The IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole is the world's largest neutrino detector with over 1km^3 of instrumented Antarctic ice. While it has been primarily designed to observe astrophysical neutrinos, this size also allows it to collect vast quantities of atmospheric neutrinos. These high-statistics datasets allow for measurements of the properties of neutrinos, in particular the phenomena of neutrino oscillation. One of the outstanding questions in this field is that of the neutrino mass ordering (NMO). The Precision IceCube Next Generation Upgrade (PINGU) is a proposed low-energy extension to IceCube for which a determination of the NMO is a priority science goal. The current low-energy atmospheric neutrino experiment at the South Pole, DeepCore, has been successfully collecting data since 2011. In this thesis the potential of this existing data to determine the NMO has been explored. While it was not expected to have a large sensitivity, this work has explored a Feldman-Cousins treatment for converting the delta-chi^2 between the two discrete mass ordering hypotheses into the standard Gaussian significance metric. Using 2.7 years of data from the DeepCore detector, the inverted mass ordering was preferred at the level of 0.05sigma. The second aspect of this thesis was to study the impact of the systematic uncertainties on the NMO determination. This particular analysis was actually statistics-limited and so the only impactful systematic uncertainties were the parameters that govern atmospheric neutrino oscillations, theta_23 and Deltam^2_31. Therefore, to improve the NMO results, these parameters were constrained by including the global information on them in the fits, yielding a new NMO sensitivity of 0.29sigma. This new global fit also yields measurements of the oscillation parameters of Deltam^2_32,NO=(2.443+/-0.037)e-3eV^2 and sin^2theta_23,NO=0.442+0.026-0.018 for the hypothesis of the normal mass ordering and Deltam^2_32,IO=(-2.510+/-0.036)e-3eV^2 and sin^2theta_23,IO=0.579+0.019-0.021 for the hypothesis of the inverted mass ordering. In addition to the work on the neutrino mass ordering, this thesis also investigated two issues related to predictions of the flux of atmospheric particles. The first related to the treatment of the predictions of the atmospheric neutrino flux, provided in binned tables. Crucially, these contain values representative of the integral of the flux across that bin and so an integral-preserving interpolation must be used. One such method will be presented along with a discussion of how it performs in the two-dimensional case of the atmospheric neutrino flux. The second issue related to quantifying uncertainties on the background muon distributions observed with the IceCube detector coming from the uncertainties on the initial cosmic ray flux. This involved performing a global fit on the available cosmic ray flux measurements and then propagating these uncertainties in to the muon distributions. To finalise this section, the exact manner in which these uncertainties can be included in the physics analyses of IceCube will be discussed.

A troca e o comércio estão associados na sua origem ao próprio conceito de cidade, a partir de uma relação mútua, de atividades que definem e são definidas pelos locais onde acontecem. A troca, a compra e venda de produtos, assim como o fluxo de pessoas, entre diferentes centros urbanos, tende a influenciar o crescimento das cidades. A cidade então não pode ser entendida como isolada do seu entorno, e o seu estudo passa, portanto, pelo entendimento das suas relações regionais. A presente pesquisa propõe o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia para identificação e avaliação da hierarquia regional a partir das relações entre as cidades. Para tanto, se utiliza de um indicador espacial descrito com o uso de modelos configuracionais. A partir de pesquisa bibliográfica se considera que a interação espacial entre as cidades acontece como consequência das relações de distância, ofertas de serviços e demandas das populações. A hipótese central da pesquisa é de que a abordagem configuracional do espaço dispõe de medidas que são capazes de descrever a hierarquia em um sistema de cidades. Utilizando o estado do Rio Grande do Sul como caso empírico, se constrói a sua representação espacial a partir da teoria dos grafos, carregando o sistema gerado com dados socioeconômicos dos municípios a fim de reproduzir o fluxo entre as cidades. A partir da análise e da comparação destes resultados com o volume médio de tráfego nas praças de pedágio do estado, se utiliza o Método dos Mínimos Quadrados como técnica de ajuste e ponderação dos dados socioeconômicos. O trabalho é finalizado comparando o indicador de hierarquia regional desenvolvido com a hierarquia de cidades apresentada no Estudo de Regiões de Influências do IBGE. Verificou-se que a metodologia proposta obteve uma descrição adequada da hierarquia regional, fazendo uso de menos dados em uma aplicação mais rápida do que as abordagens mais conhecidas. / Exchange and commerce are associated in their origin with the very concept of a city, based on a mutual relation, of activities that define and are defined by the places where they happen. The exchange, buying and selling of products as well as the flow of people, between different urban centers, tends to influence the growth of cities. The city cannot then be understood as isolated from its surroundings, and its study therefore depends on the understanding of its regional relations. The present research proposes the development of a methodology for identification and evaluation of the regional hierarchy based on the relations between cities. To do so, we use a spatial indicator described with the use of configurational models. From a bibliographical research it is considered that the spatial interaction between cities happens as a consequence of distance relations, service offerings and demands of the populations. The central hypothesis of the research is that the configurational approach of space has measures that are able to describe the hierarchy in a system of cities. Using the state of Rio Grande do Sul as an empirical case, its spatial representation is constructed from the theory of graphs, loading the system generated with socioeconomic data from the cities in order to reproduce the flow between them. From the analysis and comparison of these results with the average volume of traffic in the toll points of the state, the Least Squares Method is used as adjustment technique and weighting of socioeconomic data. The work is completed by comparing the regional hierarchy indicator developed with the city hierarchy presented in Influence Regions Study from IBGE. It was found that the proposed methodology obtained an adequate description of the regional hierarchy, making use of less data in a faster application than the most known approaches.

Os comportamentos para formação da hierarquia surgem em cães domésticos (Canis familiaris) nas primeiras semanas de vida, na forma de posturas e brincadeiras. Estes comportamentos são a base para o aprendizado de atitudes que os adultos terão para afirmar sua posição no ranking hierárquico do grupo. Características individuais dos animais, como a personalidade, podem influenciar seu sistema imunológico, pela ação, em grande parte, de glicocorticóides. Outro hormônio bastante importante na relação entre Sistema Nervoso e Sistema Imune, é a testosterona, e por isso, o gênero também é uma importante peça neste conjunto. Pesquisas recentes mostram estes fatores no contexto neuroimune, utilizando para isso modelos animais, principalmente roedores. Porém raros estudos foram realizados utilizando cães domésticos. Para estudar os efeitos de características da personalidade e gênero sobre parâmetros imunológico de cães domésticos, utilizamos 30 cães beagle (15 machos e 15 fêmeas). O comportamento foi observado, por meio de análise animal-focal, e determinamos seu perfil em relação ao ranking hierárquico. Foram avaliados o cortisol, a testosterona, a contagem de leucócitos totais e diferenciais, a atividade de neutrófilos (burst oxidativo e fagocitose) e a fenotipagem de linfócitos, no momento basal, após o estímulo estressor de transporte, e 15 dias após uma alteração de agrupamento. Os resultados mostram que, sem estímulos estressores, o burst oxidativo de neutrófilos é maior em fêmeas. O estímulo estressor do transporte aumenta a atividade de neutrófilos, independente do gênero. Foi observado que, sem estímulos estressores, o perfil de dominância não influencia os parâmetros analisados, porém após o transporte e o reagrupamento, animais com atitudes dominantes tiveram maior porcentagem e intensidade de fagocitose dos neutrófilos. Portanto, nosso trabalho, sendo pioneiro no assunto, mostra que estímulos estressores, o gênero e a personalidade do animal podem influenciar parâmetros imunológicos. Novas pesquisas devem ser realizadas a fim de elucidar o (s) mecanismo (s) de ação que promove (m) estes resultados e demais aspectos envolvidos nesta relação. / Behaviors leading to the establishment of hierarchy appear in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) in the first weeks of life, in the form of postures and games. These behaviors are the basis for learning attitudes displayed by adults that assert their position in the hierarchical ranking of the group. Individual characteristics of animals, such as personality may influence their immune system, mainly by the action of glucocorticoids. Another very important hormone in the relationship between nervous system and immune system, called neuroimmunomodulation, is testosterone, and therefore, the gender is also an important part in this set. Recent research shows these factors in the context neuroimmune, employing animal models, especially in rodents. Nonetheless, few studies have been conducted using domestic dogs. To study the effects of personality traits and gender on immune parameters of dogs, we used 30 beagles (15 males and 15 females). Behavior was observed, assessed and recorded, by animal-focal analyses, and the profile of each individual animal in its group, based on hierarchy ranking was described. We evaluated cortisol, testosterone, total leukocyte counts, and differential activity of neutrophils (oxidative burst and phagocytosis) and lymphocyte phenotyping. These parameters were assessed at baseline, after the stressor (stimulus of transportation), and 15 days after a change of the groups. Results show that without stressors, oxidative burst of neutrophils is higher in females. The stressor stimulus of transportation increases the activity of neutrophils regardless of gender. Without stressors, the profile of dominance does not influence the parameters measured, but after transport and reassembly, animals with dominant attitudes had the highest percentage and intensity of phagocytosis in neutrophils. Therefore, our work, being a pioneer in this subject, shows that depending on stressor stimuli, gender and personality of the animal influence immunological parameters. Further research should be conducted to elucidate the mechanism(s) of action that promotes these results and other aspects involved in this relationship.

Hospital information systems in China are improving and a casemix system for describing inpatient care is looking more feasible than previously. Implementing a casemix classification system for acute inpatient care in China could help to improve regional planning and hospital quality and efficiency. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Australian DRG system as the basis for developing an acute inpatient casemix system appropriate for China. The applicability of the Australian AR-DRG system has been evaluated (in terms of homogeneity achieved and comparability of rank order) using inpatient data from Chengdu in Sichuan. Homogeneity achieved was good. The R2 value (the coefficient of multiple determination) was 0.12 for LOS and 0.17 for cost using untrimmed data and using (L3H3) trimmed data, R2 was 0.45 for LOS and 0.59 for cost. This explanatory power is comparable to other DRG classification systems although there are a few MDCs in which AR-DRGs exhibit poorer explanatory power. Rank order of groups was generally comparable. The AR-DRG system incorporates hierarchies of DRGs within groups of adjacent DRGs, within medical and surgical partitions and across all DRGs within each MDC. I have compared the ranking of DRGs based on average cost with the ranking assumed by the AR-DRG system, at the adjacent group level, within partitions and at the level of the MDC. I used the Spearman Rank Correlation coefficient to compare DRG order across partitions and whole MDCs. In general the cost relativities of the Chinese inpatient episodes grouped by the AR-DRG system correspond to the logical hierarchies assumed by the system. On this basis Chinese and Australian episodes of care within most of the MDCs appear to reflect the same broad pattern of resource consumption. Further research will be needed to determine where and how the grouping rules used in the AR-DRG system might need to be changed to more accurately reflect Chinese circumstances. For example the cost structures of Chinese health services are different from those in Australia. The Australian Refined DRGs (AR-DRGs) would provide a sound basis from which to develop a Chinese version of DRGs.

This PhD thesis investigates power relationships within a corporate Finance Department employing a Foucauldian approach to explaining corporate hierarchies and resistance and the implications.Research was conducted in the form of a case study and observation of a corporate finance department, referred to as the 'Finance Department', at the 'Company', referred to as such for confidentiality purposes. The Company is a large Dutch based mail and logistics entity that operates internationally across over 200 countries and has its corporate head office just outside of Amsterdam. The Company's Finance Department was in the throws of change, particularly around hierarchies as a result of the reengineering process with the purpose of creating efficiencies. The aim of the research was to evaluate the power relationships that existed within the hierarchies between management and workers who worked either for the Finance Department or closely with it, and to analyse the outcomes of these power relationships in terms of resistance.The case study is a Foucauldian insight into the different individuals who worked either within the Finance Department or closely with it, with an evaluation of their roles and how their differing power structures impacted upon the workflow within the Finance Department.The outcome of this research is an evaluation of those individuals and their relationships at a particular point in time, which was impacted by so many different factors. The research could give readers an understanding of power relationships and framework for contextual Foucauldian evaluation.The significance of the contribution arising from this particular piece of research is that it involves the combination of a case study method with a Foucauldian perspective. The combination of these two elements allows the research to be done both from the top down and also from the bottom up. Increasing in use as a research tool (Hamel, 1992), the case study contributes uniquely to our body of knowledge of individual, organisational, social and political phenomena (Yin, 1994). The Foucauldian perspective plays an important part in terms of an understanding of power, despite the fact that it is often difficult to fully comprehend the meanings behind Foucault's work (McHoul & Grace, 1993).

In this thesis the positive relationship between firm size and wages is investigated through the application of hierarchy theories. Many different explanations have been proposed for this relationship, but have met only limited success at best. The strongest finding to date is that unobserved ability is a significant factor. The question of interest here is ???why do wages increase as the size firm increases???? Hierarchy theories take a different approach towards the analysis of firms in comparison to the alternate theories which have dominated previous investigations. As a result of their focus on the organisational relationships within a firm???s internal structure, hierarchy theories offer certain insights to the size-wage relationship which to date have been unnoticed. An empirical investigation into the size-wage differential incorporating structural considerations into an augmented wage equation offers strong support for the propositions of hierarchy theories. I find that half of the firm size effect for workers can be explained by controlling for some aspects of management structure, and that span of control has a discontinuous effect on wages. These results are completely consistent with the existing findings on unobserved ability and have the added attraction of providing economic as well as statistical explanatory power.

本論文乃在瞭解王弼《老子注》中，依著境界心靈而展開的自然意義之形上學，是否可以涵攝具有系統性、歷史性的客觀名教社會之存在，尤其從實踐的觀點探討王弼形上學可否開出一道家式的社會存有論，由自然境界實踐地證立客觀實有之存立，並將探討如此的哲學思考型態與漢末至曹魏正始年間士人心態上彼此存在的關聯。全文分六章： 首章為緒論，略述問題之緣起及「世界」、「境界」、「名教」、「自然」之意涵。 第二章探討玄學發展的社會心理背景，尤其在展示士人自漢末以來對名教社會的心態，以做為瞭解王弼玄學之準備。 第三章則分析老子「道」的性格，王弼學既依道家老子思想而立，故對老子「道」之瞭解乃一基本的工作，以做為判定王氏理論向度之基礎。 第四章則在說明王弼如何完成其「名教因於自然」之理論架構，以做為對王氏學批判之準備。 第五章則對以老子思想為骨幹的王弼理論提出兩點商榷，從其形上學及人性論中所含的局限性而指出其理論之困局，「名教因於自然」並不可能成立。 第六章結論，對王弼理論的格局再加以批判說明，並回應第二章，點出玄學家之哲學思考與其對世界之心態之間存在的一致性。

Object-oriented programming languages all involve the notions of class and object. We extend the notion of class so that any Boolean combination of classes is also a class. Boolean classes allow greater precision and conciseness in naming the class of objects governed by a particular method. A class can be viewed as a predicate which is either true or false of any given object. Unlike predicates however classes have an inheritance hierarchy which is known at compile time. Boolean classes extend the notion of class, making classes more like predicates, while preserving the compile time computable inheritance hierarchy.

This thesis is about the conflict between participation and bureaucracy. This conflict is illustrated by a case study within the Swedish Armed Forces under the activity that preceded the 1996 Resolution on Defence. More closely it focuses on the decision-making process that led to the Swedish Armed Forces report that were handed over to the Government in March 1996. In this decision-making process the Supreme Commander tried different ways to create participation among all the high- ranking officers, from local up to Headquarters level, to make them participate in the process. The thesis answers the question if it is possible to create participation in a bureau­cratic organisation such as the Swedish Armed Forces, and the conclusion that I draw is that participation is hard to establish. First there is a conflict within the bureaucratic form itself, since a bureaucracy implies a diversification of assignments and responsibilities in different functions and at different levels in a hierarchy. Every level has its own task to fulfil and this states how reality is to be understood. In the Swedish Armed Forces the bureaucratic structure is reinforced by the fact that the officer is promoted to a higher rank after his or her military training. Both the bureaucratic structure and the military training will lead to a differentiation between individuals, and they will be placed in different skills and status levels within the organisation. Besides this, individuals will gather information mostly from their own level, which will further fortify the difference between the levels. Furthermore there are also individual factors connected to the bureaucratic structure that have shown to complicate participation. For example individuals choose not to participate since they experience that they lack necessary competens for the task, that they do not have time, that they have not been consulted or that they consider the task to be solved at a higher level. So even if the military decision-making model encourages and advocates partici­pation, there is a big difficulty to break the bureaucratic design. Leaders often show inability to go from a bureaucratic leadership style to a democratic one. At the same time the subordinate support their leaders when they act as a traditional leader. / digitalisering@umu

Abstract Recently the printing industry in Taiwan has experienced great difficulty in the business, as a result of industry relocation, drastic decrease in demand, increase in manpower cost and massive use of commercial high speed machinery, contributing to an unbalance of supply and demand, quick drop in gross profit, falling into unfavorable price cut, and immense market competition. In the era of knowledge economy and lean profit, if lacking of strategic thought, selecting a Key Performance Indicator (KPI), suitable for its own industrial strategic execution, one would bound to face great difficulty in sustaining its business. In this regard, this study targets at selection of KPI in the printing industry and attempts to use four prospective of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) with Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for exploring the implementation feasibility. In order to verify and refine the first outcomes of AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) analysis, this stuy did the second AHP analysis and adopts the second outcomes as the conclusion.They are as follows: 1. These are the priorities of the four factors on the second layer: ¡§Internal Business Process Perspective¡¨ goes first, ¡§Learning and Growth Perspective¡¨ second, ¡§Financial Perspective¡¨ third, and ¡§Customer Perspective¡¨ last . 2. The top six prioities of the 16 indicators on the third layer are the below: ¡§Short cycle time¡¨ goes first, ¡§Passing rate of skill examination¡¨ second, ¡§Value in wastage of raw material¡¨ third, ¡§Customer complaint figures¡¨ fourth, ¡§Improvement plan figures¡¨ fifth and ¡§Sales growth rate¡¨ sixth. Keyword: Key Performance Indicator, Balanced Scorecard, Analytic Hierarchy Process