Among workers from four Southeast Asian countries in Taiwan, Indonesian workers constitute of the biggest group, especially those working in the care service sector. The trend of these workers has been associated with the growing number of the older population in Taiwan. As an Indonesian student studying in Taiwan, I took this opportunity to conduct research on the Indonesian care workers in Taiwan. This study tries to search whether the Indonesian workers are satisfied with their job as caretakers. It includes an overview of their job content, wage, personality job fitness, and supportive work condition. Data was collected by using survey and interviews, with a result of 42 respondents living in Taipei City by using a snowball approach, as well as interviews with an Indonesian representative and Taiwanese government officer. The data collected was analyzed by using cross tabulation and organizational behavior approaches. The study found some relationships between job satisfaction and other variables: i.e.: job contents or characteristics of the caretaking job (such as spends much energy, aggravates health condition, stressful, and restricts social contact with outside of the home), wage (expectation, regularity payment), personality job fit and supportive working condition (no days off and separated room). This study is very comprehensive. The interview results enriched the analyses. It will give much information not only to students, but also to lecturers, researchers and scholars who are interested in the field. It is also a useful resource for the Indonesian and Taiwanese governments to improve working conditions and worker satisfaction. / Among workers from four Southeast Asian countries in Taiwan, Indonesian workers constitute of the biggest group, especially those working in the care service sector. The trend of these workers has been associated with the growing number of the older population in Taiwan. As an Indonesian student studying in Taiwan, I took this opportunity to conduct research on the Indonesian care workers in Taiwan. This study tries to search whether the Indonesian workers are satisfied with their job as caretakers. It includes an overview of their job content, wage, personality job fitness, and supportive work condition. Data was collected by using survey and interviews, with a result of 42 respondents living in Taipei City by using a snowball approach, as well as interviews with an Indonesian representative and Taiwanese government officer. The data collected was analyzed by using cross tabulation and organizational behavior approaches. The study found some relationships between job satisfaction and other variables: i.e.: job contents or characteristics of the caretaking job (such as spends much energy, aggravates health condition, stressful, and restricts social contact with outside of the home), wage (expectation, regularity payment), personality job fit and supportive working condition (no days off and separated room). This study is very comprehensive. The interview results enriched the analyses. It will give much information not only to students, but also to lecturers, researchers and scholars who are interested in the field. It is also a useful resource for the Indonesian and Taiwanese governments to improve working conditions and worker satisfaction.

The technique of �open throat� is a pedagogical concept transmitted through the oral tradition of singing. This thesis explored the pedagogical perceptions and practices of �open throat� using empirical methodologies to assess technical skill and associated vocal quality. In the first study (Mitchell, Kenny, Ryan, & Davis, 2003), we assessed the degree of consensus amongst singing pedagogues regarding the definition of, and use in the singing studio of the technique called �open throat.� Results indicated that all fifteen pedagogues described �open throat� technique as fundamental to singing training and were positive about the sound quality it achieved, especially in classical singing. It was described as a way of maximising pharyngeal space or abducting the false vocal folds. Hypotheses generated from pedagogical beliefs expressed in this first study were then tested acoustically (Mitchell & Kenny, 2004a, 2004b). Six advanced singing students sang in two conditions: �optimal� (O), using maximal open throat, �sub-optimal� (SO), using reduced open throat and loud sub-optimal (LSO) to control for the effect of loudness. From these recordings, acoustic characteristics of vibrato (Mitchell & Kenny, 2004b) and energy distribution (Mitchell & Kenny, 2004a) were examined. Subsequent investigations of the vibrato parameters of rate, extent and onset, revealed that extent was significantly reduced and onset increased when singers did not use the technique. As inconsistent vibrato is considered indicative of poor singing, it was hypothesized that testing the energy distribution in these singers� voices in each condition would identify the timbral changes associated with open throat. Visual inspection of long term average spectra (LTAS) confirmed differences between O and SO, but conventional measures applied to long term average spectra (LTAS), comparing energy peak height [singing power ratio (SPR)] and peak area [energy ratio (ER)] were not sensitive to the changes identified through visual inspection of the LTAS. These results were not consistent with the vibrato findings and suggest that conventional measures of SPR and ER are not sufficiently sensitive to evaluate LTAS. In the fourth study, fifteen expert listeners consistently and reliably identified the presence of open throat technique with 87% accuracy (Mitchell & Kenny, in press). In the fifth study, LTAS measurements were examined with respect to the perceptual ratings of singers. There was no relationship between perceptual rankings of vocal beauty and acoustic rankings of vocal quality (Kenny & Mitchell, 2004, in press). There is a vast literature of spectral energy definitions of good voice but the studies in this thesis have indicated that current acoustic methods are limited in defining vocal quality. They also suggest that current work in singing has not sufficiently incorporated perceptual ratings and descriptions of sound quality or the relationship between acoustic and perceptual factors with pedagogical practices.

<p>The present research intended to examine the relationship between childhood stable peer status and adjustment in midadolescence for both genders, and adjustment in early and middle adulthood for women. One-year stably peer rejected, popular, and average boys and girls were identified by an age 10 and age 11 sociometric classification procedure using positive nominations and rank-ordering. These groups were examined in midadolescence. Findings indicated that stable peer rejection in childhood was associated with negative school adjustment and problems in peer relations in adolescence for both genders, and that many rejected boys were school dropouts. However, rejected children did not associate with deviant peers or show more antisocial behavior than their counterparts. For the adulthood follow-up, cluster analysis using LICUR was applied on rank-ordering data from age 10 and age 13 in order to identify 3-year stably rejected, popular, and average groups of girls. A methodological comparison with a standard sociometric method showed that the applied cluster analysis seems to be a useful additional tool in the arsenal of sociometric classification methods. Furthermore, one seems to arrive at larger stable peer status groups with this method than with other sociometric classification methods. The longitudinal follow-up into adulthood showed that rejected girls were at increased risk for criminal offending and alcohol abuse in young adulthood. Childhood aggressive behavior explained the significant association between peer rejection and criminality. There were no significant differences between the stable peer status clusters in the midadulthood adjustment areas of social relations, health, occupation, and subjective well-being, except that popular girls had achieved more successful vocational careers (which in its turn was explained by their higher academic achievement in childhood). Constraints and implications for future research were discussed.</p>

<p>Flera studier har pekat på viktiga faktorer för att hälsa och återgång till yrkeslivet ska vara möjliga men hur detta i praktiken ska ske och vilka rehabiliteringsåtgärder som är mest effektiva är otillräckligt belagt. Studien har genom intervjuer med sju kvinnor med stressrelaterade störningar granskat hur en tillfriskningsprocess kan upplevas och vad som upplevs som meningsfull hjälp i samband med den. Deras tillfriskning har inneburit en kamp och ett starkt personligt engagemang. Beslutsamhet och målinriktning var förutsättningar för att få ta del av rehabiliteringsåtgärder. Kvinnorna i studien har upplevt ett stort personligt ansvarstagande för sin tillfriskning men de har också betonat vikten av bekräftelse från en förstående omgivning. En stor besvikelse har uttryckts gentemot Försäkringskassan och i vissa fall arbetsgivare för bristande förståelse, stöd och hjälp. Genom bland annat kampandan har kvinnorna utvecklat sin självkännedom och sin livssituation.</p> / <p>Several studies have identified factors associated with the promotion of health and return to work. But knowledge is insufficient of how this is practically done and which rehabilitation methods are most effective. This study aimed to shed light on women’s experiences of their rehabilitation process and also experiences of meaningful support associated with the process. Interviews were done with seven women with stress-related disorders whose recovery involved great efforts and a great deal of personal responsibility. The respondents’ determination was a condition for receiving the needed rehabilitation measures. They also emphasized the importance of social support and an empathetic attitude from others. Respondents expressed disappointment with the way The Swedish Social Insurance Agency and employers have handled and treated them. Through the struggles women in this study have endured, they’ve achieved personal growth and the awareness needed to change their situation of life.</p>

<p>This report is about planning a demolition. The purpose of this report is that it should become a base for a demolition of house J at the Academic hospital in Uppsala, and also to make general help for planning a demolition. This report also contains a part about how a change in the work environment affects general people. The work started with studies of literature and design of the general part of the report and then continued with a practical study of house J. From the experience of the first two parts of the report a general help for planning a demolition was shaped. Today in the demolition industry the most common and effective way to demolish a building is to do it selective and that means, taking the building down part by part depending on the grade of separation. The recommendation for the demolition of house J is to do it selective. “Thinking” about the demolition in the building phase of a house helps to reduce the environmental effects of the demolition and makes it easier to carry out. Planning a building should be done in a long term perspective to make it easier to cope with activity changes, rebuilding and complementary building. When a building is due for demolition it’s important to know everything about the construction of the building and it’s materials to make a good demolition plan both economic and environmental.</p>

<p>Aim of the Thesis: To investigate from a company’s perspective if the pressure for companies to produce quarterly reports has turned away their attention from working towards long-term value creation. The companies investigated are listed on the large-cap section on the Swedish stock exchange (OMX Nordic Exchange Stockholm AB).</p><p>Methodology: A quantitative approach has been used and empirical data has been collected through questionnaires. The data has been analyzed and presented with descriptive statistics.</p><p>Theoretical Perspectives: A literature review has been conducted and resulted in a theoretical framework illustrating the concepts of quarterly reporting, long-term value creating, short-termism and forecasting.</p><p>Empirical data: The empirical data was collected by distributing questionnaires to the companies listed on the large-cap section of the OMX.</p><p>Conclusion: Companies listed on the large cap section of the OMX do not perceive that the pressure to produce quarterly reports affects them in a negative way. The study also showed that many companies lack awareness of the risks associated with short-termism.</p>

<p> </p><p>The European Union has lead to higher collaboration between the European countries, more exchange of information and a tendency to centralize more political decisions. There is also a tendency to try to create legislations that are more similar in each nation.</p><p> </p><p>This paper aims at giving an idea about the challenges that the nations might meet when working towards higher archival collaboration within the European Union. The report by the European Commission “<em>Report on archives in the enlarged European Union - Increased archival collaboration in Europe: action plan” </em>from 2005<em> </em>states that there is a need for higher European collaboration within the field of archives. The goal is to create a gateway for the citizens to have easy access to archival information from the different member states.</p><p> </p><p>There are some obstacles for this to easily work. To start with the member nations have different cultural traditions and legislations when it comes to freedom of information. It has also got to do with technical issues such as which computer systems, file types and structures et c that are allowed.</p><p> </p><p>This paper takes its starting point in the field of digital deliveries to the national archives of Sweden and The United Kingdom. A comparison has been made to show the difference of how these countries proceed with their archival work to give an idea about how these differences can affect the wish for higher collaboration within the European Union.</p><p> </p><p> </p>

<p>Natural forest dynamics is a foundational topic of forest science. A new Wood Pasture hypothesis considering large herbivore as driving force in forest ecosystem is now challenging the traditional High Forest hypothesis, in which vegetation is regarded as main driving force. In this study, a model-based approach is applied to investigate differences between these two hypotheses and the determine factors in the system. A theoretical landscape of 1 km²formed by 100*100 cells is set up with 100 vegetation patches and free moving herbivores on. Our null hypothesis that herbivores make no difference in vegetation dynamics especially at canopy level is rejected. It is found that synchronization of herbivore behaviors is the most influencing factor of how a landscape might be shaped. It is also found that landscape could be a mosaic of both high forest and wood pasture depends on large herbivore’s herd size.</p>

<p>One goal in the development of future cellular systems is to increase performance. Channel dependent scheduling can possibly contribute to a performance enhancement. It requires channel qualityinformation and uplink channel knowledge is often incomplete. This master thesis work compares channel dependent scheduling and channel independent scheduling for a Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access-based uplink in time domain and time and frequencydomain assuming continuous channel quality information updates. It also evaluates different methods for providing channel quality information by investigating how the limited channel knowledge they supply affects the performance of channel dependent scheduling.</p><p>Single-cell simulations with perfect channel knowledge indicate small gains for channel dependent scheduling. Large gains are seen when performing frequency and time domain scheduling instead of only time domain scheduling. Limited channel knowledge causes performance loss for channel dependent scheduling. The performance is only slightly decreased if a method with sufficiently frequent providing of channel quality information updates is applied.</p><p>More realistic multi-cell simulations show large gains for channel dependent scheduling. It is possible that these results are influenced by link adaptation and scheduling problems due to non predictable interference when performing dynamic scheduling. In the comparison between channel dependent and channel independent scheduling the channel dependent scheduling can benefit from the fact that the selected channel dependent scheduling algorithms result in a more static scheduling than the selected channel independent scheduling algorithms do.</p>

<p>Media society is under a constant development and in line with this change, firms must adapt to the market. We have investigated what fashion companies in fact are doing to communicate in the dynamic market. We wanted to find out how to communicate and how they can market themselves in a new and innovative way to create long-term customer relationships. We have used a theoretical frame of reference based on marketing communication, fashion marketing, branding and relationship marketing theories. We have assumed four themes throughout the survey which are: customer contact and relationships, emotion in communication, branding and relational communication. The survey has been conducted by using qualitative methodswere we have interviewed three fashion companies and three consumers as well as a professor of communications. We have also examined and critically assessed the data we collected. Furthermore we have presented the empirical result of the interviews according to the previously mentioned themes. We have discussed above mentioned areas and different tools to create long-terms relationships within the fashion industry. In conclusion, we state that the one of the most effective strategy is to add more resources to create feelings among their customers with the companies advertising. It is also important to build up a strong brand that can represent the whole company.</p>