02 till -0,17 Wm-2). Jag samt mång andra föreslår att modeller tenderar att få väldigt olika resultat eftersom de använder olika startvillkor, ekvationer och eftersom modellerna hanterar aerosoler och moln på olika sätt. Detta är till stor del på grund av bristande information, särskilt när det gäller aerosoler och moln.

Media-literacy education provides a way for people to assess and critically evaluate media images. Traditional media literacy programs have mitigated the negative effects of idealized media imagery such as reduced self-esteem, eating-disordered attitudes, and low body-satisfaction among women. Although education is moving increasingly to online platforms, the potential of media literacy education delivered online has not been evaluated. Based on social comparison and objectification theories, the purpose of this study was to quantitatively assess the comparative efficacy of online and face-to-face media literacy education programs. A quasi-experimental design using pre- and post-media literacy education program questionnaires was used. A mixed-method analysis of variance evaluated change in self-esteem, eating-disordered attitudes, and body satisfaction among college students. The study was conducted using a sample that included both male and female students from undergraduate classes. The study groups included traditional and online classes. Results for all three variables revealed that the media literacy education program did not have the predicted impact. Significant differences were not found between the online experimental (n = 65), face-to-face experimental (n = 50), and the online control group (n = 44) even though a significant main effect for time was found. The adverse effects of ubiquitous idealized media images remain well-documented; however, the swiftly evolving, increasingly balkanized, present-day media landscape may necessitate both an accommodating theoretical foundation and updated intervention instruments.

This dissertation arises from recent investigations in the field of orality and the potential that it has for Markan studies. Chapter one identifies the epistemological divide which separates a contemporary reading experience from one situated in the first century. Further, chapter one will focus this hermeneutical question upon the difference in how a text functions between a modern and an ancient literary critic; specifically, modern meaning versus ancient effect. Chapter two seeks to survey the nature of communication in the New Testament world and how this information was created, stored, and conveyed to its audience. Furthermore, it will seek to identify what skills were required by the manuscript’s creator, reader, and receiver(s). The goal is to define and develop the nature of a reading-event of antiquity. Chapter three will continue our prolegomena to method with a description of the complex inter-relationship between a reader, an audience, and a manuscript in the ancient world. It will be defined as a partnership whereby their respective functions commingle as they create a communal reading-event. Next, an oral hermeneutic will be described in two parts. First, it will present a summary of the historical reading-event constructed from the previous chapters. Then, an oral/performative approach will be developed under the rubric of a hypothetical reading-effect. It will be an attempt to recreate the oral/aural aspects which alert the reader and the listeners to the story’s movement. Furthermore, it will attempt to document the affective value of a hearer’s encounter with the narrative. Finally, chapter four will put into practice the aforementioned method to recreate a reading-event of the Second Gospel. We will explore how the text of Mark provides keys to the reader for how to orally present the Second Gospel. At the same time, our reading model will assist us to determine how the reading-event itself produces a controlled reading-effect upon a listening audience. Throughout the detailed work on Mark, we will attempt to show how an oral perspective reveals distinctive features which otherwise might be left unheard to silent readers.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University
Disclosure of personal stories and self-relevant emotions is an essential part of our daily conversations. We frequently talk about our thoughts, feelings, and emotions with our family, friends, and, in an online setting, even with strangers. Despite the frequent occurrence of self-disclosure on social media, research that examines the influence of self-disclosure on the persuasive impact of a speaker is surprisingly limited. Working to understand persuasion in social media, this dissertation looks at self- disclosure (i.e., the act of revealing personal information which ranges from demographic information to feelings, thoughts, values, experiences, and self-concepts) as a core construct. In particular, across two essays, this dissertation research focuses on how bloggers can use disclosure of their feelings, thoughts, and life concerns to increase trust and build relationships with their audience, thus increasing the persuasive impact of their word-of-mouth messages. The first essay is a qualitative study ofbloggers' communication practices, in which postings on a variety ofblogs were analyzed. Drawing on both the communication and social psychology literatures, this essay develops a conceptual framework of how blogs can be categorized based on audiences' perceptions and how bloggers use different strategies to shape or shift their audiences' perceptions and increase the persuasiveness of their messages. Specifically, it suggests that bloggers use two distinguishable communication strategies: (a) developing and sustaining an illusion of relationship between the blogger and the reader in order to individualize the communication and (b) maintaining a level of ambiguity in their commercial interests in order to conceal the commercial nature of some blogs. Tactics underlying the use of these strategies as well as the efficacy and ethics of these practices were discussed. The second essay examines how sharing of intimate self-disclosure (i.e., sharing ofa deeper level ofpersonal information that may potentially involve risk and a feeling of vulnerability) influences the communicator's ability to persuade. Across four studies, this essay demonstrates how a communicator's intimate self-disclosure is perceived and processed by their audience in different types of relationships (communal vs. exchange) and how it affects the persuasive impact of the message.

Police investigators rely heavily on eliciting confessions from suspects to solve crimes and prosecute offenders. Therefore, it is essential to develop evidence-based interrogation techniques that will motivate guilty suspects to confess but minimize false confessions from the innocent. Currently, there is little scientific support for specific interrogation techniques that may increase true confessions and decrease false confessions. Rapport building is a promising possibility. Despite its recommendation in police interrogation guidelines, there is no scientific evidence showing the effect of rapport building in police interrogations. The current study examined, experimentally, whether using rapport as an interrogation technique would influence participants’ decisions to confess to a wrongdoing. It was hypothesized that building rapport with participants would lead to more true confessions and fewer false confessions than not building rapport. One hundred and sixty nine undergraduates participated in the study. Participants worked on logic problems together and individually, with a study confederate. The confederate asked half of the participants for help in one of the individual problems – effectively breaking the rules of the study. After working on these problems, a research assistant playing the role of interviewer came into the room, built rapport or not with participants, accused all participants of cheating by sharing answers on the individual problems, and asked them to sign a statement admitting their guilt. Results indicated that guilty participants were more likely to sign the confession statement than innocent participants. However, there were no significant differences on participants’ confession decisions based on the level of rapport they experienced. Results do not provide support for the hypothesis that building rapport increases the likelihood of obtaining true confessions and decreases the likelihood of obtaining false confessions. These findings suggest that, despite the overwhelming recommendation for the use of rapport with suspects, its actual implementation may not have a direct impact on the outcome of interrogations.

This study examines factors that affect share prices for Hong Kong-listed mainland companies by examining the outperformance of H-shares and red chips compared with local large-cap stocks on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2013 and 2014. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first empirical study focusing on these three types of stocks. In efficient markets, share prices should reflect the fundamentals of the listed companies, as revealed by the firm's earnings. If the assumption of market efficiency is relaxed, or markets are less efficient due to institutional factors, the correlation will be less pronounced. In this regard, I examine the links between firm performance, stock visibility, and share price movements. I find that the fundamentals of listed firms do not account for the superior price performance in the case of H-shares. By contrast, the price performance of Hong Kong large-cap stocks and red chips is more closely correlated to earnings. In addition, the hypothesis that the neglected-firm effect plays a role in the relationship between firm performance and stock returns of Hong Kong-listed China-related companies is not supported. Instead, I find support for the hypothesis that stock visibility acts as a moderator in the relationship between firm performance and stock returns, particularly in the case of China-related shares. With the introduction of stock visibility, the effect of Return on Equity (ROE) on stock returns is reduced, but still significantly positive. This indicates that stock visibility partially mediates the link between firm performance and stock returns, supporting the mediation hypothesis. By revealing the limited link between fundamentals and share prices in H-shares, this study also supports the notion, found in other studies, that market efficiency is less applicable to China H-shares in particular and the Hong Kong financial market in general.

Although previous studies on structural equation modeling (SEM) have indicated that the second-order latent growth model (SOLGM) is a more appropriate approach to longitudinal intervention effects, its application still requires researchers to collect at least three-wave data (e.g. randomized pretest, posttest, and follow-up design). However, in some circumstances, researchers can only collect two-wave data for resource limitations. With only two-wave data, the SOLGM can not be identified and researchers often choose alternative SEM models to fit two-wave data. Recent studies show that the two-wave longitudinal common factor model (2W-LCFM) and latent change score model (2W-LCSM) can perform well for comparing latent change between groups. However, there still lacks empirical evidence about how accurately these two-wave models can estimate the group effects of latent change obtained by three-wave SOLGM (3W-SOLGM). The main purpose of this dissertation, therefore, is trying to examine to what extent the fixed effects of the tree-wave SOLGM can be recovered from the parameter estimates of the two-wave LCFM and LCSM given different simulation conditions. Fundamentally, the supplementary study (study 2) using three-wave LCFM was established to help justify the logistics of different model comparisons in our main study (study 1). The data generating model in both studies is 3W-SOLGM and there are in total 5 simulation factors (sample size, group differences in intercept and slope, the covariance between the slope and intercept, size of time-specific residual, change the pattern of time-specific residual). Three main types of evaluation indices were used to assess the quality of estimation (bias/relative bias, standard error, and power/type I error rate). The results in the supplementary study show that the performance of 3W-LCFM and 3W-LCSM are equivalent, which further justifies the different models' comparison in the main study. The point estimates for the fixed effect parameters obtained from the two-wave models are unbiased or identical to the ones from the three-wave model. However, using two-wave models could reduce the estimation precision and statistical power when the time-specific residual variance is large and changing pattern is heteroscedastic (non-constant). Finally, two real datasets were used to illustrate the simulation results
Doctor of Philosophy
To collect and analyze the longitudinal data is a very important approach to understand the phenomenon of development in the real world. Ideally, researchers who are interested in using a longitudinal framework would prefer collecting data at more than two points in time because it can provide a deeper understanding of the developmental processes. However, in real scenarios, data may only be collected at two-time points. With only two-wave data, the second-order latent growth model (SOLGM) could not be used. The current dissertation compared the performance of two-wave models (longitudinal common factor model and latent change score model) with the three-wave SOLGM in order to better understand how the estimation quality of two-wave models could be comparable to the tree-wave model. The results show that on average, the estimation from two-wave models is identical to the ones from the three-wave model. So in real data analysis with only one sample, the point estimate by two-wave models should be very closed to that of the three-wave model. But this estimation may not be as accurate as it is obtained by the three-wave model when the latent variable has large variability in the first or last time point. This latent variable is more likely to exist as a statelike construct in the real world. Therefore, the current study could provide a reference framework for substantial researchers who could only have access to two-wave data but are still interested in estimating the growth effect that supposed to obtain by three-wave SOLGM.

Företag verkar i en omvärld med snabb teknisk utveckling. Ett led i denna utveckling är att automatisera inköpsprocessen med olika IT lösningar. Nya koncept och elektroniska lösningar efterfrågas konstant av företagen för att kunna uppnå mer effektivitet i inköpsprocessen, känt som E-procurement management. Detta koncept har blivit allmänt utbrett i fordonsindustrin, vilket har sin orsak i att en bil är en system produkt med 20 000 beståndsdelar och där av många transaktioner vid inköp av dessa delar. För att kunna automatisera inköpsprocessen måste företaget undersöka och analysera vilka nya tekniska lösningar och vilka elektroniska hjälpmedel som finns. Med hänsyn till detta avser denna studie att fokusera på att analysera hur en inköpsprocess i fordonsindustrin kan automatiseras. Författarna har valt att titta närmare på tre olika elektroniska hjälpmedel. Därtill kommer studien innehålla att analysera vilken inverkan en viss produkt och leverantörs typ har på val av elektroniska lösningar. En annan väsentlig fråga som också kommer att diksuteras är hur vid en automatisering av inköpsprocessen påverkar leverantörsrelationen. Dessa frågor kommer att innebära att studera både köparen´s och säljaren´s perspektiv.

Syftet med denna uppsats är att analysera hur en inköpsprocess i strategiska relationer i bilindustrin kan automatiseras, med hänsyn tagen till vilken typ av produkt och leverantör beträffande val elektroniska hjälpmedel. Vi kommer också studera den eventuella påverkan på kund - leverantör förhållandet som en automatisering kan leda till. För studien har en kvalitativ metod använts, detta för att få en mer precis och djupare kunskap i hur kund- leverantör relationen påverkas vid en automatisering. Författarna har genomfört intervjuer hos ett stort biltillverknings företag i Sverige, och med tre av deras leverantörer.

Studien visade på att där finns ett flertal områden i inköpsprocessen som kan effektivieras. Två drivare har konstaterats som möjliga lösningar : Covisint och web-EDI. Vidare är det möjligt att dra slutsatsen att en automatisering av inköpsprocessen påverkar leverantörsrelationen. Författarna har dragit slutsatsen att företag inte bör rusa in i en automatisering, istället måste uppmärksamheten riktas till frågan om i vilken grad av automatisering som kan tillåtas utan att det får en negativ inverkan på relationen. Vidare bör företaget grundligt studera vilken elektronisk lösning som är mest passande, därtill med hänsyn till vilken typ av produkt och leverantör det handlar om.

Companies operate in a changing world with rapid technological development. Automation of the purchasing process in companies by means of electronic solutions is in line with this development. Companies constantly demand new concepts and electronic solutions in order to make the purchasing process more efficient, known as E-procurement management. This concept has become widespread in the automotive industry owing to that a car is a system product that on average consists of 20 000 parts, and consequently many transactions when purchasing these products. However, to be able to automate the purchasing process the company has to explore and analyze what new technology solutions there are. With regard to this, the study will focus to analyze how a purchasing process in the automotive industry can be automated. The authors have chosen to look deeper into three different electronic solutions. Thereto the study will examine what impact a certain type of product and supplier has concerning electronic solution. Additionally, how the buyer-supplier relationship is affected of automation is a fundamental question when considering automation, and will therefore be discussed in the study. These questions will concern to study both the buyer’s and the supplier’s perspective.

The purpose of this thesis is to analyse how a purchasing process can be automated in strategic relationships in the automotive industry, thereto taking product and supplier type into consideration concerning electronic solutions. We will also study the possible effect on the buyer-supplier relationship of automation. A qualitative method has been employed, in order to get a more precise and deep knowledge of the subject. The authors have conducted interviews with respondents working at a large car manufacturing company in Sweden, and with three suppliers to this company.

The study found that there are several areas in the purchasing process that still can be more efficient. Two technological drivers have been outlined as potential solutions: Covisint and web-EDI. Moreover, it is possible to conclude that an automation of a purchasing process will have an effect on the buyer-supplier relationship. The authors have drawn the conclusion that companies should not rush into things such as an automation. Much attention should be paid to the question what degree of an automation that can be allowed before it will have a negative effect on the relationship. Moreover, they should thoroughly study on what electronic solution is most suitable, thereto with consideration to what type of product and supplier one is dealing with.

In today’s society, there is a growing interest in, and demand for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Reasons for this can be multinational corporations’ increasing influence on world economy as well as scandals revealing horrible working conditions in different industries. In spite of the fact that the demand for CSR is growing, there has always been critics. The most influential critic is Noble Prize winner Milton Friedman, who claims CSR to be a waste of stockholders’ money. However, several articles claim, opposite Friedman, that CSR rather increases a company’s financial performance in the long run. These claims have made us curious about in what way CSR is related to a company’s performance. Moreover, it has led to us wanting to find out how CSR can influence customer perceptions on a product or service offering, and how these influenced perceptions affect company performance.

In order to concretize our problem we have chosen to use the clothing industry as a framework for our study. The choice of industry has its reasons in an increasing public interest in how clothes are manufactured, which is largely because of continuous scandals concerning poor working conditions in the clothing industry.

To find out how CSR can influence customer perceptions and company performance we have studied literature concerning the subject. Furthermore, these theoretical studies have led to us coming up with a model for how CSR can influence customer perceptions and ultimately affect company performance. This model is influenced by Heskett, Jones, Loveman, Sasser and Schlesinger‘s (1994) the Service-Profit Chain as well as by Carroll’s (1991) Pyramid of CSR and Levitt’s (1980) Total Product Concept. We call the model the Value Linking Chain and it depicts how different elements are put into an offer. Furthermore, how this offer is evaluated, both before and after the purchase, by customers and how those evaluations affect the company performance. In order for us to test this model empirically, we have interviewed representatives from companies, customers and non-government organizations.

The analysis indicates that customers are ready to boycott companies that do not behave socially responsible. This has lead to us widening our theoretical scope and revising the Value Linking Chain, which evolved into the CSR-Performance Chain.

In conclusion, CSR can influence customer perceptions on a product or service offering and in the end affect company performance through the links in the CSR-Performance Chain. Furthermore, we have found that companies’ level of CSR must lie on or above customers’ baseline (i.e. minimal acceptable level) in order for them to avoid boycotts, since boycotts affect company performance negatively.

This behavioral study examines the users’ engagement on social networking[ sites (SNS) in electoral races for public office in relation to their act of voting. This study was based on the premise that when certain criteria are met then SNS can be used as a predictive tool. The initial technique used was observations of the tools/functions on SNSs such as the “Like” button, favorable comments, retweets, friends/followers. Another technique used was surveys administered to individuals at political rallies, political debates, and college campuses to further analyze if their online engagement in politics translates to their physical participation. A quantitative case study analysis approach was used to analyze data gathered. Results of the data collected suggest that there is a positive relationship between online engagement and physical participation. The conclusion drawn from the findings suggests that SNS can be used as a predictive tool when examining electoral races for public offices.

Atypicalities in the disengagement of attention have been proposed to play a crucial role in the origins of autism. Yet to date, there is disagreement over the existence of these atypicalities, due to conflicting evidence. In this thesis, it is proposed that this apparent disagreement may in part be due an implicit assumption in the paradigm used to measure disengagement. That is that attentional engagement towards the initial fixation point will always be to the same degree irrespective of motivational factors such as stimulus interest. The results supported the proposal that stimulus characteristics, including interest value, play a role in the disengagement of attention. Although children with ASD show dysfunction in attentional disengagement, this is only specific to certain types of stimuli. While stimulus interest is likely be a moderating factor in the disengagement and shifting of attention however, it cannot account for this dysfunction by itself. The findings argue for the importance of stimulus choice when conducting studies into the disengagement of attention and that research on effect of stimulus interest and autism could be a major benefit to clinicians, carers and in particular, to the educators of these children.

Sound is an important part of almost all media. In games, sounds are used to evoke intense emotions in players. Studies has showed that music on its own can induce emotions. Soundeffects is another type of sounds that appear in games. However, do they contribute to the emotional experience? Understanding this will help sound designers enhance scenes in future video games. In this study, 23 participants were asked to conduct a test divided into two part. In the first part they were tasked to listen to four sound effects of fire and choose attributes from a predetermined list that they thought suited. Among these physical attributes were two emotional attributes. In the second part, the subjects were tasked with choosing one of the fours sound effects for a scenario with a positive emotion and motivate their choice. The results show that no sound had neither positive nor negative as an emotional attribute. Of the four sounds, two showed significance that emotion alone was an attribute for the sound. The results from the second part showed that the subjects were divided in what motivated them to choose a sound. More than a third of the subjects based their choice only on if the sound matched the emotion of the scenario presented while slightly less than a third based it only on to fit the location. The last third based it on both emotion and location.

 

 

According to Faircloth, Capella & Alford, (2001), a brand is one of the most important assets a company can possess. A brand is what the consumers relate to when differentiating one com-pany from another and therefore plays a vital role for determining competitive advantage. How-ever, in the modern world, with the increasing technology advances, companies are losing more and more control of what is said and spread about their brands. What takes companies years to build can nowadays be destroyed in just a short amount of time. When dealing with negative publicity, a company‟s actions have a crucial role in determining the outcome of the negative publicity. The theoretical literature suggests that strong respective weak corporate response, will decide whether the consumers‟ brand attitude will be improved or wors-ened. Furthermore, it is also argued that consumers‟ commitment level can temper the effects of negative publicity in the sense that the more committed a consumer is, the more he/she will re-sist a change in brand attitude. Therefore, the purpose of this study is "to examine if consumers’ atti-tude towards a brand is changed depending on strong or weak corporate response to the negative publicity. A significant aspect is to investigate and further associate the commitment variable to the outcome of change in attitudes as a result of the negative publicity."

In order to determine the cause-and-effect relationship between corporate response and brand attitude, an experiment was conducted where corporate response was the independent variable and brand attitude was the dependent variable. Furthermore, the commitment variable was in-cluded as a covariate; an independent variable not manipulated by the experimenter but still ex-pected to affect the outcome. Three different questionnaires were created: 1) Negative publicity with weak corporate response, 2) Negative publicity with strong corporate response, and 3) Negative publicity only. The experiment was conducted on consumers in Jönköping. The results indicate that whether a company decides to reply with a strong or weak corporate re-sponse to negative publicity, it will in the end have an effect on the consumers‟ brand attitude. Furthermore, the results also reveal that a consumer‟s level of commitment reinforces the effect of corporate response on his/her attitude towards a brand. In other words, the degree of the consumers‟ commitment towards a brand can temper the effect of negative publicity, ultimately saving companies from the consequences of negative publicity.

 

 

Ett varumärke är enligt Faircloth, Capella & Alford (2001), företagets viktigaste tillgång. Varu-märket spelar en viktig roll i att avgöra ett företags konkurrensfördel, då konsumenter relaterar till ett varumärke för att kunna differentiera mellan olika företag. I takt med de ökande teknolo-giska framryckningar i den moderna världen, har företag däremot börjat förlora alltmer kontroll över det som sägs och sprids om företagets varumärke. Det som tar företag åratal att bygga upp kan numera förgöras under en kort tidsperiod. När det gäller att handskas med negativ publicitet har företagets handlingar en stor inverkan på konsekvensen av den negativa publicitet som företaget har utsatts för. Den teoretiska litteraturen föreslår att stark respektive svag företagsrespons kommer att avgöra om konsumenternas attityd gentemot varumärket kommer förbättras eller försämras. Dessutom menar man att konsumen-tens lojalitetsnivå har en dämpande effekt på negativ publicitet. Ju lojalare en konsument är, des-to mer kommer han/hon att motstå en ändring i attityd gentemot varumärket i fråga trots den negativa publiciteten. Därmed är syftet med denna uppsats att ”undersöka om konsumenters attityd gentemot ett varumärke ändras beroende på stark eller svag företagsrespons i förhållande till den negativa publici-teten. En betydelsefull aspekt är att utreda och associera den kompletterande variabeln, lojalitet, med de utfallande ändringarna i attityd till följd av negativ publicitet”. I avsikt att utröna orsak-och-verkan relationen mellan företagsrespons och varumärkesattityd, ut-fördes ett experiment där företagsrespons var den oberoende variabeln och varumärkesattityd var den beroende variabeln. Därutöver, var lojalitetsvariabeln inkluderad som en covariate, dvs. en oberoende variabel som inte var manipulerad av forskarna men som ändå förväntades påver-ka resultatet. Tre olika enkäter var utformade: 1) Negativ publicitet med svag företagsrespons, 2) Negativ publicitet med stark företagsrespons, och 3) Endast negativ publicitet. Experimentet ut-fördes på konsumenter i Jönköping. Resultaten påvisar att vare sig ett företag väljer att hantera negativ publicitet genom stark eller svag företagsrespons, kommer resultatet att ha en inverkan på konsumenternas varumärkesatti-tyd. För övrigt visar resultaten att nivån av konsumentens lojalitet gentemot ett varumärk kom-mer att förstärka effekten av företagsresponsen på kundens varumärkesattityd. Med andra ord, graden av konsumenters lojalitet mot ett varumärke kan dämpa effekten av negativ publicitet och därmed rädda företag från degeneration av varumärket till följd av negativ publicitet.

Grade: VG, (ECTS) A

Many people face difficulties in remembering knowledge, which is complex and abstract. This is especially important when the descriptions of knowledge are to be stored in searchable knowledge bases. But if complex knowledge can be transferred through real life stories, it is more understandable and easier to retrieve for the knowledge acceptor. Moreover, if the stories follow a certain pattern like ‘intentional suspense’ it may be more useful. This study investigates how far a story with intentional interruption is helpful in transferring complex computer science knowledge through processing of information that compares similarities between new and well-understood concepts. The data collection was done by applying framework analysis approach through the interview of 40 students of Stockholm University. Results of this study is assumed to help organizations to design, store and retrieve complex knowledge structures in knowledge bases by using a specific pattern of the stories used in the narrative pedagogy known as 'Zeigarnik effect' which is a form of creating suspense. Interviews with managers showed that they are positive to using the type of knowledge transfer as is proposed in the results of this thesis. Transcribed interviews with students show that the students appreciate and understand the use of analogies in combination with the ‘Zeigarnik effect’ as is described in the result of this thesis. After analysis of the data collected from the experiments, it was confirmed that ‘Zeigarnik effect’ has a small positive effect for a group of people as better results have been found in most of the time when ‘Zeigarnik effect’ was used as compared to when the ‘Zeigarnik effect’ was not used. The participants that experienced the ‘Zeigarnik effect’ answered in a better way which proved that their understanding and memory regarding the subject have been enhanced using it.

To promote higher air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Californian government is investing heavily in developing public charging infrastructure to meet its electric vehicle adoption goal of five million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2030. This thesis investigates the effect of public charging infrastructure availability on electric vehicle adoption at the zip code level in California. The analysis considers other factors that may influence electric vehicle adoption such as education level, income, commute time, gas prices, and public transportation rate. The findings suggest that public charging infrastructure availability does significantly positively correlate with electric vehicle registrations. Linear regressions were run using data from the U.S Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center, IHS Markit vehicle registration data, and the US Census Bureau. The findings support continued investment in public charging infrastructure as a means of promoting electric vehicle adoption.

Using Big Data and Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools, this dissertation investigates the narrative strategies that atypical actors can leverage to deal with the adverse reactions they often elicit. Extensive research shows that atypical actors, those who fail to abide by established contextual standards and norms, are subject to skepticism and face a higher risk of rejection. Indeed, atypical actors combine features and behaviors in unconventional ways, thereby generating confusion in the audience and instilling doubts about their propositions' legitimacy. However, the same atypicality is often cited as the precursor to socio-cultural innovation and a strategic act to expand the capacity for delivering valued goods and services. Contextualizing the conditions under which atypicality is celebrated or punished has been a significant theoretical challenge for scholars interested in reconciling this tension. Nevertheless, prior work has focused on audience side factors or on actor-side characteristics that are only scantily under an actor's control (e.g., status and reputation). This dissertation demonstrates that atypical actors can use strategically crafted narratives to mitigate against the audience’s negative response. In particular, when atypical actors evoke conventional features in their story, they are more likely to overcome the illegitimacy discount usually applied to them. Moreover, narratives become successful navigational devices for atypicality when atypical actors use a more abstract language. This simplifies classification and provides the audience with more flexibility to interpret and understand them.

Les mangroves sont considérées comme des filtres efficaces entre la terre et la mer, étant des puits pour les métaux traces et protégeant les eaux côtières des pollutions. Cependant, cette capacité peut dépendre des caractéristiques des sols de mangrove et de l’hydrologie. Le devenir des éléments traces métalliques dans les mangroves est complexe en raison de divers processus biogéochimiques qui s’y déroulent. En raison de leur toxicité pour la biodiversité des mangroves et pour la santé humaine, le cycle des métaux traces est une question sérieuse abordée par de nombreux scientifiques au cours des dernières décennies et de nos jours. Contrairement au reste du monde, la distribution des métaux traces dans la mangrove du Viet Nam a reçu peu d’attention. L’objectif de cette thèse était de caractériser la dynamique des métaux traces dans la mangrove de Can Gio, située au sud du Vietnam, à la limite d’une mégapole densément peuplée – Hô Chi Minh-Ville (près de 10 millions d’habitants) et de la mer de Chine méridionale. Le long de l’estuaire du Can Gio, les métaux traces, principalement issus des sols latéritiques se développant en amont, ont été principalement transportés avec des matières en suspension, notamment des oxihydroxydes. Après avoir été déposés dans les mangroves, les oxihydroxydes sont dissous par des bactéries au cours des processus de décomposition de la matière organique en conditions suboxiques, libérant des métaux traces dans les eaux interstitielles. L’enrichissement des sols de mangrove en matière organique joue un rôle clé dans les processus diagénétiques. Les métaux dissous peuvent reprécipiter avec de nouvelles phases porteuses telles que des complexes organométalliques, des sulfures, des carbonates, etc., en fonction des conditions redox du sol et des caractéristiques de l’élément. De plus, une partie de ces métaux dissous est biodisponible et peut être transférée vers la végétation ou la faune des mangroves, une partie peut également être exportée vers les creeks. Par conséquent, cette thèse a démontré que les écosystèmes de mangrove peuvent être des sources de métaux traces pour les écosystèmes adjacents
Mangroves are considered as efficient barriers between land and sea, being sinks for trace metals and protecting coastal water from pollutions. However this ability may depend on sediment characteristics and hydrology. The fate of trace metal is complex due to various biogeochemical processes across the intertidal zone. Because of their toxicity to mangrove biodiversity and also to human health, the trace metal cycling is a serious question addressed by many scientists during the last few decades and nowadays. In contrast to the rest of the world, trace metal distribution in Viet Nam’s mangrove forest has received little attention. The aim of this research was to characterize some trace metals dynamics in the Can Gio mangrove, which is located in the Southern Viet Nam, being situated at the edge of a densely populated megacity – Ho Chi Minh City (i.e. almost 10 million inhabitants) and the South China Sea. Along the Can Gio estuary, trace metals, which mainly originated from upstream lateritic soils, were transported mostly associated with suspended solids, mainly oxihydroxides forms. After being deposited in mangrove sediments, the oxihydroxides were dissolved by bacteria during organic matter decay processes under suboxic condition, releasing trace metals in pore-waters. The enrichment of mangrove derived-OM from the mudflat to the Rhizophora stand played a key role in controlling diagenetic processes. Dissolved metals were then reprecipitated with new bearing phases such as organometallic complexes, suphides, carbonate etc. depending on the redox condition and on metal characteristics. Furthermore, part of these dissolved metals were available for biota uptake or export to tidal creek by pore-water seepage. Consequently, this PhD thesis also demonstrated that mangrove ecosystems can be sources of trace metals for adjacent ecosystems

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Kentucky, 2005.
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Behavioral economic accounts of substance use have provided a novel framework to examine constraints that affect behaviorally driven outcomes. Several behavioral studies support the application of such frameworks to examine impulsive decision-making processes as well as how subjective reward influences substance use. Based on stimulus-response models, behavioral economic research often applies mathematical formulas to draw conclusions about behavioral outcomes. These mathematical formulas, while useful, largely ignore decades of cognitive psychology research that have examined state-based influences (e.g., mood, environment, motivational processes, etc.) on behavioral sequelae. To address this issue, the present study merged a cognitive framework into two behavioral economic measures: a delay discounting measure and an alcohol purchase task. Specifically, cognitive priming techniques were used to examine how contextual influences differentially affect outcomes on these behavioral economic measures using a wide range of drinkers. Our results suggest that both negative and positive alcohol-related cognitions affected outcomes on the alcohol purchase task, but not the delay discounting task. Specifically, participants in the negative and positive alcohol-related priming conditions spent significantly more money on alcohol overall, were willing to pay higher prices for standard drinks, and were willing to continue drinking at escalating prices relative to participants in priming conditions unrelated to alcohol use. Although alcohol expectancies were not related to either behavioral measure, our overall findings further emphasize the complementary interplay of cognition and behavior that account for alcohol use and related behaviors.

This field study examined whether the effects of loss aversion exists at a manufacturing plant while providing machine operators feedback about their performance. It also investigates if nudging in form of feedback can affect the machine operator’s levels of performance and motivation. The field study consisted of a field observation and a motivational survey.  During the field observation, the machine operators were subject to feedback framed as either a win or a loss. It showed that feedback contributed to an increased performance level among all machine operators receiving feedback. However, the machine operators subjected to feedback framed as a loss outperformed the machine operators subjected to feedback framed as a win. It supports the assumption that the effects of loss aversion exist within the manufacturing industry.  A survey was handed out to the machine operators before and during the field observation measuring the hygiene and motivational factors according to Herzberg's two-factor theory. The result showed that the machine operators' overall motivation level increased, especially concerning the motivational factors. However, the increase in motivation was not statistically significant, and therefore a conclusion regarding that feedback contributes to an increased motivation level can not be done.  This method can easily be adapted and used by other manufacturing firms.
I denna fältstudie undersöks om effekter av förlustaversion finns på en tillverkningsanläggning när maskinoperatörerna ges återkoppling angående dess prestanda. Det undersöks också ifall nudging i form av återkoppling kan påverka maskinoperatörernas prestations- och motivationsnivå. Fältstudien bestod av en fältobservation och en motivationsundersökning.  Under fältobservationen var maskinoperatörerna utsatta för återkoppling inramad som antingen en vinst eller en förlust. Resultatet visade på att återkoppling bidrog till en ökad prestationsnivå bland maskinoperatörerna som fick återkoppling. Resultatet påvisade dessutom att de maskinoperatörer som fick sin återkoppling inramad som en förlust presterade bättre gentemot de maskinoperatörer som fick sin återkoppling inramad som en vinst. Därav stöder resultatet antagandet om att det förekommer effekter av förlustaversion inom tillverkningsindustrin.  En enkätundersökning som mäter hygien- och motivationsfaktorer enligt Herzbergs tvåfaktorsteori har genomförts bland maskinoperatörerna före och under fältobservationen. Resultatet påvisar att maskinoperatörernas generella motivationsnivå har ökat, speciellt de faktorer som berör motivationsfaktorerna. Den motivationsökning som har skett är dock inte statistiskt signifikant vilket innebär att det inte går att dra en slutsats om att återkoppling bidrar till en ökad motivationsnivå.  Denna metod kan lätt anpassas och användas till andra produktionsföretag.