published_or_final_version / Obstetrics and Gynaecology / Master / Master of Philosophy

This dissertation studies determinants of the U.S. labor market structure and human capital development, with a focus on technological change. A key feature of the U.S. labor market since 1980 is the substantial growth of the employment in high skill occupations and there is a substantial literature attributing this change to technological change. However, since 1999, the employment growth of high skill occupations has decelerated markedly despite continued rapid growth in technology. The first essay documents this novel trend and examines the role of technological change in explaining this phenomenon. It shows that technological advancements since the late 1990s, such as the onset of Internet, have expanded what computers can do and become substitutes for high skill occupations. This change can explain a substantial portion of the stagnancy in employment growth for high skill occupation in the 2000s. The second essay examines the role of computer adoption in explaining the differences in the change of gender wage gap between 1980 and 2000 across cities in the United States. It uses the city-level routine task intensity in 1980 to predict the subsequent increase in computer adoption and shows that cities with one percent greater increase in computer adoption experienced a 0.7 percent more decrease in the change of male-female wage ratio between 1980 and 2000. Computerization explains about 50 percent of the decline in the male-female wage gap between 1980 and 2000. The third essay studies the causal effect of maternal education on the gender gap in children’s non-cognitive skills. It shows that maternal education reduces boys’ disadvantage in non-cognitive behaviors relative to girls at age 7. To explain the mechanism of this effect, it provides suggestive evidence that better educated mothers spend more time going outings with boys while reading to girls at age 7, and going outings could be more closely related to non-cognitive development than reading.

Detta är en kvalitativ studie som syftar till att undersöka i vilken utsträckning ett finansiellt gap ligger till grund för svenska företags användning av lånebaserad crowdfunding, även kallat peer-to-peer-lån. Vidare syftar studien till att kartlägga svenska företags erfarenheter av peer-to-peer-lån i form av dess för- samt nackdelar. Undersökningen utgår från åtta svenska företag med olika erfarenheter av finansieringsverktyget. Som kompletterande empirikälla genomfördes också en intervju med en representant från en av de svenska storbankerna. Studiens teoretiska referensram består dels utav teorier som syftar till att ge en bakgrund till varför företag föredrar att finansiera sig med lån framför externt ägarkapital samt svenska SME’s problematiska förutsättningar för att få banklån. Vidare utgår uppsatsen från tidigare studier på ämnena peer-to-peer-lån och crowdfunding. Studiens slutsats visar på att det i vissa fall förefaller vara ett finansiellt gap som ligger till grund för svenska företags användning av peer-to-peer-lån. Marknadsföring, möjligheten att slippa banken samt att det är ett billigare finansieringsalternativ utgör ytterligare motiv som får företag att välja peer-to-peer-lån som finansieringsverktyg. Fler för- och nackdelar med peer-to-peer-lån identifieras genom studiens intervjuer med de svenska företagen som använt sig av finansieringsverktyget. Att processen är snabb och enkel samt att den ställer lägre krav vid ansökan om kapital jämfört med andra finansieringsverktyg är de två fördelar som flest respondenter i studien uttryckte med peer-to-peer-lån. Att peer-to-peer-lån är ett offentligt finansieringsverktyg var den nackdel som upplevdes som störst för det företag som medverkade i uppsatsens undersökning.

The achievement gap is still an epidemic in America and many schools struggle with identifying the reasons that their students of color are not achieving at the same rates as their White peers. This review of the literature uncovers some of these reasons and gives counselors ideas for how they can help these students achieve appropriately. Throughout the literature the disproportionate ratio between the overwhelming majority of White school counselors and educators and the growing number of students of color is clear, meaning that Whites in educator roles are over-represented compared to the demographics of the student body. Also, it is evident that the education that counselors have received in the past, and are still receiving, has been lacking in multicultural competency standards. These are just a few of the reasons for the emotional disconnect that students of color feel with the education system and counselors in particular, which makes the job of the counselor difficult when trying to help all children be successful, as is mandated by the American School Counselor Association and NCLB. The literature suggests that White school counselors can become multiculturally competent and can improve school climates to embrace diverse cultures, which in turn increases the chances of student success. Counselors are important change agents in schools and can help to close the achievement gap. / text

Underlying all my work is a tension between the painter and the builder. I love to paint. I love the lie inherent in paint: that it can make a picture plane masquerade as light, space, or recognizable place with recognizable figuration. I love how paint—particularly oil paint—can rest in gloppy piles, how it can drip, splatter, spread, or how it can squeeze out of paint tubes in long, stringy beads. I love how paint changes how we see an interior space or a three-dimensional form. Yet I also love building things—usually out of wood—measuring and cutting, fastening things together—all to serve a function or solve a problem. In every studio I have had, there has always been an arms race between my fine art supplies and my tools. My work during my three years at the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Texas at Austin has undergone some dramatic changes. In large part this paper will elaborate and evaluate the trajectory of these changes. Yet, in spite of these changes, the competing impulses to paint and to build have remained constant. This report will leave unanswered the question whether these two impulses can or should be reconciled, kept separate, or whether one should be sacrificed in favor of the other. The artist writing this report does not know at this point in time, and cannot hope to answer this question without making more work in a new context. This report instead will reveal how I arrived at the work I am making at the time of writing this report, and why I regard this new body of work as being about the “paint gap.” I define the “paint gap” as the distinction—mild or strong—between paint itself and the object or surface upon which paint is applied. / text

The foreign-born population in the United States increased by 57% from 1990 to 2000 (U.S. Census, 2003). A substantial growth for minority and immigrant population groups is projected to continue over the next 20 years, and these newcomer students tend to have lower measures of achievement (National Center of Education Statistics, 2007). Most of the research available is for early grade students. A paucity of research exists for high school student newcomers. This study reviewed a single public high school as a case study in a Central Texas school district, focusing on newcomer immigrant students in Grades 9 and 10. This study adds to the understanding of educational needs for new immigrants, existing educational services for them, strategies in place to narrow the achievement gaps between immigrant and nonimmigrant students, and policies that should be developed or expanded in order to ameliorate their educational conditions. Research questions were (a) what are the achievement gaps between 9th-grade, newcomer immigrant students in Central Texas and their nonimmigrant peers; (b) what are the academic needs of 9th-grade, newcomer immigrant students in Central Texas; and (c) what strategies exist to narrow the achievement gaps between immigrant and nonimmigrant students? Evidence was found that indeed a subpopulation of immigrant teenagers arrives with significant gaps in schooling. This study revealed value in innovative, visual instructional techniques; encouraged development of interpersonal advocacy; and the most potent contribution, thoughtful and empathetic administration and teachers. Determining effective strategies, support systems, and appropriate school climate while finding other elements that work in other locations make for a successful school for newcomer immigrant students. / text

published_or_final_version / Surgery / Master / Master of Philosophy

This study aims at a preliminary characterization of system operation uncertainty. It bases this on an analysis of the energy consumption of 6 existing buildings on the Georgia Tech campus. The analysis is speculative in nature.

No description available.

This dissertation intends to describe how small Swedish companies experience the handling of financing in China. Which include describing how small Swedish companies have chosen to finance their establishment, and whether Myers Pecking order theory is applicable. Further more, to show the inquired companies attitude towards external equity, and if any problems are experienced, connected to reaching long-term external finance. The specifikation of the problem for this dissertation is, How do small Swedish companies established in China experience the handling of financing? And to answer the specification of the problem a quantitative approach has been used. The data was gathered through a survey sent out to a number of small Swedish companies established in China. The definition of small Swedish companies has been set to less than 100 employees, and furthermore, established in China under any of the entry modes WFOE, FICE, Joint Venture or Rep/Sales Office. The over all conclusions for this dissertation, are that internal finance is preferred, and in general is the use of external finance insignificant among small Swedish companies established in China. What can be concluded from this is that Myers Pecking order theory is applicable. Further more, there are strong indications that the inquired companies do not experience any financial gap, or in general any imminent problems surrounding reaching external finance. Important to add to the conclusion is that just because there are no imminent problems, does this not signify that companies do not experience any problems at all reaching external finance.