Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

This report describes a bachelor thesis work performed at the cloud storage company CloudMe in Linköping, Sweden. The storage service provided by CloudMe allows users to access their files seamlessly from multiple units at the same time. In the cloud there is storage provided for contacts, calendar and e-mail, which is data nowadays normally used by smart phones.Exchange ActiveSync is a protocol developed by Microsoft which, among much more, provides functionality to synchronize the previously described data. This protocol is supported by the smart phone developers and the ability to synchronize over the exchange protocol is implemented in products by default. Due to this fact it would be preferable to implement support for synchronization from CloudMe to phones over this protocol. Therefore a decision was made to create a proxy server which handles communication with clients (smart phones) over Exchange ActiveSync and talks with CloudMes SOAP-based open API to extract the needed data. With the help of this server a user would be able to synchronize the described data between different phones and tablets, independently of label and model and would never have to worry about loss of data.The purpose of this bachelor thesis work was therefore to design and implement such a proxy server, so that clients would be able to connect, through the standard support for exchange in smart phones,and synchronize data between phones and the cloud. The report describes the methods used when designing the project and also the problems that occurred during the process.

Biodiesel purification processes generate wastewater streams that require a large amount of energy when distillation is used as a treatment technology. Process simulation software was used to show that an alternative water treatment process involving ion exchange would require only 31% of the energy used by distillation. Experiments showed that multiple washing stages were required to meet the standard specification for sodium, an impurity present in crude biodiesel, when washing biodiesel made from used frying oil. A comparison was made between washing biodiesel in a cross-current washing configuration and a counter-current configuration. Both configurations met the specification for sodium within three washing stages; however, the counter-current configuration required less water, making it the more efficient process. Lastly, the removal of sodium from wastewater samples using an ion exchange resin was experimentally investigated. The results validated the use of ion exchange to reduce energy consumption in biodiesel purification.

Bank holding companies (BHCs) in the United States (US) have been recently required to report foreign exchange derivatives in two accounts. One account includes the foreign exchange derivatives held for trading while the other account contains the foreign exchange derivatives held for purposes other than trading. The objective of this study is to examine the factors that determine the sizes of these two accounts.<p> We propose that the size of the securities portfolio held for purposes other than trading is an indicator of the magnitude of the hedging operations by a US BHC. In particular, we are interested in the portfolio of foreign exchange derivatives held for purposes other than trading and we refer to this portfolio as the foreign exchange derivatives hedging account. Our proposition is consistent with Adkins, Carter and Simpson (2007) who regard the securities that are held for purposes other than trading as primarily used for hedging purposes. Thus, we use the foreign exchange hedging account to study the foreign exchange hedging behavior of BHCs and determine the factors that influence the magnitudes of the foreign exchange hedging accounts.<p> Hedging activities in general are very important for practitioners, regulators, and academics as evidenced by the extensive publicity and attention that has been given to interest rate risk and the extensive research that has been done to examine the factors that determine the magnitudes of interest rate hedging activities. Yet, little research has been devoted to examine the factors that determine the magnitudes of the foreign exchange hedging activities in US BHCs. One purpose of this study is to fill this gap in the literature.<p> Similarly, we propose that the size of the trading account of a BHC is an indicator of the magnitude of the trading operations. These operations are attracting the attention of academics, regulators, and practitioners as they can generate significant revenues to BHCs but they are sources of significant risks. For example, much of the surprisingly high revenues reported by major US banks in the first and second quarters of 2009 are credited to trading operations while revenues from other activities were significantly low. On the other hand, trading activities are largely blamed for several catastrophic financial events such as the collapse of the Baring Bank PLC and the financial crisis of 2008 which nearly leads to the collapse of the global financial system. One objective of this study is to improve our understanding of the foreign exchange derivatives trading and the factors that influence the magnitudes of the foreign exchange trading accounts at US BHCs. Given the importance of the trading operations it is surprising that little research has been done in this area.<p> The results of this study are derived from empirical data observed over the period from 1995 to 2007 inclusive. This data is obtained from the financial reports and statements of US BHCs. We use regression analysis to show that the notional amounts of the foreign exchange derivatives held in the hedging and trading accounts are related to various firm-specific and environmental factors. In particular, we argue that the net asset exposure, which measures the difference between the assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currency, and the net income exposure, which measures the difference between the interest income and interest expenses denominated in foreign currency, should be significant determinants of the notional amount of derivatives held in the hedging account. We propose that these two factors are indicators of a BHCs exposure to foreign exchange fluctuations and hedging should be designed to offset their influence on the value of assets or level of income. In addition, we propose that a BHCs size and level of capitalization affect the size of the hedging account.<p> Similarly, we propose that the notional amount of foreign exchange derivatives held for trading should be related to the same factors. In particular, we argue that the notional amount of derivatives in the trading account is related to the net asset exposure and the net income exposure as they indicate a BHCs involvement in international operations such as lending, deposit taking, risk management, and correspondent relationships in foreign countries. In our opinion, the larger the involvement in international operations the larger is a BHCs ability to trade foreign exchange derivatives.<p> This study makes several unique contributions. First, it shows that the net asset exposure and the net income exposure have positive and significant effects on both the hedging and the trading accounts. Second, we show that the capital ratio and the magnitude of the hedging and trading accounts are positively and significantly related. In addition, this study confirms that the magnitude of total assets is a positive and significant determinant of BHCs foreign exchange derivative securities held in either the hedging or the trading accounts. This result is consistent with previous studies such as Carter and Sinkey (1998), Brewer, Jackson and Moser (2001), Adkins, Carter and Simpson (2007), and Hassan and Khasawneh (2009).

In order to increase the current efficiency in copper electrowinning tankhouses, iron can be removed from the electrolyte using ion exchange. While this is a proven technology, very little data is available for the application of this technology to copper electrowinning electrolytes containing antimony and bismuth. The feasibility of utilizing iron ion exchange for the removal of iron from copper electrowinning electrolytes containing antimony and bismuth was studied in the laboratory. Apicolylamine, a sulphonated diphosphonic, an aminophosphonic and three sulphonated monophosphonic resins were tested. The picolylamine resin was found to be completely impractical as it loaded high levels of copper. All the phosphonic resins tested loaded an appreciable amount of antimony, however, only the aminophosponic resin loaded an appreciable amount of bismuth. Tests to determine whether or not the sulphonated monophosphonic Purolite S957 resin would continue to load antimony with time and, hence, reduce the resin's ability to remove iron gave inconclusive results. In the event that the resin's ability to remove iron is hampered due to antimony loading, testing has shown that the resin performance may be restored via a regeneration with a solution containing sulphuric acid and sodium chloride. A case study for the application of this technology to the CVRD Inco CRED plant has shown that, while iron removal by ion exchange is technically feasible, it will upset the plant's acid balance in electrolyte. Therefore, an acid removal process would need to be implemented in tandem with an iron ion exchange system. Additionally, preliminary calculations suggest that a system with a single ion exchange column may have difficulty removing sufficient iron for the CRED design conditions. Therefore, consideration should be given to the possibility of utilizing a two column system (one column loading, one column stripping).

Biodiesel purification processes generate wastewater streams that require a large amount of energy when distillation is used as a treatment technology. Process simulation software was used to show that an alternative water treatment process involving ion exchange would require only 31% of the energy used by distillation. Experiments showed that multiple washing stages were required to meet the standard specification for sodium, an impurity present in crude biodiesel, when washing biodiesel made from used frying oil. A comparison was made between washing biodiesel in a cross-current washing configuration and a counter-current configuration. Both configurations met the specification for sodium within three washing stages; however, the counter-current configuration required less water, making it the more efficient process. Lastly, the removal of sodium from wastewater samples using an ion exchange resin was experimentally investigated. The results validated the use of ion exchange to reduce energy consumption in biodiesel purification.

The Exchange is a fiction novel Xavier "Savvy" Kowalski, one of the most promising American chess prodigies and rumored up-and-comer for the international fame as a potential challenger for the world chess crown. After he loses the junior world chess championship in Venice, Italy, he retires to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he hopes to start his life over. Savvy's father and the chess world at large conspire against him and he finds himself returning to competitive chess again after three years away. He assembles a new team to train him for a return to the world championship, and he also falls in love with a young prodigy he met during his retirement. Together they travel the United States and Europe as Savvy attempts to win back his reputation as America's premier chess player while encountering various rivals, including his own father. The story culminates with Savvy's final championship game, and with his dad.

Uppsatsens syfte är att analysera den nominella växelkursens påverkan på utrikeshandel och göra en jämförande studie mellan ett EU-land (Sverige) och ett EMU-land (Tyskland). Fokus för denna undersökning kommer att ligga på vad som skedde med utrikeshandeln under de två ekonomiska kriserna på 2000-talet, men även ge en generell bild för utrikeshandeln under hela perioden 2000-2010. Uppsatsen avser att besvara om det finns några skillnader i hur ländernas handel påverkades under kriserna med avseende på växelkursen, samt om handelssammansättningen av handelspartners förändrats. Detta kommer undersökas för att se hur Sveriges utrikeshandel påverkats av att stå utanför EMU. Resultaten visar på att den nominella växelkursen inte haft stor betydelse för utrikeshandeln under den undersökta tidsperioden. Både export och import har ökat under perioden, men det går inte att finna någon direkt koppling till växelkursförändringar. Under de båda kriserna har både import och export tenderat att förändras mer än växelkursen. Vidare har Sveriges handelspartners inte ändrats nämnvärt. Därför kan vi anta att Sveriges utrikeshandel inte påverkats av att stå utanför EMU med avseende på den nominella växelkursen.

Objective: The objective of this study was to understand school administrators’ experience using the Youth Smoking Survey (YSS) school smoking profile to inform and improve future knowledge exchange strategies with schools. Methods: This study employed a two-phase, sequential explanatory mixed method approach. Phase One consisted of a close-ended mail-out questionnaire to 111 school administrators who had not viewed their schools’ feedback report. Phase Two consisted of telephone interviews with consenting questionnaire participants. Results: Of the 111 eligible schools, 71% (N=79) responded to the questionnaire; 29 school administrators participated in the follow-up interviews. Overall, questionnaire respondents rated the feedback report’s layout very positively in terms of clarity and relevancy, but somewhat less positively on timeliness and level of detail (too much). The majority of school administrators (82%) plan to use the feedback report when planning programs, curriculum, or events, and would primarily discuss the report with teachers, students, and parents. While interview participants provided positive feedback regarding the communication quality, relevance, timeliness, and content of the smoking profile, further investigation revealed a weak relationship between these information characteristics and knowledge use (conceptual and instrumental). The weak association could be attributed to the small sample (N=29), the fact that participants had not previously viewed their feedback reports, and did not have adequate time to incorporate the findings into their practice. Conclusions: The findings have contributed to our understanding of the knowledge utilization process of school administrators. Specifically, it examined how end users perceived source and information characteristics in school smoking profile, and the extent conceptual and instrumental knowledge use are associated with the these characteristics. Findings will guide profile revisions and process.

Bank holding companies (BHCs) in the United States (US) have been recently required to report foreign exchange derivatives in two accounts. One account includes the foreign exchange derivatives held for trading while the other account contains the foreign exchange derivatives held for purposes other than trading. The objective of this study is to examine the factors that determine the sizes of these two accounts.<p> We propose that the size of the securities portfolio held for purposes other than trading is an indicator of the magnitude of the hedging operations by a US BHC. In particular, we are interested in the portfolio of foreign exchange derivatives held for purposes other than trading and we refer to this portfolio as the foreign exchange derivatives hedging account. Our proposition is consistent with Adkins, Carter and Simpson (2007) who regard the securities that are held for purposes other than trading as primarily used for hedging purposes. Thus, we use the foreign exchange hedging account to study the foreign exchange hedging behavior of BHCs and determine the factors that influence the magnitudes of the foreign exchange hedging accounts.<p> Hedging activities in general are very important for practitioners, regulators, and academics as evidenced by the extensive publicity and attention that has been given to interest rate risk and the extensive research that has been done to examine the factors that determine the magnitudes of interest rate hedging activities. Yet, little research has been devoted to examine the factors that determine the magnitudes of the foreign exchange hedging activities in US BHCs. One purpose of this study is to fill this gap in the literature.<p> Similarly, we propose that the size of the trading account of a BHC is an indicator of the magnitude of the trading operations. These operations are attracting the attention of academics, regulators, and practitioners as they can generate significant revenues to BHCs but they are sources of significant risks. For example, much of the surprisingly high revenues reported by major US banks in the first and second quarters of 2009 are credited to trading operations while revenues from other activities were significantly low. On the other hand, trading activities are largely blamed for several catastrophic financial events such as the collapse of the Baring Bank PLC and the financial crisis of 2008 which nearly leads to the collapse of the global financial system. One objective of this study is to improve our understanding of the foreign exchange derivatives trading and the factors that influence the magnitudes of the foreign exchange trading accounts at US BHCs. Given the importance of the trading operations it is surprising that little research has been done in this area.<p> The results of this study are derived from empirical data observed over the period from 1995 to 2007 inclusive. This data is obtained from the financial reports and statements of US BHCs. We use regression analysis to show that the notional amounts of the foreign exchange derivatives held in the hedging and trading accounts are related to various firm-specific and environmental factors. In particular, we argue that the net asset exposure, which measures the difference between the assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currency, and the net income exposure, which measures the difference between the interest income and interest expenses denominated in foreign currency, should be significant determinants of the notional amount of derivatives held in the hedging account. We propose that these two factors are indicators of a BHCs exposure to foreign exchange fluctuations and hedging should be designed to offset their influence on the value of assets or level of income. In addition, we propose that a BHCs size and level of capitalization affect the size of the hedging account.<p> Similarly, we propose that the notional amount of foreign exchange derivatives held for trading should be related to the same factors. In particular, we argue that the notional amount of derivatives in the trading account is related to the net asset exposure and the net income exposure as they indicate a BHCs involvement in international operations such as lending, deposit taking, risk management, and correspondent relationships in foreign countries. In our opinion, the larger the involvement in international operations the larger is a BHCs ability to trade foreign exchange derivatives.<p> This study makes several unique contributions. First, it shows that the net asset exposure and the net income exposure have positive and significant effects on both the hedging and the trading accounts. Second, we show that the capital ratio and the magnitude of the hedging and trading accounts are positively and significantly related. In addition, this study confirms that the magnitude of total assets is a positive and significant determinant of BHCs foreign exchange derivative securities held in either the hedging or the trading accounts. This result is consistent with previous studies such as Carter and Sinkey (1998), Brewer, Jackson and Moser (2001), Adkins, Carter and Simpson (2007), and Hassan and Khasawneh (2009).